Top Stories category, Page 351
Guards at fault for jail cell escape; inmate tampering claims dropped
Westmoreland County officials on Monday said guards failed to ensure a cell door was locked, an oversight that led to an inmate’s escape attempt earlier this month. Three guards were fired by the prison board, although no explanation was given as to the reasons for the terminations. Commissioner Doug Chew,...
Special counsel urges appeals court to reinstate classified documents case against Trump
WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith urged a federal appeals court on Monday to reinstate the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump, saying a judge’s decision that dismissed the prosecution was at odds with longstanding Justice Department practice and must be reversed. Smith’s team said U.S. District Judge...
Police say North Huntingdon Walmart employee used fake return scheme to pocket nearly $48,000
A scheme that police said involved creating fake returns at the North Huntingdon Walmart store led to a Jeannette man pocketing nearly $48,000. Robert O’Brien, 21, of Jeannette, is awaiting a preliminary hearing next month on charges of theft, receiving stolen property, computer trespass and misapplication of property. Township police...
Tim Benz: Ben Cherington’s response to Paul Skenes-Barry Bonds question should remind Pirates fans how time flies
One of the prevailing sentiments from those in attendance at Barry Bonds’ induction into the Pirates Hall of Fame this weekend was, “Wow! Did he really leave 32 years ago? Has it really been that long?” Another was, “Wow! Was he really only here for seven years?” Fast forward to...
Dave & Andy’s ice cream shop reopening in Oakland
Jason and Laura Kasten had their first date at Dave & Andy’s Homemade Ice Cream shop more than two decades ago. So when the couple heard the iconic store was closing, they and their daughter Sarah reached out to owner Andy Hardie to reopen the business. Jason and Sarah are...
Trump to rally Friday in Johnstown
Former President Donald Trump will return to Western Pennsylvania on Friday to rally with supporters in Johnstown, his first visit back to the region since an assassination attempt injured him last month in Butler County. Trump is scheduled to speak late Friday afternoon at 1st Summit Arena in downtown Johnstown....
Joe Rutter’s 53-man roster projection for the Steelers
Initial 53-man roster projections are a risky proposition as NFL teams prepare to reach that limit by 4 p.m. Tuesday. It is called the “initial” roster for a reason. Much can change between the cutdown deadline and when the regular season begins next week. Like every other NFL team, the...
Traveling over Labor Day weekend? Have a back-up plan for cancellations and delays, and be patient
Many children have gone back to school in the U.S., and the days are getting shorter, but there is still one more excuse to use the swimsuits and beach towels before packing them up: Labor Day. Airports, highways, beaches and theme parks are expected to be packed for the long...
Task force investigating Trump assassination attempt to tour shooting site in Butler
Members of a House task force investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump will tour the shooting site in Butler today. Butler County Rep. Mike Kelly, the Republican chairman of the bipartisan task force, and other members will meet with local officials and tour the site of the...
Morning Roundup: Woman shot in North Braddock; school start delayed for Brentwood middle, high school
Here are the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Aug. 26: Woman shot in North Braddock A woman was shot in North Braddock early Sunday morning, according to Allegheny County Police. In a release issued late Sunday night, police said the shooting in the 900 block of Bell Avenue...
‘Not much you can do about it’: Penn Township’s Harvison Road bridge to close, removal slated
Bob Miller was one of the first people to cross the bridge carrying traffic over the turnpike from Harvison Road to Pleasant Valley Road when it was built in 1949. Friday, he became one of the last. The Penn Township bridge will be permanently closed to traffic beginning Monday, as...
Hiking and biking routes leave a trail of short-term rentals across Western Pa.
Between the plain cedar furnishings, olive carpeting and antique phonograph, the interior of John Blinkhorn’s Airbnb appears frozen in various points of the 20th century. But its existence speaks mostly to the future of Export and similar communities along the region’s growing trail network. Blinkhorn bought the triplex in his...
