Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 88
Pittsburgh councilwoman pushes for better sidewalk snow removal
After a massive storm late last month dumped about a foot of snow on Pittsburgh, many sidewalks, parking spots and transit stops remained covered for days. That made it challenging for people, especially those who are physically disabled, to navigate the snow, slush and ice. It’s a problem Councilwoman Barb...
Pittsburgh police officer placed on leave after bar fight
A Pittsburgh police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave after a fight was reported at an area bar. The police bureau’s command staff “was made aware of an altercation in a bar outside of the city” that involved multiple off-duty police officers, Cara Cruz, a police spokeswoman, said...
Pittsburgh council approves 1 ballot question for May primary
Pittsburgh voters casting ballots in the May primary will be asked whether the city should change its requirement that notice for public hearings be advertised in a newspaper of general circulation. That includes notice for hearings pertaining to the budget and zoning changes. City Council President R. Daniel Lavelle, D-Hill...
A person has been detained for questioning in the disappearance of Nancy GuthrieVideo
TUCSON, Ariz. —A person has been detained for questioning in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, according to two people familiar with the matter. The people said the person was detained Tuesday in an area south of Tucson. They did not immediately provide additional details, and it wasn’t clear if the...
Crews work to stabilize sinkhole in Greensburg
Crews from the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County worked Monday to stabilize a sinkhole that opened between two properties along Keystone Street in Greensburg. Greensburg public works officials said a water line collapse resulted in a sinkhole in a rear yard area along the 600 block of Keystone Street about...
Snow, bitter cold pose problems for home heating oil deliveries; cost per gallon jumps higher
A confluence of soaring demand and treacherous delivery conditions is straining the home heating oil market in Westmoreland County during this month’s bitter cold. “The demand for fuel (heating oil) is extremely high for several reasons. They (furnaces) have been running nonstop,” said Kristen Zawoyski, general manager of Export Fuel...
Stanko testifies, says another person responsible for Gross’ disappearance
Thomas G. Stanko took the witness stand Tuesday and disavowed any role in the disappearance or murder of his former girlfriend, Cassandra Gross. During more than three hours of testimony in Westmoreland County court, he attempted to place blame for her fate on another man and repeatedly offered to take...
With flat state funding, it’s ‘too soon to tell’ if state-owned institutions will increase tuition
It’s too soon to tell if tuition will increase next year for undergraduate students attending one of the 10 colleges in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget keeps the funding allocation flat at $625 million for the system. zAmong the colleges affected are Slippery...
Morning Roundup: Braddock fire victim identified; Code Orange extended for Mon Valley
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Feb. 10: Man killed in Braddock fire identified The man killed Friday in a Braddock house fire has been identified as 63-year-old Antwon Abram. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office named Abram in a report Monday. Authorities say...
When conflict meets competition: Trump’s immigration agenda roils opening days of Winter Olympics
LIVIGNO, Italy — As the Winter Olympics opened in Milan, Vice President JD Vance hailed the competition as “one of the few things that unites the entire country.” That unity didn’t last long. The early days of the Milan Cortina Games have been roiled by the tumultuous political debate in...
Wrong-way driver crashes into 3 tractor-trailers on I-70 in HempfieldVideo
An SUV traveling the wrong way on Interstate 70 in Hempfield pinballed between three tractor-trailers early Tuesday morning, sending two drivers to the hospital, according to state Trooper Rocco Gagliardi. The high-speed, violent crash was reported at 12:44 a.m. around a curve in the highway between the New Stanton and...
Riverview School Board passes student, staff safety policy in wake of ICE arrest
After districtwide outrage following an Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest in Oakmont late last month, the Riverview School Board approved a student and staff safety policy that streamlines information from various bodies. It outlines the actions to be taken by staff and teachers if any law enforcement agency comes to...
An unexplained departure and a triumphant return to the U.S.Video
On Aug. 13, 2021, Marc and Jane Fogel pulled away from their white colonial-style home in Oakmont to drive to New York City. There, they boarded a plane to Moscow to begin their final year teaching at the Anglo-American School, an elite institution built for the children of western diplomats....
