Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 651
Over 50 arrested after mobs ransacked Philadelphia stores. Dozens of liquor outlets are shut downVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Dozens of people faced criminal charges Wednesday after a night of social media-fueled mayhem in which groups of thieves, apparently working together, smashed their way into stores in several areas of Philadelphia, stuffing plastic bags with merchandise and fleeing, authorities said. Police said they made at least 52...
Westmoreland 250: 10 things to see in the Scottdale area
(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...
Pennsylvania residents getting health insurance through Medicaid have to reapply, state secretary says
An important deadline is looming for millions of Pennsylvania residents who get health insurance through Medicaid that, if missed, could result in losing coverage. But even if residents find themselves no longer eligible for Medicaid, there is another way to keep coverage. Dr. Val Arkoosh, secretary of the state Department...
Biden urges striking auto workers to ‘stick with it’ in picket line visit unparalleled in historyVideo
VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — President Joe Biden grabbed a bullhorn on the picket line Tuesday and urged striking auto workers to “stick with it” in an unparalleled show of support for organized labor by a modern president. Donning a union ballcap and exchanging fist bumps, Biden told United Auto...
Pittsburgh police arrest suspect in East Hills murder
A Pittsburgh man was arrested Tuesday and accused of fatally shooting a man last Saturday in the city’s East Hills neighborhood, police said. The suspect, Trevon Taylor, 20, was arrested in connection with the death of Allen Jarrone Stevens in the 2300 block of East Hills Drive, police said. A...
Review board votes to investigate Pittsburgh police’s use of force during Downtown arrest captured on video
Pittsburgh’s Citizen Police Review Board voted Tuesday night to launch an investigation into whether Pittsburgh police officers used excessive force when arresting a Garfield man Downtown last month. Pittsburgh police arrested Jashon Martin, 32, around 8:30 p.m. Aug. 25 in the Smithfield Street corridor near Mellon Square Park on multiple...
Dale Earnhardt Jr. draws crowd to Lernerville Speedway
With a large group of people around him, hoping for a picture or an autograph, Dale Earnhardt Jr. walked along the front of the grandstands at Lernerville Speedway. It was a major moment in the long, storied history of the Buffalo Township racetrack, and it brought out a standing-room-only crowd....
Allegheny County Council to sue over reopening of juvenile detention center
Allegheny County Council voted Tuesday to sue to determine if council has a say in the future reopening of the county’s juvenile detention center. Last week, Allegheny County’s court system announced that Latrobe nonprofit Adelphoi will take over providing juvenile detention services at the Shuman Juvenile Detention Center as soon...
Pittsburgh had record low unemployment rate in August, state says
The number of people applying for unemployment benefits in the seven-county Pittsburgh region hit a new low in August. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the area fell one-tenth of a percentage point over the month to a record low of 3.6%, the lowest level since record-keeping began in 1976,...
Judge rules Donald Trump defrauded banks, insurers as he built real estate empire
NEW YORK — A judge ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House. Judge Arthur Engoron, ruling in a civil lawsuit brought by New York’s attorney general, found that the former president and his...
Pittsburgh woman accused of stealing more than $800K from Castle Shannon learning center
The head of a Castle Shannon learning center is accused of stealing more than $800,000 from the organization’s coffers. Sammi Jo Whittaker, 36, of Beechview, was arraigned Tuesday on charges of forgery, theft by unlawful taking, access device fraud, receiving stolen property, dealing in the proceeds of illegal activity, unlawful...
Friends recall Eureka Fire-Rescue EMS Manager Shannon McKruit as caring, dedicated
Members of Eureka Fire-Rescue in Tarentum are mourning the loss of a woman many referred to as the station “mom.” Shannon McKruit, EMS manager at the Third Avenue department, died Monday at 52. “I wonder if she ever realized the impact she had on thousands of people,” fire President David...
TSA confiscates 2nd gun in 3 days at Pittsburgh International Airport
Security officials at Pittsburgh International Airport on Tuesday morning seized their second gun in three days. Transportation Security Administration officials stopped a Troy, Bradford County, woman from bringing a loaded, .380-caliber handgun that was in her backpack onto her flight Tuesday, TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said. TSA officials previously had...
