Top Stories category, Page 551
Sidewalk squabble leads homeowner to sue Mt. Lebanon
Michael Alberty says his responsibility ends where the sidewalk begins. Even farther away than that, actually. Alberty is taking Mt. Lebanon to court over who is responsible for clearing, fixing and maintaining the 50 feet of sidewalk on Gilkeson Road in front of his childhood home, which he still owns....
Appellate court says city’s Sports Facility Usage Fee paid by professional athletes is unconstitutional
A state appellate court on Wednesday agreed that the fee levied by the City of Pittsburgh on professional athletes and entertainers performing here is unconstitutional. The Commonwealth Court decision upheld a 2022 opinion by Common Pleas Judge Christine Ward who issued an injunction prohibiting the city from collecting the 3%...
Some Westmoreland power outages could last until Friday as new windstorm approaches
A winter storm that pummeled Western Pennsylvania with high winds and steady rain Tuesday left several flooded roads and more than 9,000 customers without power in Westmoreland County. The number of power outages was down to about 470 by 9 p.m. Wednesday as West Penn Power worked to restore service....
Dozens rally in Downtown Pittsburgh for Gaza ceasefire
Karim Alshurafa lost seven family members in the first week of fighting in Gaza. He lost two more the next week. Then, eight more died the week after that. “The number keeps rising,” the Palestinian-American said Wednesday afternoon at a rally outside the Downtown Pittsburgh offices of Pennsylvania’s two U.S....
Chris Christie will announce at New Hampshire town hall he’s ending presidential bid
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is planning to announce he’s dropping his Republican presidential bid on Wednesday night at his New Hampshire town hall. That’s according to a person with direct knowledge of the former New Jersey governor’s plans who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity...
Change in practice venue chance for Steelers’ Mike Tomlin to get week off on right foot
Mike Tomlin put his Pittsburgh Steelers players on buses and sent them across town to practice Wednesday at Acrisure Stadium. Weather conditions made the grass practice fields at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex unusable, and Tomlin wanted to the players to experience a playing surface similar to what the Buffalo Bills...
The Fresh Market to open at former Whole Foods site in East Liberty
The former Whole Foods building in East Liberty, vacant since 2022, has a new tenant: The Fresh Market. The grocer will open its second Pittsburgh store at the 32,000-square-foot site on Centre Avenue in early 2025, said Herky Pollock, the CBRE executive vice president who helped broker the deal. He...
McCormick, Casey announce big campaign hauls in U.S. Senate race
Rivals in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race raised roughly $10 million combined in the past three months, setting the stage this year for yet another huge influx of cash into a legislative race in the Keystone State. In 2022, the clash for an open Senate seat drew more than $400 million...
Hempfield Area looks to other districts to research security upgrades
Hempfield Area School District’s security committee is still its weighing options to upgrade procedures and equipment. District leaders visited three Pennsylvania schools over the past several weeks to learn what security protocols and equipment work best to keep weapons off campus, interim Superintendent Kimberlie Rieffannacht said at a meeting of...
Greenhouse Co-Op sells plants and cider in Greenfield
Greenfield just got a little greener — The Greenhouse Co-Op has shelves filled with plants and hooks hanging with greenery. It opened at the end of December. “We’ve had an amazing turnout our first two weekends,” said Darien Higgins of the South Side, who co-owns the business with her brother...
Oakmont Bakery serves up Mason Rudolph cupcakes for Steelers playoffs
As soon as the Pittsburgh Steelers secured a playoff spot, Samantha Serrao knew Oakmont Bakery needed a new football-related treat. The Rudolph Cupcake was born — a shoutout to quarterback Mason Rudolph ahead of Sunday’s wild-card game against the Buffalo Bills. “It was kind of like a group effort,” said...
Historic mansion reopens as cafe in Leechburg
A long-shuttered historic mansion in Leechburg has reopened as the 1st Street Cafe. The cafe occupies the space in the building formerly known as the Addison House Restaurant & Lounge. Serving specialty coffees and homemade desserts, the cafe opens at 6 a.m. and is the retirement project of Devra Gromley...
