Top Stories category, Page 642
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Aug. 11-13
It’s the weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. ‘The Sound Inside’ Barebones Black Box in Braddock presents “The Sound Inside.” The Tony-award winning show by playwright Adam Rapp is at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. The story involves Bella Baird, an isolated...
Maui fire deaths surge to 53 and likely to go higher, governor says; over 1,000 structures burned
LAHAINA, Hawaii — A search of the wildfire devastation on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Thursday revealed a wasteland of obliterated neighborhoods and landmarks charred beyond recognition, as the death toll rose to at least 53 and survivors told harrowing tales of narrow escapes with only the clothes on...
Every Pitt scholarship football player will get paid from new $1M NIL pool
The cheers, hoots, hollers and applause from the young men filling the seats in the Pitt football meeting room told the story, one of a new era of college athletics that their fathers never imagined. Alliance 412, the collective formed to provide financial support and guidance to Pitt athletes during...
Dog abandoned by owner at Pittsburgh airport expected to move into foster home
A dog abandoned last week at Pittsburgh International Airport is expected to be moved into a foster home while Humane Society police officers and Allegheny County Police are investigating the case, according to Animal Friends. The dog, a male French bulldog, was found in a stroller in the airport’s short-term...
Nearly all of Downtown Pittsburgh visitors have returned, says report
Downtown Pittsburgh’s transition out of the pandemic has been bumpy with empty office buildings, increases in vagrancy, and lunch spots closing up. A new report, however, shows things might be on the upswing. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) released data Thursday that shows 1.7 million visitors came to Downtown in...
Study says Downtown Pittsburgh needs more restrooms, lights, cameras
A study conducted by Point Park University suggested Downtown Pittsburgh would be improved by public restrooms, more public garbage and recycling receptacles, and lights and cameras in alleys. The study, released Wednesday, focused particularly on how the city could improve its alleys to improve quality of life for people in...
Feds arrest white supremacist over Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial threats
A self-proclaimed “reverend” in the white supremacist movement is behind bars and charged with threatening Jews and targeting witnesses and jurors during the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial. Hardy Carroll Lloyd, 47, the son of a Shadyside doctor, was arrested at his Follansbee, W.Va., home Thursday on federal charges of obstruction...
Domestic violence charges withdrawn against DA Zappala’s son
State prosecutors Thursday morning withdrew domestic violence charges against the son of Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr., court records show. Ohio Township police charged Stephen John Zappala, 31, of Ben Avon Heights, with simple assault and harassment on July 23, court records show. He was arraigned and...
Woman who killed motorist in 2014 while distracted now accused of being high with child in car, causing wreck
A West Deer woman who admitted to killing a man when she hit his disabled car along Route 28 in 2014 is now accused of being high on fentanyl and cocaine when she caused a head-on collision in late May while driving her child to school. Rachel Rebecca Bailie, 32,...
Paper exams, chatbot bans: Colleges seek to ‘ChatGPT-proof’ assignments
When philosophy professor Darren Hick came across another case of cheating in his classroom at Furman University last semester, he posted an update to his followers on social media: “Aaaaand, I’ve caught my second ChatGPT plagiarist.” Friends and colleagues responded, some with wide-eyed emojis. Others expressed surprise. “Only 2?! I’ve...
Export man arrested in fatal Plum hit-and-run with motorcyclist
A 30-year-old man from Export was arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash in June in Plum, Allegheny County police announced Thursday. County police charged Towner William Henretty II with a felony count of accidents involving death or personal injury and summary traffic offenses, including failing to stop and...
Gabby Barrett returns home for postgame concert at PNC ParkVideo
At 23, country singer Gabby Barrett is in her glory days. That’s the name of her latest single, which she’ll sing during a Friday concert in PNC Park, following the Pirates game against the Cincinnati Reds. The concert is included in all tickets for the game, which starts at 7:05...
