Top Stories category, Page 933
Volunteers brave heat to assemble bicycles for Westmoreland County kids in need
Maj. Scott Flanders, director of the Salvation Army location in New Kensington, knows having a bicycle on long summer days is one of the joys of growing up. Thanks to volunteers and the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, 100 kids will be well-equipped to ride. About 50 volunteers braved the...
Oakland Planning and Development Corp. board members resign in clash with director
Several board members of an influential community development group in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood resigned Thursday, citing differences with the group’s executive director, according to a letter obtained by the Tribune-Review. In the letter to Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, Jake Oresick, the now-former board president of the Oakland Planning and Development...
Jan. 6 takeaways: ‘Heated’ Trump, Pence’s near miss with mob
WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection used its latest public hearing on Thursday to focus on the pressure that then-President Donald Trump put on his vice president, Mike Pence, to delay or reject the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory on Jan. 6, 2021. The committee is...
Medical examiner releases identity of pedestrian hit, killed on Route 286 in Plum
Authorities have released the identity of a man who died after being hit by a vehicle along Route 286 in Plum last Monday night. Nicholas Edward Witucki, 36, of Pittsburgh was struck shortly after 11 p.m. June 6 while walking along Golden Mile Highway in the borough’s Holiday Park section....
Sealing proposed jury questionnaire in Tree of Life case just the latest document hidden from public view
Attorneys for the government and defense in the criminal case involving the mass shooting at Tree of Life synagogue filed a joint motion this week to submit their proposed jury questionnaire under seal. The motion was docketed at 11:13 a.m. Monday. The judge granted the request less than six hours...
South Side artist creates colorful cleats for Steelers, other pro players
Matt Speck is an artist. But you won’t find his work in a gallery. It will be walking or running around. The South Side resident paints footwear, specifically cleats. “I think athletes sometimes get dehumanized, so these cleats help them express themselves on the field,” Speck said. “It shows their...
Police find drugs, missing teen girl in North Huntingdon motel; man arrested
An Ohio man was found in a North Huntingdon motel Wednesday with marijuana, a gun and a 16-year-old girl who had been reported missing, according to court papers. Robert Easley, 40, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, drug possession, corruption of minors and related offenses. He was being...
Death penalty option remains against man accused of killing Uber driver
A judge on Thursday ruled against the Allegheny County Public Defender’s office in its bid to prohibit the district attorney from seeking death against the man accused of killing an Uber driver in February. The public defender’s office, which is representing Calvin Crew on homicide charges in the Feb. 10...
Jan. 6 panel sends letter asking Ginni Thomas to testify
WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol has asked Virginia Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, for an interview, the panel’s chairman said Thursday afternoon. Thomas, a conservative activist, communicated with people in President Donald Trump’s orbit ahead of the...
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank receives baby formula for distribution
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank recently received about 2,600 cans of infant formula from a California-based nonprofit to help families feed their children during the formula shortage. “No one should ever have to worry that they won’t be able to feed their baby,” said Charlese McKinney, food bank director...
Robert Morris considering whether to ditch Colonials team name
Robert Morris University officials said they are considering whether to keep the name Colonials after another university recently announced its decision to nix the same moniker. George Washington University recently announced it is looking to change the name Colonials, which has been used since 1926. Opponents of the name said...
$1M winning lottery scratch-off sold at Arnold convenience store
A lottery scratch-off ticket worth $1 million was sold in Arnold, Pennsylvania Lottery officials announced Thursday. The $20 “Cash King” ticket was sold at Jadden Stop-N-Go on Constitution Boulevard. Gagan Saini, manager of the convenience store, said it feels good to have sold the winning ticket from his store. The...
Grocery shoppers, restaurants face ‘perfect storm’ as prices surge
Colleen Phillips of Leechburg has seen firsthand how inflation rates cause her grocery bill to add up faster, making it almost unaffordable to purchase essential items. “It’s outrageous,” Phillips told the Tribune-Review while shopping at Walmart in Natrona Heights this week. “You have to make meals like spaghetti where you...
