Top Stories category, Page 718
New Hempfield book challenge, acquisition rules up for vote
After more than a year of debate, Hempfield Area School Board is set to vote on new book selection and challenge regulations for the district’s libraries. The draft regulations, which were discussed by board members in January, would set guidelines for preventing sexually explicit content from entering or staying in...
Faces of the Valley: Emergency disaster volunteer from Parks Township logs more than 30 Salvation Army deployments
The long, faded scar across Joel Brown’s forehead and scalp is a reminder of one of the most harrowing volunteer days of his life. Brown, 57, of Parks Township was driving home from a fire call with the Parks Township Volunteer Fire Department in 2020 when he swerved while driving...
Spokesperson: Teenagers facing criminal charges, ban after sneaking into Kennywood
Four teenagers who attempted to sneak into Kennywood by climbing over a fence on Saturday will face criminal charges, according to a spokesperson for the park. Communications manager Tasha Pokrzywa said the teenagers were spotted by the park’s new camera system “with AI technology” around 2 p.m. yesterday. Police and...
The front door, threshold of welcome — and perilous border
NEW YORK — The American front door is a place where the welcome mat offers friendly greetings, where affable neighbors knock or ring, where boxes brimming with possibility are delivered. It is where home meets a world full of potentially good things. The American front door is a place where...
Unprepared for long war, U.S. Army under gun to make more ammo
SCRANTON, Pa. — One of the most important munitions of the Ukraine war comes from a historic factory in this city built by coal barons, where tons of steel rods are brought in by train to be forged into the artillery shells Kyiv can’t get enough of — and that...
Trump defends push to restrict abortion rights after rebuke
CLIVE, Iowa — Donald Trump, stinging from a rebuke by the nation’s leading anti-abortion group, used a speech Saturday before influential evangelicals in Iowa to spotlight his actions as president to try to restrict abortion rights. Chief among the accomplishments Trump listed were his nominations of three conservative judges to...
Struggling Bed Bath & Beyond files for bankruptcy protectionVideo
NEW YORK — Bed Bath & Beyond — one of the original big box retailers known for its seemingly endless offerings of sheets, towels and kitchen gadgets — filed for bankruptcy protection, following years of dismal sales and losses and numerous failed turnaround plans. The beleaguered home goods chain made...
Public can weigh in on Tarentum-East Deer trail; 5-mile stretch would make riverfront accessible to all
A $4.4 million trail project in Tarentum and East Deer is expected to create public access to the shoreline, promote recreation and spur economic development. The 5-mile path would meander through Dreshar Stadium and past Pittsburgh Brewing Co., providing shared-lane markings, known as sharrows, for bikers and off-road sections for...
In mass shooting cases, stakes and emotions are high for prosecution and defense
William Difenderfer still remembers the day. It was a Friday. April 28, 2000. A Mt. Lebanon man went on a killing spree, fatally shooting five people from Western Pennsylvania because of their race and religion. Difenderfer, a well-known criminal defense attorney, lived in Mt. Lebanon. His children attended schools there....
No ‘au revoir’ just yet: Penn-Trafford to keep French program, for now
French language courses at Penn-Trafford School District won’t be going away anytime soon. After previously announcing the program would be phased out because of a lack of enrollment and the retirement of the district’s longtime high school French teacher, the Penn-Trafford School Board decided last week to continue the program,...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Why isn’t Bucco Fever spreading faster?
The Pittsburgh Pirates returned from a 5-2 road trip that ended with a three-game sweep at Denver to play in front of a mere 14,051 at PNC Park this past Thursday. Bucco Fever isn’t spreading that quick. Perhaps people still are wearing masks. Or maybe the inevitable reality of 162...
Home destroyed by fire, 3 injured in Hempfield
A house in Hempfield burned down and three people living there were burned early Saturday morning, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. Three residents of the single-family home were taken to UPMC Mercy hospital in Pittsburgh with burns suffered in the fire, which started at 12:45 a.m., the dispatcher...
