Top Stories category, Page 917
Pa. lawmakers agree to boost education funding, spend billions in remaining stimulus money as part of budget
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. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers have sent Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf a $45.2 billion spending plan that boosts education spending by more...
Arnold Furniture founder Gene Miller remembered as ‘a great man’
Gene and Dorothy Miller decided to go into the furniture business after she was hurt in a car crash and unable to continue working as a nurse. Using money from their family vacation budget, they started Arnold Furniture in 1975 — now in its third generation of family ownership and...
‘Don’t pull over’ in the midst of a road rage incident, trooper advises
An angry honk and hand gesture might be the extent of it. But sometimes an aggressive driving situation fuels a motorist’s anger and it escalates into a potentially dangerous encounter. Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Adam Reed said such incidents can carry serious legal ramifications, ranging from a summary citation to...
Overdose deaths in Allegheny, Westmoreland counties hit highest level since 2017 peak
Overdose deaths in Allegheny County rose last year to the highest level since they peaked in 2017, mirroring trends in Westmoreland County and Pennsylvania as a whole, according to statistics released Friday. In 2021, 719 people in Allegheny County died of drug overdoses, accounting for a quarter of all cases...
911 dispatcher who didn’t send ambulance charged in 2020 death in Greene County
A Pennsylvania 911 operator faces a rare charge of involuntary manslaughter for failing to send an ambulance to the rural home of a woman who died of internal bleeding a day later, despite a plea from the woman’s daughter that without medical help “she’s going to die.” A Greene County...
7th suspect in New Kensington murder accused of supplying gun used in attack
A man from Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood is accused of providing a gun used in the attack that ended in the death of a man in New Kensington on Sunday. Raquan Carpenter, 18, is the seventh suspect New Kensington and Westmoreland County authorities named in the killing of Jason Donald Raiford,...
Kiski Township police cite ‘hostile work environment’ in resignation letters
Kiski Township police officers cited what they describe as a “hostile work environment” in resignation letters to the township. Four of the township’s six officers resigned Thursday or early Friday, as did the township’s police secretary. The resignations came after the department’s former officer-in-charge filed a grievance with the township...
What is the independent state legislature doctrine, and why does it matter for Pa.?
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. HARRISBURG — The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider a case that could reshape election policy across the country, including...
Graffiti vandals strike again in Vandergrift; artist offers to cover damage with mural
A homeowner dealing with ongoing vandalism issues in Vandergrift has an ally committed to combating negative art images in the borough with positivity. Deanna Whaley said it’s not the first time she has dealt with vandalism on her property, along the 200 block of Franklin Avenue, and she’s tired of...
Dashboard cameras, key evidence in Blawnox shooting, gain popularity with motorists
Dashboard cameras, once a mainstay mostly of law enforcement vehicles, have grown in popularity with motorists in recent years. While most often meant to add a layer of security for drivers during traffic stops and insurance claims, they can sometimes offer a detailed look at larger events, as they have...
5 members of Kiski Township Police Department resign, claiming harassment, intimidation
The Kiski Township Police Department is virtually dismantled after four of the township’s six officers, including former Officer in Charge Sgt. Thomas Dessell, and a police secretary resigned. “The walk-off is due to the harassment and intimidation brought on by township supervisors,” Dessell said. State police are handling emergency calls...
Center for Hearing & Deaf Services celebrating 100 years
Last month, Mattel released a Barbie doll with hearing aids. She wears a floral dress, pink boots and has her hair in a ponytail. Two over-the-ear hearing aids are visible. The assistive devices might seem like small accessories to some people, but they speak volumes to the hard of hearing...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: July 8-10
It’s the weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. Art crawl The Lawrenceville Art Crawl is from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday along Butler Street. The indoor and outdoor event will feature local businesses and venues with a collection of curated art and music. Organizers expect 10,000...
Biden signs order on abortion access after high court ruling
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday to protect access to abortion as he faced mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful on the subject after the Supreme Court ended a constitutional right to the procedure two weeks ago. The actions he outlined are intended...
Japan’s ex-leader Shinzo Abe assassinated during speech
NARA, Japan — Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated Friday on a street in western Japan by a gunman who opened fire on him from behind as he delivered a campaign speech — an attack that stunned the nation with some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere. The...
Emergency closure ordered for Washington Avenue Bridge in Swissvale
The emergency closure of a bridge in Swissvale on Thursday night has forced the rerouting of bus lines, Pittsburgh Regional Transit said. The Washington Avenue Bridge that was closed is owned by PennDOT and Norfolk Southern Corp., said Amie Downs, an Allegheny County spokeswoman. Washington Avenue connects Monongahela Avenue with...
‘Tidal wave’: Pittsburgh abortion clinics see influx of out-of-state patients
Crystal Grabowski gave herself only a few minutes to grieve on the morning of June 24 — phones were ringing off the hook at Planned Parenthood’s Pittsburgh clinic soon after news broke that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion. “It felt like...
7th suspect named in New Kensington murder
An 18-year-old Pittsburgh man has been arrested in connection with the killing Sunday of a New Kensington man, the seventh suspect to be charged in the case, authorities said Thursday. Raquan Carpenter was arrested Thursday in connection with the death of Jason D. Raiford, 39, of New Kensington, who was...
Mon incline to close in August for 4 months for upgrades
The Monongahela Incline will be closed for four months for a rehabilitation project, Pittsburgh Regional Transit authorities announced Thursday. Improvements include modernizing the mechanical controls and electrical systems as well as upgrades to the interiors of the upper and lower stations. PRT and its contractors will begin mobilizing this month....
New contract calls for some workers at Allegheny Valley Hospital to get raises up to 26% over next 3 years
Union workers at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison are lauding a new three-year pact that will raise the hourly wage of some employees by as much as 26% over the next three years. Members of Service Employee International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania began negotiations with Allegheny Health Network officials in early...
Pennsylvania budget would leave billions unspent, boost education funding
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania House, nearly a week into the state’s new fiscal year, began passing budget legislation Thursday to add billions into surplus accounts, significantly boost education spending and fund new environmental programs. The House passed the main budget bill with little debate on a 180-20 vote hours after...
IRS asks Treasury watchdog to probe James Comey, Andrew McCabe audits
WASHINGTON — The IRS commissioner has asked the Treasury Department’s internal watchdog to immediately review the circumstances surrounding intensive tax audits that targeted ex-FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, frequent targets of Donald Trump’s ire during his presidency. IRS spokesperson Jodie Reynolds said Thursday the agency...
Police: Mt. Lebanon school board member charged in Florida assault of teen
A Mt. Lebanon School Board member sexually abused a teenager while on vacation in Florida this week, telling arresting officers “this is not good” and “mistakes were made,” according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Andrew Freeman, 34, is charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor, Florida authorities said....
Allegheny County suing pharmacies, alleging large role in opioid epidemic
Allegheny County officials contend that several large chain drug stores had a hand in creating the deadly opioid epidemic that has killed thousands across the county, contending that the pharmacies pushed the potent painkilling opioids into communities and failed to monitor and restrict sales when red flags arose. In a...
Police officer who killed Tamir Rice leaves Tioga police position amid controversy
The small borough of Tioga in Northcentral Pennsylvania recently hired Timothy Loehmann, the former Cleveland police officer who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014. But following criticism from residents and outcry on social media, Loehmann has withdrawn from the borough’s police force, according to reports. Rice’s killing led...
