Top Stories category, Page 487
Federal jury convicts Oakmont native in 2019 kidnapping, death of Bethel Park woman
An Oakmont native is facing a potential sentence of life in prison after a federal jury Wednesday convicted him of kidnapping a Bethel Park woman, driving her to Nevada and killing her in the desert. John Matthew Chapman, 44, of Oakland, Md., who previously lived in Allegheny County, was found...
A closer look at how University of Pittsburgh handled protests amid national strife
Many universities across the country are facing a harsh reckoning over vandalized buildings, mass campus arrests and chilling images from this week of student protesters battling police and sometimes each other. But the University of Pittsburgh is not — at least thus far. The university fared differently than other campuses...
Police move in and begin dismantling pro-Palestinian demonstrators’ encampment at UCLAVideo
LOS ANGELES — Police removed barricades and began dismantling a pro-Palestinian demonstrators’ fortified encampment early Thursday at the UCLA campus after hundreds of protesters defied police orders to leave, about 24 hours after counter-protesters attacked a tent encampment on the campus. Police detained a handful of people on campus, tying...
Police kill student outside Wisconsin school after reports of someone with a weapon, official saysVideo
MOUNT HOREB, Wis. — Police shot and killed a student Wednesday outside a Wisconsin middle school after receiving a report of someone with a weapon, the state’s attorney general said in the first law enforcement briefing on gunshots that sent children fleeing and prompted an hourslong lockdown of local schools....
Western Pa. United Methodist churches react to denomination’s revised LGBTQ policies
The Rev. Hannah Loughman, pastor at Sewickley United Methodist Church, found herself crying tears of joy Wednesday afternoon. “That sounds so dramatic, but I have been,” Loughman said. “We have been rejoicing all day.” The celebrations and emotions were brought on by votes taken at the United Methodist Church General...
SWAT team, multiple police departments respond to shooting in Swissvale; man hospitalized
A man was hospitalized Wednesday afternoon after being shot in Swissvale, Allegheny County Police reported. An Allegheny County 911 dispatcher said police were sent to the 7500 block of Roslyn Street shortly after 3 p.m. First responders located a man suffering from two gunshot wounds. He was transported to an...
4 new businesses to check out in downtown Greensburg
Downtown Greensburg has some new neighbors. Four businesses have opened along South Pennsylvania Avenue and Otterman Street in recent months, selling gift items, wellness services, baked goods and upscale bar food. The Greensburg Community Development Corporation — a nonprofit focused on revitalizing the city — received 15 occupancy permits from...
Federal Reserve says interest rates will stay at 2-decade high until inflation further coolsVideo
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve on Wednesday emphasized that inflation has remained stubbornly high in recent months and said it doesn’t plan to cut interest rates until it has “greater confidence” that price increases are slowing sustainably to its 2% target. The Fed issued its decision in a statement after...
Permit controversy sinks planned Pittsburgh Pride festival move to Point State Park
Controversy is flaring over this year’s Pittsburgh Pride festival after event organizers claimed that state officials prevented them from holding the annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community at Point State Park in the Golden Triangle. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which runs the park, countered that there...
Snyder Mansion-turned-workplace a hit with employees on Pittsburgh’s North Side
It’s not every day a job interview takes place in a historic mansion. But for Logann Woodley of Franklin Park, interviewing inside a sprawling brownstone built for the late Pittsburgh steel and iron magnate William Penn Snyder sealed the deal. Today, it’s the headquarters of Babb, Inc., an insurance broker....
Prosecutors seek September retrial for Harvey Weinstein after rape conviction was tossed
NEW YORK — Prosecutors asked for a September retrial for Harvey Weinstein during a hearing at a Manhattan courthouse Wednesday, the disgraced movie mogul’s first appearance since his 2020 rape conviction was overturned by an appeals court last week. Weinstein, wearing a navy blue suit, was seated in a wheelchair...
Florida’s 6-week abortion ban takes effect as doctors worry women will lose access to health care
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Florida’s ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, before many women even know they are pregnant, went into effect Wednesday, and some doctors are concerned that women in the state will no longer have access to needed health care. Dr. Leah Roberts, a reproductive...
