Top Stories category, Page 821
Colorado gay club shooting suspect held without bail
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The alleged shooter facing possible hate crime charges in the fatal shooting of five people at a Colorado Springs gay nightclub was ordered held without bail in an initial court appearance Wednesday as the suspect sat slumped over in a chair. Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, could...
Judge approves independent DNA testing by defense in Tree of Life case
A federal judge has given attorneys for the man accused of killing 11 people at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue four years ago permission to send biological materials from the defendant and victims to a lab in England for DNA testing. Attorneys have argued over whether the testing should occur,...
South Negley Avenue bridge sidewalk to close for repairs
Pittsburgh officials on Wednesday said they are closing the east sidewalk on the South Negley Avenue bridge in Shadyside. The bridge, which spans the East Busway and Norfolk Southern railroad tracks, had sparked concerns about its safety earlier this year, as many residents grew alarmed about the state of the...
Officials say 4 Philly high school students shot near school
PHILADELPHIA — Four students were injured in an apparent drive-by shooting shortly after their Philadelphia high school let out early for the day late Wednesday morning, a city schools spokesperson said. City police said a 15-year-old girl was shot in the shoulder and thigh, a 15-year-old girl was shot in...
Gainey to replace all members of Pittsburgh Art Commission
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey has dismissed all of the current members of the city’s Art Commission. Commission members, who are appointed by the mayor, serve their terms under the same timeframe as the mayor who appointed them, said Maria Montaño, a spokeswoman for Gainey. That means the commissioners Gainey dismissed...
Doubts about candidates tipped the scales in tightest races
ATLANTA — Casting his vote this month in one of the most politically competitive states in the U.S., Seung Lee happily backed Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s reelection. But when it came to the other top Republican on the ballot, Senate candidate Herschel Walker, he was uneasy. Walker “doesn’t know...
7 Michigan State football players charged in Michigan tunnel melee
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Seven Michigan State football players are charged in the postgame melee in Michigan Stadium’s tunnel last month, according to a statement Wednesday from the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office. The most serious charge is against Khary Crump, who faces a felony count of felonious assault. The charges...
UPMC profits down 75% so far in 2022, filing shows
Health care giant UPMC reported Tuesday that it had nearly $200 million in profits during the first nine months of this year — about a quarter of what it reported during the same span a year ago. UPMC said in its third-quarter financial report that labor and supply markets related...
McKeesport man faces homicide charge in connection with infant son’s death
A McKeesport man who police said shook his infant son to the point where the boy experienced brain bleeding and died now faces homicide charges. Michael Barber, 29, initially gave witnesses and police several explanations for how the five-month-old baby was injured on Aug. 31, including that his toddler dropped...
Pittsburgh school board takes stance on race, gender identity teaching in classroom
Pittsburgh Public Schools board members this week took a stance on four state House and Senate bills, unanimously passing a resolution that called the measures regarding race and gender identity “inconsistent” with the needs of district students. Pennsylvania House Bills 1532 and 2813 restrict certain teachings about race and sex,...
Unemployment claims rise to 240,000, highest since August
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose the highest level since August but still remains low by historic standards. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that 240,000 people applied for jobless aid last week, up by 17,000 from the week before. The four-week moving average of claims,...
‘Bodies drop’ as Walmart manager kills 6 in Virginia attack
CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A Walmart manager pulled out a handgun before a routine employee meeting and began firing wildly around the break room of a Virginia store, killing six people in the nation’s second high-profile mass shooting in four days, police and witnesses said Wednesday. The gunman was dead when...
Police: Pittsburgh man facing 90 charges after hiding cameras in restrooms
Police have arrested a Pittsburgh man they say planted cameras inside restrooms — including one at The Frick Pittsburgh in Point Breeze — and videotaped “several hundred” men, women and children. Todd Bueschen, 35, faces 90 charges that include invasion of privacy, sexual abuse of children and possession of child...
Editorial: Thanksgiving, a celebration of enough
Thanksgiving is often symbolized by an overflowing cornucopia, the horn of plenty spilling out bounty too great to be contained. Giving thanks for that kind of splendor is simple. There is little effort in saying grace at a table that groans under the weight of an impossible feast. It is...
Why do the Penguins play so many games on Thanksgiving eve?
Thanksgiving is synonymous with plenty of traditions. Football, family and feasting. The night before Thanksgiving has a few traditions as well. Mostly, going to establishments and imbibing in ways one would not typically on a weekday night. Or going to a Pittsburgh Penguins game. Of the Penguins’ first 55 years...
Pitt football player pleads to reduced charge of harassment
Pitt junior defensive end Dayon Hayes pleaded guilty Tuesday to a summary harassment charge stemming from allegations that he assaulted the mother of his child. Hayes, a Westinghouse graduate, was sentenced to time served — a day at Allegheny County Jail — by Magisterial District Judge Nicholas Martini. “Dayon enjoys...
Supreme Court OKs handover of Trump tax returns to Congress
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the imminent handover of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns to a congressional committee after a three-year legal fight. The court, with no noted dissents, rejected Trump’s plea for an order that would have prevented the Treasury Department from...
Low-cost carriers expanding service at Pittsburgh International Airport
As air travel continues to rebound from the pandemic, Pittsburgh International Airport is receiving boosts from some ultra-low-cost carriers that plan to add or expand service to several markets starting next year. Sun Country Airlines said Monday that it will increase seasonal service between Pittsburgh and Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport...
Biden to extend student loan pause as court battle drags on
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that his administration will extend the pause on federal student loan payments while the White House fights a legal battle to save his plan to cancel portions of the debt. “It isn’t fair to ask tens of millions of borrowers eligible for relief...
Fire destroys Harrison pool store; chemical fumes force partial evacuation
Fire crews from all over the Alle-Kiski Valley and beyond battled a four-alarm fire Tuesday at a swimming pool supply store in Harrison that forced the evacuation of some elderly people within a half-mile radius of the scene. Harrison Hills Fire Chief James Bartolovich said there were concerns about chemical...
Protected bike lane bill named for Pittsburgher vetoed over late GOP amendments
Pittsburgh officials have tried for years to make streets safer for cyclists by installing bike lanes protected by parked cars. Those efforts recently hit a snag after Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed a road safety bill because of an amendment added to it. After cyclist and University of Pittsburgh staffer Susan...
Slippery Rock University narrows presidential search to 4 finalists
Four finalists have emerged in the search for Slippery Rock University’s next president, with the short list including current and former campus leaders in Colorado, Minnesota, Texas and West Virginia. A panel seeking a successor to President William Behre identified the four finalists Tuesday and said each will be on...
Inflation gives pay raise gift to top Pennsylvania officials
HARRISBURG — Inflation is gift-wrapping another big salary increase for hundreds of Pennsylvania state lawmakers, judges and top executive branch officials in 2023, including boosting rank-and-file lawmakers and district judges into six-figure territory. For many of these positions, it’s the biggest increase since the 1990s, when lawmakers passed legislation to...
Pittsburgh extends ‘smart loading zone’ program for delivery drivers for 3 years
Pittsburgh City Council is extending a pilot program designed to make it easier for delivery drivers to find parking spots for brief periods of time. The pilot, launched in the spring, was scheduled to last one year. Council voted Monday to extend it for another three years. The smart loading...
Gathering again? Tips for a safe and healthy Thanksgiving
For families who settled for smaller gatherings and remote blessings during the height of the pandemic, this Thanksgiving looks like the return of the big bash. More folks are getting together this year, with the American Automobile Association predicting holiday travel will be nearly back to prepandemic levels. If that’s...
