Top Stories category, Page 98
Lawsuit alleges abuse of legal system in delayed Shadyside apartment project
An East End real estate developer is suing a Shadyside woman for abuse of the court system, alleging her appeal of a zoning decision delayed the construction of a 117-unit apartment project and cost them millions of dollars. Mozart Management filed the lawsuit in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on...
Apollo teen remembered for his positive impact, big smile
Colton Bureau found a love of fishing in the last year or two. Living along the Kiski River in Apollo, the 14-year-old boy often walked down to the water with his pole to make a few casts. It didn’t matter what type of fish he caught, as long as something...
Millvale Hardee’s — chain’s only location in Pittsburgh region — closes
The only Hardee’s restaurant in the Pittsburgh region, and a cornerstone of the Millvale community, has closed. While a banner on the eatery at the convergence of North and Evergreen avenues thanks its customers for 50 years of business, the message under the red pylon sign simply said, “Closed.” Eric...
Pennsylvania must stop throwing out mail ballots over date errors, court rules
HARRISBURG — A federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled that it is unconstitutional for the presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania to throw out mail-in ballots simply because the voter didn’t write an accurate date on the return envelope. The unanimous decision by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered...
‘Violation of trust’: Ex-McKeesport police captain to serve 16 years of probation for evidence room theft
A former McKeesport police captain will serve 16 years on probation for stealing more than a quarter-million dollars from his department’s evidence room. Christopher Halaszynski, 54, pleaded guilty to theft and receiving stolen property on Tuesday before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jennifer Satler. As part of his sentence, Halaszynski...
Court tosses lawsuit by Trump against Maryland federal judges, calling it ‘potentially calamitous’
BALTIMORE — A federal judge on Tuesday threw out the Trump administration’s lawsuit against Maryland’s entire federal bench in an emphatic ruling that underscored the extraordinary nature of the suit, slamming it as “potentially calamitous.” U.S. District Judge Thomas Cullen, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, also criticized the...
Penguins to relaunch franchise’s hall of fame with 10 new members
The past dozen years or so have been eventful for the Pittsburgh Penguins. There have been a pair of Stanley Cup championships, a gaggle of blockbuster trades, a handful of general managers and even a few different ownership groups (with potentially another kicking the tires). What the Penguins haven’t done...
Menards seeks extension for site plan of home improvement store in Hempfield
Home improvement store chain Menards is seeking an extension to its site plan through the end of 2025, according to a letter sent to Hempfield obtained by TribLive. Township supervisors are expected to consider the extension during their September meeting, manager Aaron Siko said. “It’s so exciting to know they’re...
What’s in a brand? Cracker Barrel stock tanks 10% after booting Uncle Herschel from logo
Since Cracker Barrel cleaned up its logo a week ago, it has been dressed down by those averse to the change. The restaurant and gift shop, a staple of roadside rest stops throughout the homeland, prides itself on a homey atmosphere that’s emblematic of an episode of “The Waltons.” Locally,...
Salem’s Market to sell closed Hill District grocery store to church
Salem’s Market is pursuing the sale of its closed supermarket in Pittsburgh’s Hill District to the Macedonia Church of Pittsburgh. In an announcement this week, Salem’s said the parties signed a sales agreement on June 25 and are not making financial details of the deal public as the transaction is...
Pittsburgh police arrest Pizza Hut robbery suspect after chase, crash in Penn Hills
Pittsburgh police have charged a man with armed robbery at a restaurant in the city’s Bloomfield neighborhood. Police said they made the arrest Monday after a high-speed car chase that ended with the suspect crashing in Penn Hills. Police said Jason Brian Fields, 44, of Penn Hills reached speeds of...
Government officials join fight against ‘designer Xanax’ that’s killed dozens in Western Pa.
Pennsylvania’s attorney general has joined a growing call for emergency action against bromazolam, a dangerous drug often dubbed “designer Xanax” that has killed hundreds — including dozens in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. In a letter sent last week to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, Attorney General Dave Sunday and others...