Jailbreaks in Pa. are not as common as recent events imply
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds the powerful to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania correctional institutions have been the subject of public scrutiny after two high-profile escapes this summer. But how frequent are these kinds...
‘Our Downtown is doing well,’ but there’s still work to do, Pittsburgh mayor tells forum
Local leaders expressed optimism Tuesday about the state of Downtown Pittsburgh, pushing back against criticism that the Golden Triangle has become unsafe, dirty and plagued by office vacancies and business closures. “Our Downtown is doing well,” Mayor Ed Gainey said during a forum at Point Park University’s University Center. Gainey...
Arnold residents will get a chance to comment on manager’s firing after the fact
Arnold residents will get an opportunity to comment on last week’s firing of the city’s manager, but they’ll have to wait until next month. The firing of Mario Bellavia will be on the agenda for council’s regular meeting Oct. 10, Solicitor Jaclyn Shaw said. But Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel...
Sen. Bob Casey joins chorus calling for indicted Sen. Menendez to resign
Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, joined a growing group of senators Tuesday in calling for embattled New Jersey U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez to resign. Menendez, a Democrat, and his wife were indicted Friday on charges that they took bribes including a luxury car, $480,000 in cash and $100,000 worth...
1 in custody, 1 at large following shooting in Oakland
Officers investigating a report of shots being fired early Tuesday in Oakland arrested one person on weapons charges, while a second person remains at large, police said. Police said they received a ShotSpotter alert that eight shots had been fired on Chauncey Drive around 2:45 a.m. They did not say...
Allegheny County DA’s detective back on job after drug case is dismissed, but charges could be refiled
A Westmoreland County district judge dismissed charges last week against a former detective with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office who police said provided testosterone and Adderall to his son when he played high school football. The DA’s office rehired Raymond Bonacci, 57, of Elizabeth after the charges were dismissed,...
Dale Earnhardt Jr. to appear at Lernerville Speedway tonight
Fans will again swarm a racetrack to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. Though he won’t be returning to racing, the 26-time NASCAR Cup Series winner will likely draw quite a crowd Tuesday night at Lernerville Speedway. He will attend the $50,000-to-win Commonwealth Clash as part of the High Limit Sprint Car...
NFL rules analyst: Minkah Fitzpatrick penalty should start a broader discussion on ‘roughing the passer’ calls
For CBS NFL rules analyst Gene Steratore, the debate surrounding Minkah Fitzpatrick’s roughing the passer penalty Sunday goes beyond “good call/bad call.” Instead, the former NFL referee and Uniontown/Washington, Pa., native says that play should bring up a broader conversation about defining what “roughing the passer” really means. For those...
With a government shutdown just days away, Congress is moving into crisis mode
WASHINGTON — With a government shutdown five days away, Congress is moving into crisis mode as Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces an insurgency from hard-right Republicans eager to slash spending even if it means curtailing federal services for millions of Americans. There’s no clear path ahead as lawmakers return with tensions...
Biden urges striking auto workers to ‘stick with it’ in picket line visit unparalleled in history
VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — President Joe Biden joined United Auto Workers strikers on a picket line Tuesday as their work stoppage against major carmakers hit day 12, a demonstration of support for organized labor apparently unparalleled in presidential history. “Stick with it,” he told them, exchanging fist bumps with...
Morning Roundup: 2 accused in Hill District carjacking; police say Pittsburgh man ran over neighbor after fight
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Sept. 26: Police arrest 2 juveniles accused in Hill District carjacking Two juveniles were arrested after an armed carjacking in the Hill District, according to Pittsburgh police. Officers responded to the 2100 block of Webster Avenue just before...
With membership ‘busting at the seams,’ Harvest Baptist Church launches $7 million expansion
A Harrison church that started with seven members in a meeting room at a local Holiday Inn is marking its 40th anniversary and launching a $7 million expansion. “It’s to the point now that we’re busting at the seams,” said Marc Likins, pastor of Harvest Baptist Church off Route 908....
