Top Stories category, Page 342
Lawsuit accuses Pittsburgh cops of ‘abandoning’ drunk woman killed by driver on West End Bridge
The estate of a Homestead woman fatally struck by a vehicle that knocked her off Pittsburgh’s West End Bridge in January is suing Pittsburgh police, three of its officers and a city bar for what the complaint claims are their roles in her death. The seven-count civil rights lawsuit, filed...
Fire that killed 5 members of Jeannette family remains under investigation, police chief says
A fire in Jeannette that killed five people earlier this year is still under investigation, Police Chief Derek Manley said Friday morning. State police fire marshal Trooper Chet Bell continues to work on his report to identify a cause in the March 20 blaze on Guy Street, Manley said. “We...
Judge delays Donald Trump’s sentencing in hush money case until after November election
NEW YORK — A judge agreed Friday to postpone Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money case until after the November election, granting him a hard-won reprieve as he navigates the aftermath of his criminal conviction and the homestretch of his presidential campaign. Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan, who is...
Defense expert will examine phones cited as evidence in Azuree Charles killing in New Kensington
Cellphones will be transported across the state so a defense expert can examine them in preparation for a New Kensington death penalty case, a Westmoreland County judge ruled Friday. The phones, which were seized by investigators as evidence against Jean J. Charles, 42, of Brackenridge, will be transported to Philadelphia...
Allegheny Valley Hospital nurses, staffers want the same deal offered to Allegheny General staff
Allegheny Valley Hospital nurses and staffers threatening to strike say they want to get the same deal Allegheny Health Network made with its employees at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. Service Employees International Union members and supporters held a vigil outside Allegheny Valley Hospital along Carlisle Street in Harrison Thursday...
Unfounded bomb threat prompted New Kensington-Arnold delay
A bomb threat prompted the New Kensington-Arnold School District to delay the start of classes Friday morning, according to information provided by the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. The unfounded threat targeted Valley High School, spokeswoman Melanie Jones said. The district sent a message to families shortly before 10 p.m....
Man accused in attack of Pitt students faces more charges
The man charged with attacking two Jewish students from the University of Pittsburgh with a glass bottle also threw one at two people the day before, according to police. Carnegie Mellon University Police charged Jarrett Buba, 52, of the city’s West Oakland neighborhood with aggravated assault, reckless endangering, simple assault...
Lawrenceville Distilling Co. expanding to Verona in old bank building
Brothers Joe and Jeremy DeGroot are banking on their decision to open a second location for their Lawrenceville-based distillery business. They opened Lawrenceville Distilling Co. in 2018, producing small batch vodka, bourbon, absinthe, gin and craft cocktails, with a tasting room and event space. The second location in a former...
Teen charged in Georgia school shooting and his father to stay in custody after hearings
WINDER, Ga. — The 14-year-old suspect in a shooting that killed four people at a Georgia high school and his father will stay in custody after back-to-back court hearings Friday morning where their lawyers declined to seek bail. At Colt Gray’s hearing, the teen was advised of his rights along...
5 things do to in Pittsburgh this weekend: Sept. 6-8
Look, of course it’s the start of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season and a good percentage of the weekend will be taken up by all things Black and Gold. But maybe a palate cleanser from all that Iron City is in order? If so, check out these events for a chance...
Morning Roundup: Police seek Duquesne Club burglars; Allentown fire sends man to hospital
Here are some news items for Friday, Sept. 6: Police seek Duquesne Club burglars Pittsburgh police are seeking information on two men who attempted to burglarize the Duquesne Club on Aug. 27. Police said two suspects entered through an open window shortly before midnight Aug. 27, after gaining access from...
Western Pa. districts split on students’ cellphones as schools across the country add device policies
When backpack-clad students returned to Allegheny Valley School District classrooms, many had cellphones in hand. That did not last for long. The district that once allowed teachers to determine how to handle cellphones in class cracked down at a board meeting earlier this month, requiring students to put their devices...
