Top Stories category, Page 534
Pittsburgh set to record 2nd least snowy year since 1880
On Friday, the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh issued an advisory for 2 to 4 inches of snow Saturday in eastern Preston and Tucker counties in West Virginia. It’s something meteorologists there haven’t had to do often. This year is on track to be the second-least snowy year on record...
Family ties apparent at Westmoreland County district judge swearing-in ceremonies
When it comes to electing district judges in Westmoreland County, the position sometimes remains all in the family — a fact never so obvious as at the swearing-in ceremonies Friday for judges who won their seats in the November election. Of the nine district judges who were sworn into office...
Judge blocks most of an Iowa law banning some school library books and discussion of LGBTQ+ issues
DES MOINES, Iowa — A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked key parts of an Iowa law that bans some books from school libraries and forbids teachers from raising LGBTQ+ issues. Judge Stephen Locher’s preliminary injunction halts enforcement of the law, which was set to take effect Jan. 1 but...
West Virginia starts distributing funds from the settlement of opioid lawsuits
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia is issuing the first checks from a fund established by the settlement of opioid lawsuits in the state, which has by far the nation’s highest drug overdose death rate. The Kanawha County Commission said Thursday it received a $2.9 million check and plans to discuss...
Power outage in Greensburg traps 4 in courthouse elevator
The wheels of justice may grind slowly, but for four people riding in an elevator Friday at the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg, those wheels actually ground to a halt. Senior county Judge Al Bell was one of four people trapped inside the elevator for about 45 minutes when a...
Victim in fatal Derry Township crash identified; Route 217 reopens
Officials have identified the person who died in a three-vehicle crash Friday afternoon at the intersection of Route 217 and Industrial Boulevard in Derry Township. Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson identified the victim as David Leonard, 72, of Derry. Carson said Leonard, traveling in a red Nissan Rogue traveling south...
In Pennsylvania, any challenge to Trump being on the ballot must go through the courts
Pennsylvania’s secretary of state said Friday he does not have the authority to remove former President Donald Trump from the ballot and any such challenge here must be done through the courts. “Pennsylvania’s Election Code does not give me, as secretary of the commonwealth, the authority to reject a nomination...
Allegheny County Jail now offering treatment for opioid use disorder without a prescription
A month after reaching an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, Allegheny County Jail officials announced Friday that incarcerated people with opioid use disorder can now be treated with buprenorphine as part of their medication-assisted treatment program. Even patients who don’t have a prescription will be able to benefit...
Greensburg Salem elementary teacher, aide arraigned on abuse accusations
A report from another teacher prompted the investigation that led to the arrests this week of a teacher and aide at Greensburg Salem’s Robert F. Nicely Elementary School on accusations they mistreated three students in a special needs classroom, according to police. “It seems that somebody from the classroom at...
Police: Man charged in firing of shots at truck driver near Arnold Palmer airport, leading police on lengthy chase
A man from Lancaster County faces felony charges after police say he fired shots Friday afternoon at a box truck leaving the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity before leading police on a 16-mile chase and crashing in Blairsville. Tyler J. Mieczkowski, 22, is charged with reckless endangerment of another...
Ohio’s GOP governor vetoes ban on gender-affirming care, transgender athletes in girls sports
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Republican Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a measure Friday that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors and transgender athletes’ participation in girls and women’s sports, in a break from members of his party who championed the legislation. GOP lawmakers hold enough seats to override DeWine’s veto, but...
Woman critically injured in downtown Greensburg hit-and-run, police say
Investigators shut down part of South Main Street in Greensburg on Friday to gather more evidence in a hit-and-run that left a 72-year-old woman in critical condition. The woman, whose identity has not been released, was crossing the road with the assistance of a wheeled walker when she was struck....
‘Right place at the right time’: 3 women revive man with no pulse at Plum restaurant
Pam Popko was visiting her parents in Plum this month when her father suggested they have dinner at John Anthony’s. Erin Shepherd was there the same night with her mom, an aunt and some of their friends who go for the restaurant’s Wednesday night specials. Neither woman knew the other....
