Top Stories category, Page 614
Oakmont woman gets life in prison for starvation, torture death of 3-year-old girl
No one was there. No one sat in the courtroom gallery wearing shirts that read “Justice for Bella.” No one told the judge what a great 3-year-old that Bella Seachrist was. How she loved to dance and would eat anything. How she was a giggly, bubbly, playful and loving child....
Western Pennsylvania school districts receive email swatting threats
Several Western Pennsylvania school districts were the target of swatting emails this week, authorities said. They included Mt. Lebanon, North Allegheny, Pine-Richland and South Park in Allegheny County and Belle Vernon and Derry Area in Westmoreland County. The school districts reported receiving threatening messages via email on Tuesday and Wednesday....
Release of suspect in $1.6M drug case ignites political firestorm in Allegheny County
Allegheny County court officials are still trying to figure out how a man accused of carrying $1.6 million in fentanyl in Pittsburgh was released from custody this month, and now another judge is reportedly involved in the snafu. A nationwide arrest warrant was issued for Yan Carlos Pichardo Cepeda, 27,...
SportsNet Pittsburgh names 4 former players as analysts for Penguins games
SportsNet Pittsburgh, the new television network that will carry Penguins games, hired four former members of the team to be analysts for the upcoming season. Colby Armstrong, Phil Bourque, Jay Caulfield and Mike Rupp were named to various positions. Armstrong and Rupp will be in-game color and studio analysts while...
House Republicans clash with Attorney General Garland, accusing him of favoring Hunter Biden
WASHINGTON — House Republicans clashed with Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday, accusing him and the Justice Department of the “weaponization” of the department’s work in favor of President Joe Biden ‘s son Hunter. Garland’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee was his first in two years and came at...
Serra Catholic student killed in school van crash in Dravosburg
A 15-year-old girl was killed Wednesday in a school van crash in Dravosburg, authorities said. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the girl as Samantha Lee Kalkbrenner of Dravosburg. Three other juveniles, all students at Serra Catholic High School in McKeesport, were injured and taken to a hospital in...
1 killed in Route 819 crash in Greensburg
It appears speed and drugs were factors in a fatal head-on crash Wednesday morning in Greensburg, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office. Robert J. Glendening, 37, of Hempfield was driving a Chevrolet Cruze southbound in the northbound lane of Route 819 just before 6 a.m. when the car collided...
Morning Roundup: 2 hurt in garbage truck crash in Overbrook; vandalism in Squirrel Hill; 2 shot in Mt. Oliver
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Sept. 20: 2 injured after garbage truck crashes in Overbrook Two people were reported injured when a garbage truck crashed Tuesday in Pittsburgh’s Overbrook neighborhood. Surveillance video showed the truck traveling down a hill before hitting several vehicles...
Blood donations fall short by two-thirds in region, nonprofit says
Blood collection organizations say donations are down at least 25% — a trend they’ve been unable to break since the pandemic. The American Red Cross announced a national blood shortage last week upon receiving 30,000 fewer donations than expected in August. That’s a 25% decrease from the 12,500 donations it...
Westmoreland 250: 10 things to see in the Arnold, New Kensington areas
(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...
Plum waterlines working as designed on day of deadly home explosion, municipal authority says
Plum Municipal Authority officials said the borough’s water system and hydrants were working as designed when firefighters responded to a house explosion that killed six people in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood on Aug. 12. Firefighters initially attempted to pull water from the hydrants at a greater rate than the system...
Lindsay Powell declares victory in special election race, giving Dems slim majority in state House
Democrats have declared victory in an Allegheny County special election and are poised to claim a slim majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Lindsay Powell, a Democrat from Lawrenceville, declared victory Tuesday night in the 21st District special election after receiving more than 65% of the vote with 96%...
Speaker McCarthy faces an almost impossible task trying to unite House GOP and fund the governmentVideo
WASHINGTON — Facing fresh challenges to his leadership, Speaker Kevin McCarthy is trying to accomplish what at times seems impossible — working furiously to convince House Republicans to come together and pass a conservative bill to keep the federal government open. It’s a nearly futile exercise that could help McCarthy...
