Top Stories category, Page 613
Dropped cellphone leads to arrest in McKeesport killing
A Mon Valley teen dropped his iPhone after fatally shooting a 47-year-old man this March — and that, combined with surveillance footage of the crime, led to his arrest this week, Allegheny County Police said. Sanchez Spence, 18, of McKeesport, remained in Allegheny County Jail on Friday after being charged...
PennWest, other universities weigh options for unused student housing
“Live here, live well.” That’s the online pitch promoting “Vulcan Village” apartments near PennWest University’s California campus in Washington County. The student complex has a resort-inspired outdoor pool, around-the-clock maintenance and a fitness center. But these days, there aren’t enough students living there. Fewer than half of its 770 beds...
Judge fines Trump over social media post, threatens jail for further violations
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump was fined $5,000 on Friday after a disparaging social media post about a key court staffer in his New York civil fraud case lingered on his campaign website for weeks after the judge ordered it deleted. Judge Arthur Engoron avoided holding Trump in...
Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority to replace water mains with $37.3M in state funding
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority plans to replace about four miles of water mains in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights and Squirrel Hill South neighborhoods. The authority said it has secured a $37.3 million funding package from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority for the project to replace aging and undersized water...
House Republicans drop Jim Jordan as their nominee for speaker, falling back to square one
WASHINGTON — Republicans dropped Rep. Jim Jordan on Friday as their nominee for House speaker, making the decision during a closed-door session after the hard-edged ally of Donald Trump failed badly on a third ballot for the gavel. The blocked-House impasse deepening, Republicans have no realistic or workable plan to...
Heart’s Ann Wilson headlines Women Who Rock at Stage AE
Being successful for a woman in the music industry is about refusing to take “no” for an answer. Someone who knows that firsthand is Ann Wilson from Heart. “You have to be pushy, and you will have to sacrifice everything, if you are serious about your career,” said Wilson, who...
Morning Roundup: Vehicles slam into homes in Duquesne and Wilkinsburg
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Oct. 20: Vehicle smashes into house in Duquesne A vehicle crashed into a house in Duquesne early Friday morning, Tribune-Review news partner WTAE reported. No one was reported injured in the crash, which occurred just before 2 a.m....
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Oct. 20-23
It’s finally the weekend. And it looks packed with pumpkins, circus performers, coffee, chocolate, and some “Boo-tiful Music.” ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will be at PPG Paints Arena at 7 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and...
1 person flown for treatment after 2-vehicle crash in Hempfield
A medical helicopter was dispatched to airlift a patient injured in a two-vehicle crash Thursday night in Hempfield. The crash was reported just before 8:30 p.m. at Route 30 and West Penn Drive, a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said. Traffic was restricted on Route 30 as crews from Adamsburg Fire...
Biden says support for Israel and Ukraine is ‘vital’ for U.S. security, will ask Congress for billionsVideo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden declared it is “vital for America’s national security” for Israel and Ukraine to succeed in their wars, making the case Thursday night for deepening U.S. involvement in two unpredictable foreign conflicts as he prepared to ask for billions of dollars in military assistance for both...
Crews battle blaze at Penn Township home
Crews from multiple fire departments were battling a blaze Thursday evening that caused extensive damage to a Penn Township home. The blaze was reported about 4:45 p.m. in the 300 block of Mt. Manor Road. Harrison City and Westmoreland City fire departments were the first to respond to the scene....
Insanity claim to be explored for Penn Township man accused of killing father, aunt
The lawyer for a Penn Township man charged in the murders of his father and aunt in 2021 told a Westmoreland County judge he will explore a potential insanity defense for his client. Defense attorney Brian Aston said an investigation is underway to determine if there is enough evidence for...
Man shot in New Kensington, airlifted to hospital
A middle aged man was shot in New Kensington on Thursday afternoon, according to police. About 3:30 p.m., police blocked off the 1000 block of Kenneth Avenue for a shooting. A landing zone was set up at Valley High School. Investigators at the scene directed all inquiries to the Westmoreland...