Trump says he wants to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un this year
President Donald Trump said he would like to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year as South Korea floated the idea of constructing a Trump Tower in the reclusive country if diplomatic relations improve. “I will say that Kim Jong Un and I had a very good relationship,...
Washington High School teacher and coach Ron Todd remembered for dedication to community
William Ronald Todd was more than a football coach and teacher in the Washington, Pa. School District. “Ron Todd was a great guy. He’s going to be dearly missed,” said one of his colleagues, Mike Bosnic Sr. The elder Bosnic, like Todd, is on the Prexies coaching staff led by...
Trump says he’s firing Fed Governor Lisa Cook, opening new front in fight for central bank control
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday night that he’s firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, an unprecedented move that would constitute a sharp escalation in his battle to exert greater control over what has long been considered an institution independent from day-to-day politics. Trump said in a letter posted...
Trump signs executive orders aimed at ending cashless bail
President Donald Trump signed a pair of executive orders Monday aiming to end cashless bail in Washington and pressure other cities to also eliminate the practice, the latest effort by the White House to overhaul the nation’s criminal justice system. The order related to the nation’s capital will task law...
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee denied access to ICE detention center at Moshannon
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, a Swissvale Democrat, on Monday became the latest Congressional Democrat denied entry at a federal immigration detention center. Lee on Monday was denied access to Moshannon Valley Processing Center, the largest immigration detention center in the northeast. She had traveled to the Clearfield County detention center...
No funding deal in sight as transit cuts take effect in Philadelphia region
Many commuters and students in the Philadelphia region woke earlier than usual Monday and scrambled to avoid being late as they navigated newly imposed service cuts by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority. It remains unknown how long the pain might continue in Pennsylvania’s southeastern corner, as lawmakers remain apart on...
Trump’s initial warning to South Korea’s Lee turns into warm welcome after flattery
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump took to social media before meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday to threaten not to do business with Seoul because of a “Purge or Revolution” that he claimed was taking place in the country. But any prospect of a hostile Oval...
Man admits stealing car with Lucky the dog inside, but provides no leads
Willard Martz and his dog, Lucky, were nearly inseparable. Martz, a retired Marine from Donegal Township, had cared for his late son’s dog since 2020, and they were rarely apart until last fall, his daughter told a Westmoreland County judge Monday. She addressed the court during a guilty plea hearing...
Allegheny Valley plans for parking, seating at new turf field
As crews place the finishing touches on Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School’s new artificial turf field, district officials say they’re preparing to manage crowds during the Dynamos’ inaugural football season at the site. According to Allegheny Valley School District spokeswoman Jan Zastawniak, the district will set aside several parking lots around...
Last chance: Penn State New Kensington, Fayette welcome final 2-year class before impending closure
Bailey Maschok always knew she wanted to spend two years studying at Penn State New Kensington and finish her degree at the university’s main campus in State College. “I’m really grateful I made the cutoff to do two years here before going up to main campus,” said Maschok, 18, of...
Washington County DA Jason Walsh defends use of death penalty
Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh told the state Supreme Court that prosecutors have broad discretion to seek the death penalty and urged the justices to reject a bid to limit his authority. “This court should decline petitioners’ invitation to fundamentally reorder the criminal justice system to suit their goals,”...
Trial date set for man charged in Unity woman’s murder
A Westmoreland County judge has set a February trial for a Unity man accused in the suspected murder of his girlfriend more than seven years ago. Cassandra Gross was last seen in April 2018, and authorities almost immediately named her boyfriend, Thomas Stanko, as a person of interest in her...
Entrepreneur accused of defrauding PNC Bank ordered to pay $26M
A federal judge Monday ordered a New York businessman to pay back more than $26 million to PNC after the bank caught what it described as large-scale check fraud. The order, crafted by attorneys on both sides and approved by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Hornak, comes less than two...
