Top Stories category, Page 456
Judge declines to delay Trump’s N.Y. hush money trial over complaints of pretrial publicity
NEW YORK — The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money criminal case on Friday turned down the former president’s request to postpone his trial because of publicity about the case. It’s the latest in a string of delay denials Trump has gotten from various courts this week as he fights...
Jeannette couple donates $10K to help cover cost of fixing ladder truck damaged in fatal fire
Jeannette business owners stepped up this week to help the city cover about half the $20,000 it will take to repair a ladder truck that was damaged in a March 20 fire that killed five members of a family of eight. “They blew me away when they came in (Thursday)...
Police, New Alexandria officials investigate $88K in missing borough funds
State police are investigating after $88,000 went missing from New Alexandria’s coffers. The probe comes after borough council in March fired Chuck Ferry from his role as secretary-treasurer. Ferry could not be reached for comment. Meanwhile, the small municipality of about 400 people is tightening its belt as it copes...
U.S. Steel stockholders approve $14.9B Nippon merger during protest
Environmental activist and entrepreneur Qiyam Ansari isn’t excited that U.S. Steel is making him money. He bought $300 worth of the Pittsburgh-based steel giant’s stock at about $15 a share in 2019. By the time U.S. Steel announced Friday that 98% of voting shareholders approved a $14.9 billion merger deal...
TV Talk: Katherine Amenta out at WPXI-TV
After anchoring this morning’s newscasts, Katherine Amenta is no longer with WPXI-TV. Her contract is up in July and was not renewed, possibly due to budget cuts. Amenta could not be reached for comment; WPXI news director Scott Trabandt did not respond to queries but confirmed her departure in an...
412 Day brings another moment to celebrate Pittsburgh
April 12 is a special day for the Steel City. 412 Day is a nod to the Pittsburgh area code, and it gives Yinzers a chance to celebrate the city and its traditions. The area code was first born in 1947, but the current 412 footprint was established in 1998...
Man rescued from East Deer blaze when passerby springs into action
Danny Simone was driving to work through East Deer early Friday when he noticed a ball of white smoke billowing above a row of homes. “I thought it was from the mill stack. That’s how high it was,” said Simone, an employee at Habitat for Humanity in New Kensington. As...
‘Every day, we’re dying.’ In Ukraine, defeat was unthinkable. Has that changed?
KYIV, Ukraine — Could Ukraine lose this war? For more than two years, as this country of 44 million people has fought off an all-out invasion by neighboring Russia, a spirit of stubborn optimism prevailed even amid the most frightening moments. Any notion of defeat was unthinkable, an almost taboo...
Beautifully restored home in Pittsburgh’s Mexican War Streets hits the market
Barbara and Ed Ivanko went on the Mexican War Streets House & Garden Tour in 2014 and fell in love with the neighborhood. The uniqueness of the homes reminded them of the benefits of living so close to a Downtown area, something they enjoyed while growing up in New York...
Biden to visit Pittsburgh area next week
President Joe Biden is returning to Southwestern Pennsylvania next week, his first visit to the Pittsburgh region since 2022. Biden will visit Wednesday, according to the White House. No specific location or agenda was announced, but the White House said more details will follow. His Pittsburgh-area visit is part of...
Penn Hills entrepreneur seizes opportunity to launch subscription trash-to-curb service
If all goes well, one person’s trash will be Mike Prosky’s livelihood. In March, he started Curbside Appeal LLC, a service for those without the time, energy or ability to take their cans to and from the curb. So far, he’s only landed three customers and hired one employee, but...
‘The water was already so high’: New round of flooding hits Western Pa.
Mary Williams has dealt with a flood or two. With the backyard of her South Buffalo home next to Buffalo Creek, she and her husband have gotten pretty good at judging whether or not their property will be flooded. Still, Williams was surprised at how quickly the water rose Thursday...
