Top Stories category, Page 888
Ex-Shaler substitute charged in Capitol riot chooses trial by judge, not jury
A former Army Ranger and substitute teacher in the Shaler Area School District charged with participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot has chosen to have a bench trial at the end of this month. Robert Morss, who was originally scheduled to have a jury trial in late August, filed...
3 people escape Munhall fire, 2 pets rescued, 1 dies
Three people were able to escape a fire that broke out early Wednesday at a Munhall home, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. Crews responded to the home in the 2800 block of Main Street at about 1:50 a.m. Three adults were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. Two...
Gilpin cop off the job after corruption of minor charge filed against him in Greensburg
A Gilpin Township police officer was suspended without pay and subsequently resigned after he was charged with corruption of a minor in Greensburg. William Andrew Rapone II, 22, of the 200 block of Longfellow Street in Vandergrift, was charged by Greensburg police on Aug. 3 with misdemeanor counts of corruption...
Mustached cat from Hunker takes the cake in Meow Mix ads, international cat shows
Smudge the cat might have a mustache and goatee, but don’t be fooled — she’s a girl. The black and white cat from Hunker is well-known in Western Pa. and beyond. She has won titles in international cat shows hosted by the Cat Fanciers’ Association and most recently appeared in...
Trump foe Liz Cheney defeated in Wyoming GOP primary; mulls 2024 bidVideo
CHEYENNE — Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, Donald Trump’s fiercest Republican adversary in Congress, soundly lost a GOP primary, falling to a rival backed by the former president in a rout that reinforced his grip on the party’s base. The third-term congresswoman and her allies entered Tuesday downbeat about her prospects,...
Pa. joins multi-state suit against Mariner Finance loan company; alleges predatory practices
Pennsylvania is seeking more than $27 million in restitution from a finance company the state claims added hidden charges to loans and interest from those fees over three years through what it claims are “predatory” practices, according to a multi-state lawsuit the attorney general filed with four other states and...
Doug Mastriano challenges Josh Shapiro to 2 debates, but only on his terms
State Sen. Doug Mastriano has proposed two debates in October with Attorney General Josh Shapiro, his Democratic rival for Pennsylvania’s governor’s office, but this particular offer appears to be dead on arrival. The Republican nominee’s proposed rules of engagement — cutting out all outside organizers and allowing debate questions only...
PWSA supervisor gets probation for role in dumping sludge in Allegheny River
A former Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority supervisor will serve three years of probation after pleading guilty in federal court to dumping sludge into the Allegheny River. Glenn Lijewski, of Brookline, worked at the Aspinwall Drinking Water Treatment Plant. He was charged by federal prosecutors with violating the Clean Water...
Scott man who obtained millions in fraudulent covid-19 relief loans pleads guilty, faces prison
A Scott man who fraudulently obtained federal covid-19 relief loans and used the money to buy luxury vehicles and artwork and pay college tuition pleaded guilty Tuesday to bank fraud and money laundering. Randy Frasinelli, 66, will be sentenced on Dec. 20 by U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy. According...
Biden signs massive climate and health care legislationVideo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed Democrats’ landmark climate change and health care bill into law on Tuesday, delivering what he has called the “final piece” of his pared-down domestic agenda, as he aims to boost his party’s standing with voters less than three months before the midterm elections. The...
Jill Biden tests positive for covid-19, has ‘mild’ symptomsVideo
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — First lady Jill Biden tested positive for covid-19 and was experiencing “mild symptoms,” the White House announced Tuesday. President Joe Biden continues to test negative after recently recovering from the virus but will wear a mask indoors for 10 days as a precaution. The Bidens have...
Pa. lawmakers tout increased state, federal funding to fight climate change
State and federal efforts to fight climate change could also create tens of thousands of jobs and lower energy bills in Western Pennsylvania, two Democratic lawmakers said Tuesday. The federal Inflation Reduction Act, which President Biden was expected to sign into law on Tuesday, will allocate $370 billion to fight...