Morning Roundup: 5 shot in Pittsburgh’s Middle Hill neighborhood
Here are some news items from this morning, Thursday, Aug. 10: Five people injured in Middle Hill shooting Three people are in critical condition, among five injured in a shooting late Wednesday night in Pittsburgh’s Middle Hill neighborhood. Police responded at 10:45 p.m. to a ShotSpotter alert for multiple rounds...
Springdale, Riverview may team up in softball, wrestling, golf
Bitter rivals in Lower Valley high school athletics scene may be teaming up in three sports. Allegheny Valley school directors are considering a cooperative sponsorship agreement with the Riverview School District for its softball, wrestling and golf programs. “We believe that creating positive, meaningful relationships with our neighbors such as...
Chomper, the rescued Kiski River alligator, to serve as animal ambassador
The Kiski River alligator that led officials and volunteers on a weeklong search will call Pittsburgh home — for now. The alligator was safely delivered Monday evening to an undisclosed alligator foster residence in Allegheny County. The location is kept secret to protect the people caring for the animal and...
Tarentum boaters have until Oct. 31 to remove items from boat docks
A decision by Tarentum Council to eliminate boat docks at Riverview Memorial Park has enraged longtime users who feel they are scapegoats for what they called the borough’s swankier aspirations. Boaters have until Oct. 31 to dismantle sheds, roofs and other amenities because of concerns over a lack of state...
Hempfield high school project plan is millions of dollars over budget, must be revised
Contract bids for the first phase of the Hempfield Area Senior High School renovation project are millions of dollars over budget, and the project must be revised before construction can begin. That’s what architects from SitelogIQ told the Hempfield Area School Board at a public meeting Wednesday afternoon. The architects...
Pittsburgh-area health insurers request rate increases
The Pittsburgh region’s biggest health insurers are seeking rate increases for plans on the individual market, some up to 13%, according to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. Highmark Inc. is asking for an average rate increase of 11.2% and the Highmark Coverage Advantage Inc. insurance plan is requesting an increase of...
At least 36 killed on Maui as fires burn through Hawaii and thousands race to escapeVideo
Thousands of Hawaii residents raced to escape homes on Maui as blazes swept across the island, destroying parts of a centuries-old town and killing at least 36 people in one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in recent years. The fire took the island by surprise, leaving behind burned-out cars on...
Special counsel got a search warrant for Twitter to turn over info on Trump’s account, documents say
Special counsel Jack Smith’s team obtained a search warrant in January for records related to former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account, and a judge levied a $350,000 fine on the company for missing the deadline to comply, according to court documents released Wednesday. The new details were included in a...
Penn State gender pay gap is among worst compared to public Big Ten schools, federal data show
This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. STATE COLLEGE — Penn State is facing at least one allegation of wage discrimination, while salary data show the university’s gender pay gap is among...
Utah man suspected of threatening President Joe Biden shot and killed as FBI served warrant
SALT LAKE CITY — An armed Utah man accused of making violent threats against President Joe Biden was shot and killed by FBI agents hours before the president landed in the state Wednesday, authorities said. Special agents were trying to serve a warrant on the home of Craig Deleeuw Robertson...
Derry Township man held for court in 16-year-old murder case
During one of their daily meetings to use drugs, Timothy Smartnick said Charles E. Ream told him a secret. They were at a hotel in Monroeville sometime in 2009 or 2010 when Ream said he went to Samantha Lang’s Derry Township home in 2007. Smartnick testified during Ream’s preliminary hearing...
Wooden boxes stocked with food, supplies placed in Wilkinsburg to aid underserved residents
A wooden box stands at the corner of Wilkinsburg’s Laketon Road and Douglas Drive. Behind a purple door adorned with the expression “Explore your full potential” are shelves stocked with everything from nonperishables such as boxed macaroni and cheese, long-grain rice and canned corn to jars of baby food, socks...
Millions struggle to pay AC bills in heat waves. Federal aid reaches only a fraction
DENVER — Bobbie Boyd is in a losing battle against near triple-digit temperatures in northwest Arkansas. Her window air conditioner runs nonstop and the ballooning electric bill carves about $240 out of her $882-a-month fixed income. So the 57-year-old cuts other necessities. Boyd eats one meal a day so her...
