Top Stories category, Page 656
Tony Bennett, masterful stylist of American musical standards, dies at 96
NEW YORK — Tony Bennett, the eminent and timeless stylist whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards such as “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” graced a decadeslong career that brought him admirers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, died Friday. He was 96,...
Severe thunderstorms move through Western Pa.; thousands left without power
Severe thunderstorms and damaging winds moved through Western Pennsylvania late Thursday, leaving thousands in the region without power. As of 11:30 a.m., just under 2,000 customers remained without electricity, including about 1,600 West Penn Power customers. While the number of outages has dropped as the day wears on, the bulk...
Think pink: Barbie-mania takes over Western Pennsylvania
Sorry, Taylor Swift, you’re old news. This week, it’s all about Barbie. The long-awaited, first live-action movie about the world’s best-selling fashion doll arrives in theaters this weekend with Margot Robbie in the title role and Ryan Gosling as her perpetual boyfriend, Ken. “Barbie” finds the pair kicked out of...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: July 21-23
We’ve made it to the weekend. If you aren’t attending Picklesburgh or the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix in Schenley Park, here are some other things to do. Edible garden The fifth annual Swissvale Edible Garden Tour is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The free event showcases gardeners...
$25 million in upgrades underway at Highlands schools
With the start of school just over a month away, Highlands is readying its buildings with safety upgrades such as lighting and new sidewalks in time for the first class bell. Projects are underway at all four campuses as well as the community center. The cost is about $25 million....
Hempfield closes on former state prison property, bulks up security
Hempfield officially received a full box of keys to the former SCI Greensburg state prison facility after closing on the property last week. “There are a lot of keys to a prison, I found out,” township manager Aaron Siko joked at a meeting this week. The township supervisors announced the...
Penn State tuition to increase by 2% for in-state University Park students
In-state undergraduate tuition is going up this fall and next by 2% on Penn State University’s main campus, but will be frozen for Pennsylvania undergraduates both years on branch campuses statewide. University trustees, meeting Friday at Penn State Behrend in Erie, locked in 2023-24 and 2024-25 tuition schedules for the...
Tiny downtown LA store near Skid Row sells winning Powerball jackpot ticket worth over $1 billion
LOS ANGELES — A tiny neighborhood store in downtown Los Angeles sold the winning ticket for the Powerball jackpot worth an estimated $1.08 billion, the sixth largest in U.S. history and the third largest in the history of the game. The winning numbers for Wednesday night’s drawing were: white balls...
Johnstown couple charged in death of man whose body was found in Indiana County
A Johnstown couple has been charged in connection with the shooting death of a man whose body was discovered July 14 along an Indiana County road. State police have charged Justin Allen Green, 41, with homicide and robbery in the death of Daryl Vincent Lee Jr., 44, of Johnstown. Green...
Pollution from Canada’s wildfires was similar to breathing secondhand smoke indoors, study shows
The Canadian wildfires this summer exposed people to secondhand smoke at levels not seen since smoking was banned indoors in 2006, according to preliminary findings from Rutgers University researchers. Since the worst of the pollution from June 6 to 8, Philadelphia and other East Coast cities have continued to experience...
RFK Jr. denies making antisemitic comments as congressional Republicans give him a platformVideo
WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. worked to defend himself Thursday against accusations that he traffics in racist and hateful online conspiracy theories, testifying at a House hearing on government censorship despite requests from outside groups to disinvite the Democratic presidential candidate after his recent antisemitic remarks. The Republican-led Select...
Pittsburgh’s South Side not getting more violent, crime stats show
Though some have voiced concerns that Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood is more dangerous, crime data from Pittsburgh police indicate violent crime there is decreasing. From January through June, the neighborhood saw eight aggravated assault charges, 21 simple assault charges and four criminal mischief charges, according to crime statistics provided by...
