Top Stories category, Page 803
Duquesne University professor dead in apparent murder-suicide in Wilkins
A popular Duquesne University professor and his wife died Tuesday morning in Wilkins in what Allegheny County Police described as a murder-suicide. Emergency dispatchers received a third-party call just before 10 a.m. requesting a police check on a couple engaged in a violent domestic incident inside their home on Thorncrest...
$1.3B expansion of Mon-Fayette Expressway to begin soon, Pa. Turnpike Commission says
A $1.3 billion expansion project of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Mon-Fayette Expressway between Route 51 and Interstate 376 is expected to get underway soon, according to the Turnpike Commission. The 8-mile extension will expand the Mon-Fayette Expressway, which now stretches 54 miles from Jefferson Hills to Morgantown, W.Va. When complete, the...
Gainey opposes plan to step up curfew enforcement in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s office said Tuesday that the mayor does not support a proposal to ramp up enforcement of the city’s curfew for minors. City Council President Theresa Kail-Smith on Monday said she is planning to introduce legislation this week that aims to enforce the city’s curfew for juveniles...
Twitter storm hovers over Allegheny County Council race between Hallam, Doven
That escalated quickly. A race for an at-large seat on Allegheny County Council had barely gotten underway this month when attacks started flying. Many of them came from observers of the race on social media, particularly Twitter, and almost immediately put the race’s two candidates on the defensive. Joanna Doven...
BNY Mellon plans to lay off around 1,500 workers
Bank of New York Mellon is planning to lay off 3% of its workforce, or about 1,500 jobs. The New York-based financial firm that employs thousands in the Pittsburgh region, did not specify where those jobs would be located or what categories would be impacted. “We continue to optimize our...
Derry Area student surprised with full tuition scholarship to Thiel
When Derry Area High School senior Cydney Wierzbowski was called down to the school guidance office early Tuesday morning, for a moment, she thought she might be in trouble. “I was in math class, and I was pulled out to go to guidance for I did not know what,” Wierzbowski...
Madonna’s global ‘Celebration’ tour announces Pittsburgh dateVideo
Madonna will bring 40 years of her greatest hits to Pittsburgh as part of her “Madonna: The Celebration Tour.” The best-selling female solo touring artist of all time comes to PPG Paints Arena on Aug. 7. It will be her third stop in Pittsburgh, having performed at the Civic Arena...
Shapiro takes oath of office to become 48th Pa. governor
HARRISBURG — Democrat Josh Shapiro took the oath of office Tuesday to become the 48th governor of Pennsylvania, placing his hand on a stack of three Jewish Bibles at Tuesday’s inaugural ceremony outside the state Capitol to cap his blowout win in November’s election. Shapiro, 49, takes over in the...
Warmer temps headed to Western Pa. this week, forecasters say
It doesn’t fit the exact description of a January thaw, but it certainly will feel just as good as one. That’s what experts at the National Weather Service office in Moon are predicting for the Pittsburgh area this week: much-warmer-than-usual weather. Temperatures will hover around the 50-degree mark for much...
Time to change antiquated Pa. tax system, municipal league says
In 1965, Lyndon Johnson was president of the United States, the country was involved in a war in Vietnam, and the Fab Four — The Beatles — held what many consider to be the first stadium rock concert in New York City. Without as much fanfare, Pennsylvania leaders that same...
13-year-old charged in homicide of teenager in Clairton
Allegheny County police said they have charged a 13-year-old Clairton male in the shooting death of another teen Monday night in Clairton. The shooting happened about 9:19 p.m. in the 400 block of Wilson Avenue, police said. LaQuan Rich-Cabbagestalk, 13, is charged with homicide in connection with the death of...
Ex-GOP candidate arrested in shootings at New Mexico lawmakers’ homes
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A failed Republican candidate who authorities said was angry over his defeat and made baseless claims the election last November was “rigged” against him was arrested in connection with a series of drive-by shootings targeting the homes of Democratic lawmakers in New Mexico’s largest city. Solomon Pena,...
