Top Stories category, Page 397
Democratic House leader Jeffries, Deluzio defend Biden during Pittsburgh airport visit
House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reiterated his support of President Joe Biden during a visit Monday to Pittsburgh International Airport and used the infrastructure improvements underway there as a reason to talk up the president in the face of his recent poor debate performance. Jeffries, of New York, said...
Duquesne renames law library for Ken Gormley at major donor’s request
The law library at Duquesne University is being renamed for the university president and former dean of its law school, Ken Gormley. Campus officials on Monday said the name change was requested by renowned trial attorney and Duquesne law school alumnus Thomas R. Kline, who in September 2022 made a...
Cleanup of Bushy Run Battlefield tornado damage could take months, officials say
Standing at the head of one of Bushy Run Battlefield’s wooded trails on Monday, it’s hard to tell that a footpath through the trees ever existed. Downed trees, branches, leaves and debris completely block the way, leaving clearings where there once was forest and thickets where paths were once passable....
Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey stands by Biden, says he’s competent to serve a second term as president
SCRANTON — Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey said Monday that President Joe Biden is able to run a strong race and serve a second term in the Oval Office, standing by his close ally in the critical battleground state following a disastrous debate performance that’s prompting some national Democrats to question...
Long-troubled Shuman to reopen Tuesday under new management
Three years after the troubled Shuman Juvenile Detention Center was shut down and its license revoked, the facility will reopen Tuesday on the same site in Pittsburgh but under new management, giving Allegheny County a dedicated place to keep troubled youths for the first time since 2021. Highland Detention at...
Teen sentenced up to 25 years in prison for shooting death of Monessen classmate
A month ago, Bethany Altomore accepted her son’s high school diploma. His cap and gown were draped over an empty chair at Monessen High School’s Class of 2024 graduation, a memorial of sorts for Amari Altomore, who was killed in 2022. “Then we had to go to the cemetery to...
Pa. Senate bill could limit citizens’ ability to make Right-to-Know requests
Six state senators are seeking to place a limit on the number of Right-to-Know requests that citizens can file with government agencies in Pennsylvania. “Numerous entities such as state agencies, municipalities and school boards frequently report that they are overwhelmed by burdensome Right-to-Know Law requests,” said state Sen. Cris Dush,...
Lawsuit accuses Washington County of not allowing mail-in voters to fix ballot errors
Seven Washington County voters sued their board of elections Monday, alleging the board’s decision to not relay information about errors on mail-in ballots — and therefore not giving them a chance to cure those errors — violates their constitutional right to vote. The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil...
Penn State reaches tentative deal with union days after Teamsters OK strike
Union members will vote in the coming weeks on a tentative contract agreement with management covering 2,500 employees on Penn State University branches statewide and the main University Park campus. The deal, if ratified, could offer a measure of labor peace at a time of heightened workplace anxiety across Penn...
FusionFest: Pittsburgh’s Juneteenth celebration honors ancestors and embraces future
“Before I Let Go” by Maze, Frankie Beverly & The Butlers, and other tunes courtesy of WAMO could be heard from Market Street in Downtown Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon, pulling attendees into FusionFest: Echoes of Our Ancestors, Beats of the Future. FusionFest was the culminating event for Juneteenth this year...
House Republicans sue Attorney General Garland over access to Biden special counsel interview audio
WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Monday filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Merrick Garland for the audio recording of President Joe Biden’s interview with a special counsel in his classified documents case, asking the courts to enforce their subpoena and reject the White House’s effort to withhold the materials from...
Supreme Court gives Trump some immunity, sends case back to lower courtVideo
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday ruled for the first time that former presidents have some immunity from prosecution, extending the delay in the Washington criminal case against Donald Trump on charges he plotted to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss and all but ending prospects the former president...
Where to watch Pittsburgh’s Fourth of July fireworks
The time of year has come again to celebrate patriotism, eat hot dogs and watch colorful balls of fire explode in the sky. Pittsburgh knows how to do the Fourth of July. The City of Pittsburgh Independence Day Celebration is set to begin at 4 p.m. Thursday (July 4). There...
