Top Stories category, Page 648
Pirates ‘extremely relieved’ to see All-Star pitchers David Bednar, Mitch Keller staying put
David Bednar laughed out loud upon learning that his parents posted a photo on social media of themselves standing in front of his banner outside PNC Park, holding up a phone that displayed 6 o’clock. As happy as Andy and Sue Bednar were to see their son was still a...
The election-meddling indictment against Trump is sprawling. Here’s a breakdown of the case
Donald Trump for years has promoted baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. In truth, Trump was the one who tried to steal the election, federal prosecutors said Tuesday in a sprawling indictment that paints the former president as desperate to cling to power he knew had...
Fire guts North Huntingdon house
A house in North Huntingdon’s Shafton neighborhood was gutted by fire early Tuesday night when a blaze broke out on the back porch, a fire official said. The back porch of the house on Broadway Avenue was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, said Shafton Fire Chief Ken Fennell. No...
Alligator eludes capture in Kiski River, officials seek public’s help
A rogue reptile seen in and around the Kiski River is still on the loose in the Apollo area. Volunteers and Kiski Township officials are continuing their efforts to safely locate, trap and relocate an alligator spotted multiple times over the weekend along the Kiski River. A group of kayakers...
Pittsburgh shifts covid relief funding to public safety vehicles, infrastructure projects
Pittsburgh City Council voted Tuesday to reallocate millions of dollars in covid relief funding to invest in public safety vehicles, landslide remediation and infrastructure projects that are on a timeline to be completed before the funds expire. Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act must be allocated and under contract...
Trump indicted for efforts to overturn 2020 election, block transfer of powerVideo
Donald Trump was indicted on felony charges Tuesday for working to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol, with the Justice Department moving to hold him accountable for an unprecedented effort to block the peaceful transfer...
Ted Kopas returns to work as Westmoreland commissioner
Ted Kopas didn’t need directions to get to work Tuesday morning. Kopas, a Democrat who lives in Hempfield, was sworn in to office as a Westmoreland County commissioner. He takes over the minority role on the county’s board of commissioners from Democrat Gina Cerilli Thrasher, who left office a day...
Accused Upper Burrell bar shooter competent for trial
A Westmoreland County judge ruled Tuesday that a man charged in connection with a fatal shooting in an Upper Burrell bar nearly two years ago is competent to stand trial. Police claim Daniel Moles, 77, of Lower Burrell shot and killed 31-year-old Randy Jenereaux at Woodpeckers Pub & Grub tavern...
Pittsburgh pilot program will repair damaged, heavily used sidewalks at lower cost
A pilot program approved Tuesday by Pittsburgh City Council will have city crews repair damaged and heavily used sidewalks for residents at a lower cost. Under city law, landowners are responsible for sidewalk maintenance on their properties. The one-year pilot program, introduced in July, will prioritize sidewalks that are heavily...
Unemployment rate in Pittsburgh region dips to new record low
The unemployment rate in the Pittsburgh area inched down to 3.9% during the month of June, a new record low. The drop of two-tenths of a percentage brings the rate to the lowest point since 1976, according to data released Tuesday by the state Department of Labor & Industry. David...
$1.1 billion Mega Millions jackpot drawing offers shot at 6th largest prize ever
An estimated $1.1 billion Mega Millions jackpot will be up for grabs Tuesday night, giving lottery players a chance to snap an unlucky streak that has stretched on for months. No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since April 18, allowing it to roll over again and again until...
Fans can view Pee-wee Herman’s bike at Pittsburgh’s Bicycle Heaven museumVideo
With the July 30 death of actor Paul Reubens, also known as Pee-wee Herman, Craig Morrow is expecting an increase of visitors to Bicycle Heaven. The museum and bike shop in Pittsburgh’s North Side is home to one of the the prop bikes used in the 1985 film “Pee-wee’s Big...
Ross Township renews contract to curb deer numbers
Ross Township renewed its Suburban Whitetail Management of Pennsylvania contract for the next deer hunting season. It will be the third year of the deal with the company, which works with municipalities and homeowners to reduce the deer population. “They are an organization that basically recruits responsible, skilled archery hunters,”...
