Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 862
Victim in fatal Rostraver shooting identified
A Philadelphia area man has been identified by the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office as the man who was shot to death Nov. 5 at a Rostraver shopping complex. The victim, Boyke Budiarchman, 49, was shot to death outside the Lowe’s store at the Rostraver Square shopping center off the intersection...
Biden administration to ask high court to take up student debt plan
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration plans to ask the Supreme Court to reinstate the president’s student debt cancellation plan, according to a Thursday legal filing warning that Americans will face financial strain if the plan remains stalled in court when loan payments are scheduled to restart in January. The Justice...
Democrats get nominal control of Pa. House with win in Montgomery County
State Rep. Todd Stephens, R-Montgomery County, has conceded in his race for a seventh term representing the 151st District, giving Democrats at least a nominal majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the first time since 2010. Democratic challenger Melissa Cerrato holds a 16,800 to 16,741 lead according to...
Bell Acres CEO of accounting firm pleads guilty to defrauding IRS of over $15M
When Joseph Nocito Sr. reviewed the invoices for the construction of his 34-room mansion in Bell Acres, federal prosecutors said, he’d place hand-written sticky notes on them, directing his bookkeeper to pay the costs from one of his 35 companies. Among the expenses illegally paid, the government said Thursday, were...
Ticketmaster canceling next Taylor Swift concert ticket saleVideo
NASHVILLE — Ticketmaster says it is canceling the planned general public sale on Friday for Taylor Swift’s upcoming stadium tour because it doesn’t have enough tickets. The decision was made two days after a presale event caused the site to crash and left many fans without tickets. The ticketing company...
Pittsburghers skeptical of mayor’s snow removal goals
A goal of clearing all city streets within 24 hours of each snowfall sounds too ambitious for some Pittsburghers who have experienced hellacious waits for snow removal in the past. “I just don’t think it’s realistic,” said Margaret Loria, of Pittsburgh’s Manchester neighborhood. “Pittsburgh is hills.” It would be “awesome”...
Pittsburgh council looks to extend parking zone program for delivery drivers
Pittsburgh City Council members this week advanced a proposal to expand parking zones for delivery drivers which, they said, could be improved by tickets by mail for unregistered motorists. The pilot program, unveiled in the spring, was initially scheduled to last one year. Legislation advanced by council Tuesday would extend...
Pelosi won’t seek leadership role, plans to stay in Congress
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she will not seek a leadership position in the new Congress, making way for a new generation to steer the party after Democrats lost control of the House to Republicans in the midterm elections. Pelosi announced in a spirited speech on...
Police: Man fatally stabbed father in Mt. Washington because he ‘wanted a cigarette’
A man is accused of fatally stabbing his wheelchair-bound father and injuring his brother in a Mt. Washington home because “he was frustrated, cold, and wanted a cigarette,” Pittsburgh police said. Police have arrested Javon Taylor, 31, and charged him with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, and...
Planning Commission again denies Point Park’s plans for fence at Pittsburgh Playhouse
The Pittsburgh Planning Commission this week declined to approve Point Park University’s proposal to build a fence at the public open space at its Downtown Pittsburgh Playhouse, a move university officials said is necessary to ensure security at the site. The school has twice presented proposals to the Planning Commission...
Why these Pa. teams got left out of the minor league baseball union
This story was produced by Spotlight PA in collaboration with Defector, an independent sports blog and media company. HARRISBURG — Professional baseball will become a fairer sport next year — at least in terms of compensation. After a successful unionization push by minor league players, the workforce — historically paid...
Starbucks workers strike at more than 100 stores
Starbucks workers at more than 100 U.S. stores are on strike Thursday in their largest labor action since a campaign to unionize the company’s stores began late last year. The walkouts coincide with Starbucks’ annual Red Cup Day, when the company gives free reusable cups to customers who order a...
Sheriffs pick up Homestead man charged in fatal West Mifflin stabbing
A Homestead man accused of fatally stabbing a 65-year-old man on Tuesday in West Mifflin was picked up Thursday. Robert Anger, 19, is responsible for the stabbing, according to Allegheny County Police. County police have charged Anger with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence and burglary. West Mifflin Police responded to...
