Top Stories category, Page 815
Lawmakers, officials reflect on 30-year legacy of Pa.’s CHIP
When Chris Coles’ husband lost his job as a steelworker in the mid-1980s, she feared for her family. She feared for her ability to put food on the table and pay electric bills, and, most of all, she feared for her son Justin’s health. “We lost our health insurance immediately,...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Dec. 2-4
Holiday music and shopping — along with the ghostly appearance of William Shakespeare — are among events on tap this weekend in Pittsburgh. Shakespeare’s ghost Premiere performances of Pittsburgh playwright Nathan Wagner’s “Perdita” will be at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Friday in the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square...
Elon Musk suspends Kanye West’s Twitter account
Early Friday, Kanye West’s Twitter account was suspended after the rapper posted a picture of a swastika merged with the Star of David. New Twitter CEO Elon Musk confirmed the suspension in a tweet replying to West’s post of an unflattering photo of the billionaire, which West called his “final...
Allegheny Valley Habitat for Humanity Christmas raffle to benefit Ukrainian orphans
Alle-Kiski Valley residents interested in winning a decorated Christmas tree, wreath or menorah have a chance to do that while also helping the youngest victims of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Two Christmas trees, a wreath and a menorah are up for raffle at Allegheny Valley Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore in...
Western Pa. spots to watch the USA-Netherlands World Cup match
World Cup fever has hit Western Pennsylvania. After a tense match against Iran, team USA advanced out of the group stage of the World Cup thanks to a goal from American superstar and Pennsylvania native Christian Pulisic. The win means that the Stars and Stripes will move on to the...
Bidens entertain more than 330 guests at 1st state dinnerVideo
WASHINGTON — The first White House state dinner of President Joe Biden’s administration drew big names Thursday from fashion, entertainment, politics and business who turned out to help celebrate French President Emmanuel Macron and the return of large social events after the pandemic. There were kisses all around as the...
Man recounts events that led up to his brother’s stabbing outside Greensburg bar
Nico Williams remembers looking back as he left a Greensburg bar with his brother and seeing Anthony J. Sharp following them. His brother and Sharp, who are acquaintances, had gotten into an altercation inside Rialto Bar & Bistro in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving, and Nico Williams, Joey Williams...
4-year-old dies in Pittsburgh shooting, 2 others injured
Three people were hospitalized in connection with a double shooting Thursday night in Pittsburgh. On Friday, Pittsburgh police said in a news update that the 4-year-old victim has died. Allegheny County dispatch said calls for the shooting came in around 6:40 p.m. along the 1500 block of Lincoln Avenue. Among...
Pittsburgh needs to step up police recruitment efforts, officials say
Police recruit training classes planned in Pittsburgh next year could bring in about half as many officers as the city has lost from its force this year, officials said Thursday. Only eight people applied to join the first class, which will train people who were officers elsewhere, said Councilman Anthony...
Trump probe: Court halts Mar-a-Lago special master review
WASHINGTON — A unanimous federal appeals court on Thursday ended an independent review of documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate, removing a hurdle the Justice Department said had delayed its criminal investigation into the retention of top-secret government information. The decision by the three-judge panel represents a...
Teen charged in California-Kirkbride homicide also accused in funeral service shooting
A Pittsburgh teenager who police say opened fire on a Brighton Heights funeral service in late October has been charged in connection with a homicide that took place more than two months earlier. The Aug. 7 shooting in the city’s California-Kirkbride neighborhood left one man dead and three others injured....
Senate moves to avert rail strike amid dire warnings
WASHINGTON — The Senate moved quickly Thursday to avert a rail strike that the Biden administration and business leaders warned would have had devastating consequences for the nation’s economy. The Senate passed a bill to bind rail companies and workers to a proposed settlement that was reached between the rail...
The teams helping Josh Shapiro prepare to become Pa.’s next governor include wealthy donors, Republicans
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 — Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro is preparing for his inauguration and making key decisions about his administration surrounded by some of...
