Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 625
Snowflakes may fall on Halloween trick-or-treaters
The ghosts and goblins walking around Halloween night to trick-or-treat in Western Pennsylvania could have a coating of white on their costumes. The National Weather Service in Moon is forecasting a slight chance of rain mixed with snow Tuesday night before 11 p.m., then a chance of just snow. The...
Higher education haunts: Ghostly tales abound at local colleges and universities
The great thing about university ghost stories is that you don’t have to believe in the paranormal to derive a thrill from the tale, according to “Paranormal Pitt” author Matt Swayne. Instead, you get “ghostlore,” — folklore that centers on ghosts or spirits — or stories where people claim to...
Challenger Dugan threatens Zappala’s 25-year grip on Allegheny County DA’s Office
For the past 25 years, the name Zappala has been synonymous with law enforcement in Allegheny County. As one of the longest-serving district attorneys in Pennsylvania, Stephen A. Zappala Jr. has set the tone for criminal justice for a generation of lawyers, police officers, judges and criminals. That could change...
Matthew Perry, Emmy-nominated ‘Friends’ star, dead at 54
LOS ANGELES — “Friends” star Matthew Perry, the Emmy-nominated actor whose sarcastic, but lovable Chandler Bing was among television’s most famous and most quotable characters, has died at 54. The actor was found dead of an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Times...
List of nursing homes cited for abuse can be incomplete, arbitrary, experts say
A review of state nursing home inspection reports reveals no mention of two patients who died about a year ago at Quality Life Services-Chicora after being given fatal doses of insulin. Registered nurse Heather Pressdee, who is charged in the killings, told investigators “she felt bad for their quality of...
Staffing shortages leave nursing homes overwhelmed, patients vulnerable, experts sayVideo
Mary Ellen Cross lived some of the best days of her life each December when she spent hour upon hour baking cookies and wrapping gifts, carefully crafting what she hoped would be the perfect, magical Christmas for her family. The baking began weeks in advance, sometimes with her eclectic playlist...
Staffing shortages plague nursing homes; some fear patient care threatened
An employee at a Westmoreland County nursing home says the conditions of her job have brought her to tears. Residents regularly have to wait for help and often go hungry because of a lack of people to feed them. A single staffer sometimes is asked to care for 60 residents...
Nursing home rating system criticized over reliability, accuracy
Tools designed to help families researching a nursing home are obscure and often criticized by industry experts over their reliability and accuracy. The Care Compare website maintained by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services houses detailed data about nursing homes, provides quality-of-care ratings and flags homes for incidents...
SWAT respond after woman shot in head in Crafton Heights
A woman was shot in the head early Friday morning and the suspect barricaded himself in a nearby apartment, said Pittsburgh Police. Police said they arrived at an apartment in the 900 block of Woodlow Street just after 2 a.m. on Friday and found a 27-year-old woman shot in the...
Fire hits vehicle repair shop in Bloomfield
A commercial fire burned through a vehicle repair shop Friday evening in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood. Pittsburgh firefighters were dispatched to the 800 Block of Gross Street at about 6:15 p.m., according to the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department. No injuries were reported. Officials said it appeared that an electric vehicle’s lithium-ion...
Devoted cyclists take on the Dirty Dozen Bicycle Ride — 55 miles, 13 steep streets — including America’s steepest
Dozens of dedicated cyclists took to Pittsburgh’s toughest hills on Saturday as part of the Dirty Dozen Bicycle Ride, a fall tradition for the city and its bike advocates. This year was the 40th race, which challenges bicyclists to climb 13 of the Pittsburgh area’s steepest hills, including Beechview’s cobblestone...
Former Vice President Mike Pence ends campaign for the White House after struggling to gain traction
NEW YORK — Former Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday dropped his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, ending his campaign for the White House after struggling to raise money and gain traction in the polls. “After much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Steelers need Kenny Pickett to pile up passing stats vs. Jaguars
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett has the “it” factor, we’re told. The clutch gene. That’s good. Because what Pickett doesn’t have are the raw statistics. Pickett has passed for over 300 yards once in 19 NFL games (18 starts). He’s thrown two touchdown passes once. His passer rating has been over...
