Top Stories category, Page 640
5 things to watch in WPIAL Week 3: Preseason contenders cope with 0-3 starts
West Mifflin started the season ranked second in WPIAL Class 3A, but the Titans are still winless after three weeks. So, now what? That 0-3 record might cause panic inside some locker rooms, but coach Rod Steele said he hasn’t seen any from his players. In fact, they’ve held onto...
About 13,000 workers go on strike seeking better wages and benefits from Detroit’s 3 automakers
DETROIT — About 13,000 U.S. auto workers stopped making vehicles and went on strike Friday after their leaders couldn’t bridge a giant gap between union demands in contract talks and what Detroit’s three automakers are willing to pay. Members of the United Auto Workers union began picketing at a General...
Artwork seized from Carnegie Museum was believed to have been stolen during Holocaust
NEW YORK — A work of art believed to have been stolen during the Holocaust from a Jewish art collector and entertainer was seized Wednesday from the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood by New York law enforcement authorities. “Portrait of a Man,” a pencil-on-paper drawing valued at...
Sentencing in $15 million tax fraud involving Bell Acres mansion will continue Monday
When Joe Nocito built his 51,000-square-foot Bell Acres mansion he named Villa Noci, an IRS agent said Thursday, every check and payment he made on it was illegally expensed to one of his companies. For the builder, nearly $900,000 in invoices between 2006 and 2012 were classified through Nocito’s companies...
After days of heavy rain and flash flooding in New England, Hurricane Lee is up nextVideo
PORTLAND, Maine — Days of wild weather that produced torrential rain, flooding, sinkholes and a tornado in New England could be a prelude to something more dangerous lurking offshore — Hurricane Lee. As the Category 1 system swirled southwest of Bermuda, Maine Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday declared a state...
Republican David McCormick plans to run for U.S. Senate again in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG — Republican David McCormick is expected to announce his second bid for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, according to people familiar with his plans, taking on Democratic Sen. Bob Casey after narrowly losing an expensive and bruising GOP primary last year to a Donald Trump-endorsed rival. McCormick, 58, has strong...
Allegheny County exec candidate Joe Rockey unveils economic plan
Republican candidate for Allegheny County executive Joe Rockey lamented the county’s loss of jobs in a press conference Thursday and called for an economic renaissance plan to address it. Rockey, a former PNC executive from Ohio Township, said Allegheny County has lost 50,000 jobs over the last five years. He...
‘I’m trying to link those little stories’: Trafford Historical Society gathers stories, unlocks community memories through map project
In the last days of her life, Nancy Woodall was flooded with memories of her childhood — all because of a yearbook and the Trafford Historical Society’s quest to identify the 250 oldest buildings in the borough. Woodall’s daughter, Lia, began searching years ago for a copy of her mother’s...
Clogged nose woes: Doctors weigh in on decongestant medicine declared ineffective
The over-the-counter decongestant medicine you reach for when suffering from a stuffy nose or clogged sinuses may not actually be giving you much relief, according to the Food and Drug Administration. But effective medications remain, though it may take an extra step to acquire them. FDA advisers voted this week...
Hunter Biden indicted on federal firearms charges in long-running probe weeks after plea deal failedVideo
WASHINGTON — Hunter Biden was indicted Thursday on federal firearms charges, the latest step in a long-running investigation into the president’s son that puts the case on track toward a possible high-stakes trial as the 2024 election looms. Biden is accused of lying about his drug use when he bought...
Westbound turnpike reopens after road repairs from tanker truck crash near New Stanton
The Pennsylvania Turnpike’s westbound lanes from Breezewood to New Stanton reopened Friday morning after repairs to the highway as a result of a crash Thursday near the New Stanton exit. One person was hospitalized after a tanker tractor-trailer overturned about 1:50 p.m. Thursday during a collision with a flatbed tractor-trailer....
Pittsburgh International Airport to auction off abandoned items
People leave a lot of odd items at the Pittsburgh International Airport and the public will soon have an opportunity to bid on some of them. The airport is hosting its annual auction in October and this year’s items up for bid include cars, jewelry, Marc Jacobs and Telfar bags,...