Former Kiski Area athlete Kyrell Hutcherson suing school district, WPIAL, PIAA, claiming racial discrimination
A former high school athlete who defeated the WPIAL and PIAA in court almost three years ago has sued the organizations again, this time saying they violated his civil rights by racially discriminating against him. Kyrell Hutcherson filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court against the WPIAL, the PIAA, attorneys...
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office quietly settled sexual harassment allegation against top aide
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds the powerful to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office quietly entered into a settlement agreement to resolve allegations of sexual harassment...
Pennsylvania is most ‘All-American’ state, survey says
Pennsylvania is the most “All-American” state in the nation, according to a survey commissioned by a Massachusetts-based travel company. The Keystone State landed a 9.05 out of 10 from Viator, a Tripadvisor company based in the Boston suburb of Needham, Mass. Viator based its scoring on metrics including home ownership...
Memorable moments from the Penn State-Ohio State rivalry
Penn State and Ohio State will meet for the 39th time at noon Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. One of college football’s most entertaining rivalries has gone the Buckeyes’ way of late. Ohio State has won the past six matchups and 10 of the past 11. Ohio State leads...
Springdale residents add Sunshine Act violation claim to reasons for stopping power plant implosion
Plaintiffs in the Springdale injunction case filed a motion in court Wednesday alleging that the issuing of a demolition permit for the former Cheswick Generating Station violated the state’s Sunshine Act. The complaint, filed by attorney John Kane, claims the violation is sufficient to block the implosion of the power...
2 teens charged in shooting of 4 near Homewood’s Westinghouse Academy
Two teens are facing charges in connection with a Valentine’s Day shooting that left four people shot near Westinghouse Academy in Homewood, city officials said Thursday. Police Chief Larry Scirotto and Mayor Ed Gainey touted the arrests as proof that relationships have improved between police and residents, leading to arrests...
Pa. higher ed system seeks 6.5% boost in state funding to maintain tuition freeze
The board overseeing Pennsylvania’s 10 state-owned universities said Thursday it aims to freeze tuition for a sixth consecutive year in 2024-2025, provided the state boosts the system’s funding by 6.5%. The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s board of governors voted to send Gov. Josh Shapiro an appropriation request of...
GOP’s Jordan says he’s still running for House gavel, but there’s no plan for next action
WASHINGTON — Refusing to drop out, Republican Rep. Jim Jordan told GOP colleagues Thursday he would back a temporary U.S. House speaker for the next several months as he works to shore up support to win the gavel himself. Jordan delivered the message at a closed door meeting at the...
Hempfield casino fined $30K for allowing gambling access to underage, self-excluded patrons
Live Casino Pittsburgh has been fined $30,000 for allowing access to its Hempfield gambling floor by a man who was younger than 21 and by two women who were on a casino self-exclusion list administered by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. One of the women was on the gambling floor...
Sidney Powell vowed to ‘release the Kraken’ to help Donald Trump. She may now testify against him
NEW YORK — The Kraken has cracked. Lawyer Sidney Powell, who famously vowed to unleash a mythical sea monster of litigation to prove that Donald Trump didn’t lose the 2020 election, has now struck a deal with Georgia prosecutors admitting she conspired to wrongly interfere with the state’s election results....
U.S. Supreme Court notched big conservative wins. It’s a key issue in Pennsylvania’s fall election
HARRISBURG — The U.S. Supreme Court’s current conservative majority has delivered major victories for conservatives — and now liberal discontent over those rulings is playing a major role in Pennsylvania’s top-of-the-ballot election this fall. The Democrat running for an open seat on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court has told audiences over and...
U mad, bro?: No Steelers game? No problem. Still plenty of fan agitation to go around
You might think that, because the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t play this past weekend, “U mad, bro?” would be lacking for content. You might think that. But if you live in Pittsburgh and follow our local sports teams, you know that couldn’t possibly be the case with our passionate fan base....