Pittsburgh area baristas strike as part of Starbucks union national bus tour
Starbucks workers from across the country joined local baristas at the company’s Bloomfield and Eastside locations on Thursday in a strike against stalled contract negotiations and alleged union busting tactics. The pickets are part of a 13-city Starbucks Workers United bus tour that kicked off in Louisville on July 16....
PennDOT secretary, Pittsburgh officials call for transit funding during budget impasseVideo
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration met with local officials Thursday in Downtown Pittsburgh to stress the importance of transit and infrastructure funding as the state and region looks to repair hundreds of roads and bridges. PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll met with officials on the Smithfield Street Bridge, a 140-year-old span undergoing...
‘We need homes, not vacant lots’: Pittsburgh council hears public land bank support
Pittsburgh City Council on Thursday heard public support for legislation that aims to make it easier for the city’s land bank to take the city’s blighted properties and bring them back to reuse. The proposed legislation deals with what city officials refer to as the tri-party agreement, which outlines how...
Expert details Pittsburgh synagogue shooter’s troubled childhood ‘laden with trauma’
Time and again, Robert Bowers’ mother was told her young son needed help. When he was an infant, both parents threatened to kill him. When he was a toddler, his speech regressed so much he stopped talking altogether. When he had a rash as a young boy, a doctor thought...
Plans being drafted for public works facility in Brackenridge
Brackenridge officials are eyeing a new public works building to replace one that dates to 1900 and has floors that are caving in. The construction is expected to cost about $750,000, all of which will be covered by grants awarded to the borough. Officials hope to move forward in the...
Court releases family photos of Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims
There were more than 11 victims when a gunman attacked congregants inside the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill on Oct. 27, 2018. Families and friends of those killed. Injured congregants. Police officers and first responders. This week, as the trial entered its sentencing phase, government prosecutors told their...
Fetterman says Senate debate performance sent him into deep depression
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman shared the details of the inner turmoil that led him to seek treatment for depression earlier this year with Time magazine in a story published Thursday. The Pennsylvania Democrat told Time national political correspondent Molly Ball that his stilted performance in the Oct. 25, 2022, debate...
Medical marijuana company to close Pennsylvania operations, laying off 76
A medical marijuana company, Goodblend Pennsylvania LLC, is closing its operations in the state, affecting 76 jobs. The company has a facility on Beaver Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Chateau neighborhood, which is expected to shutter by Sept. 15. It also has dispensaries along Baum Boulevard in Friendship and one in Erie,...
Design of VOPP Trail continues, 3 out of 4 phases mapped out
A bike lane through parts of Verona and Oakmont, a new traffic light at a busy intersection near the boroughs’ borders and the use of an old railroad bed are all parts of a proposed bike/walking trail connecting Verona, Oakmont, Penn Hills and Plum. Project officials announced three out of...
Kennywood’s Raging Rapids reopens
After three long years, the Raging Rapids are running again. Kennywood Park’s water ride finally reopened Thursday. In April, the park announced the ride would return at some point this season. Crews have spent weeks working on the ride before its return, said Kennywood spokesperson Tasha Pokrzywa. “We’re really excited...
Tuition remains frozen for Pennsylvania-owned universities
For the 85,000 students attending a Pennsylvania state-owned university who have hoped for relief from rising prices, the news is official. Tuition will remain unchanged for the 2023-24 academic year, now that the State System of Higher Education approved a fifth consecutive tuition freeze across the 10 institutions. By a...
Morning Roundup: Vehicle goes over hillside in West Mifflin
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, July 20. Vehicle goes over hillside in West Mifflin One person is in the hospital after their vehicle went over a hillside Thursday morning in West Mifflin, according to Tribune-Review news partner WTAE. The crash happened around 4...
Quench your thirst: Picklesburgh has plenty of ‘dill-icious’ drink options
Pickle-flavored juice, beer, iced tea, lemonade and alcoholic drinks will be some of the liquids flowing starting at noon Friday when Picklesburgh opens. Pickles are commonly used in food, but the festival pours on the drink options, as well. The annual event produced by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership will have...
