Top Stories category, Page 747
1 flown from South Huntingdon after car crashes into tree
One person was airlifted by medical helicopter for treatment following a wreck Thursday afternoon in South Huntingdon, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. A car crashed into a tree at about 2:45 p.m. on Hodges Road, between Route 981 and Rolling Hills Road. Additional details weren’t immediately available....
Route 837 reopens after boulder removed
Route 837 in Jefferson Hills reopened Thursday afternoon after a boulder fell onto the roadway two days earlier. The road was shut to traffic between Route 51 in Jefferson Hills and St. Clair Avenue in Clairton. PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said the road opened to motorists around 4:30 p.m....
Pittsburgh airport officials unveil plans for Fort Pitt Tunnel-inspired bridge connecting terminals in $1.4B projectVideo
The automated tram that has taken air travelers between Pittsburgh International Airport’s two terminals since they opened in 1992 will stop running when a new, $1.4 billion terminal opens in 2025. Allegheny County Airport Authority officials on Thursday unveiled plans for a connector bridge that will link the new terminal...
German police: 6 dead in Jehovah’s Witnesses hall shootingVideo
BERLIN — A former member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses shot dead six people at a hall belonging to the congregation in the German city of Hamburg before killing himself after police arrived, authorities said Friday. Police said an unborn baby also died, without clarifying whether the baby’s mother was among...
Student stabbed during incident at Penn Hills High School
A Penn Hills High School student stabbed a classmate with a pair of scissors on Thursday, officials said. Superintendent Nancy Hines said two students got into an argument inside a classroom shortly before afternoon dismissal. One of the students grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed the other in the...
Former Pa. Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar to join Pitt as visiting scholar
Former Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar is joining the University of Pittsburgh as a visiting scholar and adjunct professor, campus officials announced Thursday. She will work in Pitt’s Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security and also teach as an adjunct in the university’s School of Law. Boockvar’s work will...
2-hour standoff ends with man’s arrest in Hill District
A man was in the Allegheny County Jail Thursday in connection with a Hill District shooting. Vincent Brunson, 29, whose home address is unknown, is charged with criminal trespassing, recklessly endangering another person and a weapons charge. He is in county jail on $10,000 bail. Shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday...
Artist creates Route 28 sound barriers that are pleasing to eyes, ears
It’s not often a highway construction project can be categorized as an artistic experience. But that’s the case with PennDOT’s Highland Park Interchange Project for which locally based, award-winning artist Brian Peters designed unique sound barrier walls. The wavy design is inspired by the waters of the Allegheny River, situated...
Biden to seek more than $2.8B from Congress for cancer fight
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is asking Congress for more than $2.8 billion in the federal budget he’s sending to Capitol Hill on Thursday to help advance his cancer-fighting goals. More than half of the money, $1.7 billion, would go to the Department of Health and Human Services to support...
Penguins plan upgrades to PPG Paints Arena, including larger video board
The Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday announced plans to upgrade PPG Paints Arena for the 2023-24 season. Construction at the facility will begin at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. The upgrades include a new video board, touted to be double the size of the one that currently hangs over the...
How much do Pa. government workers make? More are seeing $200K+ pay
From candy to cars, the price of everything is going up — and that includes government salaries. PennLive’s annual roundup of six-figure earners in Pennsylvania state government attracts a lot of attention — and criticism. Now, with membership in this once-exclusive “club” growing so large — approaching 12,000 employees in...
Senate OKs Shapiro picks for attorney general, police chief
HARRISBURG — Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s nominees for attorney general and state police commissioner won unanimous approval from Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday — a smooth landing for his top two public safety appointees. Michelle Henry, a career prosecutor from Bucks County before becoming Shapiro’s top deputy at the attorney...
Morning Roundup: Allegheny County hosting online meeting for 4 upcoming bridge projects
The Allegheny County Department of Public Works is playing host to an online meeting March 22 to discus plans to restore four bridges. The meeting is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. using the Microsoft Teams video conferencing app. The projects up for discussion are the restoration of: • Ivory...
Norfolk Southern CEO ‘sorry,’ but avoids specifics at Senate hearingVideo
WASHINGTON — Norfolk Southern’s CEO earnestly apologized before Congress on Thursday for last month’s fiery hazardous materials train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border and pledged millions of dollars to help the local town recover. But he stopped short of fully endorsing tougher safety regulations or specific commitments to pay for...
Jaded with education, more Americans are skipping college
JACKSON, Tenn. — When he looked to the future, Grayson Hart always saw a college degree. He was a good student at a good high school. He wanted to be an actor, or maybe a teacher. Growing up, he believed college was the only route to a good job, stability...
Vandergrift residents implore officials to unlock borough playgrounds
Taegen Caudle stood at the podium in front of Vandergrift officials during Monday’s council meeting to plead for playtime options in the borough’s still-locked parks. Taegen, 9, was one of about 20 residents in attendance in support of the playgrounds being unlocked April 1. “We really want some time outside...
1 dead, 1 hurt in West Homestead crash overnight
A West Homestead woman died and a second person was injured in an early morning crash Thursday in West Homestead, according to authorities. The wreck was reported at about 12:45 a.m. along Route 837 near West Seventh Avenue, emergency dispatchers reported. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the person...
Wrong way: Driver impairment, lack of awareness key elements in deadly crashes
When Earl Travis looked back at the road after glancing at a side mirror, he saw headlights on his side of a divided highway. He had a few seconds to react. “All I could do is, literally, I just turned the wheel to the right,” he said. That quick move...
Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell hospitalized after fall
WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was hospitalized after tripping at a local hotel, a spokesman for the senator said. The Kentucky senator, who’s 81, was attending a private dinner in Washington on Wednesday when he tripped. He was admitted to a hospital for treatment, spokesman Doug Andres said....
Westmoreland ballot set with primary races for commissioner, sheriff
Westmoreland Republican Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew will have three challengers in the May 16 primary election as the field of candidates for countywide offices appears to be set. Meanwhile, Democrats will have two candidates seeking the party’s two nominations in a bid to reclaim a majority at the...
Robinson woman missing since December found dead
A Robinson woman missing since December was found dead on Sunday evening in Bellevue, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office reported late Wednesday. The victim, Sherri Keefer, 60, was discovered in the 4400 block of Ohio River Boulevard around 8 p.m. Sunday, the medical examiner said. Keefer was last seen...
Springdale Planning Commission holds off decision regarding Cheswick Generation Station rezoning
After listening to input from more than half a dozen residents Wednesday night, the Springdale Planning Commission decided it has more questions than answers regarding the future of the defunct Cheswick Generating Station. So, the commission voted 3-0 to postpone whether to consider, in effect, changing the 56 total acres...
Pittsburgh police: SWAT units nabs alleged shooter in Hill District after gunfight
A man was arrested Wednesday in Pittsburgh’s Hill District after allegedly engaging in gunfire with another person, prompting Pittsburgh police to respond with its SWAT unit. The suspects were shooting at each other in the 2500 block of Bedford Avenue shortly before 2 p.m. when officers arriving at the scene...
Report: 6-year-old won’t be charged after shooting Virginia teacher
RICHMOND — Authorities in the Virginia city where a 6-year-old shot and wounded his teacher will not seek criminal charges against the child, the local prosecutor told NBC News on Wednesday, in a decision that was anticipated by legal experts. But Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn said his office...
Police say man shot multiple times in North Versailles
Police are investigating a shooting Wednesday night in North Versailles. An emergency dispatcher received a call shortly before 6 p.m. that someone had been shot in the 800 block of Westbury Road. First responders found a man who had been shot in his arms and legs. The victim was taken...
