Top Stories category, Page 459
Totality plunges Erie, surrounding region into darknessVideo
ERIE — The timing in Erie couldn’t have been better for a once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse, which shrouded the city in darkness for a few minutes Monday afternoon. A dreary morning gave way to sunshine and clear skies around 2 p.m. as the moon began carving ever-larger chunks out of...
New York appeals judge rejects Donald Trump’s request to delay his April 15 hush money trial
NEW YORK — A New York appeals court judge on Monday rejected Donald Trump’s bid to delay his April 15 hush money criminal trial while he fights to move the case out of Manhattan — foiling the former president’s latest attempt to put off the historic trial. Justice Lizbeth González...
Watch live as the solar eclipse happens around the country
While Pittsburgh is not in the path of totality, we will experience partial totality. The eclipse will start around 2 p.m. Monday and last for approximately 2 hours with the eclipse reaching its peak in the Pittsburgh region at 3:17 p.m. You can watch it live with this stream:...
Teenage boys charged in connection with Hempfield armed robbery
Two teenage boys were charged as adults over the weekend in connection with an armed robbery in Hempfield. Daniel Govora, 17, of Crabtree, and Cayden Essway, 16, of Greensburg, are each charged with robbery, a felony, and theft and possession of a firearm by a minor, both misdemeanors. Essway faces...
Solar eclipse: Thousands in Pittsburgh and Erie took in the phenomenon
The sun is back to normal in Southwestern Pennsylvania, hours after a solar eclipse brought people together to watch the phenomenon. Thousands watched from behind the safety of eclipse glasses in the Pittsburgh region and Erie, which was in the path of totality. Cheers of excitement filled the air at...
Burrell student to perform with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
When he was in the fourth grade, Alex Platt told his parents he wanted to play the clarinet because it sounded “jazzy.” “It’s an odd reason, but that’s the reason,” said Platt, now 18 and a senior at Burrell High School. “But I stayed with it, and it’s a beautiful...
Trump declines to endorse a national abortion ban and says it should be left to the states
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump said he believes abortion limits should be left to the states, in a video released Monday declining to endorse a national ban after months of mixed messages and speculation. “Many people have asked me what my position is on abortion and abortion rights,”...
Huge crowds await a total solar eclipse in North America. Clouds may spoil the viewVideo
MESQUITE, Texas — Millions of spectators along a narrow corridor stretching from Mexico to the U.S. to Canada eagerly awaited Monday’s celestial sensation — a total eclipse of the sun — even as forecasters called for clouds. The best weather was expected at the tail end of the eclipse in...
Morning Roundup: Pa. Turnpike Commission warns of E-ZPass scam; Jagr bobblehead update
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, April 8: Pa. Turnpike Commission warns of E-ZPass scam The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is warning E-ZPass customers about a phishing scam targeting users with text messages asking for personal financial information. The texts say they’re from “PA Turnpike...
Man shoots couple dead in Scott then kills himself in W.Va. while fleeing, police say
A man early Monday killed both the woman with whom he had been in a long-term relationship and her new boyfriend in Scott before killing himself on a West Virginia highway, authorities said. Police were called to the 1300 block of Great Oak Drive for a welfare check at 2:50...
PennDOT shares driver tips during solar eclipse
PennDOT has released an informational guide for those on the road during the eclipse. Drivers are asked to plan ahead before their trip. Officials recommended travelers select a preferred viewing location before the eclipse hits, but be prepared to change course based on traffic congestion. Visitors should also plan to...
Pa. State Police settle Washington County woman’s strip-search lawsuit for $250K
Pennsylvania State Police will pay $250,000 to settle a federal lawsuit by a Washington County woman who claims she was wrongfully strip-searched on the side of Interstate 70 in 2021 after being stopped for speeding. The details of what happened after a trooper pulled over Holly Elish remain in dispute,...
Pirates ‘can’t wait’ to see solar eclipse before batting practice Monday at PNC Park
Bailey Falter was unaware of the rare celestial event that will occur Monday afternoon until his wife mentioned over the weekend that the Pittsburgh Pirates will be at PNC Park during the solar eclipse. “I had no idea that was happening. I’ll be front and center watching it then, for...
