Top Stories category, Page 457
Zappala fights release of quadriplegic prison inmate supported by Shapiro
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday tried to thwart at every turn a request for compassionate release by a quadriplegic man serving a life prison term, despite Gov. Josh Shapiro and several state representatives throwing their weight behind the effort. Ezra Bozeman, 68, was convicted of second-degree murder...
Justice Department: Boeing violated deal that avoided prosecution after 737 Max crashes
WASHINGTON — Boeing has violated a settlement that allowed the company to avoid criminal prosecution after two deadly crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft, the Justice Department told a federal judge on Tuesday. It is now up to the Justice Department to decide whether to file charges against the aircraft...
Gainey aide defends administration over controversial contractor payments
The top spokeswoman for Pittsburgh’s mayor acknowledged Tuesday that city employees broke in-house rules by using a municipal credit card to charge thousands of dollars in payments to a former worker after he became a private contractor, but she rejected suggestions that the hiring itself violated the state’s ethics law....
Whistleblower questions delays and mistakes in way EPA used sensor plane after fiery Ohio derailment
The U.S. government has a specialized plane loaded with advanced sensors that officials brag is always ready to deploy within an hour of any kind of chemical disaster. But the plane didn’t fly over eastern Ohio until four days after the disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment there last year. A whistleblower...
If it seems like more tornadoes are striking Western Pa. — they are
A spate of tornadoes have spun up in Western Pennsylvania with unprecedented frequency this spring. The National Weather Service in Moon’s coverage area, which includes Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and Northern West Virginia, has already seen 14 tornadoes in 2024, which is more than double the annual average of six...
Beaver Area School District head recommended as Hempfield Area’s new superintendent
Former McKeesport Area and current Beaver Area Superintendent Mark Holtzman is set to become Hempfield’s top school official. Holtzman will be recommended for appointment as superintendent of Hempfield Area School District at a special board meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to a letter sent to parents Tuesday from the...
Salary surcharge pitched to cover Westmoreland register of wills conservator pay
The nearly $90,000 annual salary paid to Westmoreland Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton could be used to finance costs for a court-appointed conservator for the office, county officials said Tuesday. Controller Jeffrey Balzer said a policy approved in 2020 by commissioners allows the county to hold elected row officers...
TikTok content creators sue the U.S. government over law that could ban the popular platform
Eight TikTok content creators sued the U.S. government on Tuesday, issuing another challenge to the new federal law that would ban the popular social media platform nationwide if its China-based parent company doesn’t sell its stakes within a year. Attorneys for the creators argued in the lawsuit that the law...
2 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre dancers perform onstage with their daughters in ‘Cinderella’
Audiences at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s production of “Cinderella” will get to share in some sweet family memories. Two dancers — William Moore and Danielle Downey — will perform with their young daughters in the production, which runs Friday through Sunday. Even more poignant, both dancers have just announced their retirement...
Greensburg man admits to going on nude walks at Twin Lakes Park, police say
A man who described himself as a nudist showed up at the Westmoreland County Park Police station on Hempfield’s Donohoe Road last month wearing only socks, sneakers and a ball cap, according to court papers. Turns out, police said they had been looking for a man who reportedly had been...
Community mourns passing of McCandless firefighter
Firefighter, family man and well-known member of the McCandless community Daniel Stack passed away unexpectedly on May 10 at age 51. Many knew Stack from his 35 years of service fighting blazes in the local area, most recently with the Highland Volunteer Fire Department for the past 18 years, according...
IUP prepares for academic overhaul with proposed college name changes
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is poised to undergo an academic restructuring that would include name changes for three of its five colleges, discontinuing low-enrolled programs and identifying areas for future growth. Those moves and others will be reviewed by the State System of Higher Education in Harrisburg in the coming...
Police charge McKees Rocks teen in Stowe killing
Police have arrested a McKees Rocks teen who they say fatally shot a Stowe man on Thanksgiving eve. Cy-Miar Amari Woods, 16, was charged as an adult Thursday in the Nov. 22 death of Michael Dean. Dean, 26, was killed at his house in the 800 block of Benwood Avenue,...
