Top Stories category, Page 826
Shell cracker plant begins operation in Beaver County
After years of construction, the energy giant Shell announced Tuesday that its ethane cracker plant in Beaver County has commenced operations. The plant, which refines natural gas into plastic pellets, is one of the largest of its kind in the country. It is the first major polyethylene manufacturing complex in...
NASA’s mightiest rocket lifts off 50 years after Apollo
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s new moon rocket blasted off on its debut flight with three test dummies aboard Wednesday, bringing the U.S. a big step closer to putting astronauts back on the lunar surface for the first time since the end of the Apollo program 50 years ago. If...
First snow of the season features fluffy flakes, light accumulation before rain moves in
The Pittsburgh area was treated to what a National Weather Service meteorologist called “snow globe snow” on Tuesday. “It’s very pretty. But, luckily, our ground is warm, so we’re not seeing it accumulate to the point it would cause any problems,” meteorologist Myranda Fullerton said. How true that was appeared...
North Huntingdon police officer sues, says he was turned down for promotion because of race
A federal lawsuit filed Monday by a Black police officer accuses the North Huntingdon police of retaliating against him because he complained of racist behavior in the department. Albert P. Carson II is suing North Huntingdon Township and former township manager Jeffrey Silka for claims including failure to promote, retaliation,...
Pittsburgh budget process begins with overview of city’s financial position
After Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey presented his 2023 budget to City Council this week, council members are diving into the proposal before taking a final vote on it. Their weekslong budget process began Tuesday with a budget proposal overview. On Wednesday, they will begin a series of budget hearings that...
Woman shot in the arm in Swissvale
A woman was shot in the arm Tuesday night in the 2000 block of Noble Street in Swissvale. A call came in to Allegheny County 911 at 9:53 p.m. First responders on the scene found the woman with a gunshot wound to her arm, according to Allegheny County Police. The...
Some Pennsylvania Republicans anxious after Trump’s campaign announcement
Less than a week from some crushing midterm defeats for the Republican Party, former president Donald Trump announced his 2024 bid for the White House to mixed reactions from local Republicans and political experts. Sam DeMarco, chair of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County, supports the former president, but wishes...
Judge: Michael Flynn must testify in Georgia election probe
SARASOTA, Fla. — A Florida judge on Tuesday said former national security adviser Michael Flynn must testify before a special grand jury in Atlanta that’s looking into whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies illegally tried to influence the 2020 election in Georgia. Sarasota County Chief Judge Charles Roberts ordered...
Pittsburgh sets goal to clear roads within 24 hours of snowfall
Pittsburgh officials outlined the city’s plans for snow removal efforts this winter in a virtual meeting Tuesday evening, saying they hope to have all of the city’s roads cleared within 24 hours of snowfall. “We’re going to do all we can to make sure these streets (are clear),” Pittsburgh Mayor...
Man dies after stabbing in West Mifflin
A man was stabbed to death Tuesday afternoon in West Mifflin. At around 4:30 p.m., first responders found the man with stab wounds in the area of Midway Drive. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Allegheny County homicide detectives are investigating. Anyone with information on the stabbing can anonymously...
Winter shelter to open for homeless in Downtown Pittsburgh
A winter shelter for people experiencing homelessness was scheduled to open Tuesday evening in Downtown Pittsburgh, Allegheny County officials said. The seasonal, low-barrier shelter is slated to open temporarily to provide cold weather shelter until Second Avenue Commons — a new 45,000-square-foot, year-round shelter built Downtown — is open. The...
Tree of Life names Zawatsky inaugural CEO of new re-imagined building
The new national institution dedicated to ending antisemitism housed at the site of the worst antisemitic attack on U.S. soil has named Carole Zawatsky its first chief executive officer. Zawatsky is tasked with leading a re-imagined facility designed to be part memorial, part museum and part worship space, according to...
TV Talk: Ryan Houston will leave WPXI-TV; more ‘Cartoon Academy’ on WQED-TV
Ryan Houston, who joined WPXI-TV as weekend evening and night anchor in December 2019, will depart the station Nov. 28. He’s returning home to his native Pine Bluff, Ark., to help care for an ailing family member. “My stepfather has colon cancer and my mother told me she needs some...
