Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 653
Black lung: Advocates eye new federal silica-dust standard to stem resurgence among coal minersVideo
Mark Rankin left the coal mines, but the coal mines haven’t left Mark Rankin. Stocky and broad shouldered, the retired Uniontown-area coal miner trekked to a Washington County health clinic to see if recent coughing and tightness in his chest could be black lung. Rankin worked for years stripping coal...
2 arrested after SWAT scene, car chase in Penn Hills
Two people are in jail after a SWAT situation and car chase through Penn Hills Saturday night. Pittsburgh Police and responded to the 5900 block of Second Avenue in Hazelwood after a man called and said he had been robbed at gunpoint by a man and woman and had his...
University of Pittsburgh says it’s willing to freeze in-state tuition in 2024-25 — if it gets a larger state subsidy
The University of Pittsburgh says it’s willing to freeze in-state tuition for the 2024-25 academic year, provided the state delivers a larger-than-usual state appropriation that year: a 9.25% increase. The dollar request was conveyed to state officials in a letter of intent Friday. An in-state freeze would apply to thousands...
‘Silence of the Lambs’ actress meets fans, returns to the well at restored film location in Fayette County
The first time actress Brooke Smith’s character Catherine Martin spent time inside the ominous “Buffalo Bill” house in the 1991 thriller “The Silence of the Lambs,” she was trapped in a dingy basement well at the mercy of a deranged serial killer. This weekend, Smith ventured back into the basement...
Route 30 traffic disruptions expected during demolition of Hempfield bridge
Traffic on Route 30 in Hempfield will be halted intermittently overnight beginning Monday, Sept. 25 as crews from contractor Charles J. Merlo demolish the old bridge that carried East Pittsburgh Street over the highway. Traffic will be stopped for up to 15 minutes at a time, as needed, between 8...
Plum School District investigating bullet found on school bus
The Plum School District is investigating a recent incident in which a bullet was found on one of its school buses. The district said it’s working closely with law enforcement agencies to gather information. It said there was no immediate threat to any students or staff members. In a letter...
‘Traffic calming’ speed bumps coming to Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood
Construction on a traffic calming project is slated to start next week in Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood, according to city officials. The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure will be installing speed humps on Seagirt Street between Tokay Street and Mooseheart Street beginning Wednesday. Construction work is expected to take place...
No charges to be filed in Pittsburgh teen’s stabbing death, Allegheny County DA says
No charges are to be filed in the July 27 stabbing death of a Pittsburgh teen in the city, Allegheny County officials have determined. The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office told Tribune-Review news partner WTAE-TV that no charges will be filed in the death of 17-year-old Brandon Thomas in Schenley...
Springdale implosion decision looms as residents, health official testify about dust from earlier smokestack event
On the morning of June 2, Joe Kern took to his Duquesne Court home’s roof and decided to film Springdale history, waiting for the two towering smokestacks at the former coal-fired power plant across the street to be imploded. But when the towers fell, a cloud of brown dust absorbed...
Westmoreland transit readies real-time bus tracking
Westmoreland County Transit Authority bus passengers will be able to track their rides online next year. Agency officials said training for a real-time tracking program is expected to begin this fall, with an anticipated launch date in January. Global positioning software is being installed on the authority’s fleet of more...
Work nearly finished on reconfigured Route 119 in Youngwood; safety upgrades a priority
The end is within sight for motorists in Youngwood, now that PennDOT has completed all but the finishing touches on its $23.5 million reconstruction of the Route 119 corridor through the borough. The arrival of the covid-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 disrupted work on the road, which has...
Delmont dad charged in son’s death seeks release on bail
A Delmont man accused in connection with the killing of his 5-year-old adopted son is seeking release from jail on a no-money bond. Jacob Maloberti, 33, was charged along with his wife, Lauren, in July with criminal homicide, reckless endangerment, aggravated assault, conspiracy and other related offenses related to allegations...