Sudden Little Thrills music festival canceled
The Sudden Little Thrills music festival, which was slated to take place Sept. 7 and 8 at Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood Green, has been canceled. “We were excited to bring a new world-class music festival to Pittsburgh. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, the Sudden Little Thrills festival will not take...
Leechburg woman dies in house fire
A Leechburg woman died Tuesday morning in a fire at her home. Armstrong County Coroner Brian Myers identified the victim as 60-year-old Betty Bail. The state police fire marshal’s office said pets also perished in the fire in the 300 block of Logan Avenue. In a release, Myers said the...
Check stubs, fake receipts, blind loyalty: Michael Cohen offers inside knowledge in Trump’s hush money trial
NEW YORK — It wasn’t until after a decade in the fold, after his family pleaded with him, after the FBI raided his office, apartment and hotel room, Michael Cohen testified Tuesday, that he finally decided to turn on Donald Trump. That decision led to a 2018 guilty plea to...
Online dashboard helps track tickborne illnesses
The Pennsylvania Department of Health this week announced a new online dashboard that will provide people with information about tickborne illnesses. The dashboard will show people where ticks are prevalent so they can take appropriate precautions while outdoors, officials said. It also will display the latest tickborne disease activity, tracking...
Morning Roundup: Police say N.Y. woman scammed Clairton man for $19K
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, May 14: Police say N.Y. woman scammed Clairton man Allegheny County Police have charged a New York woman they say scammed more than $19,000 from a Clairton man. Detectives determined Rachel Chen, 25, of Stanton Island worked as...
Man critically hurt in West Deer hit-and-run
A man was critically wounded Monday night after a vehicle crashed into a dirt bike on Saxonburg Boulevard in West Deer, Allegheny County police said. The vehicle involved in the collision drove away and the man driving the dirt bike was flown to a hospital for treatment. Both vehicles were...
Biden blocks Chinese-backed crypto mining firm from land ownership near Wyoming missile base
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday issued an order blocking a Chinese-backed cryptocurrency mining firm from owning land near a Wyoming nuclear missile base, calling its proximity to the base a “national security risk.” The order forces the divestment of property operated as a crypto mining facility near the...
Red Line T cars derail in Castle Shannon, transit officials say
Pittsburgh Regional Transit officials said about 15 people were on board two rail cars when they derailed Monday afternoon. It happened at about 4 p.m. while they were traveling inbound on the outbound tracks along the Red Line at Willow Station in Castle Shannon, PRT said via X, formerly Twitter....
‘I have received forgiveness and so I offer it to you,’ father of crash victim tells Mt. Lebanon man given plea deal
Just minutes after Hampartsoum “Henry” Nazarian pleaded guilty to striking their son on the side of the road and killing him, David and Heidi Drake were in the courthouse hallway hugging him. “The accident was not an intentional thing to try to hurt us or Tyler,” Heidi Drake said in...
Pittsburgh controller probes $18K in payments to ex-city worker
Pittsburgh’s top fiscal watchdog has launched an investigation into more than $18,000 in payments made by the city to a former employee turned contractor. Controller Rachael Heisler said Monday that she was looking into possible violations of the state ethics law and, more broadly, rules governing the use of city...
Court names Greensburg attorney to oversee Westmoreland register of wills office
Greensburg attorney James Antoniono will oversee the Westmoreland County Register of Wills Office, effective May 28, according to a court order issued Monday. The county’s elected register of wills, Sherry Magretti Hamilton, “has forfeited her role as the sole and chief administrator of the office by being derelict in her...
U.S. energy panel approves rule to expand transmission of renewable power
WASHINGTON — Federal energy regulators on Monday approved a long-awaited rule to make it easier to transmit renewable energy such as wind and solar power to the electric grid — a key part of President Joe Biden’s goal to eliminate carbon emissions economy-wide by 2050. The rule, under development for...