Outbound Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel closures still on for Saturday, Sunday nights
PennDOT has confirmed that overnight closures of the outbound (westbound) Fort Pitt Bridge are taking place as scheduled Saturday and Sunday night in Pittsburgh, weather permitting. Work scheduled for Friday night was postponed to the weekend . PennDOT says road crews will be working to remove pavement markings and installing...
Wilkinsburg man wanted on parole violation taken into custody
A Wilkinsburg man accused of violence against women has been taken into custody. Laron Robinson, 33, was wanted on a probation violation involving a 2022 case where he pleaded guilty to strangulation and making terroristic threats, Sheriff Kevin M. Kraus said Saturday. Robinson also is facing an active warrant from...
‘Living history’ unfolds during reenactors’ training session on the Kiski RiverVideo
Nine years ago, IT consultant John Stevenson brought some antique firearms into a Pittsburgh-area gun shop, where a man invited him to a Civil War reenactment. The rest, as they say, is history. Stevenson — who’s been taking part ever since in historically accurate reenactments that organizers call “living history”...
Extreme weather is nearly universal experience: AP-NORC poll
WASHINGTON — An overwhelming majority of people in the United States say they have recently experienced an extreme weather event, a new poll shows, and most of them attribute that to climate change. But even as many across the country mark Earth Day on Saturday, the poll shows relatively few...
2 events featuring controversial right-wing speakers at Penn State are canceled
An April 24 event featuring self-proclaimed professional troll Alex Stein, who gained headlines last summer for sexually harassing U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, was canceled by the organizing student group after the university said it could not accommodate a “last-minute request” to change the date or the speaker. An April 20...
Editorial: Why did Fitzgerald pick Doven-Hallam race for endorsement?
With just over three weeks until the primary elections, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald weighed in with his first endorsement of 2023. You might think he was prepared to recommend his pick to replace him. Fitzgerald is finishing his third term. He is just the third person to have that...
Pittsburgh to begin work on Swindell Bridge, 30th Street Bridge next week
Pittsburgh officials on Friday announced that construction projects at the Swindell Bridge and 30th Street Bridge are slated to begin next week. The city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure will lead the projects. The Swindell Bridge, which connects Perry South and Northview Heights over I-279, is set to see a...
‘Changed all of our lives’: Foundation provides $465K for Western Pa. students
As a single mother, Johnetta Higgins said she couldn’t afford to send her three kids to private school without help. She had started her children — James Cross, 13, Janiyah Cross, 10, and Jamel Cross, 7 — in public schools, but said they were “having a hard time” and weren’t...
Everyday Hero program at Highlands renamed to honor late Brackenridge chief
District Judge Carolyn Bengel imparted a wise bit of advice to Highlands fifth graders during a school assembly Friday afternoon. “Dance like no one’s watching,” she told the group of preteens at the Harrison middle school. What that means, she said, is don’t seek recognition for being their best selves....
Friday night work on outbound Fort Pitt Tunnel postponed
Motorists who regularly use the outbound Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel have been given somewhat of a reprieve. Work scheduled for tonight has been canceled and the bridge will remain open. Instead work will take place on Saturday and Sunday. PennDOT says road crews will be working to remove pavement...
Sen. Bob Casey lobbies for CHIPS funds at semiconductor manufacturer in Youngwood
A $280 billion pot of federal funding was made available last year when the federal CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law, and at least one Westmoreland County manufacturer is ready to expand rapidly if it can gain access to some of those funds. Powerex Inc. said it could...
New president named to Allegheny Valley Hospital
A new president has been named to lead Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. Allegheny Health Network tapped Dr. Mark Rubino to head the campus. Rubino is the president of Forbes Hospital in Monroeville. He will maintain that responsibility as he also leads the 188-bed acute care hospital in the Natrona...
2 candidates running to replace outgoing Ricky Burgess on Pittsburgh City Council
Two Democrats are vying for a seat on Pittsburgh City Council in District 9, where Councilman Ricky Burgess will not be seeking another term. Burgess was first elected to council in 2007, but is not seeking reelection. Looking to fill his seat are Khari Mosley, political director of the advocacy...