Questions surround firing of Arnold city manager as council prepares to interview replacement
Questions surround the firing of Arnold City Manager Mario Bellavia, which happened only about a week after residents publicly applauded him for his work on behalf of the city. Details surrounding Bellavia’s termination, including how it happened, when and why, were unclear Friday. Bellavia did not return phone calls. An...
New Florence man seeks dismissal of criminal case for speedy trial violation
A New Florence man has asked that criminal charges that he assault police who attempted to arrest him two years ago be dismissed because Westmoreland County prosecutors violated his speedy trial rights. Ray A. Shetler Jr., 38, has been in jail since December 2021 after he was charged with two...
Allegheny County DA candidate Matt Dugan lays out plan to make Downtown Pittsburgh safer
Democrat Matt Dugan said Friday that he would work to restore Downtown Pittsburgh as a safe, clean place for residents, businesses and visitors if elected Allegheny County’s district attorney. “It’s vitally, vitally important that we as leaders provide a safe and clean Downtown area so that our existing businesses can...
Pittsburgh man in fake cop uniform had knife when he went to courthouse to harass judge, police say
A Pittsburgh man is accused of going into Allegheny County Courthouse while wearing a fake police uniform and carrying a knife to harass a Common Pleas judge. Christopher Hall, 29, of the Hill District, tried to enter Common Pleas Judge Edward Borkowski’s courtroom around 10:40 a.m. Tuesday dressed in a...
Serra Catholic officials describe student killed in van crash as ‘beating heart of her class’Video
The morning unfolded in chaos. When Serra Catholic High School Principal Bob Childs heard that a school van carrying four of his students to the McKeesport school had crashed around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, he immediately went to the scene. By the time he arrived near Mansfield Bridge in Dravosburg, paramedics...
Feds hold Allegheny Valley School District responsible for harassment, assault of disabled student
The Allegheny Valley School District failed to protect a disabled student whose classmates harassed and physically attacked him, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The department’s Office for Civil Rights has announced that it had resolved a disability harassment investigation of the district. The agreement includes requiring the district...
15 UPMC employees dubbed ‘Million Dollar Miracles’ after PA Lottery win
Fifteen UPMC employees are calling themselves the Million Dollar Miracles after hitting the PA Lottery this summer. The friends won $1 million on the Mega Millions on July 28 after purchasing a ticket at the Nittany MiniMart along Route 6 in Smethport. Each person received $48,600. “This is the first...
Morning Roundup: Man stabbed in Mt. Washington; police chase from Ohio to Pa. ends in Findlay
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Sept. 22: Man stabbed in Mt. Washington A man was stabbed early Thursday in Mt. Washington, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety. Police were called about 8 a.m. to the 600 block of Omaha Street. Officers found a 34-year-old...
Hempfield seeks engineering firms to help with SCI Greensburg property
Hempfield Township is meeting with engineering firms about the former SCI Greensburg prison property while soliciting proposals on how to best tackle the site, officials said. According to township manager Aaron Siko, a walk-through tour of the prison was held Wednesday for engineers who might be interested in submitting proposals...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Sept. 21-23
It’s the weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. The Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race is Sunday so with road closures from Squirrel Hill to Oakland and through Uptown to Downtown, plan accordingly. Haunted tour Dark History PGH is hosting haunted walking tours of Carnegie and...
New Kensington-Arnold committee to consider changing how school board is elected
As recently as this year’s primary election, too few people have sought to be elected to the New Kensington-Arnold School Board. In May, only three people were on the ballot for six seats, with Democrats having all three on their ballot and Republicans just one. In the last election in...
Greater Latrobe’s multimillion-dollar revitalization plan raises taxes through 2039
After 19 months of study, review and public comment, the Greater Latrobe School board is forging ahead with a plan to raise taxes and embark on a $182 million to $198 million plan to rebuild and revitalize district buildings. The plan has three phases, with the figures projected for the...
Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Class of 2028 will be last to receive Pittsburgh Promise scholarships
Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Class of 2028 will be the final group of students to receive Pittsburgh Promise scholarships, the nonprofit behind the scholarships said in a letter to district parents. Saleem Ghubril, executive director of The Pittsburgh Promise, said he is confident that the nonprofit will be able to complete...
