Top Stories category, Page 995
Former Westmoreland sheriff Jon Held pleads guilty to theft charge, gets probation
Jonathan Held, the former Westmoreland County sheriff once tried by state prosecutors in a public corruption case, pleaded guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor theft charge. A judge sentenced him to serve six months on probation. Held, 48, formerly of Hempfield, lives in Cape Coral, Fla. As part of his plea...
Rescuers search theater rubble as Russian attacks continue
KYIV, Ukraine — Rescue workers searched for survivors Thursday in the ruins of a theater blown apart by a Russian airstrike in the besieged city of Mariupol, while scores of Ukrainians across the country were killed in ferocious urban attacks on a school, a hostel and other sites. Hundreds of...
Pittsburgh’s bike share rolling out new fleet, including e-bikes
After seven years known as Healthy Ride, Pittsburgh’s bike share revealed a rebrand on Wednesday that includes new station locations and a new fleet that will include some electric-assist bikes, also known as e-bikes. The new system is called POGOH. The name is designed to suggest hopping — as if...
Man arrested after breaking into Pittsburgh Zoo after hours
Pittsburgh Police arrested a man who breached the fences at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium after hours on Wednesday night, according to police. The zoo’s 24-hour security was alerted to the incident shortly before 8 p.m., and police from Zone 5 arrived quickly afterward. Police spokesperson Amanda Mueller said...
Police: Man shot in the face in Clairton
A man shot in the face in Clairton is expected to survive, according to Allegheny County Police. Officers responded to the intersection of Holcomb Avenue and Wood Alley for a shooting around 4:20 p.m. Wednesday. First responders found a man with a gunshot wound to the face. Police said the...
Allegheny County to rely more on wastewater surveillance to calculate spread of covid-19
Two years and two days after the first covid-19 cases were reported in Allegheny County, Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen closed the latest chapter of the pandemic with optimism and provided insight on the new ways health officials will communicate pandemic data. The county will move away from biweekly briefings...
Pa. Supreme Court rejects legal challenges to state’s new legislative maps
This article is part of a yearlong reporting project focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. It is made possible by the support of Spotlight PA members and Votebeat, a project focused on election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s highest court has affirmed the state’s new legislative district...
Hunker men accused of shooting dogs say they shot them after peacock’s killing
Two men were charged Wednesday in connection with the December fatal shooting of two dogs that were later found in a wooded area of Hunker. State police said James P. Hill, 76, and his neighbor Jason W. Beal, 35, shot and killed Hagrid, 5, and Aspen, 4. The bodies of...
What to know about the omicron subvariant BA.2
A new version of the coronavirus that causes covid-19 has made its way through Europe and other parts of the world, and it now has been detected in the United States, including locally. It is not a new strain, but rather a variant of a variant — a subtype of...
Hearings to be held on Pittsburgh City Council proposals to generate money for infrastructure fund
Some people opposed to a Pittsburgh City Council proposal to levy a 1% tax on college tuition and medical bills to generate money for infrastructure improvements appear to be more open to a separate proposal to seek money from nonprofits instead. The Fern Hollow Bridge collapse in January heightened concerns...
Owner of Gilpin personal care home accused of stealing $111K from dead resident’s account
State police accused the owner of a personal care home in Gilpin Township of stealing nearly $111,500 from a resident’s credit union account after the 75-year-old woman died. Carrie Ann Leway, 42, of the 300 block of Godfrey Road faces five counts each of forgery and identity theft, all felonies,...
Police: Man entered Gateway elementary school, recorded child in girls’ bathroom
A man lied his way into Ramsey Elementary School in Monroeville on Tuesday and recorded a child on his cellphone as she used the girls’ restroom, according to charges filed by Monroeville police. Brian Mintmier, 26, is charged with possessing an instrument of crime, possessing an instrument of crime on...
AG: No evidence of crime in Ross sergeant’s alleged sharing of video evidence
No criminal charges will be filed against a Ross police officer accused by fellow officers of mishandling explicit video evidence in a case, the state Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday. The controversy — which led to a union vote of no confidence in Chief Joseph Ley — stemmed from allegations...
