Top Stories category, Page 348
Pittsburgh woman identified as person found dead in Monongahela River near Sandcastle
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the woman whose body was found Thursday afternoon in the Monongahela River. The medical examiner’s office identified the woman as Latasha Jefferson, 36, of Pittsburgh. The medical examiner’s release did not list a cause or manner of the woman’s death. Pittsburgh police...
Man who heard voices will spend at least 8½ years in prison for killing stepfather
Seven years before Javon Taylor stabbed his stepfather to death, he started to exhibit symptoms of mental illness. He talked to himself out loud, believed the Little Mermaid was God and thought the walls in his apartment were wired so people could listen to him. It became so bad, his...
Pittsburgh leaders divided over proposal to limit discounted land sales
Some Pittsburgh leaders on Wednesday voiced concerns that a proposal to ban landlords from purchasing properties at a discounted rate through the city’s Side Yard Sale Program could inadvertently lead to blight. Councilwoman Deb Gross, D-Highland Park, sponsored legislation that would limit the Side Yard Sale Program — which allows...
State System of Higher Education recommends interim chancellor
The chair of the State System of Higher Education Board of Governors intends to recommend Christopher Fiorentino, retired president of West Chester University, as interim system chancellor while a search for Daniel Greenstein’s successor is conducted. Cynthia Shapira notified students, faculty and staff at the 10 state-owned universities in a...
Pittsburgh’s North Side, North Shore packed with events Labor Day weekend
Pittsburgh’s North Shore and North Side will be bustling with activity for Labor Day weekend starting with the annual Kickoff and Rib Festival near Acrisure Stadium, which opens Thursday. There’s also a University of Pittsburgh football game, TacoMania Super Fest and a Green Day concert this weekend. Additionally, the USS...
Highmark Health revenue up $1B
The parent company of Highmark Health insurance and Allegheny Health Network said Thursday its insurance business plans drove revenue in the first half of the year to $14.7 billion — up more than $1 billion from the same period last year. Highmark Health also reported net income of $417 million...
Gainey, top budget official say Pittsburgh revenue dips mean ‘some difficult years ahead’
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Thursday acknowledged the city is bracing for tight financial years ahead, but told residents there’s no reason to worry about major cuts in city services. “The sky’s not falling, but we do have some difficult years ahead,” Gainey said. Gainey and Director of the Office...
Justice Department watchdog finds flaws in FBI’s reporting of sex crimes against children
WASHINGTON — The FBI has failed to report all suspected child sexual abuse cases to appropriate law enforcement agencies despite changes prompted by its handling of the case against former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, according to a Justice Department watchdog report released Thursday. In a review of more...
Arlington National Cemetery worker was ‘pushed aside’ in Trump staff dispute but won’t seek charges
WASHINGTON — An Arlington National Cemetery official was “abruptly pushed aside” in an altercation with former President Donald Trump’s staff during a wreath-laying ceremony to honor service members killed in the Afghanistan War withdrawal, but she declined to press charges, an Army spokesman said Thursday. The Army spokesman said the...
Former treasurer accused of stealing $18.9K from Burrell Cheer Boosters
The former treasurer of the Burrell Cheer Boosters is facing criminal charges after, authorities say, she took nearly $19,000 from the organization. Lower Burrell police charged Ashley Marie Freiberg, 40, of Upper Burrell with a felony count of theft and misdemeanor charges of receiving stolen property and bad checks. Lower...
Sheetz in Youngwood slated to permanently close in October
A Sheetz convenience store and gas station in Youngwood is set to permanently close Oct. 7. Employees were offered jobs at other locations around the area, according to Nick Ruffner, public relations manager for Sheetz. Company representatives did not respond to Trib questions about how many employees work there. The...
World War II landing ship returns to Pittsburgh
Two green helmets with scratches sit on a bunk. Metal dinner trays are stacked in the kitchen — the actual ones used by servicemen for meals. An old Jeep is parked on board with a Red Cross emblem and a Higgins boat hangs from the side. These war articles belonged...
Bicyclist hit by vehicle on Route 8 in Shaler has died
The bicyclist who was struck by a vehicle Thursday morning before dawn in Shaler has died, according to police. Allegheny County Police announced the man death’s Thursday afternoon. They said his identification will be released by the county medical examiner’s office. According to Allegheny County Police, the collision in the...
