Top Stories category, Page 435
How do cicadas make their signature sound, so eerie and amazingly loud?
WHEATON, Ill. — The most noticeable part of the cicada invasion blanketing the central United States is the sound — an eerie, amazingly loud song that gets in a person’s ears and won’t let much else in. “It’s beautiful chaos,” said Rebecca Schmidt, a U.S. Department of Agriculture research entomologist....
Make mine medium-rare: Men really do eat more meat than women, study says
CHICAGO — Vacationing in Chicago this week from Europe, Jelle den Burger and Nirusa Naguleswaran grabbed a bite at the Dog House Grill: a classic Italian beef sandwich for him, grilled cheese for her. Both think the way their genders lined up with their food choices was no coincidence. Women,...
Ex-Pittsburgh police commander gets probation in wiretapping case
A former Pittsburgh police commander on Friday morning agreed to take 24 months of probation on charges that he stashed body-worn cameras in patrol cars last fall to secretly record more than a half-dozen of his own officers. Matthew Lackner, 50, a Mt. Lebanon resident who led Pittsburgh police’s Zone...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: June 14-16
Happy Father’s Day! Take Dad, your friends or yourself to these events and celebrations this weekend — everyone deserves some fun! Row House Cinema 10th Anniversary Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville is celebrating 10 years in the community with special screenings and a block party this Saturday. From 3 to...
Morning Roundup: Charges filed in 2 East End armed robberies; Pittsburgh police welcome new cadets
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, June 5. Man charged in 2 East End armed robberies Pittsburgh police have made an arrest in two recent armed robberies in the East End. Nathaniel Weatherspoon, 32, faces felony charges of robbery, conspiracy, and misdemeanor receiving stolen...
Heat wave forces shift in spending priorities as household costs jump
Summer utility bills are expected to swell as temperatures jump into the 90s over the next week in Western Pennsylvania. But while some energy experts believe the cost for electricity will rise by as much as 8% in the northeastern U.S., local energy providers suggest year-over-year utility costs actually may...
Sen. John Fetterman got 2 speeding tickets before Sunday’s crash, Pa. records show
Sen. John Fetterman’s car crash Sunday, in which he was speeding and found “at fault,” was not the first time the senator has been involved in risky driving behaviors, Pennsylvania state records show. Fetterman, D-Pa., has received two speeding tickets in his home state — the more recent one of...
Shuman Juvenile Detention Center set to reopen
After being closed for three years, the Shuman Juvenile Detention Center is set to reopen within the next few weeks, Allegheny County officials said. Shuman, in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood, was closed in September 2021 after the state revoked its license following a number of violations. Since then, law enforcement agencies...
Heinz History Center celebrates Civic Season with patriotic programming
Here in the midst of June, we are entering a slew of patriotic holidays and anniversaries, starting on Friday with Flag Day and concluding on the Fourth of July. At the Sen. John Heinz History Center and more than 400 other museums and cultural institutions around the country, this period...
Justice Clarence Thomas took more trips paid for by donor Harlan Crow, Senate panel revealsVideo
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin says his committee has uncovered at least three additional trips given to Justice Clarence Thomas by GOP megadonor Harlan Crow as part of the panel’s ethics investigation into the Supreme Court. Durbin, D-Ill., said Thursday the committee obtained information from Crow that Thomas took...
Tropical rainstorms in South Florida lead to flight delays and streets jammed with stalled carsVideo
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A tropical disturbance that brought a rare flash flood emergency to much of southern Florida delayed flights at two of the state’s largest airports and left vehicles waterlogged and stalled in some of the region’s lowest-lying streets. “Looked like the beginning of a zombie movie,” said...
ATI’s $1.2B hot strip mill in Harrison marks 10 years, remains world’s most powerful, company says
Lou Koprivnikar launched his career at ATI 36 years ago when everything was hands-on. Employees would load 43-ton metal coils by crane and affix labels on specialty metals fresh out of a 2,250-degree furnace. Today, operations are fully automated inside the Hot Rolling and Processing Facility (HRPF), a $1.2 billion...
