Top Stories category, Page 612
St. Ladislaus in Natrona gives people chance to claim keepsakes, say goodbye
Rachel Brown doesn’t have the energy for social media. But the Natrona resident has a keen eye for what might go viral. Her interest in the architectural salvage of St. Ladislaus Church, shuttered in 2022, has drawn people from across the country to Spruce Street to rescue items before the...
Turnover has plagued local election offices since 2020. Luzerne County is trying to recover.
WILKES-BARRE — The polls had just opened for last year’s midterms in Pennsylvania when the phones began ringing at the election office in Luzerne County. Polling places were running low on paper to print ballots. Volunteers were frustrated, and voters were worried they might not be able to vote. Emily...
Feats of Strength/Airing of Grievances: Diontae Johnson’s return, T.J. Watt’s splash key Steelers’ 2nd-half surge in L.A.
As we pointed out here at “Breakfast With Benz” coming out of the bye, this is the time of year when the Steelers tend to turn up their momentum. Even during this stretch of six years without a playoff victory, since 2017 the franchise is 31-10-1 between Week 5 and...
‘We’re all coming together’: Plum teachers revive festival to support Rustic Ridge families
After stopping by the airbrush booth and trying their hand at carnival games, it was time for the Betancourt family and their friends to swing by the food trucks. The group had donned their Halloween costumes to attend the Festival of Honor Sunday at Plum Senior High School. The event...
Steelers rally in 2nd half, inch past Rams to keep pace in AFC North
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Off to another customary slow start, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense extended its slumber through three quarters Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium. That’s when the wake-up alarm finally went off against the Los Angeles Rams. Just in time, as it turned out. The Steelers dominated the Rams in...
New Kensington house fire victim identified
A man who died after he was trapped in a New Kensington house fire on Saturday has been identified. Scott Fularz, 45, was the homeowner at 723 Kennedy Ave. The fire was reported about 11:45 a.m. Saturday. Fularz and a 4-year-old child were inside. Police officers were able to find...
These 9 Republicans are competing to be next House speakerVideo
Nine Republicans — from the party’s No. 3 leader to an up-and-coming conservative in his second term — are seeking to become the next House speaker, Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., announced shortly after a noon deadline to get in the race passed Sunday. The exact timing of a...
Rollout of Pittsburgh’s plastic bag ban leaves some customers, businesses confused
Pittsburgh officials say they are working to address areas of confusion as the city’s plastic bag ban takes effect. The ban, meant to reduce litter and waste, went into effect earlier this month. It prohibits most single-use plastic bags, but allows exceptions for unpackaged prepared foods, produce bags, meat packaging,...
Israel strikes Gaza, Syria and West Bank as war against Hamas threatens to ignite other fronts
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli warplanes struck targets across Gaza, two airports in Syria and a mosque in the occupied West Bank allegedly used by militants, as the 2-week-old war with Hamas threatened to spiral Sunday into a broader conflict. Israel has traded fire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group since...
Upper Burrell supervisors to consider township’s 5th well pad proposal
Upper Burrell residents can weigh in on the township’s fifth proposed well pad next month. A public hearing for the Artemis well pad, which would be at 931 Merwin Road, will follow the Nov. 1 supervisors meeting, said supervisors Chairman Ross Walker. Olympus Energy of Cecil Township is seeking approval...
Bus driver shortage leaves schools, public transit agencies scrambling
A shortage of drivers is pinching school bus companies and public transit agencies that are left scrambling to transport students and workers, fill vacancies and keep their current stable of employees from burning out. “It’s just hard to get drivers. We just can’t figure it out,” said James Varner, manager...
Pedestrian bridge in Springfield Township is a step to closing gaps on Indian Creek Valley Trail
Terry and Joe Wentz are looking forward to the day when they can hit the trail with their bikes and travel all the way from the vicinity of Mill Run Reservoir in Fayette County northeast to Jones Mills in Westmoreland County. The Wentzes and others who use the Indian Creek...
