Top Stories category, Page 613
New Florence man seeks dismissal of criminal case for speedy trial violation
A New Florence man has asked that criminal charges that he assault police who attempted to arrest him two years ago be dismissed because Westmoreland County prosecutors violated his speedy trial rights. Ray A. Shetler Jr., 38, has been in jail since December 2021 after he was charged with two...
Allegheny County DA candidate Matt Dugan lays out plan to make Downtown Pittsburgh safer
Democrat Matt Dugan said Friday that he would work to restore Downtown Pittsburgh as a safe, clean place for residents, businesses and visitors if elected Allegheny County’s district attorney. “It’s vitally, vitally important that we as leaders provide a safe and clean Downtown area so that our existing businesses can...
Pittsburgh man in fake cop uniform had knife when he went to courthouse to harass judge, police say
A Pittsburgh man is accused of going into Allegheny County Courthouse while wearing a fake police uniform and carrying a knife to harass a Common Pleas judge. Christopher Hall, 29, of the Hill District, tried to enter Common Pleas Judge Edward Borkowski’s courtroom around 10:40 a.m. Tuesday dressed in a...
Serra Catholic officials describe student killed in van crash as ‘beating heart of her class’Video
The morning unfolded in chaos. When Serra Catholic High School Principal Bob Childs heard that a school van carrying four of his students to the McKeesport school had crashed around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, he immediately went to the scene. By the time he arrived near Mansfield Bridge in Dravosburg, paramedics...
Feds hold Allegheny Valley School District responsible for harassment, assault of disabled student
The Allegheny Valley School District failed to protect a disabled student whose classmates harassed and physically attacked him, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The department’s Office for Civil Rights has announced that it had resolved a disability harassment investigation of the district. The agreement includes requiring the district...
15 UPMC employees dubbed ‘Million Dollar Miracles’ after PA Lottery win
Fifteen UPMC employees are calling themselves the Million Dollar Miracles after hitting the PA Lottery this summer. The friends won $1 million on the Mega Millions on July 28 after purchasing a ticket at the Nittany MiniMart along Route 6 in Smethport. Each person received $48,600. “This is the first...
Morning Roundup: Man stabbed in Mt. Washington; police chase from Ohio to Pa. ends in Findlay
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Sept. 22: Man stabbed in Mt. Washington A man was stabbed early Thursday in Mt. Washington, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety. Police were called about 8 a.m. to the 600 block of Omaha Street. Officers found a 34-year-old...
Hempfield seeks engineering firms to help with SCI Greensburg property
Hempfield Township is meeting with engineering firms about the former SCI Greensburg prison property while soliciting proposals on how to best tackle the site, officials said. According to township manager Aaron Siko, a walk-through tour of the prison was held Wednesday for engineers who might be interested in submitting proposals...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Sept. 21-23
It’s the weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. The Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race is Sunday so with road closures from Squirrel Hill to Oakland and through Uptown to Downtown, plan accordingly. Haunted tour Dark History PGH is hosting haunted walking tours of Carnegie and...
New Kensington-Arnold committee to consider changing how school board is elected
As recently as this year’s primary election, too few people have sought to be elected to the New Kensington-Arnold School Board. In May, only three people were on the ballot for six seats, with Democrats having all three on their ballot and Republicans just one. In the last election in...
Greater Latrobe’s multimillion-dollar revitalization plan raises taxes through 2039
After 19 months of study, review and public comment, the Greater Latrobe School board is forging ahead with a plan to raise taxes and embark on a $182 million to $198 million plan to rebuild and revitalize district buildings. The plan has three phases, with the figures projected for the...
Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Class of 2028 will be last to receive Pittsburgh Promise scholarships
Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Class of 2028 will be the final group of students to receive Pittsburgh Promise scholarships, the nonprofit behind the scholarships said in a letter to district parents. Saleem Ghubril, executive director of The Pittsburgh Promise, said he is confident that the nonprofit will be able to complete...
