Top Stories category, Page 560
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...
Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente Bridge to reopen on New Year’s Eve
Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente Bridge is scheduled to reopen Sunday night after being closed for nearly two years, and the reopening marks the completion of a larger, $85.6 million project to revamp the city’s three landmark Sister Bridges. The Clemente Bridge, which connects Downtown and the North Shore, closed to traffic...
Nikki Haley doesn’t mention slavery when asked what caused the Civil War. She later walks that backVideo
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was asked at a New Hampshire town hall about the reason for the Civil War, and she didn’t mention slavery in her response. She walked back her comments hours later. Asked Wednesday night during a town hall in Berlin what she believed...
Allegheny County looks to expand low-income transit program
Low-income transit riders could see permanent relief in fares in Allegheny County as local officials look to expand a successful pilot program. Allegheny County Rich Fitzgerald announced last week that the county has reached an agreement with Pittsburgh Regional Transit to fund a program that provides discounted transit fares to...
Greensburg Salem teacher, aide charged in assaults of 3 Nicely Elementary students
A Greensburg Salem School District elementary teacher and her aide are accused of mistreating special needs students on multiple occasions by spraying lemon juice and a soap into the mouth of one child and restraining that child and two others with soundproofing mats, police said. Brooke A. Stanko, 34, of...
Contractor accused of ripping off Lower Burrell family awaits trial
A home improvement contractor who is awaiting trial in Allegheny County for allegedly taking money up front for work that wasn’t done has been accused of doing the same thing to a family in Lower Burrell. Jason Raymond Mager, 47, of the 400 block of Ridge Avenue in Springdale was...
Texas has arrested thousands on trespassing charges at the border. Illegal crossings are still high
EAGLE PASS, Texas — Before settling in New York City like thousands of other migrants this year, Abdoul, a 32-year-old from West Africa, took an unexpected detour: Weeks in a remote Texas jail on local trespassing charges after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. “I spent a lot of hours without sleeping,...
Morning Roundup: Rivers Casino manager accused of stealing $20K; 58 animals seized from Butler home
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Dec. 28: Rivers Casino theft arrest State police said they made an arrest in a $20,000 theft from Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino on Dec. 4. Police said the casino’s security director reported the crime on Dec. 23. After reviewing...
After 60 years, Ligonier barbers hang up their clippers
When cousins Ken Knupp and Walt Boyd closed the doors of their Ligonier Borough barbershop Wednesday, one thing was clear — they will miss their customers the most. After working as barbers for more than 60 years, the two decided to retire together from their longtime practice at Knupp’s Barbershop....
Westmoreland DA wants to review police video before it’s released to public
Four months after police released body camera video showing an officer shooting a Ligonier Township man, the Westmoreland District Attorney’s Office is asking local police departments to have prosecutors review similar footage before it is released publicly. The request hasn’t been opposed by police, but legal, law enforcement and open...
