Top Stories category, Page 522
Damaging tornadoes move through Midwest, as officials in Indiana try to confirm deathsVideo
MADISON, Ind. — Authorities in Indiana said they were working to confirm reports of fatalities from a tornado that was part of storm system that also unleashed suspected twisters in parts of Ohio and Kentucky on Thursday, damaging homes and businesses. Storm damage in Indiana was reported in the east...
Woman hospitalized after being struck by vehicle in Oakland
A woman was hospitalized in stable condition Thursday morning after being struck by a vehicle in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said first responders were dispatched to the intersection of Craft and Forbes avenues shortly before 9:30 a.m. for a report of a vehicle that struck two...
James Crumbley, who bought gun used by son to kill 4 students, guilty of manslaughter in MichiganVideo
PONTIAC, Mich. — The father of a Michigan school shooter was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter Thursday, a second conviction against the teen’s parents who were accused of failing to secure a gun at home and doing nothing to address acute signs of his mental turmoil. The jury verdict means...
7th man pleads guilty for role in New Kensington man’s shooting death
A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty to a lesser charge Thursday for his role in the events that led to the July 2022 shooting death of a man outside a New Kensington apartment building. Raquan Carpenter, 20, was among the seven men and teens charged with criminal homicide in connection with...
Westmoreland County register of wills, judges clash over filing delays during contempt of court hearing
Parents of adopted children told two Westmoreland County judges that months-long delays in the processing of paperwork filed with the Register of Wills Office led to major life interruptions. “It’s been a disaster,” one parent said. Another testified, “Due to the negligence of the office, we had to self-pay for...
Penn State targets under-enrolled programs, duplication as it eyes cuts at branch campuses
Efforts in the coming months to pare spending on Penn State University branch campuses will include reviewing duplicative or underenrolled academic programs and potentially sharing administrative services between campuses. The university has offered an update on a closely watched process to cut $54 million, or 14.1%, from commonwealth campus operations...
Springdale looks for new football field, coach for upcoming season
The Allegheny Valley School Board is hoping to answer two key unknowns about the district’s football program at its meeting Tuesday — where the team will play and who will be its coach. The school directors will consider authorizing the administration to secure an off-site football field for the fall....
Westmoreland formally adopts jail policy on undocumented immigrants to shed sanctuary label
Westmoreland County’s Republican delegation used a news conference Thursday to assure residents the county is no place for undocumented immigrants in trouble with the law. The county prison board unanimously approved a new policy that formalized standard operating procedure related to undocumented immigrants held at the jail. Officials at the...
Judge rejects bid by Donald Trump to throw out classified documents case on constitutional grounds
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A federal judge on Thursday rejected a bid by Donald Trump to throw out out his classified documents criminal case, and appeared skeptical during hours of arguments of a separate effort to scuttle the prosecution ahead of trial. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon issued a two-page...
DeMarco sues Innamorato over Allegheny County ballot drop-off locations
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato’s plan to add five locations to drop off mail-in ballots throughout the county is facing a legal challenge — but one that might be short-lived. County Councilman at-large Sam DeMarco, R-North Fayette, and four other plaintiffs sued Innamorato Thursday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court,...
Pittsburgh Riverhounds want to triple Highmark Stadium seating in $75M expansion plan
Pittsburgh’s professional soccer team wants to super-size its stadium with a $75 million expansion meant to capitalize on record attendance and a passionate fan base. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds have applied for a $10 million state grant to help triple seating capacity at Highmark Stadium along the Monongahela River at Station...
TV Talk: Producers explain why ‘Young Sheldon’ is endingVideo
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a weekly viewing tip. BURBANK, Calif. – “The Big Bang Theory” prequel series “Young Sheldon” (8 p.m. Thursdays, KDKA-TV) will end its seven-season run on CBS in May. Why now, aside from the economic realities that after a TV series hits its...