3 men accused of trafficking ‘mass amounts’ of fentanyl in Allegheny, Somerset
A yearlong investigation into drug trafficking in Allegheny and Somerset counties culminated Tuesday with charges being filed against three men who investigators say trafficked “mass amounts” of fentanyl in the counties. The investigation, overseen by the state Attorney General’s Office, recovered dozens of bricks of heroin and fentanyl and hundreds...
Allegheny Township winery officially hits market for just under $1 million
Wooden Door Winery in Allegheny Township is officially on the market. Owners Jeff and Chrissy Pollick announced they were selling their flagship winery in June, but the property wasn’t officially listed for sale then, and an asking price was not disclosed. The barn-themed winery at 4087 Greenwood Road in Allegheny...
Body recovered from Allegheny River near Acrisure Stadium
A body was found in the Allegheny River near Acrisure Stadium early Tuesday, authorities said. Pittsburgh Public Safety officials confirmed that river rescue responded to the North Shore area at about 7:10 a.m. and recovered a body. The identification and cause of death will come from the Allegheny County Medical...
Penn State spent half a million dollars on police overtime at football games in 2021
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. Penn State University paid $572,119 for officers from five Centre County police departments to work overtime at football games last year,...
Back in business: Salad bars, buffets bounce back after pandemic restrictions
Takeout orders and outdoor seating helped some traditional sit-down restaurants survive during months of pandemic restrictions starting in 2019. But, for self-serve, buffet-style eateries, the choices were limited. During the pandemic, Jaden’s Catering in Monroeville offered individually packaged meals, but owner Javid Shojaie said “people didn’t recognize us as a...
Woman shot in leg in Homestead
A woman was shot late Monday in Homestead, according to Allegheny County Police. Officers responded at about 10:30 p.m. to the 1200 block of Sarah Street where they found an adult woman with a gunshot wound to the leg. The victim was treated at the scene and was in stable...
Building the Valley: Cindy’s Soft Serve and Hometown Food serves up good vibes in Tarentum
A Tarentum diner is offering “good vibes only” through its homestyle cooking and friendly conversation. Cindy’s Soft Serve and Hometown Food, at 309 E. Fourth St., is a 1950s-style eatery with menu items named as an homage to the Alle-Kiski Valley. There’s the Red Cat, a burger with fries and...
3 people killed in Armstrong County crash identified
State police have identified the three people killed after a head-on crash Monday in Hovey Township, just north of Parker in Armstrong County. They are Holly Tweed, 37, of Butler; Lindsay Scott, 24, of Bruin; and Jason Redenbach, 39, of Butler. None were wearing a seat belt, according to police....
Police: Man stabbed in workplace dispute in Pittsburgh
A man was stabbed Monday afternoon in a workplace dispute with a co-worker in Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood, city police said. The man was reported hospitalized in critical condition with a stab wound in the abdomen, Pittsburgh police said. The man, who was not identified, was found around noon in the...
Report: 3-year-old treated after accidentally being served alcohol at Monroeville restaurant
A 3-year-old child was treated at a hospital after accidentally being served alcohol at a Monroeville restaurant, according to a report from Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. The mother of the child said the incident happened at the Saga Hibachi restaurant in Monroeville when the chef squirted sake into the little...
Hempfield Area policy change would expand parents’ role in review of challenged books
Changes under consideration by the Hempfield Area School Board would expand the role parents play in the review of challenged course material and library books. Board members have begun tweaking the review process, continuing a monthlong conversation that began after parents challenged two books available to high school students. “What...
Teen accuser described as desperate, jealous in Ruffs Dale sex assault trial
The lawyer for a Ruffs Dale man accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl told a Westmoreland County jury on Monday the allegations were brought by a desperate and jealous teenager. Prosecutors contend Steven K. Stemmler, 39, had a sexual relationship with the teenager that started in...
Feds oppose unsealing affidavit for Mar-a-Lago warrant
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Monday rebuffed efforts to make public the affidavit supporting the search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s estate in Florida, saying the investigation “implicates highly classified material” and the document contains sensitive information about witnesses. The government’s opposition came in response to court filings...