Morning roundup: Inspections restrict Tarentum Bridge traffic; reward offered in burning of McKeesport police cars
Here are the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Aug. 29: Traffic restrictions on Tarentum Bridge Traffic will be restricted on the Tarentum Bridge for ramp inspections on Thursday, PennDOT announced. There will be traffic shifts from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the ramps from eastbound Route 366...
Giant Eagle’s sale of GetGo refocuses company amid growing grocer competition, experts say
Giant Eagle’s decision to sell its GetGo franchise to focus on its role as a leading grocer is indicative of increasing competition from national retailers, an industry expert said. Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard, parent company of Circle K convenience stores, announced the purchase of GetGo on Aug. 19. Giant Eagle CEO...
Nippon Steel pledges $1 billion to Mon Valley Works pending U.S. Steel acquisition as government opposition continues
Nippon Steel will spend $2.7 billion through 2026 to upgrade steel plants if its plan to acquire U.S. Steel comes to fruition. The Japanese company announced Wednesday at least $1 billion would be used to replace or upgrade the West Mifflin hot strip mill and other facilities to improve yield...
Leechburg Area School Board decides against lawsuit against Westmoreland County
The Leechburg Area School Board will not be following through with a promised lawsuit against Westmoreland County after being presented with a possible solution to tax rate issues by Westmoreland County assessors. “The board is still considering all of its legal options,” said Ashley Coudriet, school board president. “Currently, Westmoreland...
Auditor faults Pennsylvania agency over fees from Medicaid-funded prescriptions
HARRISBURG — A review by Pennsylvania’s elected financial watchdog concluded there were shortcomings in a state agency’s oversight of fees paid to pharmacy benefit managers in the Medicaid program, but the claims were hotly disputed by state officials. The report released Wednesday by Auditor General Tim DeFoor said the Department...
Authorities investigating if delayed report of sexual relationship in McKeesport schools is criminal
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing whether McKeesport School District employees failed to alert state authorities to an alleged sexual relationship between a district employee and a teenage student or delayed reporting their suspicions and, if so, whether their actions were criminal. Allegheny County Police in January charged...
Judge rules Washington County mail-in ballot policy violated voting rights
The Washington County Board of Elections must notify voters when their mail-in ballots have errors and give them the chance to vote provisionally, a judge has ruled. A group of seven voters sued the county in July, alleging that a board policy passed a few months earlier that prohibited elections...
Supreme Court rebuffs Biden administration plea to restore multibillion-dollar student debt plan
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday kept on hold the latest multibillion-dollar plan from the Biden administration that would have lowered payments for millions of borrowers, while lawsuits make their way through lower courts. The justices rejected an administration request to put most of it back into effect. It...
Payroll irregularities lead to suspension of Westmoreland purchasing director, deputy
Westmoreland County’s director of purchasing and his deputy are suspended without pay over allegations they and four staffers were paid for extended workdays without prior approval. Purchasing Director Kristopher Cardiff and his deputy, Kristen Coyne, have been off the job since Aug. 15 after county commissioners authorized suspensions for both...
Death toll now 9 in listeria outbreak tied to Boar’s Head deli meat, CDC saysVideo
At least nine people have died after being infected with listeria from Boar’s Head deli meats tied to a massive recall last month, federal health officials said Wednesday. The new food poisoning toll includes two deaths in South Carolina plus one each in Florida, New Mexico, Tennessee and New York,...
‘He related to everybody:’ Friends, coaches, athletes mourn Baldwin track and field coach Ed Helbig
Ed Helbig didn’t need to yell or get loud to motivate his athletes, yet the longtime Baldwin coach’s voice was certainly the biggest in WPIAL track and field. A Baldwin track coach for 49 years and chairman of the WPIAL committee overseeing the sport, Helbig died Tuesday. His calming demeanor...
Point State Park fountain celebrates 50th anniversary
For 50 years, the fountain at Pittsburgh’s Point State Park has welcomed visitors and stood proudly as the heart of the city. “When you think of Pittsburgh, it is hard not to picture this historic water feature,” said Visit Pittsburgh President and CEO Jerad Bachar. “It’s become an emblem of...
