Top Stories category, Page 494
UPS plans layoffs at New Stanton facility
Global shipper UPS plans to eliminate the full daylight shift that sorts packages at its New Stanton facility April 15, the company said Tuesday. Teamsters Local 30 in Jeannette will meet with its members Wednesday to discuss the company’s plans to cut the local workforce, said Eugene “Geno” Bosetti, president...
Police say Unity woman bought guns for minor boy
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story had an incorrect age for the boy. A Unity woman was arrested over the weekend after state police said a boy at her home was found with 14 guns that she bought for him, according to court papers. Rhonda M. Campomizzi, 54,...
2024 dates set for Picklesburgh festival
Picklesburgh returns to Downtown Pittsburgh July 19-21. Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and Kraft-Heinz will bring a variety of pickle-flavored items — from the standard pickles and relish to the adventurous pickle-flavored ice cream or pickle-flavored vodka — to the Boulevard of the Allies. Live music, pickle-themed merchandise, a pickle juice drinking...
U.S. appeals court hears argument over missing dates on Pennsylvania mail-in ballots
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard argument Tuesday over whether county elections officials in Pennsylvania must count mail-in ballots that are missing the date on their outer envelope. Voting rights advocates argue that the date is irrelevant to whether the ballots are legitimate and cast on time, while...
Latrobe exhibit to focus on Fred Rogers’ role as helper
Latrobe native Fred Rogers’ efforts to help others is the focus of a month-long exhibit that begins Saturday at the Latrobe Art Center. Presented in partnership with the Fred Rogers Institute at nearby Saint Vincent College, “Fred Rogers: Celebrating A Lifelong Helper” will kick off with an opening event from...
Hearing set to reveal cause of Fern Hollow Bridge collapse
More than two years after the collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge sent six vehicles tumbling into a Frick Park ravine in a disaster that raised dire concerns statewide about bridge safety, federal officials are set to reveal the findings of a painstaking investigation into the cause. A virtual hearing...
Morning Roundup: St. Patrick’s Day Parade details; nearly 3 dozen cats rescued from Westmoreland home
Here are a few morning news items for Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. St. Patrick’s Day Parade details Parade committee members have released the details for Pittsburgh’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 16. The celebration is set to begin at 10 a.m. as parade participants gather near the Greyhound...
Accordion players enjoy instrument’s resurgence
The Accordion Club of Natrona Heights might need to change its name. These guys and gals aren’t just sitting around playing old-timey polkas — they can really jam. “We like to get together and kind of show off what we can do,” said club founder Gabe Ziccarelli, 77, whose lightning-fast...
Harvison Road bridge in Penn Township slated for summer removal
A bridge carrying Harvison Road over the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County’s Penn Township will be removed this summer, according to the turnpike commission. The commission announced in 2021 that it would remove the bridge as part of a $300 million-plus project to widen the toll highway between the Monroeville...
Norwin hires firm for superintendent search
Norwin will pay a Harrisburg-area consultant nearly $20,000 to oversee the school district’s search for a new superintendent. The school board Monday split 5-4 on hiring Templeton Advantage LLC of Newport, about 25 miles northwest of Harrisburg. Templeton will charge Norwin $17,000 for its services, plus a maximum of $2,500...
Capital One to buy Discover for $35 billion in deal that combines major U.S. credit card companies
NEW YORK — Capital One Financial said it will buy Discover Financial Services for $35 billion, in a deal that would bring together two of the nation’s credit card companies as well as potentially shake up the payments industry, which is largely dominated by Visa and Mastercard. Under the terms...
Pittsburgh commission to vote on controversial plan addressing homelessness
Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission is poised to vote Tuesday on a controversial zoning change meant to tackle homelessness, one of the city’s most vexing and intractable problems. The move, pushed by two City Council members, would permit regulated homeless camps Downtown complete with utilities and perhaps even tiny houses. They would...