Kennywood to open Easter weekend with new touches
The new coats of paint are drying on several roller coasters at Kennywood. Pillars at the entrance are adorned in neon yellow. Food stands are getting new lighting. It’s getting close to opening day — a week earlier than in recent years. Kennywood will open Saturday, April 16, for season...
Route 356 work in Allegheny Township to begin next month
Motorists who use state Route 356 in Allegheny Township should circle April 4 on their calendars. That’s the day an eight-month-long renovation of the key traffic artery will begin. The work will be done in three phases. The first is from Weinels Crossroads to Piper Road; Phase 2 will be...
Endangered Indiana bat mostly gone from southwestern Pa. but longer migration holds hope
The tiny wings of the endangered Indiana bat seem to be taking the creature on longer journeys. The Pennsylvania Game Commission recently documented the longest known, single-season migration of the federally and state-endangered bat from Pennsylvania to Kentucky. As the migration, at least 418 miles, broke the record for longest...
Russia’s onslaught continues amid optimism over talks
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces destroyed a theater in Mariupol where hundreds of people were sheltering Wednesday and rained fire on other cities, Ukrainian authorities said, even as the two sides projected optimism over efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting. The airstrike ripped apart the center of the...
Ex-hedge fund CEO aims to be hometown boy in Senate race in Pennsylvania
LEBANON — As CEO of the world’s largest hedge fund, David McCormick wore suits, lived on Connecticut’s ritzy Gold Coast, talked up bipartisanship and described China as America’s most important “bilateral relationship.” Now, as a Republican running for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, McCormick wears jeans and casual dress shirts. He...
Glimmers of hope seen at talks as Russia’s onslaught goes on
KYIV, Ukraine — Both Russia and Ukraine projected optimism ahead of another scheduled round of talks Wednesday, even as Moscow’s forces rained fire on Kyiv and other major cities in a bid to crush the resistance that has frustrated Kremlin hopes for a lightning victory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile,...
Norwin debate continues in regards to systemic racism, critical race theory
The disagreement over whether a Norwin High School lesson on racism in the United States was an example of critical race theory laid bare a split over what to teach about race relations in 21st-century America — including whether systemic racism exists in a country that has laws intended to...
Springdale business big hit with furniture made out of used wine, whiskey barrels
Michael Monahan was looking for an opportunity that would allow him to quit his job as a mechanical engineer. In 2018, a project in the basement of his McCandless home helped Monahan find his true calling, which led to a business in Springdale with plans to expand in New Kensington....
Murrysville PixCams brings live footage of wildlife and more into homes
While PixCams of Murrysville is best known for its live Pittsburgh Hays bald eagle webcam, the small company has been expanding and now has 30 live webcams. They rolled out a new product for the public, businesses and nonprofits to set up their own live webcam system and broadcast it...
Meet Melva Simon, the 105-year-old World War II veteran from Mt. Pleasant
Melva Simon never sat still. The Mt. Pleasant native served as a Navy secretary during World War II, co-ran an orchard, raised a family, co-taught premarital classes at her church and kept up with a myriad of hobbies. “Don’t tell her she can’t do something,” Melvajo Bennett, Simon’s daughter, said....
Quaker Valley School District rehires consultant for more work on proposed high school project
Quaker Valley School District officials are moving forward with plans for a new high school despite a pending denial from the Leet zoning hearing board. School board members unanimously voted March 15 to approve a new contract with Pittsburgh-based firm Thomas & Williamson LLC to provide professional consulting and program...
With driver shortages because of vaccine mandate, Port Authority offers free rides
Port Authority of Allegheny County’s covid-19 vaccine mandate went into effect Wednesday, affecting hundreds of employees and dozens of routes as authority officials offered free rides to soothe the pain of service disruptions for riders. Spokesman Adam Brandolph said in a statement early Tuesday evening that about 480 Port Authority...