Plum school renovation options could come with tax increase
Plum property owners could be facing another tax increase, this one to pay for school building projects. On Tuesday, financial advisers gave Plum’s school board four options to pay for potential building projects. The options would add anywhere from $117 to $275 to the annual tax bill for residents of...
USDA estimates 21 million kids will get summer food benefits through new program in 2024
Nearly 21 million children in the U.S. and its territories are expected to receive food benefits this summer through a newly permanent federal program, the United States Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. Thirty-five states, all five U.S. territories and four tribes opted into the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, or...
Schenley Park Skating Rink will not open this season
The Schenley Park Skating Rink will not open this season because of delays installing a new chiller system, Pittsburgh officials announced this week. The ice skating rink is expected to reopen for the 2024-25 season. Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works last year began installation work on the vital refrigeration system,...
Morning Roundup: Vehicle crash lands on parked car in North Versailles; downed power lines ignite fire in Greenfield
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Jan. 10: Vehicle crash lands on parked car in North Versailles Two vehicles were significantly damaged early Wednesday morning during a crash in North Versailles. A vehicle crashed and flipped onto a parked car near the 3200 block...
Ecuador’s escalating gang violence is broadcast live to the nation as masked gunmen storm TV studio
GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — It was a day like any other at the TC Television studio in Ecuador, with its mid-afternoon newscast underway, when masked gunmen burst in, unleashing at least 15 minutes of threats and fear — all broadcast live. First, a man with a pistol appeared in the middle...
High winds leave thousands without power in Westmoreland County; more expected in Pittsburgh region
High winds Tuesday afternoon left more than 10,000 FirstEnergy customers without power in Westmoreland County. More high winds can be expected Wednesday in the Pittsburgh area, according to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. Sustained winds of 15 to 25 mph and gusts between 40 and 50 mph are forecast...
Charah files notice to appeal injunction decision regarding boiler house in Springdale
The owner of the former power plant in Springdale has 21 days to show how an Allegheny County court erred in granting a preliminary pause to imploding the boiler house at the site. Allegheny County Judge John T. McVay Jr. ordered Tuesday that Charah Solutions has 21 days to file...
Lawyer buys former Steelers player’s estate where retreat center had been planned
A 133-acre Ligonier Township estate owned by a former Pittsburgh Steelers player who wanted to operate a retreat center for clergy and pastors was sold to a former Pittsburgh attorney who said this week he plans to use it as a personal home. Antonio “Tony” and Amy Dias of Miami...
State Sen. Jim Brewster retiring at end of 2024
A Mon Valley political fixture is stepping down from his state Senate seat, but he insists it won’t lead to a sea change in his district. State Sen. Jim Brewster, D-McKeesport, said Wednesday that he is retiring at the end of this year. He will not seek reelection. Brewster serves...
Pittsburgh Planning Commission OKs 6-story apartment building in Bluff with murals on facade
Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved plans for a new apartment building that will prominently display 10 large panels of artwork on its facade. Pittsburgh-based GSX Ventures intends to construct a six-story, 211-unit apartment building, dubbed Phoenix on Forbes, on a 1.4-acre site in the city’s Bluff neighborhood. The...
Trial begins for New Stanton man charged with bathroom rape at 2020 Halloween party
A Mt. Pleasant woman testified Monday that she intentionally kept quiet during an alleged rape in a bathroom because her daughter was sleeping in the next room. “I just left the bathroom and didn’t call out for help because my daughter was in the next room sleeping,” she said in...
Firefighters called to rescue motorist from Ligonier Township flooding; several roads closed
Flooding and downed utility lines caused the closure of several roads around Westmoreland County from Tuesday to Wednesday as a storm pounded the region with rain and high winds. Firefighters from Ligonier and Waterford were dispatched around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to assist a motorist from a vehicle in a flooded...
Defense Secretary Austin treated for prostate cancer, urinary tract infection, doctors sayVideo
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has prostate cancer, and his recent secretive hospitalization was for surgery and later to treat a urinary tract infection related to that operation, his doctors said Tuesday. The cancer revelation answers the main question about Austin’s hospitalization, which has now lasted eight days. But...
