Top Stories category, Page 597
Eras Tour on the big screen: Pittsburgh theaters prep for Taylor Swift takeover
The Taylor Swift takeover is far from done — the pop superstar is taking her reputation to the big screen, and Swifties are descending on local theaters. “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is a film that captures the Pennsylvania native, now a global phenomenon, traveling and performing during the U.S....
Fetterman takes swipes at lawmakers, talks hoodies and health scare in ‘Late Show’ appearance
Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. John Fetterman took some swipes at his colleagues in Washington, D.C., during a Wednesday appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” The interview included discussions about his health issues and the challenges facing the United States. Oh, and confirmation that he’s “a Sheetz guy.” Wearing his...
Murrysville looks to balance growth, rural character that attracts new residents
Murrysville officials are casting an eye toward the municipality’s long-term growth as they begin working with a consultant who will help them take a deep dive into their zoning laws. That’s great news to Councilwoman Jamie Lee Korns, who has been advocating a long look at Murrysville’s zoning ordinances for...
Morning Roundup: Police investigate sexual assault of elderly Homewood woman
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Oct. 12: Police say elderly Homewood woman was sexually assaulted Pittsburgh police are investigating a sexual assault of a Homewood woman in her 80s. She was reportedly assaulted early Saturday morning at a home on the 500 block...
$1.73 billion Powerball jackpot goes to lucky lottery player in California
ST. LOUIS — A player in California won a $1.73 billion Powerball jackpot Wednesday night, ending a long stretch without a winner of the top prize. The winning numbers were: 22, 24, 40, 52, 64 and the Powerball 10. Before someone won the giant prize, there had been 35 consecutive...
Police: Joke backfires and leads to O’Hara child luring investigation
Two juveniles who thought they were “joking around” by offering candy on Oct. 11 to children in O’Hara Township’s Crofton housing plan ended up spurring a child luring investigation by O’Hara police. After extensive interviews with the two juveniles, police announced on Oct. 12, they determined there was no intent...
Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is coming — but it won’t be as big as this year’s
WASHINGTON — Looking ahead to retirement next spring, Karla Abbott finds comfort in the cost-of-living increase that millions of Social Security recipients get each year. But with consumer prices easing, the new boost will be far lower than this year’s 8.7% Analysts estimate the adjustment for 2024 will be around...
Westmoreland, Allegheny emergency units practice hazard response with Norfolk Southern’s ‘safety train’
More than 100 Westmoreland and Allegheny County first responders spread across the Norfolk Southern train yard in North Versailles for a safety training Wednesday night. Members of the counties’ emergency response and hazmat units, wearing neon vests and jackets, surrounded Norfolk Southern’s “safety train,” a nine-part train used to simulate...
Late schoolteacher with affinity for W&J College gives record $50 million gift
Anica Donnan Rawnsley taught school as a young adult, and while she never attended Washington & Jefferson College, she developed an affinity for the place early on through family members who enrolled there and graduated. Now, months after her passing, she has made gift of approximately $50 million to W&J...
11-year-old student accused in shooting threat at Wendover Middle School
An 11-year-old Wendover Middle School student is accused of posting threats on social media to bring in a bomb and “shoot up” the Hempfield Area school Wednesday, state police said. The boy, who was not identified, is accused of making terroristic threats. Police say he texted fellow students on the...
North Huntingdon man among a dwindling number of World War II vets
Robert “Bob” Zaval of North Huntingdon, saw the horrors of war as an Army tank commander fighting in Europe during World War II. “Boy, it was tough. Your biggest thing was to stay alive,” said Zaval, who recently reflected on his long life before marking his 102nd birthday on Tuesday....
PNC moves forward with layoffs and other expense reductions
As PNC Financial Services moves forward with layoffs throughout the financial firm, the company is eying more reductions in costs. On Tuesday, PNC said it would cut an undisclosed number of workers. In a statement, the Downtown Pittsburgh banking firm said it is reviewing its organizational structure, which “includes a...