5 things to watch in Week 2: NFL encroaches on Friday night high school football tradition
The storied tradition of Friday night football adds another chapter this week with high school games all across Pennsylvania. But might a game played in South America keep some fans home, especially on the other side of the state? That’s in question because the NFL has scheduled a rare Friday...
Trump suggests tariffs can help solve rising child care costs in a major economic speechVideo
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump suggested to business leaders Thursday that his plans to increase tariffs on foreign imports would solve seemingly unrelated challenges such as the rising cost of child care in the U.S. The GOP presidential nominee promised to lead what he called a “national economic...
Former agent with the state AG’s Office accused of stealing $174K
A former agent with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office is accused of stealing $121,000 from the agency’s North Huntingdon office, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday by Westmoreland County detectives. Brenda D. Sawyer, 61, of North Versailles also is accused of stealing $52,650 from the McKeesport branch of the...
Carnegie man gets 12-24 years in prison for slaying outside Club Erotica
A judge Thursday took a Carnegie man to task as she sentenced him to prison for a fatal shooting outside a McKees Rocks strip club three years ago following a dispute in the parking lot. Charles Becher, 27, was sentenced to 12 to 24 years in prison by Allegheny County...
Gainey pitches major affordable housing reforms, draws councilman’s ire
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Thursday unveiled sweeping reforms to boost the city’s supply of affordable housing, seen as a key strategy to combating homelessness. The reforms, which involve changing the city’s zoning code, would force new housing developments or those undergoing major renovations anywhere in the city to set...
79-year-old Hempfield man whose farm tractor overturned into a creek dies
A Hempfield Township man died late Thursday afternoon when a farm tractor he was using to mow grass overturned and fell into a creek, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Clifford E. Schweinsburg Jr., 79, was mowing grass in Hempfield along Township Line Run Creek — a tributary of...
West Deer No. 3’s fire hall renovations include indoor training, decontamination room
This time next year, West Deer Volunteer Fire Company No. 3 firefighters will be able to practice rappelling and rescue techniques without leaving the fire hall on Gibsonia Road. An indoor training space is among the highlights of ongoing renovations at the hall, which is a transformed commercial building that...
Hockey dad sentenced after attack at Monroeville hotel over affair left man severely injured
Jerry McCool’s face was so badly beaten that trauma physicians initially thought he’d been shot. He was placed in a medically induced coma, given a tracheotomy to breathe and a feeding tube to receive sustenance. His family did not know if he would survive the April 14, 2023 assault outside...
Police deny Venezuela gang has taken over rundown apartment complex in Denver suburb
AURORA, Colo. — Police in the Denver suburb of Aurora say a Venezuela street gang with a small presence in the city has not taken over a rundown apartment complex — yet the allegation continues to gain steam among conservatives and was amplified by former President Donald Trump in a...
Steelers QB Russell Wilson aggravates calf injury, is limited in practice
Three days before the Pittsburgh Steelers are scheduled to kick off the regular season in Atlanta, they had an unexpected switch at quarterback. Russell Wilson aggravated the calf injury Thursday that kept him sidelined at the start of training camp and was a limited participant in practice, coach Mike Tomlin...
Kamala Harris arrives in Pittsburgh, Tim Walz visits Pamela’s DinerVideo
Vice President Kamala Harris might soon be sporting black and gold with how much time she’s spending in Pittsburgh lately. Harris returned to the city Thursday afternoon, having left hardly 72 hours earlier following a quick Labor Day visit. This time, she’s expected to stay in town until her debate...
Allegheny Valley Hospital unveils $12 million imaging upgrade to cut patient wait times
Several times each week, a box truck arrives at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison to potentially save lives. A new mobile imaging pad outside the hospital on Carlisle Street allows rotating MRI and PET CT capabilities, opening 40 more appointments a week. The truck travels throughout the region, pulling up...
Hunter Biden enters surprise guilty plea to avoid tax trial months after his gun conviction
LOS ANGELES — Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to federal tax charges Thursday in a surprise move that spares President Joe Biden and his family another likely embarrassing and painful criminal trial of the president’s son. Hunter Biden’s stunning decision to guilty plea to misdemeanor and felony charges without the benefits...