St. Januarius Catholic Church in Plum to close
St. Januarius Catholic Church in Plum is closing next month. The final day for the church along Renton Road that is part of Holy Family Parish is set for Sept. 23, according to a decree from Bishop David Zubik posted Sunday on the parish website. “The age and physical condition...
Schools are competing with cellphones. Here’s how they think they could win
Isabella Pires first noticed what she calls the “gradual apathy pandemic” in eighth grade. Only a handful of classmates registered for service projects she helped organize at her Massachusetts school. Even fewer actually showed up. When she got to high school last fall, Isabella found the problem was even worse:...
Former Allegheny Valley Hospital CEO John R. England dies
When patients, employees and visitors walked the hallways of Allegheny Valley Hospital in the 1980s and ’90s, it wasn’t rare for them to run into Jack England, the hospital’s gregarious administrator. The bespectacled tall man in a suit that everyone knew as Mr. England routinely left his office in the...
Tim Walz’s exit from Minnesota National Guard left openings for critics to pounce on his military record
WASHINGTON — John Kolb, a retired Minnesota National Guard colonel, knew Tim Walz by reputation as an “excellent leader” who adroitly guided the enlisted troops in his field artillery battalion. But Kolb was stunned by what he saw when Walz left the military and entered politics. Walz retired from the...
Israel, Hezbollah trade their most intense fire in months and then pull back
JERUSALEM — Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah traded heavy fire early Sunday but backed off from sparking a widely feared all-out war, as both sides signaled their most intense exchange in months was over. The cross-border attacks came as high-level talks resumed in Egypt aimed at a cease-fire...
Behind the rhetoric, a presidential campaign is a competition about how to tell the American story
NEW YORK — Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination “on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth.” America, Barack Obama thundered, “is ready for a better story.” JD Vance insisted that the Biden administration “is not the end of our story,” and...
Car crashes into house in Natrona section of Harrison
A car crashed into a house in the Natrona section of Harrison late Saturday. The crash was reported along Federal Street just before 11 p.m. The driver was reportedly taken to a hospital. It was unclear if they or anyone in the house were hurt. Firefighters from several area departments...
Bigfoot is still huge in Western Pennsylvania
The cryptozoological phenomenon Bigfoot is normally associated with the Pacific Northwest, but Pennsylvania is an unlikely hotbed of sightings — so it makes sense that director of the Pennslyvania Bigfoot Society Eric Altman of West Hempfield Township can bring so many would-be fellow researchers to the area for the Pennsylvania...
Feats of Strength/Airing of Grievances: Starting offense improves, Nick Herbig shines, but Steelers drop preseason finale
If Pittsburgh Steelers fans know anything about me, I am nothing but a beacon of optimism. My glass is always half-full. My black-and-gold glasses are always on. I always can find a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. As a result, even though the Steelers dropped a 24-17 decision...
Entering Pirates Hall of Fame together made it ‘extra special’ for Barry Bonds, Jim Leyland
Being inducted into the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame with Barry Bonds made it “extra special” for Jim Leyland, even if their roles were reversed Saturday at PNC Park. Where the brash Bonds was humbled by the honor, the low-key Leyland got to gloat about another accolade after the former...
Banana-eating contest highlights Latrobe’s banana split celebrationVideo
Contestants got a heavy dose of potassium Saturday at the Dole Great American Banana Challenge in Latrobe. In its inaugural year, the banana-eating contest pitted participants against the clock — they had 125 seconds to see who could peel and eat the most bananas to win the Dole Banana Challenge...
Mother recounts the pain of her loss as residents of Arnold and New Kensington hold anti-drug march, outdoor forum
Roxanne White, a mother from Arnold, has taken steps to ensure no other parent has to experience what she did on Mother’s Day. In fact, she took many, many steps Saturday afternoon as she joined about 30 others in a March to Save Our Community effort up and down the...
Allegheny County prosecutors seek death penalty against woman left to care for a 6-week-old boy
Allegheny County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against a woman accused in the June death of a weeks old Pittsburgh boy. They filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty this week against Nicole Virzi, 30, of San Diego, Calif., according to online court records. Virzi was...