Swissvale therapist accused of having sexual relationship with teen ordered to stand trial
A Pittsburgh-area therapist was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on charges accusing her of having a yearslong sexual relationship with a boy starting when he was 14, but three of the most serious charges against her were thrown out. Rachel Witkowski, 42, of Swissvale, waived her preliminary hearing Wednesday in...
Court must decide if Schenley Park Columbus statue stays or goes
For the Italian Sons and Daughters of America, their fight over the removal of the Columbus statue from Schenley Park is about process as much as it is about preserving heritage. “The mayor can’t wake up one morning and decide he’s king, he’s a tyrant and he can do whatever...
Pa. court weighs constitutionality of Pittsburgh tax on pro athletes, entertainers
An appellate court sitting in Pittsburgh heard oral arguments Wednesday in a case over a 3% city tax imposed on professional athletes and entertainers performing at publicly funded facilities. The seven-judge panel of Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court must decide whether the city’s Sports Facility Usage Fee is constitutional. A decision is...
Forget Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, here’s Pittsburgh’s athlete/celebrity romance history
The sports and celebrity headlines have been filled with the news of a budding romance between pop superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. But Pittsburgh is no stranger when it comes to its athletes romancing celebrities. One Steelers player married an Olympic figure skater, while...
Pittsburgh man pleads guilty to killing Oliver Citywide student
A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty Wednesday to third-degree murder in connection with last year’s fatal shooting of an Oliver Citywide Academy student at the North Side school. Eugene Watson, 19, of Crafton Heights, also pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit third-degree murder and two firearms charges. Watson, 17 at...
Multiple shooters suspected in Indiana County mass shooting that killed 1, injured 8, police say
State police believe a shooting that killed one person and injured eight others stemmed from a confrontation during a private party at the Chevy Chase Community Center in Indiana County. Trooper Cliff Greenfield said several individuals were involved in that confrontation just after midnight Sunday morning when gunfire broke out....
Record 36th gun found at Pittsburgh airport checkpoint; Uniontown man arrested
Allegheny County Police arrested a Uniontown man after he was stopped Tuesday with an illegal gun at the main security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport. It was the 36th gun seized this year at the airport and breaks the annual record for the number of guns found in carry-on bags,...
Westmoreland inmate accused of attacking guards during prison cell search
A Unity man is accused by police of attacking guards at the Westmoreland County Prison during a search of his cell for communication with a nurse at the Hempfield facility. Jerome W. Thornton, 33, was awaiting arraignment on charges of aggravated assault, aggravated harassment by prisoner and simple assault. Westmoreland...
As strikes devastate Gaza, Israel forms unity government to oversee war sparked by Hamas attackVideo
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined with a top political rival Wednesday to create a wartime Cabinet to oversee the fight to avenge the gruesome weekend attack by Hamas militants. In the sealed-off Gaza Strip, Palestinian suffering mounted as Israeli bombardment demolished neighborhoods and the only power plant...
Morning roundup: Gov. Shapiro orders flags at half-staff; 2 arrested at Downtown Pittsburgh bus station
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Oct. 11: Flags ordered to fly at half-staff for Israeli victims Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday issued an order that the U.S. and Pennsylvania flags on all public buildings and grounds be flown at half-staff this week in...
Environmental groups claim victory in EPA ruling on U.S. Steel plant in Clairton
Government regulators sided with environmental advocates, in part, when they ruled recently that a U.S. Steel plant in the Mon Valley might be violating clean-air laws under a current permit that restricts its emissions. The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) delivered a split decision last month over petitions by four...
Westmoreland County to distribute opioid settlement funds
Westmoreland County Commissioners are expected to award grants to three municipalities this week with money from the national opioid abuse settlements. North Huntingdon is slated to receive nearly $105,000, while Rostraver and Lower Burrell each will receive $62,832 to operate drug prevention and education programs through municipal police departments. The...
Westmoreland 250: 10 things to see in the Mt. Pleasant area
(Editor’s note: To mark Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday this year, we’ve come up with a list of 250 things — 10 things in 25 communities — that we consider to be important to the makeup of our area. This series will appear each week through December. If you have a...
