Top Stories category, Page 741
First day of spring will see temps climb after chilly weekend
Those flowers and plants that have started sprouting will be able to get to work this week as temperatures will be back around the seasonal average. It’s just in time, too — Monday is the first day of spring. The spring equinox will officially begin at 5:24 p.m. National Weather...
Digital literacy: Can the republic ‘survive an algorithm’?
SEATTLE — Shawn Lee, a high school social studies teacher in Seattle, wants to see lessons on the internet akin to a kind of 21st century driver’s education, an essential for modern life. Lee has tried to bring that kind of education into his classroom, with lessons about the need...
Central Pa. school board rejects ‘Addams Family’ musical
A Central Pennsylvania school board last week voted against allowing high school students to perform “The Addams Family” musical next year, according to WITF. School directors debated for about 30 minutes before the majority concluded that the musical promotes bad values and is inappropriate for families, the news outlet reported....
Man wanted in Ohio faces drug, gun charges after traffic stop in Irwin
A traffic stop in Irwin last week resulted in state police finding multiple firearms, drugs and a man who was wanted in Ohio, according to troopers. Justin D. Grandison, 32, of White Oak was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison without bail. Police said they conducted a traffic stop...
Opponents of Saturday deer opener cite negative economic, social impacts
A few years ago, Randy Santucci’s deer hunting season would begin at a leisurely pace once Thanksgiving was over. “People would start trickling into camp on Saturday, we’d do a campfire Saturday night, my brother would fly in from South Carolina with a bunch of dove breasts from hunting, and...
Slippery Rock’s incoming president says university is well-positioned for success
The woman poised to become Slippery Rock University’s next president said she passionately believes that education is fundamental to success in life. “It changes lives,” said Karen Riley, whose career in education has spanned nearly four decades. Currently the provost of Regis University in Denver, Riley, 60, began her career...
Police investigating after human remains found in wooded area of Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood
Pittsburgh police responded to an emergency call just before 2:15 p.m. Sunday for a possible human skull found by hunters in a wooded area of the Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood. According to a post on the public safety blotter, detectives were dispatched to the 1200 block of Washington Boulevard for further investigation....
New York Community Bank to buy failed Signature Bank
NEW YORK — New York Community Bank has agreed to buy a significant chunk of the failed Signature Bank in a $2.7 billion deal, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said late Sunday. The 40 branches of Signature Bank will become Flagstar Bank, starting Monday. Flagstar is one of New York...
DA leading Trump case says rhetoric won’t intimidate office
NEW YORK — Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is standing firm against Donald Trump’s increasingly hostile rhetoric, telling his staff that the office won’t be intimidated or deterred as it nears a decision on charging the former president. Bragg sent an internal memo late Saturday hours after Trump unleashed a...
Banking giant UBS acquiring Credit Suisse to rein in turmoil
GENEVA, Switzerland — Banking giant UBS is buying its smaller rival Credit Suisse in an effort to avoid further market-shaking turmoil in global banking, Swiss President Alain Berset announced on Sunday night. Berset, who did not specify a value of the deal, called the announcement “one of great breadth for...
Pitt bows out of NCAA Tournament after loss to Xavier
GREENSBORO, N.C. — The pure basketball part of Pitt’s 84-73 loss to Xavier on Sunday was painfully obvious to anyone watching, either from the Pitt bench or among the sellout crowd at Greensboro Coliseum. The Musketeers (27-9) were dominant for much of the first half, bludgeoning the Panthers with 48...
Some Trump rivals rally to his side as possible charges loom
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Top Republicans, including some of Donald Trump’s potential rivals for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination, rushed to his defense Saturday after Trump said he is bracing for possible arrest. “The idea of indicting a former president of the United States is deeply troubling to me as...