McKeesport Catholic school community gathers to mourn death of 15-year-old student
Small but meaningful details stole the spotlight as the Serra Catholic High School community gathered on a football field Thursday night to mourn one of their own. • Fingers gently cupped around hand-held candles, their orange, sometimes-flickering glow cast defiantly against the dark-blue cover of dusk. • The way the...
Tropical storm warning issued for East Coast ahead of potential cyclone, forecasters sayVideo
MIAMI — A tropical storm warning was issued Thursday from coastal North Carolina to Delaware ahead of a potential tropical cyclone that’s approaching the densely populated East Coast. The National Hurricane Center announced the formation of “Potential Tropical Cyclone Sixteen” on Thursday morning. The storm was located about 340 miles...
Bus carrying high school students to band camp crashes, killing 2 and seriously injuring others
WAWAYANDA, N.Y. — A charter bus carrying high school students to a band camp careened off a New York highway and tumbled down an embankment Thursday, killing two adults and seriously injuring several others, officials said. Gov. Kathy Hochul said a failure of a front tire could have contributed to...
David McCormick announces U.S. Senate run with GOP lining up behind him
The Republicans have their preferred candidate in their quest to unseat incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. Former hedge fund CEO David McCormick announced his run for Senate on Thursday evening in Pittsburgh. At a campaign kickoff at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh’s Strip District with more than 200...
Springdale homeowners describe impact of power plant implosion as decision on second one hangs in the balance
Brittni Bair’s baby was just 10 weeks old the day the smokestacks at the former power plant in Springdale were imploded in June. Because of concerns about potential toxins and debris being released near her family’s Pittsburgh Street home, she testified Thursday, she and her husband took their newborn to...
Man crushed to death by truck in Frazer identified
A worker at an auto salvage yard in Frazer was killed Thursday morning when the pickup truck he was dismantling slipped off a rack and landed on him, according to authorities. The victim was identified Friday as Joseph Hloznik, 48, of Tarentum by the The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office,...
Ford City native and country music star Bob Corbin and his wife die in the same week
Their love spanned five decades, and Bob and Edana Corbin died the same week. The music world is mourning both of their losses — Bob Corbin of the Corbin/Hanner Band, and his wife, an author and freelance writer for a country music magazine. Bob Corbin and Dave Hanner wrote hits...
Turtle Creek woman gets jail time for fatal hit-and-run
A Turtle Creek woman will spend at least nine months in jail for killing a pedestrian in McKeesport last year and leaving the scene. Hanna Nickole Frank, 20, pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle in June. As part of a plea agreement, Frank must serve nine to 18 months in...
State inspectors find deficiencies at Westmoreland prison
A state inspection of the Westmoreland County Prison found inmate restraints were improperly tracked by staff, keys and security access devices were insufficiently inventoried and cells had sanitary and maintenance issues. State inspectors who toured the facility in Hempfield on Aug. 1 found seven deficiencies, according to a report obtained...
Will Pa.’s automatic voter registration policy boost turnout or concerns about election security?
Pennsylvania became the 24th state to enact automatic voter registration when Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro announced the new policy Tuesday. When state residents obtain or renew their driver’s license or ID cards, they automatically are registered to vote, unless they choose to opt out of the process on their driver’s...
For rental properties and Airbnbs in Pittsburgh, inspections and permits soon could be required
Anyone who owns a rental property, including long-term rentals and Airbnbs, would be required to go through a permitting and inspection process under legislation advanced by Pittsburgh City Council. People would need to apply for a permit each year, according to the proposed legislation. They would be required to provide...
Family of McKeesport man who died in Allegheny County Jail files wrongful death lawsuit
A lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court claims Allegheny County Jail officials didn’t provide a wheezing inmate who had chronic asthma with his inhaler for up to 30 days. Paul C. Allen, a McKeesport barber and father of three who was supposed to use his inhaler eight times a day,...
Vigil planned for Serra Catholic student killed in Dravosburg crash
Friends, classmates and others plan to gather at McKeesport’s Serra Catholic High School on Thursday night to honor the life and mourn the death of Samantha Lee Kalkbrenner. Kalkbrenner, 15, a Serra Catholic student from Dravosburg, was killed Wednesday after the school van she was riding in crashed, authorities said....