Pittsburgh Public Schools solicitor seeks OK to sue Allegheny County to spur reassessment
Pittsburgh Public Schools’ top lawyer warned the school board Wednesday that the district is facing a dire financial crisis caused by plummeting property values in the city and asked for permission to sue Allegheny County in an effort to compel a countywide property reassessment. Stoking fears of a coming disaster,...
Former Greensburg police chief, veteran cop expected to plead guilty to federal drug charges
Shawn Denning, the former police chief in Greensburg, and retired patrol Officer Regina McAtee are expected to plead guilty to federal charges in connection with drug investigations, court paperwork shows. Denning, 42, of Delmont was arrested by federal investigators in January 2023. Charges filed against him Wednesday included conspiracy to...
Westmoreland students employ modeling skills, sky-high concepts in airport design challenge
Officials are planning a major terminal expansion at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport and gifted students from seven Westmoreland County school districts have created their own concepts for accommodating and attracting travelers. The students’ scaled-down models of what the terminal in Unity could look like took center stage this week in...
Biden opposes plan to sell US Steel to a Japanese firm, citing the need for ‘American steel workers’
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden came out in opposition to the planned sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan, saying Thursday the U.S. needs to “maintain strong American steel companies powered by American steel workers.” In a statement, Biden added: “U.S. Steel has been an iconic American steel...
What’s Pi Day all about? Math, science, pies and more
Math enthusiasts around the world, from college kids to rocket scientists, celebrate Pi Day on Thursday, which is March 14 or 3/14 — the first three digits of an infinite number with many practical uses. Around the world many people will mark the day with a slice of pie —...
Morning Roundup: Fans rename Kennywood ride; couple free stuck deer in North Hills
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, March 14: Fans rename classic Kennywood ride Fans of Kennywood Park have spoken: The amusement park’s updated, Potato Patch-themed bumper car ride will be known as “Potato Smash.” Officials at the West Mifflin park announced the name received...
Friends, neighbors remember victims of Crescent Township house explosion
Even at age 89, David L. Mitchell Jr. kept active in local matters, serving on Crescent’s planning commission. A longtime civic leader and political mentor, Mitchell, along with his wife, Helen, were fixtures in the tiny township along the Ohio River. They once ran a plastics manufacturing company together, oversaw...
Georgia governor signs law reviving prosecutor sanctions panel. Democrats fear it’s aimed at Fani Willis
ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law Wednesday that lets a state commission begin operating with powers to discipline and remove prosecutors, potentially disrupting Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ prosecution of former President Donald Trump. “This legislation will help us ensure rogue and incompetent prosecutors are held...
Plum School District budget projection shows tax increases for next 5 school years
Plum School District property taxes could increase every year for the next five school years as the district works to fund its operations, pay for a $30 million building project and bring back full-day kindergarten. District administrators still are working on the $74.1 million 2024-25 budget. The school board is...
Former Greensburg police officer faces federal drug conspiracy charges
A former Greensburg police officer is charged in federal court with conspiring to sell methamphetamine. Regina McAtee, who was suspended in late 2022 before retiring last year, was charged with a single count by the U.S. Attorney’s Office Wednesday. McAtee is represented by defense attorney Charles Porter, who said Wednesday...
Westmoreland juvenile detention center on track for March reopening
Westmoreland County’s juvenile detention center is expected to reopen this month after being largely closed since June because of staffing shortages and operational problems, officials said Wednesday. The 16-bed facility that houses juvenile criminal offenders closed following a series of state inspections. Those findings prompted county leaders to shutter the...
Ex-Bethel Park cop who illegally brought South American woman to U.S gets probation
Blake Babin led a stellar career as a Bethel Park police officer, rising to lieutenant over more than three decades. Friends and former colleagues said he acted as a mentor to others, organized community programs, participated in an annual food drive and was compassionate to those he served. But Babin,...
Misty Slavic resigns as Kiski Area superintendent
Kiski Area is the latest school district in Westmoreland County searching for a new superintendent, as Misty Slavic announced she will step aside after more than two years leading the district. School board members were informed Monday with a 90-day notice. In an email to TribLive, Slavic attributed her resignation...