Westmoreland register of wills meets deadline, pays $422,000 into county treasury
More than $422,000 from court fees collected by the Westmoreland County Register of Wills Office was turned over Thursday to the county treasury. Treasurer Jared Squires confirmed the embattled row office met a court-ordered, afternoon deadline to turn over funds it received from routine office filings since the start of...
Citing toxins in garlic, group says EPA should have warned about chemicals near Ohio derailment
The Environmental Protection Agency should conduct additional soil studies near the site of a toxic train derailment in Ohio and warn people it might not be safe to garden there after independent testing showed high levels of chemicals in locally grown garlic, a watchdog group said Thursday. In a petition...
Live Nation presents music venue plan for Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District
Entertainment giant Live Nation presented plans Thursday for a 4,500-seat entertainment venue at the former Civic Arena site in Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District. The plan, first approved in May 2023, is seeking an adjustment, as the attached parking garage now will be pursued separately. California-based Live Nation told officials at...
Senate Republicans block bill on women’s right to IVF as Democrats make push on reproductive careVideo
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans blocked legislation that would make it a right nationwide for women to access in vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer forced a vote on the matter Thursday in an effort to drive an election-year contrast on reproductive care. Sen. Tammy...
Marquette University President Michael Lovell, who had ties to Pitt, dies at 57
Michael Lovell, the president of Marquette University with deep ties to the University of Pittsburgh, died in Rome on Sunday after a battle with cancer. He was 57 and grew up in Meadville. Lovell earned three mechanical engineering degrees including a doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh in 1994. He...
North Huntingdon teen killed in Butler crash
A North Huntingdon teen who graduated from Norwin High School last year was killed early Thursday morning in a one-vehicle crash in northern Butler County, state police at Butler said. The victim, Josiah Pastories, 19, was traveling northward along Kittanning Pike in Fairview Township at about 6:20 a.m. when he...
Freeport woman celebrates $1 million lottery win while mourning husband’s deathVideo
Two weeks after Karen Coffman became a millionaire, her husband died. “When I told him about the prize, he thought I was lying to him,” Coffman said of Robert, her husband of 31 years. Robert Coffman died April 10 from complications of a brain tumor. His death made her million-dollar...
Derry Township man surrenders after overnight standoff
A lengthy overnight standoff in Derry Township ended peacefully early Thursday when a man surrendered to state police, according to Trooper Steve Limani. Benjamin T. Clawson, 42, was taken into custody on charges of simple assault, harassment and terroristic threats stemming from an incident that prompted troopers to be called...
Pittsburgh man charged in fire at Monroeville church, 5 other fires in Allegheny County
A Pittsburgh man was arrested in connection with several fires across Allegheny County, including a fire early Thursday morning that badly damaged the office and rectory building of Christ the Divine Shepherd Parish in Monroeville and a former Wilkins restaurant. Wilkins police charged David Harknett, 41, with aggravated arson, criminal...
Elder fraud cost Allegheny County residents $8M last year, officials say
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. on Thursday used a video’s release as a springboard to warn residents about elder fraud, which scammed more than 12,000 Allegheny County residents out of nearly $8 million last year. Zappala said his office has prevented an estimated $35 million in elder...
U.S. Supreme Court rules to preserve access to abortion pill
The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously preserved access to a medication that was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. last year, in the court’s first abortion decision since conservative justices overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. The nine justices ruled that abortion opponents lacked the...
Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro popularity soar as weight loss wonders
Editor’s note: This story first posted on June 11, 2023. For Diane Lang, the big push to focus on her health and weight came from her grandchildren. “I was exhausted,” she said. “When they would visit, I would just try to keep up with them. I want to run with...
Heat wave headed to Western Pennsylvania
Forecasters expect a hot welcome to summer next week with temperatures rising to dangerous levels across the Northeastern United States. Lee Hendricks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon, said residents of Western Pennsylvania should brace for high heat starting Sunday, with temperatures expected to climb into the...
