Top Stories category, Page 763
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’...
Police: West Deer woman faces felony charge after cocaine found in 9-month-old’s urine
A West Deer woman was arrested after telling police a 9-month-old child in her care likely tested positive for cocaine because she had some of the drug on her hands while preparing the baby’s bottle, police said. Brittney Michele Pebler, 33, of the 200 block of Pollock Street was charged...
Man arrested in Allegheny General Hospital attack
A 43-year-old man was arrested this week after police said he went on a rampage in a hospital emergency room and attacked at least three people, punching them and throwing a computer at a nurse. Michael Robert Johnson, whose home address is unknown, faces three counts each of aggravated assault,...
Man dead in Salem crash
A Ligonier man died at a hospital after a crash in Salem Tuesday evening, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. James W. Graham Sr., 56, was pronounced dead at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg. The crash was reported after 6 p.m. on Route 119, just north of Crabtree....
Morning Roundup: Person injured in crash in North Huntington
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, March 15, 2023: Person injured in crash in North Huntington An overnight car crash in North Huntington injured one person and caused a power outage in the area. The crash occurred around 11:45 p.m. at Turner Valley Road...
Not magic: Opaque AI tool may flag parents with disabilities
PITTSBURGH — For the two weeks that the Hackneys’ baby girl lay in a Pittsburgh hospital bed weak from dehydration, her parents rarely left her side, sometimes sleeping on the fold-out sofa in the room. They stayed with their daughter around the clock when she was moved to a rehab...
How Washington came to rescue U.S. banks
WASHINGTON — After the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters started furiously working the phones to find out what was going on with the failed lender — and what would happen to its panicked depositors. Waters, former chair of the House Financial Services Committee, had...
Westmoreland to bank another $26 million from 2nd opioid lawsuit settlement
Westmoreland County is expected to receive another $26 million as part of a national settlement of opioid lawsuits, officials said Tuesday. Pennsylvania so far has secured about $2.2 billion in payments that resolved litigation against drug manufacturers and distributors accused of spreading opioid abuse throughout the United States. The county,...
Pa.’s ‘Most Wanted’: How do Pennsylvania State Police decide who makes the list?
Five are wanted for killing or trying to kill someone. One, a suspected rapist, police have been trying to apprehend since 1998. Police say they’ve committed crimes against people in the commonwealth’s biggest cities, as well as in small towns like Meadville or in suburban Chester County. And now they...
You can win your March Madness office pool by following these easy tips. No, really, you can
There’s a trope that gets trotted out this time of year that goes something like this: Why am I laboring over my March Madness office pool picks when it’s probably going to be won by a receptionist who makes her selections based on whose uniform is prettier or whose mascot...