Fitness festival returns to New Kensington, pumping up fun and fellowship
Fitness can be fun. That’s the message from a New Kensington business owner promoting a fitness festival for all ages in downtown New Kensington. Cullen Maag, owner of BodyWork412 on Fifth Avenue, is the organizer of the annual NK5K Fitfest. This year, the physically themed event returns from 9 a.m....
Ex-Greensburg police chief waives hearing on theft of evidence charges
Former Greensburg police Chief Shawn Denning waived his right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday, two days before he was scheduled to appear in district court for the proceeding on accusations that he took items from the department’s evidence room. Court records showed Denning, 42, of Delmont waived all five misdemeanor...
Pittsburgh synagogue shooter’s fate remains undecided, deliberations to resume Wednesday
The jury considering the fate of the man who killed 11 people at a Squirrel Hill synagogue nearly five years ago will continue their deliberations on Wednesday. The panel of seven women and five men began discussing the penalty-phase verdict for Robert Bowers at 9 a.m. Tuesday and broke for...
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium announces death of red panda Kovu
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium’s popular red panda Kovu has died, the park announced Monday via Facebook. “We are deeply saddened to announce the death of our male red panda, Kovu,” the post begins. The post said the 9-year-old Kovu began “displaying unusual behavior, including trouble walking” on Friday. He...
Bed Bath & Beyond is back, this time as an online retailer
NEW YORK — Overstock has officially relaunched the Bed Bath & Beyond domain online Tuesday in the U.S., after acquiring the bankrupt retail chain’s intellectual property assets for $21.5 million last month. The online retailer Overstock.com said in late June that it was dumping its name online and it will...
Morning Roundup: Police continue crime crackdown in the South Side
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Aug. 1: Police continue South Side patrols Pittsburgh police have released the numbers from a recent four-day weekend (July 27-30) patrol of East Carson Street. Increased officer presence and patrols resulted in two arrests, 15 traffic stops and...
Editorial: Does a billion-dollar lottery jackpot make it hard to play responsibly?
For the second time in two weeks, there is a lottery jackpot topping $1 billion. The Mega Millions drawing will be $1.05 billion. It has grown steadily over 15 weeks, with drawings each Tuesday and Friday, as people pay $2 for each line of numbers printed on a small slip...
Newly consolidated Tarentum/Brackenridge police force begins patrols
The Brackenridge Police Department has officially disbanded, but its officers will still be patrolling the borough. A newly minted Tarentum police force, which absorbed the three Brackenridge officers, begins Tuesday. Both councils voted Friday for shared police services for a five-year trial period. Schedules, pensions and administrative issues will be...
Hempfield Area parents, board members debate book policies ahead of upcoming vote
Occasional cheering and applause rose on Monday as Hempfield Area School District residents and parents reviewed book challenges and bans. A policy governing the process awaits a final vote by the school board in two weeks. During Monday’s school board meeting, several residents talked about the proposed policies, and some...
Shapiro signs executive order in Pittsburgh to create statewide workforce development program
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order Monday in Pittsburgh’s Esplen neighborhood, creating a statewide workforce training program. The move comes after Pittsburgh was designated a “workforce development hub” by the White House, with the first lady visiting the region to sing the praises of the region’s workforce development efforts....
Biden administration rolls out new income-driven student loan repayment program
Students hoping to reduce or even eliminate their remaining student debt can now enroll online in the Biden administration’s new income-driven student loan repayment plan called Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE. It may take some patience, though, because the website application containing the SAVE enrollment option — active...
SAG-AFTRA members rally in Pittsburgh as Hollywood strike drags on
Randy Kovitz is a middle-class actor. It’s a title he says he’s proud of, with a resume showing credits from film, television and commercials. His first role was in George Romero’s cult classic and genre-defining movie “Dawn of the Dead,” a cult classic, filmed at Monroeville Mall. He received $50...