Pa. lawmakers once again propose moving up presidential primary
PHILADELPHIA — Pennsylvania is a hugely important political battleground, but it hasn’t traditionally mattered much in presidential primaries. That’s because the state votes so late. It holds its presidential primary on the fourth Tuesday in April, long after many states have voted. Despite being one of the biggest swing states...
Greensburg man seriously hurt after being struck by truck on Route 119
A Greensburg man was seriously hurt after he was hit by a pickup truck Monday while walking along Route 119 in Hempfield, state police said. David A. Green, 30, was hit by a Ford F-350 and a trailer it was towing, according to troopers. The pickup was traveling southbound in...
On King’s holiday, daughter calls for bold action over words
ATLANTA — America has honored Martin Luther King Jr. with a federal holiday for nearly four decades yet still hasn’t fully embraced and acted on the lessons from the slain civil rights leader, his youngest daughter said Monday. The Rev. Bernice King, who leads The King Center in Atlanta, said...
Norwin director wants to ban book that uses derogatory term he used on social media
Norwin School Board member Alex Detschelt last week called for the district to ban another book from its curriculum. Detschelt has courted controversy since he was elected to the board in 2021. His latest target is “Al Capone Does My Shirts,” Gennifer Choldenko’s 2005 young adult novel that was a...
Pittsburgh City Council president proposes ramping up curfew enforcement, opening youth centers
Pittsburgh City Council President Theresa Kail-Smith is expected to introduce legislation this week that would ramp up enforcement of the city’s curfew for minors. The legislation also would open 24-hour resource centers for youth who violate curfew or need help. The city already has a curfew in place, but Kail-Smith...
Kitchen fire forces closure of Hidden Valley resort
A minor kitchen fire shut down Hidden Valley Resort in Somerset County on Monday morning, officials said. Anna Weltz, spokeswoman for Vail Resorts, which owns Hidden Valley, said the fire started in the kitchen area of the Clocktower Restaurant and was quickly contained. “Three employees were transported to the local...
Brothers charged in Greensburg Puff n Snuff burglary
Two brothers are facing charges in connection with one of two burglaries earlier this month at the Puff n Snuff store in Greensburg. Joshua L. Jording, 33, and Cory L. Jording, 24, both of Latrobe, were arrested after Westmoreland County sheriff’s deputies serving unrelated arrest warrants found them with bags...
Secrecy has dominated Shapiro’s transition to Pa. governor and may be a sign of what’s to come
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — For nearly two months, a team of advisers has been working to ensure Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro has a...
Coroner: Man takes own life in standoff with police at Hempfield mobile home park
A man who was barricaded in a Hempfield mobile home park died by suicide Monday night, officials said, following a standoff with state police that left the community paralyzed for much of the day. Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson identified the man as Gerald A. Long Jr., 54, and said...
Explainer: Tackling threat of mudslides in soaked CaliforniaVideo
SAN DIEGO — Relentless storms from a series of atmospheric rivers have saturated the steep mountains and bald hillsides scarred from wildfires along much of California’s long coastline, causing hundreds of landslides this month. So far the debris has mostly blocked roads and highways and has not harmed communities as...
Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh area on down side of mixed week for gas prices
The picture of gas prices is mixed this week, with the average rising nationally while coming down in the Pittsburgh area and across the state. “We’ve seen somewhat of a mixed week at the pump with some states seeing gasoline prices rise, while others have stabilized for the time being,”...
Tiny house, big dreams for Irwin man
Got to get back to the land And get my soul free … And we got to get ourselves Back to the garden — “Woodstock” by Joni Mitchell Benjamin D’Amico of Irwin is going on a life-changing venture and getting back to the land, at least for the foreseeable future,...
Gas vs. electric? It’s not just as simple as a stove
Chris Galarza remembers working as a chef in restaurants where the thermometer in his pocket easily would reach 135 degrees. Sometimes, it would get so hot in the kitchen, as the gas burners fired away, that it made the staff nauseous. Gas stoves are not only common but often preferred...