The Chadwick wedding venue has been sold
The Chadwick, a wedding and event venue in the North Hills, has been sold. An email from the venue in McCandless confirmed the news. “The Chadwick property has been sold to the Jim Shorkey Family Auto Group,” Chadwick spokesperson Ralph Sansale said via email. “The Chadwick will remain in operation...
Accused killer nurse Heather Pressdee expected to plead guilty Thursday
A Harrison nurse accused of intentionally administering insulin overdoses to 22 nursing home patients — including 17 who died — is expected to plead guilty Thursday in Butler County Common Pleas Court. A hearing in the case against Heather Pressdee is scheduled for two days before Judge Joseph E. Kubit....
Patty Griffin, Micky Dolenz, Paula Cole highlight Allegheny County Summer Concert Series
A two-time Grammy winner, the last surviving member of The Monkees and a singer whose song became ubiquitous with a 1990s TV show are some of the biggest names in this year’s Allegheny County Summer Concert Series, announced Wednesday. The concert series, with shows at South Park Amphitheater and Hartwood...
Pittsburgh Controller Heisler warns in annual report of trouble on horizon for city finances
Pittsburgh Controller Rachael Heisler on Wednesday reiterated concerns about what she views as the city’s fragile financial position as she unveiled her office’s annual report on Pittsburgh’s revenues and expenses. The controller has raised alarms that the city is spending more than it brings in, a problem that is coming...
What to know about the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon
Preparing for a marathon is a challenge even if you aren’t the person running 26.2 miles. Someone has to make sure every step of the course is clear: the twists, the turns, the bridges and the hills. That person is Brian Schmidt, director of operations for P3R, the organization hosting...
Retired Greensburg police officer Regina McAtee pleads guilty to methamphetamine distribution
A retired Greensburg police officer on Wednesday became a lawbreaker in the eyes of the criminal justice system she once upheld. Regina McAtee, 51, of New Kensington, who had been with the city force for more than 19 years, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute and possess...
Top Pa. Game Commission official resigns amid questions over side business
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has a new executive director this week after the agency’s former head resigned abruptly on Monday after issues were raised by commissioner members and lawmakers about his business dealings with employees. Bryan Burhans, who served as its executive director since 2017, was replaced by deputy executive...
United Methodists repeal longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — United Methodist delegates repealed their church’s longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy with no debate Wednesday, removing a rule forbidding “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from being ordained or appointed as ministers. Delegates voted 692-51 at their General Conference — the first such legislative gathering in five years. That overwhelming...
Explainer: What marijuana reclassification means for the U.S.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is moving toward reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The Justice Department proposal would recognize the medical uses of cannabis, but wouldn’t legalize it for recreational use. The proposal would move marijuana from the “Schedule I” group to the less tightly regulated...
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene vows to force a vote next week on ousting House Speaker Mike JohnsonVideo
WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Wednesday she would call a vote next week on ousting House Speaker Mike Johnson, forcing her colleagues to choose sides in a difficult showdown after Democratic leaders announced they would provide the votes to save the Republican speaker’s job. Speaking outside the...
Workers, activists around the world hold May Day rallies urging greater rights, more pay
ISTANBUL — Workers, activists and others around the world took to the streets on Wednesday to mark May Day with protests over the pressure of rising prices and calls for greater labor rights. Pro-Palestinian sentiments were also on display. Police in Istanbul used tear gas and fired rubber bullets to...
Blinken urges Israel and Hamas to move ahead with a cease-fire deal and says ‘the time is now’
JERUSALEM — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli leaders Wednesday in his push for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, saying “the time is now” for an agreement that would free hostages and bring a pause in the nearly seven months of war in Gaza. Blinken...
Morning Roundup: 1 injured after shooting in Penn Hills
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, May 1. 1 injured in shooting in Penn Hills One person was injured in a shooting Wednesday morning in Penn Hills, according to police. Penn Hills officers were dispatched at about 1:30 p.m. to the 400 block of...
