Top Stories category, Page 561
U.S. postal inspectors: Don’t fall for counterfeit stampsVideo
While mailing holiday cards and presents to loved ones, there’s a distinct possibility that you were frantically looking for more stamps at some point last week. In fact, you may have been tempted to buy them in bulk, at a discounted rate, through any number of websites or email links....
Covid, flu, RSV on the rise amid holiday gatherings
Covid-19 struck Beth Green just in time for Christmas, upending her annual holiday gatherings. She planned on hosting her extended family at her Derry Township home on Dec. 23. She was especially excited because it’s difficult to get two of her adult sons together with their hectic schedules. Green, an...
Trump ballot ban appealed to U.S. Supreme Court by Colorado Republican Party
DENVER — The Colorado Republican Party on Wednesday appealed the state’s supreme court decision that found former President Donald Trump is ineligible for the presidency, the potential first step to a showdown at the nation’s highest court over the meaning of a 155-year-old constitutional provision that bans from office those...
2 robots patrol Denver parking garages, curbing thefts, vandalism
LoDoMus Prime and his sidekick, Dave, roam two downtown Denver parking garages every day, watching people park their cars and rush off to appointments in nearby office buildings. If a person lingers too long, LoDoMus Prime or Dave will start a countdown: “Five, four, three, two, one.” Then the robots...
‘Life is not promised’: Family and friends mourn loss of Richland teen in car crash
In June, Ellie Tourney had to bury her husband. Now, she has to bury her son. “We were proven twice that life is not promised. We’ve learned that twice in seven months,” Tourney said Wednesday. “If God wants you, he’s going to wrap you in his arms. It’s hard to...
Automatic pay raises boost Pa. lawmakers’ base salary to over $106K
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers’ base salary recently rose to more than $106,000, prompting a fresh round of criticism about the annual automatic pay bump. Here’s...
Western Pa. welcomed new restaurants in 2023, said goodbye to some old favorites
Pittsburgh was once hailed nationally as a foodie destination because of its booming culinary scene. Whether that’s still the case could be up for debate. But there certainly wasn’t a dearth of news on the restaurant front this year. Here were the comings and goings of 2023. Yes, we’re open...
Monongahela River fishermen find car stolen 15 years ago
Two men fishing in the Monongahela River on Sunday found a car that had been reported stolen 15 years ago. The men were fishing near the Point Marion boat launch in Fayette County when they noticed the outline of a vehicle on their fish finder, state police said. On Tuesday,...
Argument over Christmas gifts turns deadly as 14-year-old kills his older sister, Florida deputies sayVideo
LARGO, Fla. — A Florida woman holding her 11-month-old son in a baby carrier was fatally shot by her 14-year-old brother while trying to defuse an argument over Christmas gifts he was having with a 15-year-old brother who also was armed, authorities said. The 15-year-old brother then shot his 14-year-old...
Michigan Supreme Court will keep Trump on 2024 ballot
LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s Supreme Court is keeping former President Donald Trump on the state’s primary election ballot. The court said Wednesday it will not hear an appeal of a lower court’s ruling from groups seeking to keep Trump from appearing on the ballot. The state’s high court said in...
Poll: Americans sour on the primary election process and major political parties
WASHINGTON — With the GOP primary process just about to start, many Republicans aren’t certain that votes will be counted correctly in their presidential primary contest, amid widespread pessimism about the future of both the Democratic and Republican parties, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for...
Pa. dog license fee hike takes a nip out of owners’ wallets to pay for more wardens
The new year could bring the return of more frequent canvassing of neighborhoods by state dog wardens, checking to make sure dogs have current licenses and rabies vaccinations. That is only one change the new year will usher in as an updated dog law, intended to keep pets and the...
Morning Roundup: Suspect shot by police in Washington County; car rescue in Unity
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Dec. 27: Suspect shot by police in Washington County A suspect was shot by a police officer early Saturday in Monongahela, Washington County. State police said Jonathan Toth, 49, of Jefferson Hills, made threats at the Main Street...
