Top Stories category, Page 438
Tim Benz: Blaming assistant coaches won’t fix Pittsburgh’s plodding sports teams
During a recent episode of “The Carton Show” on FS1, retired Pittsburgh Steeler Willie Colon said his former coach Mike Tomlin is in hot water. “I love Mike Tomlin. But I have to officially say he is on the hot seat,” Colon said. “When you talk about his overall record,...
‘Another tool on your belt’: Pittsburgh cops embrace jiu jitsu training
For Tim Novosel, Brazilian jiu jitsu is more about control than contact. The Pittsburgh police commander — who launched a jiu jitsu training program for city cops about two years ago — talked about the importance the martial art places on focus instead of force. Nearby, a dozen officers grappled...
Columbia University cancels main commencement after weeks of pro-Palestinian protests
NEW YORK — Columbia University is canceling its large university-wide commencement ceremony following weeks of pro-Palestinian protests that have roiled its campus and others across the U.S., but it will hold smaller school-based ceremonies this week and next, the school announced Monday. “Based on feedback from our students, we have...
Trump fined $1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as ex-employee recounts reimbursements
NEW YORK — The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s hush money trial fined him $1,000 on Monday and warned that future gag order violations could send him to jail, while jurors heard detailed testimony for the first time about the financial reimbursements at the center of the case. The testimony...
Pastor recounts confrontation with gunman at North Braddock church
The reality of being shot at hasn’t fully sunk in for the Rev. Glenn Germany. He was in mid-sermon Sunday at his North Braddock church when — in full view of parishioners — he said a man moved to the front of the church and raised a gun, aimed it...
Liberty Avenue in Strip District restricted as crews repair leaking underground cable
A section of Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Strip District was down to one lane Monday morning as Duquesne Light crews worked to repair a leaking underground transmission cable. According to TribLive news partner WTAE, the repairs were happening in the area of Liberty Avenue and 27th Street. Duquesne Light said...
Preservation group and lawmakers could return Allegheny River Boulevard to its scenic roots
Rick Duncan wants to restore Allegheny River Boulevard to its former glory. As chair of the Allegheny River Boulevard Preservation Association, he has pushed for people to recognize the route as more than just a connector between Pittsburgh and the region’s eastern suburbs. “It was designed and built as a...
Experts say there is no evidence of avian flu strain in Pennsylvania
A strain of avian flu that has infected cattle elsewhere in the United States hasn’t been found in Pennsylvania. But even if it does arrive locally, experts said it won’t affect the meat or milk supply and will likely only cause a cold for cattle. “It poses no issue in...
Proposed state legislation over guns at airports on hold as talks with law enforcement continue
Legislation drafted to reduce the number of guns confiscated by the Transportation Security Administration at Pittsburgh International Airport has been sent back to the drawing board. State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, said he was hoping to have already presented his proposed TSA Firearm Compliance Act, a measure that would...
Greensburg YMCA extends management deal with Pittsburgh branch
The search for new leadership of the Greensburg YMCA will be suspended until at least next year as officials continue efforts to strengthen the financial health and operational structure at the downtown facility. Board president Sydney Beeler confirmed this week that an agreement with the Greater Pittsburgh YMCA to serve...
Man arrested after pulling gun on pastor during North Braddock church service
A pastor at a North Braddock church escaped unharmed Sunday after a man pointed a handgun at him and pulled the trigger, according to Pennsylvania State Police. The gun failed to fire, troopers said. Pastor Glenn Germany was giving a sermon around 1 p.m. at Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church when...
As storms moves across Texas, 1 child dies after being swept away in floodwatersVideo
HOUSTON — Storms in Texas brought additional rain Sunday to the already saturated Houston area where hundreds of people have been rescued from flooded homes and roads, while to the north in the Fort Worth area, a child died after being swept away when the car he was traveling in...
