Top Stories category, Page 604
Lawsuit: Washington County DA, judge conspired against man for invoking 5th Amendment
A Donora man who claims he was jailed for five days for invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination is suing Washington County’s district attorney and president judge. Elijah White, 24, filed the federal lawsuit on Tuesday including claims for false imprisonment, false arrest, malicious prosecution, due process violations, conspiracy,...
Pittsburgh adds grace period to controversial purple curb parking program
Pittsburgh’s controversial smart loading zone program is set to be revamped after some local residents and business owners expressed confusion and frustration over the new initiative. The smart loading zones, marked with purple-painted curbs and matching signs, were meant to make it easier for delivery drivers to get in and...
Lawsuit alleges wrongful arrest by Pittsburgh police following incident at Brookline bar
A family is suing the city of Pittsburgh and several police officers, claiming they were wrongfully arrested two years ago following an altercation at a Brookline bar. Matthew Hindman, Angie Hindman and their daughter Brianna Holland filed the lawsuit in federal court on Monday alleging claims for malicious prosecution, due...
Man accused of planting hidden camera, filming 12-year-old girl
A Moon resident is headed to court on charges that he planted a hidden camera on a toilet to film a 12-year-old girl showering, and also possessed pornographic images of other children. Justin James Stokes, 34, waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday morning and is set to be arraigned in Common...
Recycling pumpkins is good for wildlife, environment
The carved and uncarved pumpkins that will be in businesses and homes over Halloween can be put to good use once trick-or-treat is over. Just like glass, plastic, tin, aluminum, paper and cardboard, the old pumpkins can be recycled and put to good use for the environment, the state Department...
Progressive Sara Innamorato and centrist Joe Rockey square off to become next Allegheny County executive
Allegheny County will see a new top elected official for the first time in 12 years, as a progressive candidate faces a Republican campaigning on centrist views who hopes moderate Democrats will cross party lines at the polls next week. County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, a Democrat, is leaving office after...
Charges filed against Pa. trooper accused of domestic violence in Derry Township are subject of probe
State police are reviewing why a domestic violence allegation against a state trooper based in Greensburg initially resulted in a summary harassment charge. The harassment citation was not the charge recommended by the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office based on its review of the case which was investigated by state...
Morning Roundup: Police say Homestead school teacher assaulted; arrests made for Anderson Bridge graffiti
Here are some of the latest news items of note on Tuesday, Oct. 31: Man charged with assaulting Homestead elementary teacher A man is facing multiple charges after police said a teacher was assaulted outside a Homestead elementary school. Court paperwork said the assault happened shortly after 3:20 p.m. Monday...
Cold, snowy Halloween in store for Western Pa.
A cold and snowy Halloween is in store for the Pittsburgh area, according to the National Weather Service. “In terms of accumulations, we’re really not expecting much,” said meteorologist Tim Cermak with the National Weather Service office in Moon. “We’re expecting about an inch, possibly as high as an inch-and-a-half...
Charges dismissed against man accused of stealing Steelers QB Kenny Pickett’s SUV
Charges were dismissed Monday against a Murrysville man who had been accused by police of taking Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett’s SUV from a car dealership in Monroeville. Court records show charges were dismissed by District Judge Jeffrey L. Herbst. Christopher Carter, 60, who had been scheduled for a preliminary...
3 New Kensington brothers among 10 to be honored for 50 years of volunteer firefighting service
The Davis boys looked up to Tippy. Growing up in New Kensington’s Parnassus neighborhood in the 1960s, elder brother Larry, twins John and Perry, and Bruce, the youngest of the four, would see their neighbor and volunteer firefighter H.C. “Tippy” Robertson run out of his house when the fire whistle...
Coraopolis man dead after crash in Avalon
A Coraopolis man died and three other people were injured after a vehicle crash Monday evening on Ohio River Boulevard at Cleveland Street in Avalon, according to police and the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. Hayden Ryan, 18, who was alone in his vehicle traveling southbound, hit another vehicle traveling northbound...
Advocacy groups accuse DA’s office of not properly charging sexual assault cases
Nine advocacy groups have concerns that the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office is failing to prosecute sexual assault crimes in cases where the alleged assailant and victim had a previous relationship. The groups, which include Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, the Women’s Law Project and the Greater Pittsburgh Women’s Center &...