Total anticipation: Sunny skies that greeted visitors may be fleeting as eclipse day arrives in Erie
ERIE — If only the solar eclipse happened on a day like Sunday, the people crammed into Erie’s hotels would be able to rest easy. It was almost nothing but clear skies Sunday afternoon in northwest Pennsylvania, completely ideal conditions as visitors and natives prepared for Erie’s once-in-a-lifetime astronomical phenomenon....
Israel pulling some troops from southern Gaza. Now the plan is to clear Hamas from RafahVideo
JERUSALEM — Israel’s military announced Sunday it had withdrawn its forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, wrapping up a key phase in its ground offensive against the Hamas militant group and bringing its troop presence in the territory to one of the lowest levels since the six-month...
Proposed consent decree includes Philips Respironics site, product inspections for 5 years
Philips Respironics must hire independent experts to inspect facilities and products and hand over part of its revenue to the U.S. Treasury under a proposed consent decree filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh. Under the proposed decree, Philips Respironics would not admit to any wrongdoing. “The consent decree provides...
Egg hatches in U.S. Steel’s bald eagle nest
An egg in the bald eagles’ nest at U.S. Steel’s Irvin plant in West Mifflin has hatched. Bald eagles Irvin and Claire, who nest near U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works — Irvin Plant, welcomed the first eaglet of the season Sunday morning, according to Andrew Fulton, spokesman for U.S. Steel....
Police release details about Penn Hills man’s arrest following police pursuit, crash in Mount Lebanon
A Penn Hills man wanted on several warrants was arrested by Allegheny County sheriff’s deputies Saturday morning after, authorities say, he led police on a chase through Mount Lebanon. Curtis Norvell Davis Jr., 24, was taken into custody Saturday morning after he led police on a chase that started in...
Penn State trustee scolded for making ‘spectacle’ in push to name football field after Joe Paterno
This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for our north-central Pa. newsletter, Talk of the Town, at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/talkofthetown. STATE COLLEGE — Leaders of Penn State’s Board of Trustees recently admonished...
50 animals seized from Butler County home after cruelty investigation
A Connoquenessing Township man faces felony animal cruelty charges after authorities found two dead German Shepherds that belonged to him, and seized 50 animals from his home. Paul Joseph Frederick, 53, was arrested Saturday after state police in Butler searched his home in Butler Township and removed 50 animals —...
Woman escapes unharmed from burning vehicle in Interstate 70 crash, police say
A 20-year-old Greensburg woman escaped unharmed from a burning vehicle Thursday after a crash on Interstate 70, according to state police. The woman was traveling east on the highway in Hempfield at 2:45 p.m. in a Nissan Murano when troopers said she looked at her cell phone to reply to...
Man found dead on South Side railroad tracks
A Clairton man’s body was found on railroad tracks Saturday in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood, according to city police and the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. First responders were sent just before 6:30 p.m. to the railroad tracks underneath a bridge where South 12th and Brosville streets meet for a report...
‘The universe is providing the show’: Eclipse watch parties pop up in Western Pa.
While thousands of dedicated solar eclipse watchers are expected to descend on the Erie area Monday to be in the path of totality, Western Pennsylvanians who want to get in on the excitement need not stray far from home. Plenty of public watch parties are planned across Westmoreland and Allegheny...
Case involving Westmoreland register of wills raises unusual legal issues, expert says
Westmoreland County’s register of wills could face a potential jail sentence if found in contempt of court for violating two judicial orders that mandate improvements in the operations of her office. It’s a finding rarely made in Pennsylvania, especially against elected officials, according to legal expert Bruce Antkowiak. “This is...
PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi on public vs. private debate: ‘We have a ‘school’ problem’
While watching private and charter schools again flourish in the state basketball finals, the PIAA’s top administrator said there is a problem, but it’s not what public school advocates might think. “We have a ‘school’ problem,” said PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi, insisting that while some individual schools are likely...