Building the Valley: Simply Sisters Bakery making Vandergrift a little sweeter
When they were growing up, sisters Karen Johnston and Paula Cunningham would bake cookies in their Easy Bake Oven. In November, after getting family members hooked on their cookie trays, they bought a shoebox space in Vandergrift and went after their dream. Simply Sisters Bakery opened on April 3. Each...
Hamas says latest cease-fire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation in ‘very near future’
JERUSALEM — The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after “in-depth and serious discussions,” the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected. After earlier signs of progress, the outlook appeared to dim as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to resist international pressure...
Weather conditions fail to dampen enthusiasm of Pittsburgh Marathon runners
Sunday morning was all about testing limits and inspiring others — one step at a time — at the 2024 Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon. Karen Losego, 39, of Mt. Lebanon was in tears after finishing her first half marathon. “I’ve just always really hated running and I just wanted...
Helping hands: Donations exceed $875,000 for those affected by Plum house explosion
Rafal Kolankowski and his family have felt the full embrace of the Plum community since August — some of it in the form of bracelets, lemonade and yard signs. The Kolankowskis are among about a dozen families whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged when a nearby house exploded in...
White Oak woman recounts terror of 2 kids tumbling from 3rd-floor window
Two White Oak children might owe their lives to Andi Cartwright’s busted pair of Bluetooth headphones. Skies were sunny and temperatures lingered in the mid-80s last Monday afternoon as Cartwright strolled down Ohio Avenue in the Mon Valley town she’s called home for 22 years. As she walked, listening to...
3 companies involved at Oakland site where woman was killed faced prior OSHA violations
Three companies involved at the Oakland construction site where a pedestrian was killed by a steel cylinder that broke loose Friday have faced prior fines from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Pittsburgh-based Gilbane Building Co. and Massaro Construction Group are the lead contractors on the construction project for...
A growing concern: Greensburg Garden Center’s May Mart
Carol Martinek is focusing on sprucing up her Cheswick backyard this year. She picked up a few flowering plants at the Greensburg Garden Center & Civic Center’s May Mart on Saturday to put toward the project. Among her purchases were candytuft, cranesbill geranium and the tiny blue flowers of forget-me-nots,...
All 5 rue21 stores in Western Pa. to close their doors after latest bankruptcy filing
Teen clothing retailer rue21, which is based in Warrendale, filed for bankruptcy last week and appears to be closing all of its stores. Employees at the Warrendale headquarters were seen Friday carrying boxes to their vehicles after being informed they were losing their jobs during a virtual meeting Thursday, TribLive...
Senate races are roiled by campus protests over the war in Gaza as campaign rhetoric sharpens
HARRISBURG — The student protest movement disrupting university campuses, classes and graduation ceremonies over the war in Gaza is also roiling Senate contests across the nation as Democrats tread cautiously over an internal divide and Republicans play up their rivals’ disagreements. The political impact of the protests on the White...
As the U.S. moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, could more states legalize it?
As the U.S. government moves toward reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, there may be little immediate impact in the dozen states that have not already legalized cannabis for widespread medical or recreational use by adults. But advocates for marijuana legalization hope a federal regulatory shift could eventually change...
Going out green: Natural burials offer a time-tested alternative to the modern funeral
Steve Ball’s grave was marked not by a granite headstone or marble mausoleum upon the burial of his cremated remains last year, but a flat rock chipped into the shape of a heart. It came from his backyard in Pleasant Hills, where he kept bees and grew tobacco in the...
Greensburg officials mum on ex-police officer’s pension after guilty plea in drug case
Retired city police Officer Regina McAtee collected at least $46,280 in pension payments before admitting her role in a methamphetamine distribution operation with the disgraced former Greensburg police chief. Now that McAtee, 51, of New Kensington pleaded guilty in federal court this week to engaging in a drug conspiracy, it’s...
Man shot in chest in Wilkinsburg in critical condition
A man was hospitalized in critical condition after being shot in the chest in Wilkinsburg, according to Allegheny County Police. Officers were notified of the shooting around 8 p.m. Friday along the 1500 block of Park Avenue. Police said first responders located a man suffering from a gunshot wound to...