Westmoreland Redevelopment Authority considers infrastructure for vacant Derry site
More than halfway into a six-month contingent agreement to sell a former Derry Borough industrial site, the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority may install internal roads and utilities to help lay the groundwork for attracting new occupants. “If we were able to sell the property and the developer was going to...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: April 12-14
It’s the weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. Spring Carnival Carnegie Mellon University’s Spring Carnival includes amusement park rides, adventures in booths, unhealthy snacks and buggy races — the university’s oldest tradition. Streets will be closed in and around the campus. Since 1920, the event has featured buggy...
Jeannette police officers, neighbor honored for rescues made at fatal house fire
Miranda John wiped away tears as the six men who rescued her and two of her children from their burning home in Jeannette were honored Thursday night. “I am grateful for them because, honestly, if it wasn’t for them, I probably wouldn’t be here,” she said afterward. “Yes, they couldn’t...
Voting rights groups appeal ruling that directs Pa. to reject undated mail ballots
This article is made possible through Spotlight PA’s collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. After a court defeat, Pennsylvania voting rights organizations are trying to convince a larger group of federal appellate judges that the state shouldn’t be allowed to reject mail ballots...
URA taps last of $9M federal fund to boost Downtown Pittsburgh affordable housing
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority board on Thursday approved millions of dollars to help developers convert empty Downtown buildings into affordable housing. The move came amid persistent concerns about how Downtown has rebounded since the covid-19 pandemic and widespread shifts to remote work that left many offices empty. By authorizing $4.8...
New Vandergrift ATI line secures jobs, future for company
The son of a steelworker, Vandergrift Mayor Lenny Collini grew up in a house overlooking ATI’s Vandergrift plant. Back then, it was owned by U.S. Steel and was a major employer for the borough and surrounding area. Now, it continues to be a big piece of the borough’s economy and...
Filings show top conservative donor Jeffrey Yass gave $800K to PAC attacking Summer Lee
A political group behind recent ads attacking U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, received $800,000 from Jeffrey Yass, a billionaire and conservative donor in the Philadelphia area, federal filings this week show. The group, called Moderate PAC, has spent more than $586,000 in the Pittsburgh area, running a series of ads...
‘HELP’ spelled out in palm leaves leads to island rescue in Pacific
It sounds like a tale straight out of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” or a plotline in the “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Three men were stranded on a remote Pacific islet for more than a week after the outboard motor on their 20-foot open skiff stopped working, as reported by...
Job demand, good pay spur growth in nursing programs
Chelsey Strickland grew up watching her single mom work long shifts as a nurse at UPMC St. Margaret hospital to provide for her family. That’s what led the Tarentum resident to enroll in nursing school at 25, despite, two years earlier, having earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the...
Innamorato taps new medical examiner, development director for Allegheny County
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato filled two top positions in her administration Wednesday just as her tenure eclipsed 100 days. Dr. Ariel Goldschmidt is the new medical examiner. Lauren Connelly was named the director of Allegheny County Economic Development. She will start next month. Goldschmidt, 45, of Squirrel Hill, takes...
O.J. Simpson, legendary football player and actor brought down by his murder trial, dies at 76
LAS VEGAS — O.J. Simpson, the football star and Hollywood actor acquitted of charges he killed his former wife and her friend in a trial that mesmerized the public and exposed divisions on race and policing in America, has died. He was 76. The family announced on Simpson’s official X...
Hempfield house with 20 acres and lake listed for $1.25M
An easily recognizable home with a private lake surrounded by acres of woodlands near Hempfield Area High School is on the market for $1.25 million. “This home was designed for entertaining,” said Scott Ludwick, the listing agent and associate broker for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in Unity. The four-bedroom, four-bath...
New rule will require more gun dealers to run background checks on buyers
WASHINGTON — Thousands more firearms dealers across the United States will have to run background checks on buyers when selling at gun shows or other places outside brick-and-mortar stores, according to a Biden administration rule that will soon go into effect. The rule aims to close a loophole that has...