Trump threatens to block new bridge between Detroit and Canada from opening
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to block the opening of a new Canadian-built bridge across the Detroit River, demanding that Canada turn over at least half of the ownership of the bridge and agree to other unspecified demands in his latest salvo over cross-border trade issues. “We...
Pitt women’s basketball coach sued by former players alleging hostile environment
Six women who previously played basketball at Pitt are suing coach Tory Verdi and the school, alleging he created a hostile environment, abused players psychologically and retaliated against them after they complained. The individual lawsuits were filed Friday in federal court in Pittsburgh. They include claims for violations of Title...
Brentwood man remains in ICE custody after hospital stay, 1st hearing
Maklim Gomez Escalante remains in federal custody after returning from a hospital last week to the Moshannon Valley ICE Processing Center in Clearfield County, his family says. Gomez Escalante, 35, of Brentwood in Pittsburgh’s South Hills, was taken by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Jan. 20. His family...
Oakmont man arrested by ICE is home, but being monitored; future unclear
Jose Flores, the Oakmont man arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents late last month, is home with his family again, but not necessarily out of the woods. Flores, 47, originally from Nicaragua, was taken into custody by ICE agents the morning of Jan. 29 in front of his home...
Trump told Palm Beach police chief ‘everyone’ knew about Epstein, Maxwell was ‘evil’
President Donald Trump has repeatedly maintained that he had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex crimes. But in July 2006, just as Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal case became public, Trump called then-Palm Beach police chief Michael Reiter to tell him that Epstein’s activities with teenaged girls were well known in New...
Tulsi Gabbard’s office warns attorney against sharing classified complaint with Congress
WASHINGTON — The general counsel for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Monday warned the attorney for an anonymous government employee not to directly share a top-secret complaint about Gabbard’s handling of classified material with members of Congress. The letter to attorney Andrew Bakaj is the latest escalation in...
Owner of Ruthie’s Diner dies nearly 3 weeks after fire destroyed longtime Ligonier Township restaurant
Doris Ruth “Ruthie” Stevens, owner of Ruthie’s Diner, died at 92 on Saturday — nearly three weeks after the Ligonier Township restaurant was destroyed in a fire. Stevens died in her home in Jenner, Somerset County, according to an obituary. She was born in Addison, also in Somerset County, in...
Homicide trial opens for 2 charged in St. Clair woman’s murderVideo
Alice Robson had been missing for more than two days in December 2023 when a dog from the Greensburg Bloodhound Team found her body stuffed in a crawl space underneath a porch at her St. Clair home. It took Lucy, the dog, 6 minutes to locate the 71-year-old woman’s body,...
Ice dams can build as temperatures rise, putting homes at risk for water leaks
Roof repair and replacement company Roof Gutter Now keeps busy in the winter, fielding 60 to 80 calls a day to melt piles of snow, ice and water sitting on top of homeowners’ rooftops. But owner Nathaniel Davis says the calls should pick up even more on Tuesday as warmer...
Fatal crash ends search for suspect in McKees Rocks shooting
A suspect in a weekend shooting in McKees Rocks was found dead Monday after a car crash in nearby Kennedy. Allegheny County Police said they identified Edward Sparrow, 22, a suspect in a Saturday night shooting that critically injured a woman in the 100 block of McKees Rocks’ Jane Street....
Burrell basketball coach accused of draining $246K from Montgomery County nonprofit
Authorities in Montgomery County have charged Burrell High School’s boys basketball coach with stealing more than $246,000 from a nonprofit group where he formerly served as treasurer. Michael Fantuzzo, 40, faces theft charges from allegations stemming from when he served as volunteer treasurer of the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association, a...
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis stumps in Pittsburgh for boosting 211 help line budget
About a decade ago, Erica Evans was a single mother who had just lost her job as an at-home caregiver. She was living on the streets of Downtown Pittsburgh, where someone handed her a card for 211, the statewide phone line that connects people with a variety of public and...