Fentanyl killed their kids. Now these moms are supporting Casey’s fight against the deadly opioid
Peggy Heidish’s son, Zachary, died last June of a fentanyl overdose just two months after he completed an inpatient recovery program to combat his opioid addiction. Heidish, of Edgewood, said her 35-year-old son came back home that spring in high spirits and was ready to move on with his life...
Wet winter storm hits California, closing regional airport and trapping people in swollen riversVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — Another wet winter storm swamped California with heavy rainfall on Monday, flooding the runways at a regional airport and leading to several rescues on swollen rivers and creeks. The Santa Barbara airport, on the state’s central coast, closed Monday after as much as 10 inches of rain...
What Shapiro’s budget pitch could do for Pa.’s rural communities
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. BELLEFONTE — As the populations of Pennsylvania’s rural counties shrink, officials hope future state spending can help slow projected losses by making investments that attract...
FAFSA delays prompt Pa. state-owned universities to extend enrollment deadlines
Pennsylvania’s 10 state-owned universities are extending the deadline for thousands of prospective new students to review financial aid offers and decide whether to enroll for fall. The move is intended to mitigate delays being experienced nationwide with the U.S. Department of Education’s revamped Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known...
Indiana County woman dead, child hurt in head-on crash along Route 217 in Derry Township
An Indiana County woman died and a 10-year-old child was flown to a hospital for treatment Monday after a head-on crash in Derry Township, officials reported. Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said Regina L. Endress, 49, of Josephine, Burrell Township, was pronounced dead at the scene on Route 217 near...
Natural gas leak forces evacuation of Riverview Jr.-Sr. High School
A natural gas leak was discovered in Riverview Jr.-Sr. High School on Monday, a day during which no students or staff were inside the building. A handful of people who were in the Oakmont school in the morning, including custodians and a group conducting an architectural walkthrough, evacuated shortly before...
Mark Madden: Which Penguins will be next to have their numbers retired?
No. 68 is in the rafters at PPG Paints Arena. Sunday’s ceremony to honor Jaromir Jagr was among the best of its kind, as was Jagr’s charismatic speech. Jagr’s return to Pittsburgh was everything that could have been hoped for. His legend was heightened. The question now: Who’s the next...
Tim Benz: Emotions surrounding Jaromir Jagr’s jersey retirement were as unique as the player himself
In most situations, the jersey retirement process is a pretty easy one. By the very nature of the honor, the presumption is that whoever is getting their jersey retired in whatever city they used to call home is probably so beloved by the fans that the organization and the player...
What they’re saying about Jaromir Jagr’s jersey retirement
Jaromir Jagr watched his No. 68 float up into the rafters in Pittsburgh on Sunday night, a powerful moment in a long and storied career that still has yet to reach its conclusion. One matter Jagr — who both owns and continues to play for a Czech hockey team —...
Morning Roundup: Fire destroys Penn Township garage; McKnight Road restrictions begin
Here are a few morning news items for Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. Penn Township garage destroyed by fire An explosion and subsequent fire destroyed a garage in Penn Township late Saturday night. TribLive news partner WTAE reports that dozens of firefighters worked late into the night battling a fire which...
Gov. Shapiro’s budget calls for deep cuts to cyber charter school funding; public schools in for windfall
A proposal by Gov. Josh Shapiro to slash fees for cyber charter students could save public schools about $262 million a year. The move has public school officials singing Shapiro’s praises but leaves cyber school administrators anxious and frustrated. “This narrative that we are overfunded, we don’t agree with that,”...
Allegheny Township hit with $51,000 IRS penalty, trying to find out why
Editor’s note: This story was corrected on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, to correct the attribution of a quote. Allegheny Township officials, and at least one resident, want to know why the township apparently is being fined $51,000 by the IRS. The fines might be connected to the township not properly...
Penn State dance marathon raises $17 million, beats record by $2 million
Their voices are likely shot, their ankles probably sore and they definitely could use some sleep. But the 700-plus dancers — and thousands more who participated in this year’s Penn State University IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon — know they made history, raising almost $17 million in the fight against childhood cancer,...