Southwestern Pa. transit plan allocates $1.5 billion for bridge, other infrastructure improvements
Roads and bridges in Southwestern Pennsylvania will see a $300 million boost in funding because of the infrastructure law enacted in 2021. The extra money is included in a regional plan for $1.5 billion in transportation projects that is set to be approved June 27 by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission....
Storm risk coming ahead of break from hot, muggy weather
Some relief from the recent hot and muggy weather is coming, but getting there could a bumpy road for some parts of the Pittsburgh region. On Wednesday, temperatures reached 92 degrees at Pittsburgh International Airport, where official records are recorded. That fell 4 degrees short of the record high of...
Hays bald eagle juveniles take flight, share the skies with young hawk
The Pittsburgh Hays juvenile bald eagles were sharing the skies with a young red-tailed hawk as they took their first flights recently. “They just sort of sized one another up,” said photographer Dan Dasynich of Lincoln Place. Over the weekend, about a dozen photographers positioned themselves on the Three Rivers...
Vice President Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh to discuss replacement of lead pipes
Vice President Kamala Harris is in Pittsburgh with officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency to talk about replacing lead pipes. Harris will be joined by HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge and EPA Administrator Michael Regan to tout the administration’s investments in removing...
FDA advisers endorse 1st covid-19 shots for kids under 5
The first covid-19 shots for U.S. infants, toddlers and preschoolers moved a step closer Wednesday. The Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisers gave a thumbs-up to vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer for the littlest kids. The outside experts voted unanimously that the benefits of the shots outweigh any risks for...
Harmar police accuse man of nearly starving dog to death; felony charges filed
A Harmar man faces felony charges after police accused him of leaving his dog in a crate for weeks and nearly starving it to death. John Anthony Wells, 23, of the 400 block of Nixon Road was charged with two felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals along with multiple...
Pittsburgh police: Body found in Allegheny River
A body was pulled from the Allegheny River near the 10th Street Bypass in Pittsburgh on Wednesday afternoon, city police said. Pittsburgh River Rescue retrieved the body of a person shortly after noon, police said. Authorities were alerted by a passerby. Police did not reveal the gender of the deceased....
FBI seeks ID of suspect in recent Reserve Township bank robbery, Shaler robbery in 2017
The FBI in Pittsburgh and Reserve Township police are seeking the public’s help in identifying the man who robbed a Reserve Township bank last month, the same suspect they believe may have robbed a Shaler bank five years ago. Investigators said they saw similarities between the man who robbed the...
Despite push, states slow to make Juneteenth a paid holiday
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Recognition of Juneteenth, the effective end of slavery in the U.S., gained traction after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. But after an initial burst of action, the movement to have it recognized as an official holiday in the states has largely stalled. Although almost...
Giant Eagle in Shadyside set to close as part of redevelopment
The Giant Eagle supermarket on Shakespeare Street in Shadyside is set to close as a realtor moves ahead with redevelopment plans for its surrounding plaza. The store will close at 6 p.m. on July 23, according to a Giant Eagle spokesman. “Understanding the important role the store plays in the...
Police: Treasurer withdrew more than $10K from Plum parent-teacher organization account
The treasurer of a Plum elementary school’s parent-teacher organization is accused of stealing more than $10,000 from the organization through a series of ATM withdrawals in the spring, according to the charges against him. Omarr Moses, 32, of Monroeville, is charged with theft and device fraud in connection with the...
Man charged in vandalism of 16 cars in Downtown Pittsburgh parking garage
Pittsburgh police on Wednesday arrested an Arlington man in connection with the vandalism of 16 cars in a Downtown parking garage earlier this month. Dallas Bobnes, 28, is charged with one felony count of criminal mischief, 12 misdemeanor criminal mischief charges and one summary citation for driving without a license....