Official: Boil water advisory for Leechburg area could extend past Saturday
Depending on test results, the earliest a boil water advisory would be lifted for people in the Leechburg area would be Saturday, according to authorities. The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County issued a precautionary boil water advisory Monday for its customers in Leechburg, West Leechburg, Hyde Park and part of...
Penn State study says spotted lanternflies don’t damage trees, forests
Spotted lanternflies have overtaken much of Pennsylvania and are expanding their reach, but a new study reports that the invasive insects are doing less damage to trees than previously believed. Research from Penn State recently published in the journal Environmental Entomology shows spotted lanternflies have no long-term effects on forests...
Kiski Township supervisors toss animal regulation proposal amid pet alligator escapes
Regulations governing the keeping of animals in Kiski Township are unchanged, for now. Facing a crush of public criticism and opposition, the township supervisors voted Wednesday to toss out the draft of an ordinance governing everything from pets to farm animals. It specifically would ban crocodilians, including the American alligator....
Route 28 lane restrictions set for the weekend in Harmar
Route 28 motorists will encounter lane restrictions in Harmar beginning Friday. The restrictions, expected to last until Monday afternoon, will occur on two bridges so crews can perform work on expansion dams and the approaches to the bridges, according to PennDOT. Beginning at 6 p.m. Friday and running continuously through...
Norwin grad Colleen Shogan sworn in as first woman to serve as U.S. archivist
WASHINGTON — Southwestern Pennsylvania native Colleen Shogan was sworn in as the 11th Archivist of the United States on Monday, marking the first time a woman has been appointed to oversee billions of the nation’s records and artifacts since the role was created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Supreme Court...
NASA releases UFO report and says more science and less stigma are needed to understand them
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA said Thursday that the study of UFOs will require new scientific techniques, including advanced satellites as well as a shift in how unidentified flying objects are perceived. The space agency released the findings after a yearlong study into UFOs. In its 33-page report, an independent...
Morning Roundup: Firefighters battle chemical blaze in Washington County
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Sept. 14: Firefighters battle chemical blaze in Washington County Emergency crews were called to the scene of a fire Wednesday night at Reaxis Specialty Chemical in Washington County. Crews reported to the 900 block of Robinson Highway at...
Aspinwall’s revived media policy raises freedom of speech concerns
Aspinwall is limiting access to how information is given out to the public, prompting some media experts to say this could be a roadblock to adequate communication with residents. All questions, requests and comments from the media must be submitted to Aspinwall Council President Tim McLaughlin and borough Manager Melissa...
Tarentum boaters start dismantling docks ahead of deadline
Tom Kish sat on his Tarentum boat dock Wednesday and watched 20 years of work, dreams, money and family memories go up in smoke. Friends helped him dismantle a wooden roof from his 28-by-24-foot deck and toss it into a fire along the Allegheny River shoreline. “This was a happy...
Westmoreland County equipment auction seeks bids on cars, pedal boats, skis
Westmoreland County officials are having a garage sale — of sorts. Among the many items up for grabs are about 12,000 covid-era disposable plastic face shields looking for a new home. Unused personal protective equipment accumulated during the early days of the pandemic is among the nearly 200 lots up...
Monongahela mother charged after death of infant son
A Monongahela mother was charged with homicide following the death of her 12-day-old son Tuesday. Monongahela City Police and Tri Community Ambulance Service were dispatched to the home of Darian Helmantoler, 22, of Monongahela, just before 9 a.m. Tuesday, according to court documents. The Washington County 911 Dispatch Center reported...
UAW chief says offers from Detroit companies are inadequate, says union is ready to go on strikeVideo
DETROIT — With just over 24 hours left before a strike deadline, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said Wednesday that offers from the companies aren’t enough and the union is getting ready to strike. In an online address to union members, Fain said General Motors, Ford and Stellantis have...
Federal judge again declares that DACA is illegal with issue likely to be decided by Supreme Court
HOUSTON — While a federal judge on Wednesday declared illegal a revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, he declined to order an immediate end to the program and the protections it offers to recipients....