Gambling brings home $457M for Pa. in August
Gambling in August climbed over the prior year, with much of the haul for Pennsylvania taxpayers coming from online games. But the August total was a slight drop compared to revenue in July, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Gaming raked in $457.15 million in August, a year-over-year increase...
Washington County woman charged with homicide in 1-year-old daughter’s fentanyl death
A Washington County woman has been charged with criminal homicide in the death of her 1-year-old daughter, who authorities say died from fentanyl poisoning. Washington County District Attorney Jason M. Walsh announced charges Tuesday against Lindsey Rae Reho, 32, of North Franklin. In a criminal complaint, state police said medics...
Springdale residents file lawsuit seeking stop to Friday morning’s plant implosion
An Allegheny County judge has ordered the company scheduled to implode the former Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale on Friday morning to hold off on placing explosive charges in the building until a ruling is issued for a lawsuit filed by residents seeking to halt the demolition. The lawsuit is...
Coraopolis woman gets 3 to 6 years in prison for DUI crash that killed pedestrianVideo
Jeremia Scales always wanted to be the first, texting or calling his family at the stroke of midnight to wish them a happy birthday or happy Mother’s Day. The 25-year-old from West Mifflin loved music. He could play piano, drums, trumpet, harmonica and guitar, and served as assistant director of...
Acting Temple University president JoAnne A. Epps dies after falling ill on stage
PHILADELPHIA — Temple University acting president JoAnne A. Epps died Tuesday shortly after becoming ill on stage during a memorial service, officials said, describing her loss as a gut punch and struggling through emotion as they recalled her nearly four decades of service. Epps was attending a memorial service at...
100 affordable homes coming as part of community benefits deal in Bakery Square expansion
Pittsburgh-based Walnut Capital is committing to help build 100 affordable for-sale houses as part of a community benefits deal attached to a proposal that would nearly double the size of its Bakery Square development. The Bakery Square office and commercial development opened in 2009. It expanded to include housing and...
White supremacist who posted threats during synagogue trial pleads guilty in federal court
A self-proclaimed white supremacist accused of targeting witnesses, jurors and law enforcement during the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in West Virginia. Hardy Lloyd, 47, of Follansbee, W.Va., was initially charged with obstruction of justice, transmitting threats over interstate and foreign commerce and witness tampering...
Shapiro enacts automatic voter registration for Pennsylvanians registering at DMV
Pennsylvania will now automatically register voters when they obtain driver’s licenses and official identification cards at state branches of the Department of Motor Vehicles. Gov. Josh Shapiro announced the new autonomic voter registration for Pennsylvania residents that goes into effect Tuesday. Pennsylvania residents who obtain or renew their driver’s license...
Pittsburgh council votes to bar most development in city parks, greenways
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday voted to ban most development in the city’s parks and greenways. “The essence of this bill is that it would prohibit any kind of development in city parks that is not directly related to the public’s enjoyment of the park,” said Councilwoman Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield,...
Arnold Council to consider extending tax relief for city’s volunteer firefighters
A vote granting volunteer firefighters limited tax relief may be on Arnold Council’s agenda in October. Council held a public hearing last week on a proposed ordinance that would allowed the city’s firefighters and EMS personnel to claim an earned income tax or a real estate tax credit each year....
Steelers vs. Browns: What they’re saying in Cleveland after Steelers’ 26-22 victory
The Browns are still the Browns. With the Steelers’ 26-22 victory over their longtime rival, the Black and Gold made sure the Browns continued their streak of not winning a regular-season game at Acrisure Stadium in 20 years. While Pittsburgh celebrates, Cleveland sulks. Cleveland.com columnist Terry Pluto shared some musings...
Restitution payments could accelerate under new auto pay system set to launch in Westmoreland County
Five years after Richard Larrabee was mauled by a dangerous dog, he continues to deal with the pain and costs associated with the attack. Owed more than $3,800 in restitution to cover his medical bills, Larrabee, 76, of Ruffs Dale hasn’t seen a dime since March and has received just...