New Downtown Pittsburgh homeless shelter already at capacity
Second Avenue Commons, a homeless shelter that opened last week in Downtown Pittsburgh, is already at capacity, officials said. “We’re now into the overflow space, which is the cafeteria that’s downstairs,” said Dan Palka, Allegheny Health Network’s director of urban health and street medicine. Palka is collaborating with the city...
$7M contract extension considered for security at Pittsburgh’s City-County Building, other sites
Pittsburgh City Council is considering spending $7 million over five years to extend a contract with a Pittsburgh-based firm that provides security at the City-County Building and other city sites. The proposed contract would pay security guards a fraction of what guards are making at some county-owned facilities, according to...
Pitt student wins big during ‘Wheel of Fortune’ College Week
University of Pittsburgh sophomore Noah Stockwell got the idea of competing on the popular TV game show “Wheel of Fortune” sort of as a joke. He wound up having the last laugh after winning a massive prize on an episode that aired on Nov. 24. “I figured it would be...
Applications for jobless benefits decline last week
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits came back down last week, hovering near levels suggesting the U.S. labor market has been largely unaffected by the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes. Applications for jobless aid fell to 225,000 for the week ending Nov. 26, a decline...
Pa. school test scores still trail pre-pandemic levels
Pennsylvania public school students have made little progress in making up for the learning losses suffered during the covid-19 pandemic. The latest Pennsylvania System of School Assessment results released Monday show just over half of test-takers in grades three through eight statewide scored proficient or advanced, which is regarded as...
Giant Eagle Market District, apartments, additional retail coming to Shadyside
A proposal to develop a Giant Eagle Market District, along with more than 200 apartments, additional stores and restaurants and a small park, in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside has earned Planning Commission approval. The development from O’Hara-based ECHO Realty will sit on a Penn Avenue site that previously was home to a...
Springdale students disciplined over walkout
Springdale High School students who participated in a walkout last week over an alleged teacher shortage apparently will be punished. Last week, dozens of Springdale High School students staged a walkout to protest what they claim is a severe teacher shortage, which the Allegheny Valley School District denies. “I can’t...
All aglow: More homeowners, businesses hiring pros to put up holiday lights
Justin Rushin still remembers advice he received at the start of his venture into holiday decorating as owner of Christmas Decor of Pittsburgh. “(The instructor) said one thing that really stuck in my mind: ‘You will never be able to look at a house the same and not think about...
Quaker Valley area residents weigh in on Allegheny County judge’s ruling of a proposed high school project
Quaker Valley area residents have mixed reactions to an Allegheny County judge’s ruling on a zoning issue for a proposed Quaker Valley High School. Senior Judge Joseph James issued his six-page opinion Monday overturning a Leet Township zoning board decision to deny a special exception for the 167,000-square foot project....
Penn Hills paramedic remembered as an eager public servant
Penn Hills resident Nicholas Theofilis dedicated his life to public service. The Eagle Scout had dreams of working in the medical field, and while in high school, already had begun training as an emergency medical technician. Those dreams were cut short when the 23-year-old paramedic died Nov. 27 while on...
Police look for hit-and-run driver who injured bicyclist in Indiana County
State police are looking for a hit-and-run driver who struck and injured a bicyclist Wednesday morning in Indiana County. The cyclist, a 31-year-old Saltsburg man, was treated for moderate injuries at Indiana Regional Hospital. Police said he was riding in the area of Rose Street and Robertshaw Drive, near the...
Citing competition and cost, Penn State looks to reunite its 2 law schools
Penn State University’s two separately accredited law schools would be reunited into one under a recommendation from university President Neeli Bendapudi. She and other leaders Tuesday cited an “extremely competitive legal education marketplace” and a desire to better focus resources in explaining the plan to combine Penn State Dickinson Law...
