Top Stories category, Page 716
Supreme Court limits EPA protection for wetlands, ruling for property rights over clean waterVideo
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday limited federal protection for millions of acres of wetlands, ruling for property rights over clean water. In a 5-4 decision, the justices said the Clean Water Act does not forbid discharges of pollutants into marshy areas or dry creek beds because water does...
Ex-Greensburg police chief accused of taking backpack of drugs from evidence room
Former Greensburg Police Chief Shawn Denning, who resigned in January after his arrest by federal authorities, is facing more trouble as Westmoreland County detectives on Thursday charged him with taking items from the department’s evidence room. Denning, 42, of Delmont, is charged with theft, conspiracy and three counts of tampering...
Bethel Park police lieutenant charged in illegal immigrant transport case
A Bethel Park police lieutenant was taken into federal custody Thursday afternoon after authorities said he transported an illegal immigrant. FBI spokesperson Catherine Coennen confirmed that Lt. Blake Thomas Babin, 59, of Bethel Park, is in custody. He is facing a felony charge of transporting an illegal immigrant, according to...
Braddock man gets 12 to 24 years in prison for role in fentanyl ring
A Braddock man was sentenced to 12 to 24 years in prison for running a million-dollar fentanyl drug ring. Domonique Taylor, 39, pleaded guilty to felony drug trafficking, gun possession and money-laundering charges, state Attorney General Michelle Henry said Thursday. In March 2022, the state Attorney General’s office and local...
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy in Jan. 6 attack
WASHINGTON — Oath Keepers extremist group founder Stewart Rhodes was sentenced Thursday to 18 years in prison for orchestrating a weekslong plot that culminated in his followers attacking the U.S. Capitol in a bid to keep President Joe Biden out of the White House after winning the 2020 election. Rhodes,...
Lawsuit claims Leechburg school officials failed to protect 8th grader from being raped in restroom
The mother of a former middle school student alleges in a lawsuit filed against the Leechburg Area School District that a lack of supervision during an after-school program allowed another student to rape her daughter in a school bathroom in 2021. The civil lawsuit filed in Armstrong County Court by...
Pittsburgh implements new outdoor dining standards
A Pittsburgh commission voted Wednesday to standardize outdoor dining options in the city and streamline the process of getting city approval for outdoor dining areas. Restaurants need to apply for permits to use sidewalks and streets for outdoor operations. Pittsburgh’s Public Art & Civic Design Commission approved setting standards for...
TV Talk: Pittsburgh’s Heidi isn’t the sole ‘Survivor;’ Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in his first TV seriesVideo
Going into this 44th season of CBS’s “Survivor,” Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt of Jefferson Hills described a strategy of head-down, don’t-rock-the-boat, no-nonsense play. That worked for almost the entire season. It was clear from the first episode, in which she was barely featured, that Lagares-Greenblatt likely was in it for the long...
Kennywood launches Spinvasion, a new ‘extra-terrestrial’ rideVideo
Kennywood is debuting its newest addition just ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. Spinvasion, a multi-action spin ride, is the first of its kind in the U.S., according to the amusement park. The ride, which comes as part of the newly revamped Area 412 section of the park, opens Friday....
Pa. State troopers more likely to do optional searches for Black, Hispanic drivers than white ones
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. Black and Hispanic drivers were slightly more likely to face discretionary searches during traffic stops in Pennsylvania last year, according to...
Jeannette woman accused of faking abduction may owe $11,500 for emergency response
A Jeannette woman accused by police of faking her own abduction could enter a probationary program that includes the possibility of paying nearly $11,500 in restitution for costs related to the massive, hourslong search for her. Chloe Stein, 23, waived her right to a preliminary hearing Thursday after attorneys negotiated...
Harrison nurse charged in deaths of 2 patients, injuries to another
A Harrison woman is charged with killing two patients and injuring a third while she cared for them as a nurse. Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced charges Thursday against Heather Pressdee, 40, who is accused of administering unnecessary doses of insulin to patients, resulting in the deaths of two...