Bystander struck by bullet in Downtown Pittsburgh, police say
A woman was grazed by a bullet in Downtown Pittsburgh Tuesday afternoon during a dispute between two men, police said. Police responded to the intersection of Smithfield Street and Fourth Avenue around 12:10 p.m. Officers found a woman with a gunshot wound to her lower leg. “The shooting occurred during...
Pittsburgh unveils plans for Light Up Night Saturday
Pittsburgh will ring in the holiday season Saturday with a Light Up Night celebration that includes the lighting of the city’s official holiday tree, four hours of music and the unveiling of the city’s annual gingerbread house display. The city will light its 107th annual Christmas tree — a 40-foot...
Sen. Kim Ward makes history as 1st female pro tempore of Pa. Senate
State Sen. Kim Ward keeps making history. On Tuesday, the Hempfield Republican became the first woman to be appointed by fellow lawmakers as president pro tempore of the state Senate. She will oversee operations of the governing body and serve as its leader in the new position, holding the responsibility...
Man who recorded child in Monroeville school bathroom gets probation
A man who lied his way into a Monroeville elementary school and positioned his phone to record a 10-year-old girl in the restroom earlier this year pleaded guilty Tuesday to multiple charges. Brian Mintmier, 26, was admitted into the intensive, Allegheny County Common Pleas Mental Health Court program and will...
Poland: Russian-made missile fell on our country, killing 2Video
KYIV, Ukraine — Poland said early Wednesday that a Russian-made missile fell in the eastern part of the country, killing two people in a blast that Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy decried as “a very significant escalation” of the war. The exact circumstances of the fatal explosion were unclear, including who...
Trump seeks White House again amid GOP losses, legal probesVideo
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will mount a third White House campaign, launching an early start to the 2024 contest. The announcement comes just a week after an underwhelming midterm showing for Republicans and will force the party to decide whether to embrace...
New Spinvasion ride coming to Kennywood next spring
Kennywood is getting a new ride next year, and it promises to be out of this world. The amusement park announced Tuesday an intergalactic multi-action spin ride called Spinvasion will become the centerpiece of the park’s new alien-inspired Area 412 section. According to a press release, Spinvasion will provide an...
Shapiro to take office with mandate from Pennsylvania voters
HARRISBURG — Josh Shapiro, the Democratic governor-elect of Pennsylvania, will take office with a decisive mandate from voters, who overwhelmingly rejected a Republican drive to pare back abortion rights and voting laws in the premier battleground state. Shapiro, the state’s two-term attorney general, scored a massive 14 percentage point win...
PLCB opens lotteries to purchase more than 1,500 rare whiskeys
Whiskey connoisseurs in Pennsylvania can enter lotteries this week to purchase rare bottles that have skyrocketed in demand in recent years. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board on Monday announced its Limited-Release Lotteries for the highly sought-after products. Of 1,590 bottles up for grabs, 1,440 are made by Kentucky-based Old Rip...
5th lawsuit claims Mammoth Park’s Giant Slide is unsafe
A fifth lawsuit claims the rebuilt Giant Slide in Mt. Pleasant Township’s Mammoth Park is unsafe. The attraction at the 408-acre park owned by Westmoreland County includes two 100-foot steel racing slides along with a smaller 50-foot slide for children. The current $1.1 million configuration, which opened in July 2020...
Overturned tractor-trailer crash closes lane on I-279
A tractor-trailer crashed early Tuesday morning on southbound Interstate 279, closing down one lane of traffic and causing backups as crews work to clear the scene. According to Tribune-News news partner WPXI, the trailer turned over on its side on the Mt. Nebo Road overpass and the cab separated from...
Katie Hobbs wins Arizona governor’s race, flipping state for Dems
PHOENIX — Democrat Katie Hobbs was elected Arizona governor on Monday, defeating an ally of Donald Trump who falsely claimed the 2020 election was rigged and refused to say she would accept the results of her race this year. Hobbs, who is Arizona’s secretary of state, rose to prominence as...
