Top Stories category, Page 743
Long-term closure of Highland Park Bridge link to Route 28 South to resume
PennDOT says the long-term closure of the ramp from the northbound Highland Park Bridge to Route 28 South (toward Pittsburgh) will continue Monday, weather permitting. Starting around 7 a.m. , the northbound ramp will close to traffic around-the-clock through mid-May. Crews will complete reconstruction work, bridge rehabilitation, and drainage improvements...
Pitt students gear up for March Madness game against Iowa State with cautious optimism
So, maybe it’s not full-on madness — at least not yet. But with the University of Pittsburgh’s men’s basketball team set to face Iowa State University on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, Panthers fans who haven’t had a tournament win to celebrate since 2014 are...
Passersby save woman from her burning Sewickley Township home, can’t save husband
Despite their quick actions, Kurtis Baker, Bradley Cook and Takoma Ganett all had the same sentiment: “We wish we could have done more.” The trio of passersby were able to pull a woman out of her burning Sewickley Township home Thursday afternoon but could not save her husband. David Wayne...
Pittsburgh man sentenced to federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse materials
A Pittsburgh man has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison after he was convicted of possessing materials depicting sexual exploitation of a minor. U.S. District Judge Marilyn J. Horan sentenced Desair McCray, 22, Pittsburgh, after it was determined McCray knowingly possessed images and videos containing child...
Norfolk Southern CEO: ‘I understand my responsibility’ in Ohio derailment cleanup
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw confidently chugged a glass of East Palestine, Ohio, tap water in front of a group of reporters Thursday as he promised to clean the site of a fiery train derailment and invest in local rebuilding efforts. “We’ve been not only engaged here ever since the...
Man accused of shooting at state Attorney General agents arrested in Penn Hills
A Pittsburgh man accused of shooting at state agents and a McKees Rocks police officer was apprehended in Penn Hills on Thursday. Allegheny County Police announced the arrest of 25-year-old Eric Durah Jr., who is charged with multiple crimes stemming from a shooting incident in Stowe on Feb. 27. Police...
Penn State president says cuts will be deeper than anticipated as leaders finalize layoff plans
This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for our regional newsletter, Talk of the Town. STATE COLLEGE — A Penn State administrator directed university leaders representing nearly all departments to...
Pitt, Duquesne involved in talks to play football game at Acrisure Stadium
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Pitt and Duquesne officials are in the midst of talks that could bring their football teams together for the first time since 1939, possibly in one of the next few seasons at Acrisure Stadium, Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke said Thursday. Duquesne has played Power 5 schools...
Overdose deaths dropped significantly in Westmoreland in 2022
Accidental drug overdose deaths decreased significantly in 2022 with 118, but the number of deaths by suicide — 62 — set a record, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s annual report. Officials involved in drug abuse prevention hope the decrease is a good sign for the harm reduction efforts they’ve...
U.S. releases video of Russian jet dumping fuel on its droneVideo
KYIV, Ukraine — The Pentagon on Thursday released footage of what it said was a Russian aircraft pouring fuel on a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone and clipping the drone’s propeller in international airspace over the Black Sea. The 42-second video shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the...
Police investigating attempted abduction of 2 children in Gilpin
Southern Armstrong Regional police are investigating a report of an attempted abduction Wednesday of two juveniles in the 300 block of Route 66 near the Dollar General in Gilpin. Police received a report at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday of an older, white man with long, dark hair driving a tan minivan...
Morning Roundup: 2-alarm fire at Turtle Creek duplex
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, March 16, 2023: 2-alarm fire at Turtle Creek duplex First responders were called to the scene of a two-alarm house fire in Turtle Creek early Thursday. The call about the fire came in at 3:53 a.m., Allegheny County...
Westmoreland candidates face lawsuits that could boot them from primary ballot
Several candidates for contested races in the May primary are facing challenges to be removed from the ballot because of perceived flaws in their nominating petitions. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Jim Silvis will hear the challenges at 11 a.m. Friday in the cases. Silvis is hearing the cases because...
Excela-Butler combined health system lays off 13 managers
The newly combined Excela and Butler health systems laid off a total of 13 manager-level staff members on Wednesday, according to spokesperson Tom Chakurda. The positions were eliminated “from across both sides of the new system,” Chakurda confirmed, and were from support functions that did not involve direct care personnel....
Moon Township man gets over 27 years in prison for dealing drugs, money laundering
A Moon Township man was sentenced to 27½ years in prison for dealing drugs and money laundering crimes while on federal supervised release from a previous prison sentence for drug trafficking. Noah Landfried, 38, was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. His sentence...
3rd suspect arrested in Thanksgiving shootings in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh police said they arrested a third man this week for allegedly shooting two teenagers in the city’s Sheraden neighborhood last Thanksgiving Day. Queshawn Williams, 18, of McKeesport was arrested Tuesday by U.S. marshals and Pittsburgh police. He faces charges of aggravated assault, two counts of criminal attempt at homicide,...
Skyy Moore attending New Kensington parade honoring Super Bowl championVideo
A parade will be held through downtown New Kensington on Friday night for city native Skyy Moore, a member of this year’s Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs, the city announced Wednesday. Moore, 22, is expected to attend and will be presented with a proclamation at the end of the parade,...
Smithfield Shelter to continue housing people beyond usual closure date
The homeless shelter at Smithfield United Church of Christ in Pittsburgh, which is typically open only during the colder months, will continue housing people after its traditional March 15 closure date. The winter shelter opened for the season in November to provide a warm place for homeless people as temperatures...
Pittsburgh Public Schools nixes proposal to delay school start time on Wednesdays
Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Wayne Walters on Wednesday said the district will not move ahead with a proposal to start school an hour later every Wednesday during the next academic year. The district had previously proposed an hour delay each Wednesday to allow more time for staff professional development. Because...
Sewickley couple launches Burgh Bus — interactive comedy show, party ride
The Burgh Bus takes riders on more than a trip to and from school — owners Nick and Kat Walker refer to it as a form of “Pittsburgh transportainment.” “It is different than anything else you can do in Pittsburgh,” said Ryan McBride, of Bellevue, who has ridden several times....
117-unit Shadyside apartment building clears zoning board
A contentious multi-family apartment project in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood received approval after months of negotiations. The 117-unit development from Mozart Management was approved Monday by Pittsburgh’s Zoning Board of Adjustments. The 10-story apartment building proposed at 525 South Aiken Street in Shadyside is a slightly smaller version than was initially...
Mistrial declared in case of man charged with killing off-duty Pittsburgh police officer
The question was benign: How did you know the defendant? But the answer from a witness — that she met Christian Bey when he moved in across the street after his release from prison — was enough to cause a mistrial. Bey, 34, was on trial in connection with the...
Why U.S. troops remain in Iraq 20 years after ‘shock and awe’
WASHINGTON — Twenty years after the U.S. invaded Iraq — in blinding explosions of shock and awe — American forces remain in the country in what has become a small but consistent presence to ensure an ongoing relationship with a key military and diplomatic partner in the Middle East. The...
What’s known and not about U.S. drone-Russian jet encounter
WASHINGTON — When a Russian fighter jet collided with a large U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea, it was a rare but serious incident that triggered a U.S. diplomatic protest and raised concerns about the possibility Russia could recover sensitive technology. U.S. and Russian officials had conflicting accounts of...
Police raid vape shops in Hempfield, Murrysville
Two Westmoreland County vape shops were raided Wednesday morning by police. One of the shops, District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said, was targeting children with illegal marijuana products. The police work continued through the day as authorities photographed and collected evidence at PA Vapor on Route 22 in Murrysville and Keepin’...