Hurricane Beryl grows to Category 5 strength as it razes southeast Caribbean islandsVideo
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Beryl has strengthened to Category 5 status as it crosses islands in the southeastern Caribbean. Beryl ripped off doors, windows and roofs in homes across the southeastern Caribbean on Monday after making landfall on the island of Carriacou in Grenada as the earliest Category...
Morning Roundup: Woman injured after being hit by vehicle in Squirrel Hill
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, July 1: Woman injured after being hit by vehicle in Squirrel Hill A woman is in critical condition after she was hit by a car in Squirrel Hill on Sunday night, according to Pittsburgh police. Police spokeswoman Cara...
Universal Lunch initiative would mean free meals for all students, regardless of family income
Hungry kids can quickly turn into hangry students. Rumbling stomachs can lead to classroom distraction and discipline issues, research shows, along with feelings of isolation for children whose families struggle to afford school lunches. “Not only do we see the benefits of full bellies in academics, but it’s social, too,”...
‘It takes a village’: Parents of Penn Township boy injured in lawn mower accident reflect on trauma, recovery 2 years later
Two years ago, 6-year-old Liam Lavelle took a ride with his dad on the lawn mower — something he had done many times before. The mower’s blades were not engaged, and the bagging system was turned off as Liam’s dad, Zach Lavelle, drove the vehicle to the edge of his...
Tyler Childers concert review: Kentucky native delivers his brand of country music to sold-out Star Lake show
Tyler Childers considers himself a country artist, plain and simple — not Americana or alt country. Just country. The Kentucky native’s style of music doesn’t really fit into the mold of modern/commercial country, leading to not a lot of radio airplay. (When Childers’ “In Your Love” cracked the Billboard Country...
French voters propel far-right National Rally to strong lead in first-round legislative electionsVideo
PARIS — The far-right National Rally leaped into a strong lead Sunday in France’s first round of legislative elections, polling agencies projected, bringing the party closer to being able to form a government in round two and dealing a major slap to centrist President Emmanuel Macron and his risky decision...
Biden party allies close ranks as poll signals voter concernVideo
Key Democrats rallied behind Joe Biden’s reelection bid as a poll suggested his stumbling debate performance against Donald Trump last week made more Americans skeptical about the president’s ability to lead. Representative Jim Clyburn, a critical ally who helped turn around Biden’s floundering 2020 candidacy, said that while “there were...
Human remains found in vehicle discovered in Allegheny River near Springdale
Human remains were discovered in a vehicle recovered Sunday from the Allegheny River near Butler Street in Springdale. Allegheny County Police said the Murrysville Medic One dive team was training in the river in the area of Butler Street when the vehicle was found. The divers notified emergency dispatch that...
Hurricane Beryl approaches the southeast Caribbean after strengthening into a Category 4 stormVideo
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Beryl closed in on the southeastern Caribbean late Sunday after strengthening into what experts called an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm as government officials pleaded with people to take shelter. The storm was expected to make landfall in the Windward Islands on Monday morning....
Fire at McCandless apartment building displaces 11 families
A fire at a McCandless apartment building displaced 11 families Saturday night. Two residents were evaluated at the scene for smoke inhalation but weren’t transported for treatment, according to Matthew Williams, chief of the Peebles District Volunteer Fire Company. Peebles firefighters were among the first responders called at about 9:45...
Pittsburgh motorcycle medic struck, injured Downtown
A city motorcycle medic was injured Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle in Downtown Pittsburgh. The medic was taken to a local hospital in stable condition with leg and shoulder pain, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesperson Cara Cruz. There was some damage to the motorcycle, Cruz said....
Driver hurt as tractor-trailer plunges from I-279 in Ohio Township
The driver of a tractor-trailer was hurt early Sunday when his rig plunged from Interstate 279 onto Mt. Nebo Road below in Allegheny County. The crash was reported as a tractor-trailer rollover at about 3:30 a.m. in Ohio Township, according to state police. The driver, whom authorities didn’t name, was...
