Top Stories category, Page 406
1st recipient of UPMC breast cancer vaccine is hopeful it will help others
As a young girl, Maria Kitay visited the hospital when her cousin, Clara Carbone Caputo, had breast cancer. “She put her back up against the wall, and she said, ‘It’s so painful to have this,’ ” Kitay said, tearing up at the memory. Her cousin later died of her illness, and...
Former North Braddock cop indicted on drug trafficking charges
Editor’s note: This story was changed to remove references to the arrest happening in Plum. Incorrect information was provided by the state police. A former police officer was indicted on drug trafficking charges. Craig William Gibson, 47, of McKeesport, a former North Braddock police officer, is accused of trafficking drugs...
Shadyside Starbucks baristas vote to unionize
Nine baristas at the Starbucks in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood unanimously voted to unionize, the workers union said Wednesday. The store on Walnut Street in Shadyside becomes the 17th store to unionize in the Pittsburgh region. Over the past three years, a union wave has hit the coffee giant with over...
Natural gas well impact fee allocations drop, but ‘every little bit helps’
Communities accustomed to receiving large checks from Marcellus Shale wells through the state’s natural gas impact fee will get less money this year because gas prices have fallen and fewer wells are being drilled, according to the state. The state Public Utility Commission will hand out $100 million less next...
Tropical Storm Alberto weakens over northeast Mexico after heavy rains killed 3Video
MEXICO CITY — Tropical Storm Alberto, the season’s first named storm, weakened Thursday as it moved inland over northeast Mexico after bringing heavy rains to parts of the parched region and leaving at least three dead. The storm was weakening rapidly over land and was downgraded to a tropical depression...
Police: Blairsville man stole PennDOT truck fuel, crashed into police cruiser during chase
A Blairsville man is accused of leading Ligonier Valley police on a chase before crashing into one of their cruisers. Travis M. Repinski, 28, of Blairsville was charged with aggravated assault, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, fleeing police, resisting arrest, reckless endangering, weapons violations and related traffic violations....
Excessive heat warning extended in Pittsburgh region
Beating the heat just got harder for Western Pennsylvanians, as the heat dome hovering over the region is now expected to stick around through Saturday evening. The Pittsburgh office of the National Weather Service announced Wednesday that the excessive heat warning is being extended at least one more day and...
New law requires all Louisiana public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments
BATON ROUGE — Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom, the latest move from a GOP-dominated Legislature pushing a conservative agenda under a new governor. The legislation that Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed into law on Wednesday requires...
Police: Man involved in Export shooting was growing marijuana in basement
A man who police say was involved in a fatal shooting Tuesday in Export is charged with drug offenses after officers found several marijuana plants in his basement. Matthew A. Miller, 32, was taken into police custody Tuesday after a shooting that resulted in the death of Daniel Chicka, 65....
Police say Harrison shooting could have been a drug deal gone bad
Allegheny County Police describe a shooting Monday in Harrison’s Sheldon Park plan as a botched drug deal. According to court documents, Albert Pittman, 15, of Harrison approached a 33-year-old man at the housing complex and “asked for bud,” meaning marijuana. As the pair walked around one of the apartment units,...
Johnstown woman gets life sentence in Indiana County kidnapping, murder
A Johnstown woman has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2022 murder of a man in Indiana County. Taylyn Edwards, 20, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Hayden Robert Garreffa, 19, of Ebensburg. As part of the mandatory life...
Private rape kits at center of dueling lawsuits in Pennsylvania
A Pittsburgh company and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office filed dueling lawsuits this week over the marketing and sale of an at-home rape kit for survivors of sexual assault. Leda Health Corp., based in Lawrenceville, and its co-founder and CEO Madison Campbell, filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday alleging...
Driver may have fallen asleep in fatal Buffalo Township crash
Police continue to investigate after one person was killed after being struck by a vehicle Wednesday morning along Ekastown Road in Buffalo Township. Butler County 911 said the crash involving a vehicle and pedestrian was reported shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday. The Butler County Coroner’s Office pronounced the victim dead...