Rebuilding Tree of Life synagogue 5 years after attack
A path of light. For five years, they waded through tides of healing and commemoration. A monthslong trial that was punctuated with a death sentence and reopened old wounds. Hundreds of Shabbat services led in borrowed homes. After it all, a path of light — a key feature of the...
Mistakes cost Pitt in heartbreaking loss to Wake Forest
Pat Narduzzi said there were tears in his locker room after what he called “as hard a loss as I’ve been a part of, maybe ever.” It’s one that will stick with anyone associated with Pitt football — maybe forever. Quarterback Christian Veilleux was the centerpiece of the pivotal play...
Detroit synagogue president fatally stabbed outside her home
DETROIT — A Detroit synagogue president was found stabbed to death outside her home Saturday, police said. The motive wasn’t known. Emergency medical personnel declared the woman, identified in a statement from Mayor Mike Duggan as Samantha Woll, dead at the scene, Cpl. Dan Donakowski said. “While at the scene,...
Man dies after fire in New Kensington home
A man died in a fire late Saturday morning in New Kensington, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. The fire was reported about 11:45 a.m. Saturday at 723 Kennedy Ave. A man and a 4-year-old child were inside, according to Ed Saliba Jr., chief of the New Kensington Fire...
Freeze watch issued for greater Pittsburgh region
A freeze watch will be in effect from late Sunday night through Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 30 degrees will be possible, the NWS said. The watch will affect both Allegheny and Westmoreland counties as well as the surrounding areas....
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Barry Melrose belongs in Hockey Hall of Fame
We’ve lost the plot when it comes to Halls of Fame. Halls of Fame used to be grandiose and special. Look at the Baseball Hall of Fame’s first class: Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner and Babe Ruth. Unimpeachable. It was a special honor for special athletes. Halls...
Donald Trump is dominating the GOP primary and settling into a new role: Defendant
NEW YORK — After turns as a real estate magnate, a New York tabloid mainstay, a reality TV star and president of the United States, Donald Trump is settling into a new role: defendant. The front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination spent two days this week in a Manhattan courtroom...
Biden is dangling border security money to try to get billions more for Israel and Ukraine
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is trying to sweeten his pitch for more money for Ukraine by mixing in billions of dollars for securing the U.S.-Mexico border in the hope that it will bring more Republicans on board. The idea came up late last month, after Ukraine assistance was stripped...
Egypt’s border crossing opens to let a trickle of desperately needed aid into besieged Gaza
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — The border crossing between Egypt and Gaza opened on Saturday to let a trickle of desperately needed aid into the besieged Palestinian territory for the first time since Israel sealed it off in the wake of Hamas’ bloody rampage two weeks ago. Just 20 trucks were...
Centurions football announcer honored for more than 30 years of dedication
After more than three decades announcing football for the Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions, there’s not much happening on the field that could surprise Ben Falcone. But he wasn’t prepared for a sneak play by family members and GCC administrators, who honored his 35 years behind the microphone during halftime of...
Long lines at pump unlikely, but Middle East crisis could disrupt oil supplies, raise prices
WASHINGTON — Fifty years after the 1973 Arab oil embargo, the current crisis in the Middle East has the potential to disrupt global oil supplies and push prices higher. But don’t expect a repeat of the catastrophic price hikes and long lines at the gasoline pump, experts say. The Israel-Hamas...
Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-70 work to trigger Cranberry detour, Westmoreland restrictions
Work on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Interstate 70 will cause a detour in Cranberry and restrictions in Westmoreland County beginning on Monday, according to officials. Weather permitting, a nearly 2-mile detour will be in place from 6 a.m. Monday through 5 a.m. Friday, Oct. 27 for eastbound turnpike travelers at...
Spirit Airlines cancels dozens of flights to inspect some planes; disruptions will last days
Spirit Airlines canceled about 100 flights Friday after pulling some planes out of service for inspections, and the airline expects the disruptions to last several days. Spirit did not describe the nature of the inspections and did not respond when asked for further information, but the Federal Aviation Administration said...