After recalls and infections, experts say safer eyedrops will require new FDA powers
WASHINGTON — When you buy eyedrops at a U.S. store, you might assume you’re getting a product made in a clean, well-maintained factory that’s passed muster with health regulators. But repeated recalls involving over-the-counter drops are drawing new attention to just how little U.S. officials know about the conditions at...
Inside the Pa. court case pitting a genealogist against Ancestry.com
This story first appeared in The Investigator, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring the best investigative and accountability journalism from across Pennsylvania. Sign up for free here. What began in 2022 as a one-paragraph public records request has morphed into a full-blown court fight over who owns digital copies...
Police investigating incidents involving Colorado justices after Trump removed from state’s ballot
DENVER — Police said Tuesday they are investigating incidents directed at Colorado Supreme Court justices and providing extra patrols around their homes in Denver following the court’s decision to remove former President Donald Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot. The Denver Police Department declined in an email to provide...
Celebration of life set for David ‘Mogie’ Magill at VFW Post 92 in Lower Burrell
David “Mogie” Magill went out of his way to help other people, said his son, Patrick Magill. “My dad tried to help everybody he possibly could. He loved the community and the business in the way he loved us,” said Magill, 29, of Las Vegas. Now, the community will have...
Ice storms, blizzards pummel central U.S. on the day after ChristmasVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — From an ice storm in North Dakota that sealed windows shut to blizzard conditions in Colorado causing hundreds of airport delays and cancellations, a winter storm pummeled much of the central United States on Tuesday, the day after Christmas. “The heavy snow conditions in the Plains should be...
2nd teen identified in fatal McCandless crash
A second teenager killed after a speeding car with six passengers crashed in McCandless early Saturday was identified Tuesday afternoon. Jonathan Tourney, 14, of Gibsonia, died after being flown to an area hospital at 4:32 a.m. Saturday, just an hour after the crash occurred at the intersection of Babcock Boulevard...
Winning out provides clearest, but not only, path for Steelers to reach the AFC playoffs
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ game Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks isn’t a must-win situation in terms of their playoff chances. A win, however, certainly would help their cause. According to the New York Times’ playoff simulator, the Steelers’ chances of making the postseason increase from 13% to 26% with a victory...
Pennsylvanians ‘should brace for a costly winter,’ warns report
While winter forecasts predict mild weather mixed in with snow, cold temperatures at night will prompt many a household to turn up their thermostats. While how much one pays for heat depends on the type of energy one uses, a recent report has found how Pennsylvania is among the states...
McMurray man caught with gun at Pittsburgh airport
A Washington County man’s loaded handgun was confiscated on Christmas Day by Transportation Security Administration officers at Pittsburgh International Airport, authorities said. The McMurray resident, whose name was not released, attempted to bring the .380-caliber handgun with his carry-on items through TSA security at the Findlay airport, TSA spokeswoman Lisa...
Police say Pittsburgh man stabbed girlfriend 5 times after argument
Allegheny County Police said a Pittsburgh man who stabbed his girlfriend at least five times following an argument in Carnegie late Friday night was taken into custody Tuesday morning. Joshua Michael Meyer, 41, of Pittsburgh’s Elliott neighborhood went to his partner’s Carnegie residence and got into a verbal argument with...
Biden orders strikes on an Iranian-aligned group after 3 U.S. troops injured in drone attack in Iraq
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden ordered the U.S. military to carry out retaliatory airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia groups after three U.S. service members were injured in a drone attack in northern Iraq. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said one of the U.S. troops suffered critical injuries in the attack...
Man found dead in Clairton
A man was found dead early Tuesday morning in Clairton. Allegheny County 911 reports at about 2:15 a.m. they were notified of a deceased man in the intersection of Wylie Avenue and Reed Street. The Allegheny County medical examiner’s office identified him as Ryan Main, 23, of Clairton. On the...