Philips Respironics moves could net more workers in Westmoreland County
Dutch health technology giant Philips Respironics’ planned phase-out of manufacturing operations in Westmoreland County may result in 300 job cuts at its Murrysville and Upper Burrell locations. The news was disappointing to local officials, but they are confident local economies can rebound. The company will be missed, Upper Burrell Supervisor...
Keisha Che’re Jimmerson: Book banning an affront to freedom
As a first-generation college graduate, an educator, a devoted mother and a woman of color, I am a voice representing multiple facets of identity and experience. In acknowledging the diverse tapestry of our lives, it’s essential to recognize the interconnectedness that binds us as a collective — the human race....
Take it inside: Here are some indoor options to escape the heat
As heat advisories dominate Western Pennsylvania, the thought of doing anything outside might be overwhelming. That doesn’t mean you have to hide away in your home this week. Here is a list of eight indoor activities to do without breaking a sweat. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens The conservatory is...
Thousands in Southwestern Pa. could be in dark through the weekend, utility companies say
More than 9,000 area utility customers remained without power Wednesday morning, as crews continued to repair damage from storms that swept through the region Monday evening. Duquesne Light estimated that all its affected customers could have power restored by 1 p.m. on Sunday, with many expected to be restored sooner....
Morning Roundup: 1 hospitalized after Wilkinsburg shooting; heat moves weekend Stage AE concerts indoors
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Wilkinsburg shooting sends 1 to hospital A man was taken to an area hospital Tuesday evening in critical condition following a shooting in Wilkinsburg. Officials didn’t release the name of the 34-year-old man, who was...
Central Catholic teacher electrocuted while cycling in North Park
A longtime Central Catholic High School teacher was identified as the bicyclist killed Tuesday after coming into contact with downed live power lines on a North Park trail. Robert “Bob” Anderson, 63, of Mars taught physical education and health classes at the private Catholic high school for nearly 20 years,...
Oakmont Bakery parking lot plan aims to ease traffic near busy sweet shop
Oakmont officials are considering vacating land along Cedar Way to make room for Oakmont Bakery to build a new parking lot. According to bakery owner Marc Serrao, the idea for the lot came as a solution for the consistent traffic on Third Street. “We are trying to keep people from...
Willie Mays, Giants’ electrifying ‘Say Hey Kid,’ dies at 93Video
NEW YORK — Willie Mays, the electrifying “Say Hey Kid” whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players, has died. He was 93. Mays’ family and the San Francisco Giants jointly announced Tuesday night he had died earlier in the...
Republicans block bill to outlaw bump stocks for rifles after Supreme Court lifts Trump-era ban
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans blocked bipartisan legislation Tuesday that would have outlawed bump stocks after the Supreme Court struck down a ban on the rapid-fire gun accessory used in the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history. Democrats tried to force a voice vote on the bill to ban bump stocks,...
15-year-old arrested in Harrison shooting
Allegheny County Police charged a 15-year-old boy as an adult in connection with a shooting Monday in the Sheldon Park housing complex in Harrison. Albert Pittman of Harrison’s Natrona Heights section is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, tampering with physical evidence, firearms not to be carried without a license...
Marc Fogel’s family sues U.S. government over failure to declare him ‘wrongfully detained’
The mother of an Oakmont teacher held in Russian prisons for nearly three years filed a federal lawsuit in Pittsburgh on Tuesday against the U.S. Department of State over its failure to declare Marc Fogel as wrongfully detained. Malphine Fogel, 95, of Butler alleges in the complaint that the U.S....
5 ways to celebrate Juneteenth across Western Pa.
Juneteenth is here, and there are many ways to celebrate. Numerous celebrations have occurred leading up to and will continue today, June 19. However, on Wednesday, most are in observance of the national holiday. Juneteenth is a holiday of celebration, liberation and education. It marks the end of bondage for...