AP Sources: Auto workers and Stellantis reach tentative contract deal that follows model set by Ford
DETROIT — Jeep maker Stellantis has reached a tentative contract agreement with the United Auto Workers union that follows a template set earlier this week by Ford, two people with knowledge of the negotiations said Saturday. The deal, which still has to be ratified by members, leaves only General Motors...
Southwest Airlines to add seasonal flights to San Diego
Pittsburgh is getting more airline service to the West Coast and adding a new city to its repertoire. Southwest Airlines will add seasonal, nonstop service from Pittsburgh International Airport to San Diego starting next summer, the airline announced Thursday. Flights on to San Diego International Airport will start June 8...
Maine mass killing suspect had mental health issues, purchased guns legally, authorities sayVideo
LEWISTON, Maine — Police missed two clear opportunities to end a dragnet that locked down and terrified Maine’s second-largest city after a gunman killed 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar following a recent spiral into paranoia. The body of Robert Card was found Friday in a trailer...
Derry Township man killed in motorcycle crash
A Derry Township man was killed in a motorcycle crash early Saturday morning, along Route 217 in Derry Township, the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office said. The victim, James A. Trice III, 35, died as a result of injuries he suffered in the accident at 1:10 a.m. while traveling on Ligonier...
Tarentum docks and decks removed for deadline, giving riverfront a new appearance
Drivers crossing the Tarentum Bridge this week might have done a double take. The shoreline in Tarentum is nearly empty for the first time in decades. It’s being cleared of boat docks, decks, picnic tables, bars and sheds while lease holders race to beat a Tuesday deadline set by council....
Editorial: Is a coed Kiski School really that awful?
In fall 2024, The Kiski School will be welcoming girls. But will it really? The school administration announced the move this month, with Head of School Christopher Brueningsen saying “maintaining enrollment has been challenging.” It’s not just a Kiski problem. It’s an issue in single-sex boarding schools in general, which...
Financial reports reveal shoestring campaigns for Westmoreland commissioner
The candidates for Westmoreland County commissioner have spent about one-eighth of what was paid out during the months leading up to Election Day four years ago, according to campaign finance reports filed this week. Financial reports of Republican incumbents Sean Kertes and Doug Chew and Democrats Ted Kopas and Lisa...
West Leechburg Hill Road to close for close to 3 months
A portion of West Leechburg Hill Road will be closed for nearly three months starting Monday, Nov. 6. PennDOT said the road needs to be shut down in order to make structural repairs to a large culvert. The site is in West Leechburg. West Leechburg Hill Road will be closed...
Search for Maine shooting suspect leveraged old-fashioned footwork, new technology
Hundreds of law enforcement officers descended on southern Maine this week, searching for a military-trained outdoorsman who vanished after, police say, he killed 18 people in two shootings Wednesday. The deceased ranged in age from 14 to 76. A teen bowler, a shipbuilder and a sign language interpreter are among...
Maine mass killing suspect found dead
LEWISTON, Maine— The man wanted in the mass shooting at a bowling alley and bar that killed 18 people and wounded 13 was found dead Friday, bringing an end to a search that put the entire state of Maine on edge for the last two days. Robert Card, who was...
Woman warned about trespassing along railroad bridge over the Allegheny River in Harmar
A Brookville woman caused a bit of a commotion Friday evening when she was found hiking along a railroad bridge spanning the Allegheny River in Harmar. Township police Lt. Otto Gaal said officers received a call shortly after 5:30 p.m. from a motorist along the Turnpike about a person making...
Residents gather to remember victims 5 years after Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
Audrey Glickman’s heart still aches for Joe — especially on Oct. 27 each year. Five years ago on Friday, Glickman and Joseph Charny, her late companion, fled Pervin Chapel when a gunman broke into their Squirrel Hill synagogue and opened fire. They hid inside a room near the choir loft,...
