Top Stories category, Page 564
Victims of murder-suicide in Green Tree identified
The victims of Friday’s murder-suicide in Green Tree have been identified by the Allegheny County Medical Examiners Office. They are Kevin Benjamin Smith, 38, and Kristen B. Smith Jr., 40. Police are investigating the incident during which which one of the men fatally shot his relative and then took his...
Bell Acres businessman convicted of $15 million fraud asks for reduction of his 1-year prison term
The Bell Acres man convicted in the largest tax fraud ever in Western Pennsylvania is asking a federal judge to reduce his sentence. Joseph Nocito, 81, was ordered to serve one year and one day in federal prison. Following his sentencing in September, he was allowed to remain free on...
Penn State names chancellor for its Greater Allegheny campus
A chemist who has focused on endeavors such as student success and improved health care access in McKeesport has been chosen as Penn State Greater Allegheny’s new chancellor, the university announced Thursday. Along with her other qualifications, Megan Nagel already has been doing the job in an interim capacity since...
Biden believes U.S. Steel sale to Nippon Steel warrants ‘serious scrutiny,’ White House says
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden believes “serious scrutiny” is warranted for the planned acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel, the White House said Thursday after days of silence on a transaction that has drawn alarm from the steelworkers union. Lael Brainard, the director of the National Economic Council,...
Teen who fled Westmoreland juvenile shelter faces new charges
The teenager charged with second-degree murder in connection with a shooting last year in New Kensington is facing additional criminal offenses related to an attack against a shelter worker and his disappearance from an unsecured facility this month. Assistant District Attorney Jackie Knupp said Thursday those new charges warrant the...
New Pa. poll shows would-be presidential race between Biden, Trump a statistical dead heat
A new poll of Pennsylvania voters shows that a would-be presidential race between Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump is a statistical dead heat. Muhlenberg College in Allentown released a statewide poll this week that showed 42% of Pennsylvania voters say they prefer Biden in 2024, compared to 41%...
Administrative election errors rise as Pa. counties struggle to keep voting officials
This article is made possible through Spotlight PA’s collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. In mid-October, Greene County, in southwest Pennsylvania, notified voters that some mail ballots for the November election listed two races for magisterial district judges, though voters were only supposed...
Shooting death of well-known Lower Burrell pub owner shocks residents
The death of well-known restaurant and bar owner David “Mogie” Magill left residents in Lower Burrell and beyond reeling. Magill, owner of Magill’s Grill and Mogie’s Irish Pub, was gunned down about 9 a.m. Thursday as he arrived at his business. “We’re all devastated, shocked, saddened and heartbroken,” said Wendy...
Federal prosecutors get 6th extension for possible indictment of former Greensburg police chief
A sixth extension to file a potential indictment has been granted by a federal judge in the case against Shawn Denning, the former Greensburg police chief. Prosecutors said in a court filing that they continue to have discussions with Denning’s attorney in seeking an additional 60 days, pushing the deadline...
Glassport man dies at Allegheny County Jail
A 41-year-old man died at Allegheny County Jail on Thursday morning, three days after he was arrested on a bench warrant. Jail officials did not name the man, but defense attorney Casey White confirmed that his client, Richard Sciubba II, of Glassport, died at the jail Thursday morning. He had...
Rudy Giuliani files for bankruptcy days after being ordered to pay $148 million in defamation case
NEW YORK — Rudy Giuliani has filed for bankruptcy, days after being ordered to pay $148 million in a defamation lawsuit brought by two former election workers in Georgia who said his targeting of them led to death threats that made them fear for their lives. In his filing Thursday,...
Westmoreland commissioners blame past fiscal neglect in approving 32.5% tax hike
A 32.5% property tax increase approved Thursday by Westmoreland County commissioners was necessary, they said, to balance the county’s 2024 budget while allowing the county to preserve some fiscal reserves. Commissioners cited spiraling costs to pay off existing debt, increases in the cost of health benefits for employees and added...
A lone gunman opens fire in a Prague university, killing 14 people and injuring 25
PRAGUE — A lone gunman opened fire Thursday in a university building in downtown Prague, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 20 in the Czech Republic’s worst mass shooting, police and the city’s rescue service said. The bloodshed took place in the philosophy department building of Charles...