On track: U.S. Steel converts 2 diesel locomotives to battery power
Within U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works, diesel-powered locomotives chug along the plant’s rail lines, hauling tons of steel, coke, scrap metals and iron ore for steel production. Now, those engines will be a little cleaner. U.S. Steel converted two of its diesel switcher locomotives at the Mon Valley Works’ Edgar...
Westmoreland commissioners say no rush to hire new jail warden
Leaders say morale has improved at the Westmoreland County Prison in Hempfield in the weeks since Warden Bryan Kline resigned, and the county hasn’t set a timetable to find a permanent replacement. The jail’s deputy warden for security, Steve Pelesky, is the interim warden. “He’s done a good job in...
Point Park University wants to increase enrollment by 30%, house older adults
Point Park University wants to attract artists, single parents and retirees to live on its campus as part of an effort to reinvigorate Downtown Pittsburgh and add 30% to the school’s enrollment by decade’s end. On Monday, leaders of the Downtown university with 3,300 students unveiled a strategic plan outlining...
Police say man escaped serious injury after car went off road, down hillside in Plum
The driver of a vehicle escaped serious injury Monday after he went off the road and down a hillside along Coxcomb Hill Road in Plum. The crash near the intersection of Kerr Road was reported around noon, according to Plum police Detective Joe Little. Initial reports from emergency dispatchers said...
The art of the haunt: a behind-the-scenes look at local spooky attractions
Shortly before the ScareHouse at Pittsburgh Mills Mall in Frazer opens, the staff makes final preparations. Much like the backstage of a Broadway show, the cast and crew hurry to make last minute repairs or add the final touches to their costumes. Each Halloween season, thrill-seekers of all ages willingly...
Mark Madden: In a QB-driven league, Kenny Pickett isn’t getting it done for Steelers
Rookie quarterback Will Levis made his NFL debut for Tennessee on Sunday. Levis did extremely well: He completed 19 of 29 passes for 238 yards, four touchdowns and a passer rating of 130.5. The Titans beat Atlanta, 28-23. That’s of interest for two reasons. • The Titans and Levis visit...
Pittsburgh zoning board rejects variance for Irish Centre development
A controversial housing development near Pittsburgh’s Frick Park faced a massive setback with a zoning decision that would likely end the possibility of a large multi-family complex at the edge of Squirrel Hill. The Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustments on Monday denied a variance request sought by Toronto-based Craft General,...
‘Disorderly’ Georgia man hits fans with towel, kicked out of Steelers game, police say
An Atlanta-area football fan who trekked to Acrisure Stadium over the weekend to catch Sunday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Jacksonville Jaguars also got a trip to a Downtown Pittsburgh jail. Richard Bryant, 33, of Fairburn, Ga., a suburb 20 miles southwest of Atlanta, remained in Allegheny County...
Fish reefs to be built on Monongahela River
Work is scheduled to start Monday on a project to build stone fish reefs along the Monongahela River near Elizabeth, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This is the first of five segments of a $2.4 million contract that will install fish reefs at various sites along on...
Man sentenced to jail in Lake Erie fishing tournament scandal facing new charges
HERMITAGE, Pa. — One of two men who admitted stuffing fish with lead weights and fish fillets last year in an attempt to win thousands of dollars in a walleye fishing tournament on Lake Erie in Ohio is facing new charges in Pennsylvania. Chase Cominsky, 36, of Hermitage was charged...
IUP set to open $90 million classroom hall
Hannah Borys and her classmates may feel like time travelers once their Indiana University of Pennsylvania science classes move from a dated 1960s hall into a gleaming venue designed to promote collaboration across disciplines. The $90 million John J. and Char Kopchick Hall at IUP is set to open in...
Steelers vs. Jaguars: What they’re saying in Jacksonville after their win
The Jacksonville Jaguars defense got an A for its performance Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers from Florida Times-Union’s sports columnist Gene Frenette. It’s no surprise after the Steelers offense didn’t get its initial first down until well into the second quarter of Sunday’s rain-soaked game at Acrisure Stadium. And the...
