Top Stories category, Page 349
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...
Trump campaign was warned not to take photos at Arlington before altercation, defense official says
Donald Trump’s campaign was warned about not taking photographs before an altercation at Arlington National Cemetery during a wreath-laying ceremony earlier this week to honor service members killed in the Afghanistan War withdrawal, a defense official told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to...
Pittsburgh mulls study on whether city should build its own animal shelter
Pittsburgh officials are looking into whether it would be more efficient for the city to open its own animal shelter instead of paying a local nonprofit for services. Currently, the city pays Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh $375,000 a year to house abandoned animals, according to Emily Bourne, a public...
$2.4 million grant to help Pittsburgh install electric vehicle charging stations
The city of Pittsburgh plans to install dozens of new electric vehicle charging stations through nearly $2.4 million federal grant. Officials on Wednesday announced Pittsburgh will receive money from the U.S. Department of Transportation to bolster public access to electric vehicle charging sites throughout city parks, parking garages and curbside...
Ex-Rivers Casino host sues venue, claims sexual harassment by ‘high rollers’
A former Rivers Casino employee who repeatedly reported being sexually harassed by “high rollers” is suing the Pittsburgh gambling venue after she said she was fired for reporting the alleged abuse. The nine-page complaint alleging a single count of retaliation was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court. It seeks the...
Pittsburgh council goes back to drawing board with tiny house bill
A proposal before Pittsburgh City Council to permit regulated homeless camps Downtown, complete with utilities and services and possibly tiny houses, was withdrawn Wednesday. Two council members spearheading the initiative, however, said they intend to reintroduce the idea soon. Councilwoman Deb Gross, D-Highland Park, said she and co-sponsor Anthony Coghill,...
TV Talk: KDKA-TV’s Ray Petelin and daughter go viral with sweet videoVideo
KDKA-TV meteorologist Ray Petelin and his daughter, Elizabeth, have experience appearing on-camera together in his “Hey Ray!” segments that air on Channel 2, but the pair’s exposure reached a whole new level following Ray’s social media posts last week. Ray Petelin edited together interviews he did with Elizabeth at the...
Mike Tomlin officially names Russell Wilson as Steelers’ starting quarterbackVideo
Mike Tomlin confirmed Wednesday what was apparent since the Pittsburgh Steelers started revamping the quarterback position in March: Russell Wilson will be the starter heading into the season opener Sept. 8 in Atlanta. Wilson got the nod over Justin Fields, who will serve as the backup to start the season....
‘No second shooter’ at Trump rally, FBI says
The FBI said Wednesday that federal investigators have not identified a motive or found evidence of a second shooter in the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler County. “All the rounds have been accounted for. We have zero reason to believe there...
‘Like a bomb going off’: Fire rips through RVs at Camping World in Allegheny Township
An early-morning fire damaged or destroyed more than a dozen recreational vehicles Wednesday at Camping World on Route 356 in Allegheny Township. Neighbors reported the fire to Westmoreland County 911 about 4:40 a.m. after explosions roused them from sleep, Allegheny Township police Chief Dan Uncapher said. Rachel Ramsey, who has...
High heat prompts some Western Pa. schools to dismiss early
A number of schools in Western Pennsylvania area will be releasing students early on Wednesday because of the heat. New Kensington-Arnold, Shaler and Freedom all announced early dismissals. New Kensington-Arnold will operate on a two-hour early dismissal schedule. Students will be dismissed from their schools two hours before regular dismissal...
Morning roundup: Fatal fire in North Braddock; police cars burned in McKeesport
Here are the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Aug. 28: Man’s body found after North Braddock fire A man’s body was found after a Tuesday night fire in a North Braddock home, according to Allegheny County police. A duplex in the 1000 block of North Avenue was destroyed...
Editorial: Why did Westmoreland warden tell tall tale about tampered lock?
Children will make up elaborate stories to get out of trouble. The broken cookie jar is because of a monster. Or an imaginary friend. Or the dog. Yeah, that’s it. The dog did it. The child will tell that story with innocent eyes as big as the missing cookies. It’s...
IUP advances toward medical school opening, calls FAFSA mess ‘a debacle’
What would be this state’s first college of osteopathic medicine on a public university campus is advancing toward a possible fall 2027 opening, Indiana University of Pennsylvania President Michael Driscoll says. But as the 2024-25 academic year begins, a more immediate concern exists over IUP’s likely fall enrollment — uncertainty...
Ragweed allergy season nears peak in Western Pennsylvania
Summer’s end may have some unlucky Western Pennsylvania residents sneezing, battling congestion and squinting through itchy eyes. That’s because ragweed allergy season is about to hit its peak. This time of year is peak for weed pollen — primarily ragweed — according to Dr. Russell Traister, a pediatric allergy/immunology physician...
Harris, Trump campaigns continue to spar over mic rules ahead of presidential debate in Philly
Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he had reached an agreement with Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign on rules — including whether candidates’ microphones will be muted — for the presidential debate set to take place in Philadelphia on Sept. 10. But Harris’ campaign refuted that assertion, doubling down...
Traveling Vietnam wall brings tribute to fallen service members to Mt. Pleasant
At nearly 300 feet long and 6 feet tall, the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall is a three-fifths scale replica of the original in Washington, D.C. Like the one that inspired it, the mobile wall destined for Mt. Pleasant lists the names of more than 58,000 Americans who gave their lives...
1st rioter to enter Capitol during Jan. 6 attack is sentenced to over 4 years in prisonVideo
WASHINGTON — A Kentucky man who was the first rioter to enter the U.S. Capitol during a mob’s attack on the building was sentenced on Tuesday to more than four years in prison. A police officer who tried to subdue Michael Sparks with pepper spray described him as a catalyst...
North Braddock church partners with U.S. Justice Department to host church security forum
Church security has been at the top of Pastor Glenn Germany’s mind ever since a man stood up in Germany’s North Braddock church in May, pointed a gun at him and pulled the trigger. The gun did not fire and the man, North Braddock resident Bernard J. Polite, was arrested....
New Kensington-Arnold School District to dismiss early Wednesday due to high temperatures
New Kensington-Arnold School District students will be dismissed early Wednesday because of high temperatures, district officials announced Tuesday evening. All schools will operate on a two-hour early dismissal schedule and students will be at their bus stops earlier than usual, according to a post on the district’s Facebook page. Meteorologists...