Baby boomers push nation’s median age to almost 39 as fewer children are born
The United States grew older, faster, last decade. The share of residents 65 or older grew by more than a third from 2010 to 2020 and at the fastest rate of any decade in 130 years, while the share of children declined, according to new figures from the most recent...
Federal rule could remove chocolate milk option in some Pa. schools
Young students could soon be without chocolate- and strawberry-flavored milks as an option at school cafeterias, if a federal proposal is approved, and some Pennsylvania officials are cautioning against the potential change. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently proposed banning flavored milk as a cafeteria option for elementary and middle...
‘On the Rocks’ tells the story of the Primadonna restaurant owner
Joseph “Joe Joe” Costanzo Jr. slept in restaurant booths at his Primadonna Restaurant in McKees Rocks. He missed family events. His wife, Donna Costanzo, said the best way to see him was to work at the restaurant. He knew most diners’ names, greeting them with a hearty hello and a...
Go beyond hamburgers and hot dogs for your summer barbecues
Is it even summer if you aren’t out on the patio grilling? According to BBQ Revolution, seven out of 10 adults in the United States own a grill or a smoker. A survey on the website showed that 72% of consumers love grilling for the flavor it adds to food,...
Man shot roommate after accusing him of eating the last Hot Pocket, police say
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A man in Kentucky’s largest city is facing criminal charges after allegedly shooting his roommate during a dispute over a Hot Pocket, authorities say. Clifton Williams, 64, was arrested on assault charges Sunday after he accused his roommate of eating their last Hot Pocket and attacked him,...
Morning Roundup: Sandcastle to open after major upgrades, new rides
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, May 25: Sandcastle to open with new slides, pools Sandcastle, Pittsburgh’s big water park, is set to open for the season on Saturday. Park officials are touting upgrades including a new waterslide and improved pools. Located in West...
Back to normal: Spike in Memorial Day travel expected
A normal Memorial Day is finally on the horizon, including ceremonies honoring veterans, family vacations and maybe even some hot dogs doused in Heinz ketchup. With the end of the covid-19 public health emergency May 11, and the halting of most pandemic restrictions, Americans have big plans for Memorial Day,...
DeSantis launches GOP presidential campaign in Twitter announcement plagued by glitchesVideo
MIAMI — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday with a Twitter announcement plagued by technical glitches, stepping into a crowded Republican primary contest that will test his strength against former President Donald Trump and criticism that he’s not ready for the national stage. The 44-year-old...
Officials identify man found in wooded area in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood
Pittsburgh police are investigating the death of a man whose body was found Wednesday morning wrapped in a tarp and left in a wooded area. Police were called to the 400 block of Ardary Street in the city’s Garfield neighborhood, where they found a Black man whose body had been...
Shell Appalachia fined $10 million for air quality violations from Beaver County ‘cracker’ plant
Shell Chemicals Appalachia will pay nearly $10 million for air quality violations during the commissioning of its petrochemical plant in Beaver County. Under the agreement announced Wednesday, Shell will pay a $4.9 million civil penalty, with 25% going to local communities. Along with $5 million for environmental projects to benefit...
Questions surround timing of vote for new Harrison police chief
The Harrison Commissioners didn’t break the law but they appear to have violated the intent of the state’s Open Meetings law when they voted during last week’s agenda meeting to hire the township’s new police chief, according to an attorney for the PA NewsMedia Association. “Residents and taxpayers expect and...
Westmoreland Republican row officers secure Democratic nominations through write-in votes
Westmoreland County Treasurer Jared Squires and Controller Jeffrey Balzer were out to lunch in late April when they decided to put in motion a plan to ensure they wouldn’t have any competition for the jobs they’ve held for the last 11 years. “We realized no one was running against us....
1 year after Uvalde shooting, investigation of police response continues
AUSTIN, Texas — A criminal investigation in Texas over the hesitant police response to the Robb Elementary School shooting is still ongoing as Wednesday marks one year since a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers inside a fourth-grade classroom in Uvalde. The continuing probe underlines the lasting fallout over...