Pennsylvania Turnpike preps for 5.2M holiday drivers, up from 2022
Regional highway travel during the extended holiday week is expected to see an uptick of about 2% compared to the same time the previous year, while air travel should see a slightly higher gain. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is preparing for the increase in holiday travel on the state toll...
‘I shot him’: Police say gunman confessed to killing popular Mogie’s Irish Pub owner in Lower Burrell
Nathan Salem waited in his truck for Mogie’s Irish Pub owner David “Mogie” Magill to get to work Thursday morning, then shot him to death and drove to Lower Burrell City Hall and confessed to the killing, police say. “I shot him,” police quoted Salem as saying when he arrived...
Heinz Ketchup bottle from Acrisure Stadium finds new home at History CenterVideo
The second of two Heinz ketchup bottles removed from Acrisure Stadium last July can now be found at the Senator John Heinz History Center in the Strip District. The 35-foot ketchup bottle stopped traffic on Thursday morning. As it came down the southwest corner at 12th and Smallman Streets, trailing...
Son of Greensburg-area dentist who murdered wife on safari breaks silence in ‘GMA’ interview
A battle continues in Colorado federal court over the estate of a woman murdered in 2016 on African safari by her husband, a former Greensburg-area dentist. Julian and AnaBianca Rudolph — the children of 57-year-old Bianca — are seeking their inheritance, claiming they are lawfully entitled to life insurance proceeds...
Morning Roundup: Fire damages Monroeville home; Code Orange alert issued in Mon Valley
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Dec. 21: Fire damages home in Monroeville A fire severely damaged a home in Monroeville on Wednesday evening. The fire started at a home in the 700 block of Green Garden Drive around 5:30 p.m., according to TribLive...
Saxonburg borough secretary accused of shooting dog, tossing it in dumpster
Saxonburg’s borough secretary has been charged with fatally shooting his neighbor’s dog in Buffalo Township and tossing the dead animal’s carcass into a dumpster outside the municipal building where he works. Steven Thomas May, 43, of the 200 block of Goldscheitter Road was charged Wednesday with a felony count of...
‘Together now’: New Kensington couple, both on life support, die on same day
The family of Gerald and Nancy Stadterman takes comfort in believing the New Kensington husband and wife are together again. In a tragic turn of events, both died on the same day last week after being removed from life support at separate hospitals. Gerald Robert Stadterman and Nancy Jean Stadterman,...
Man killed in Derry Township crash
A man was killed Wednesday afternoon in a one-vehicle crash in Derry Township, the Westmoreland County coroner said. Derek W. Skillings, 40, of the township, died of blunt force injuries when his southbound Dodge Caliber hit a tree after leaving the right side of Pandora Road at 2:20 p.m., Coroner...
Christmas is in jeopardy for some New Englanders after storms and flooding knocked out power
PORTLAND, Maine — Megan Michaud and her family of five lost power for three days after a powerful storm throttled her home state of Maine, and a new challenge is creeping up on her: It’s almost time for Christmas. “This morning, my second grader told me, ‘It’s five days until...
Western Pa. faithful react to Pope’s same-sex couples edict — could bring ‘new era of openness’
For Donna Fischer, Pope Francis’ statement permitting priests to bless same-sex couples is a step in the right direction for the LGBTQ community. The Vatican released a document Monday elaborating on a letter Francis wrote to two cardinals that was published in October. The document affirms that priests can bless...
Unity man in cryptocurrency theft to lose house, begin 3-year prison sentence in January
A Unity man who is to start serving a three-year prison sentence Jan. 2 after pleading guilty to being part of a California cryptocurrency theft ring, may need a new home when he gets out of jail. The federal government intends to sell the house he purchased for $942,500 in...
Loyalhanna house gutted by fire, family left homeless right before Christmas
A Loyalhanna family of four was left homeless Wednesday afternoon by a fire that caused extensive damage to their two-story house, a fire official said. No one was injured in the accidental fire that appeared to start in the living room of the two-story Stewart Avenue home, Saltsburg Assistant Fire...