Jeannette man on trial for attempted homicide denies shooting at neighbor
A Jeannette man told a jurors Wednesday he fired a BB gun and set off a firecracker during an altercation with a neighbor. Westmoreland County prosecutors contend Dale Shaw used a rifle and fired at least one round that struck a home next door as his neighbor recorded video of...
1 dead, 3 injured after police chase and fiery crash on Pittsburgh’s South Side
A person died after a police chase led to a fiery crash in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood on Wednesday. Three people were also reported injured as a result of the crash. According to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI, a chase began in McKeesport and ended in the South Side when the...
Icy roads, crashes reported throughout Pittsburgh region
Snow and precipitation fell throughout the Pittsburgh region overnight and early Thursday morning, leading to possible icy patches and slick conditions on area roads. Tribune-Review news partner WPXI reported multiple crashes throughout the region. Early morning temperatures are below freezing, with wind chills reported around 20 degrees. The Liberty Bridge...
Summer Lee plans to keep breaking down barriers in Congress
Summer Lee made history last week, but it wasn’t easy. The Braddock native’s rise to become the first Black woman from Pennsylvania to sit in Congress has been met with regular pushback from forces trying to counter her progressive policies and bombastic attitude. At one point that pushback came from...
Confession barred from evidence in trial of man accused in Jeannette fatal fire
Two confessions from a man charged with murder in connection with a fire in Jeannette were improperly obtained by investigators, a Westmoreland County judge has ruled. In a 27-page opinion, Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio said Brian Rendon, 38, of Jeannette was incapable of voluntarily waiving his rights to remain...
Pittsburgh police gear up for safe Light Up Night
Pittsburgh public safety officials are gearing up for Saturday’s Highmark Light Up Night festival, and said they are taking extensive measures to ensure the event is safe. Large crowds are expected in Pittsburgh’s central business district for the 61st anniversary celebration featuring live music, family-friendly entertainment, tree lighting and fireworks....
Western Pa. medical experts keep watch on amoxicillin shortage
A shortage of the broad-range antibiotic amoxicillin is being felt in Western Pennsylvania, and experts are tracking how it will impact local care. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month announced a shortage of the oral suspension of the drug, which is used to fight bacteria in a wide...
Missing Pittsburgh girl sought
Pittsburgh police said they are seeking a missing 12-year-old girl who was last seen in Homewood on Saturday. Angie’nae Mar is 5-foot-4-inches tall, weighing 180 pounds. She has an Afro hairstyle. Anyone with information about the girl’s location is asked to contact police at 412- 323-7141....
Wisconsin man who killed 6 in Christmas parade gets life, no releaseVideo
A judge sentenced a man who killed six people and injured many others when he drove his SUV through a Christmas parade in suburban Milwaukee to life in prison with no chance of release Wednesday, rejecting arguments from him and his family that mental illness drove him to do it....
Prosecutors: Mechanicsburg woman directed Jan. 6 rioters, Pelosi laptop thievesVideo
In a video, the 22-year-old woman can be heard shouting at police as rioters surge through the U.S. Capitol rotunda: “You’re a traitor,” she yells. “You’re a traitor to this country.” Riley Williams, now 23, of Mechanicsburg, is on trial this week on eight charges related to her actions in...
GOP wins slim House majority, complicating ambitious agenda
WASHINGTON — Republicans won control of the U.S. House on Wednesday, returning the party to power in Washington and giving conservatives leverage to blunt President Joe Biden’s agenda and spur a flurry of investigations. But a threadbare majority will pose immediate challenges for GOP leaders and complicate the party’s ability...
Some MAWC water customers warned of potential health risks, but no corrective measures required
Notifications were sent out Wednesday to more than 50,000 Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers who live south of Route 30 about a potential hazard caused by a high level of a chemical that is a byproduct of the process used to clean drinking water. Officials said tests at the...