2023 (Taylor’s Version): The year in pop culture
In weather terminology, they call it “rapid intensification” — the process by which a storm strengthens dramatically in a short period. In pop culture terminology, they call it Taylor Swift. It’s not like Swift didn’t have big — huge! — years before this. But 2023? This was ridiculous. From the...
The biggest Pittsburgh, Allegheny County stories of 2023
Pittsburgh is closing the chapter on another year. The year 2023 brought the city and Allegheny County closure on one its worst tragedies, the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial. The Steel City’s main hub became the focus on dozens of stories — many tense and political, while others showed Downtown’s might...
Morning Roundup: 1 injured in crash in Castle Shannon; Wahlburgers location closing
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Dec. 29: Wahlburgers closing in North Hills The Wahlburgers restaurant along Northway Drive in Ross is closing permanently. The restaurant said in a Facebook post Thursday that its last day of business would be Saturday. It plans to...
Pop culture in Pittsburgh: A look back at 2023
There was no shortage of news in 2023 throughout the region’s arts and entertainment scene. From Taylor Swift to Kennywood, here are the region’s biggest cultural stories of 2023. ‘Swiftburg’ Arguably the concert of the year and the 2023 version of Beetlemania, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour sold out both nights...
Russia fires 122 missiles, 36 drones in what Ukraine calls the biggest aerial barrage of the war
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched 122 missiles and dozens of drones against Ukrainian targets, officials said Friday, killing at least 24 civilians across the country in what an air force official said was the biggest aerial barrage of the war. The Ukrainian air force intercepted most of the ballistic and...
Western Pa. animal shelters scramble to keep up with influx of surrendered pets
Toni Younkin’s phone rings at all hours of the day. As director of Pet Adoption League, a small-scale animal shelter, Younkin knows people need help even outside of business hours. She starts her day early to feed, socialize and take care of the dogs at her organization’s New Stanton-area facility....
Flu shots during pregnancy help shield babies from severe illness, study finds
If you’re pregnant, getting your flu shot will help protect you and your baby from ending up in the hospital with a severe case of the flu, according to a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics. Pediatricians from UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh were part of the study, which found...
Pittsburgh officials announce safety measures, road closures for First Night celebration
First responders will be stationed throughout Downtown Pittsburgh to ensure safety during the Highmark First Night Pittsburgh celebration on New Year’s Eve, officials said. Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said the city is “committed to ensuring residents and visitors are able to celebrate this annual, family-friendly tradition in a secure...
Pedestrian suffers head injury in Downtown Greensburg hit-and-run, police say
An elderly woman was injured by a hit-and-run driver late Thursday night while crossing South Main Street in Greensburg, city police said. The victim, whose identity was not available, suffered a head injury from the collision with the vehicle at about 9:45 p.m. and was transported to Allegheny Health Network...
Police chase ends with suspect’s car in Forest Hills pool
A man who flashed a weapon at Allegheny County sheriff’s deputies Wednesday was arrested Thursday after a second police chase ended with his vehicle sinking in a Forest Hill swimming pool, authorities said. The suspect, Jeremy Neal, 31, was arrested after a chase that began in the city, went onto...
Health Department reports rodents, fruit flies at Waterworks Cinemas
A health inspection this week at Waterworks Cinemas in Pittsburgh cited a rodent and fruit fly infestation. The Allegheny County Health Department on Thursday issued a consumer alert about the movie theater’s conditions after a Dec. 26 inspection found six violations. An inspector found evidence of an active rodent infestation,...
Maine bars Trump from ballot as U.S. Supreme Court weighs state authority to block former president
PORTLAND, Maine — Maine’s Democratic secretary of state on Thursday removed former President Donald Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot under the Constitution’s insurrection clause, becoming the first election official to take action unilaterally as the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to decide whether Trump remains eligible to continue...