Periwinkle’s Bakery in O’Hara permanently closes; building available for lease
An O’Hara bakery open for less than two years apparently has closed for good. Hanna Commercial Real Estate is advertising Periwinkle’s Bakery & Cafe, located at 900 Gamma Drive in the RIDC Industrial Park off Route 28, for rent as a “turnkey” restaurant that is ready for immediate operation. The...
Building the Valley: Family-run Grasinger Homes takes pride in custom construction
Over 45 years, the Grasinger family has built hundreds of houses that have become other families’ homes. It’s something John Grasinger thought about as he drove through one of their housing plans on a Christmas season evening, seeing all the houses decorated. “You didn’t just build a house,” he said....
Higher cancer rates found in military pilots, ground crews
WASHINGTON — A Pentagon study has found high rates of cancer among military pilots and for the first time has shown that ground crews who fuel, maintain and launch those aircraft are also getting sick. The data had long been sought by retired military aviators who have raised alarms for...
How to shop for new insurance if you lose Medicaid coverage
Medicaid coverage will end for millions of Americans in the coming months, and it will push many into unfamiliar territory: the health insurance marketplace. States will start cutting people from the government-funded plans when they no longer qualify based on income, a process that has been paused since shortly after...
Mysterious streaks of light seen in the sky over California
Mysterious streaks of light were seen in the sky in the Sacramento area Friday night, shocking St. Patrick’s Day revelers who then posted videos on social media of the surprising sight. Jaime Hernandez was at the King Cong Brewing Company in Sacramento for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration when some...
North Huntingdon property owner frustrated by stalled zoning change effort
Two couples who dreamed of building their houses on a 95-acre former North Huntingdon strip mine site they bought for $230,000 will have to wait several more months before they learn if they can live on the land. North Huntingdon commissioners recently tabled a request from Brett and Alyssa Arnold...
Arnold councilman to propose tax credit for volunteer firefighters, hopes New Ken and Lower Burrell follow suit
Arnold Councilman George Hawdon aims to encourage and reward volunteer firefighters through a tax relief proposal that could include neighboring communities. Hawdon said he plans to put forth a proposal in April that would give people volunteering as Arnold firefighters a tax credit of either 100% of the city real...
Pittsburgh’s Strip District attracts ‘melting pot’ of new residents
Rob Brandegee picked up and moved to Pittsburgh’s Strip District to enjoy its convenience and bustling city living atmosphere. For the growing population of Strip District residents like him, it’s not uncommon to take a walk and run into friends and acquaintances. “It’s very sociable, and it really has a...
Seven Springs ‘pond skim’ draws crowd
The annual “spring pond skim” at Seven Springs Mountain Resort near Champion drew a crowd of skiers and snowboarders Saturday who dared to go downhill and then jump — or try to jump — over a small pond at the bottom of the slope. With temperatures below freezing, those who...
Lower Burrell hosts largest St. Patrick’s Day parade to date
The hundreds of spectators lining Leechburg Road on Saturday for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade were treated to a bigger-than-ever green scene. “They do it up,” said Lower Burrell resident Jacquie Springer, who arrived in tow with several youngsters. “It’s a great reason to get the kids out of...
Pittsburgh launches citywide composting pilot
Pittsburgh on Friday announced the city will launch a five-month, citywide composting pilot across the city. The initiative, headed by the Department of City Planning’s Sustainability and Resilience division, aims to address Pittsburgh’s goal of becoming a zero-waste city, officials said. “We want to empower residents to create positive change...
Former church chapel to become concert venue in downtown New Kensington
Three years after moving his record store into a former church and Salvation Army citadel, New Ken Social owner AJ Rassau is adding a second concert venue to the building. The new venue, which has yet to be named, is in what had been the chapel of a former Presbyterian...
New Kensington motorcycle club dealt setback in plan to use former office building as clubhouse
A New Kensington motorcycle club will have to make its case to city council for why it should be allowed to use a former office building in a residential area as its clubhouse. The city’s planning commission voted to not recommend giving the Vultures Motorcycle Club a conditional use approval...
