Former Pennsylvania congressman able to leave Dubai
Former U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire managed to find a way out of Dubai after being stranded for several days earlier this week amid escalating military conflict in Iran and the Middle East. “I find did get out on March 5, on one of the limited Emirates Airlines flights that we...
Western Pa. colleges get boost to combat students’ food insecurity
Food insecurity among college students is often overlooked by the general public, but it is a real issue. “College is expensive, and people don’t realize that students — especially at private schools — can struggle to afford basic necessities,” said Heather Starr Fiedler, managing director of Point Park University’s center...
Democrats react to firing of Kristi Noem from Department of Homeland Security
Democrats took to social media Thursday to respond to criticism of ex-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after her ouster. President Donald Trump announced on social media that Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin would fill the role, two days after Noem faced tough questioning on Capitol Hill about her handling of the...
Pittsburghers asked to pick up litter ahead of NFL Draft
As Pittsburgh prepares to host the NFL Draft, Pennsylvania officials are asking residents to lend a hand in cleaning up litter in and around the city. Despite ongoing cleanup efforts by PennDOT, Secretary Mike Carroll said it’s “not enough.” “We really rely on our volunteer groups to get things done...
2 women shot to death in Butler County following Illinois investigation
Two women were found dead Wednesday in a Butler County home after an apparent murder-suicide, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Officers in Jackson Township responded to a home on Dior Drive for a reported welfare check, according to state police. They entered the home and found two women, who were...
Former congressman Jason Altmire among those trying to leave Dubai
Former U.S. congressman Jason Altmire is one of thousands of American citizens stranded in Dubai as military conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran escalates. Altmire is a Kittanning native who served as the Democratic U.S. representative for Pennsylvania’s 4th Congressional District, which included several counties in the region, from...
50 days in solitary leads to $37K verdict for convicted murderer in Pa.
A convicted murderer serving a life sentence at the state prison in Greene County won a $37,500 jury verdict this week over allegations he was improperly held in solitary confinement for 50 days. In 2018, Maurice D. Able filed a federal lawsuit on his own behalf against the Pennsylvania Department...
Western Pa. House delegation expected to vote along party lines on war powers resolution
While Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman broke from his party Wednesday by opposing a war powers resolution aiming to stop U.S. military action against Iran, Western Pennsylvania’s House delegation is expected to vote along party lines Thursday on a similar measure. U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly of Butler and Guy Reschenthaler...
Roving patrols planned through St. Patrick’s Day for impaired drivers
Police will be on the lookout for St. Patrick’s Day revelers behind the wheel starting this weekend in a coordinated enforcement initiative to keep impaired drivers off the road. The “Operation Sober Shamrock” campaign starts Thursday and runs through Saturday. While St. Patrick’s Day is still more than a week...
Fetterman, Deluzio part of bipartisan push to strengthen rail safety requirements
Bipartisan bills introduced in Congress over the past week aim to strengthen safety requirements for rail carriers hauling hazardous materials, but the group representing the nation’s freight rail companies says the industry is in its “safest era ever.” U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Braddock, cosponsored the Senate version of the Railway...
Pittsburgh VA expanding emergency room at Oakland hospital
The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System is expanding the emergency room and renovating spaces for physical therapy, neurology and vascular care at its Oakland hospital. Upgrades to the emergency department at the University Drive medical center will allow for faster triage, shorter wait times and more patient beds, the Pittsburgh VA...
Partnership provides resources for community cleanups ahead of America 250
The nonprofit Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Transportation, is offering free cleanup supplies and reduced waste disposal rates through the end of May as communities prepare for America’s 250th anniversary. On Thursday, volunteers at Pittsburgh’s kickoff cleanup event located...
Reading nooks surface across Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh locations
The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh launched a new initiative designed to support language skills and emotional regulation in children. The Early Literacy Initiative — launched during National Read Across America week and led by pediatrician Johanna Vidal-Phelan, who is The Children’s Institute’s president and CEO — added nine reading nooks...
Western Pa. school districts tally expected savings from cyber charter tuition reform
Three months after the state approved changes to the cyber charter tuition formula, administrators from Western Pennsylvania’s K-12 public schools are beginning to tally the expected savings. The state’s latest budget, approved in November after a 4½-month impasse, allows school districts to reduce their tuition payments for students to attend...
Study ties up to 12.5% of Pittsburgh area adult deaths to air pollution
Air pollution in the Pittsburgh region was linked to as many as 12.5% of adult deaths in 2019, according to a study published in the journal Annals of Global Health, with the highest levels of fine particulate matter recorded in Allegheny County. Researchers from Boston College over a two year...
PennDOT implements speed limit, vehicle restrictions ahead of wintry weather
Speed limit and vehicle restrictions will be in place starting early Tuesday morning amid upcoming winter weather in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced the vehicle restrictions Monday, “ahead of freezing precipitation forecast across Pennsylvania.” PennDOT said it is implementing “Tier 1 restrictions” under the commonwealth’s weather event vehicle...
‘It’s a calling’: PennWest helps prepare sexual assault nursing examiners such as the one highlighted on ‘The Pitt’
One of Sierra Roman’s first cases as an emergency room nurse at ACMH Hospital — and one she’ll never forget — involved a victim of a sexual assault. Roman, who started at the hospital in August 2023, needed to perform a rape kit exam on her patient. “I’m nervous because...
Temps to touch 70s this week, but rain awaits
It may be a soggy but warmer week ahead for Western Pennsylvania, according to local meteorologists. The Pittsburgh region could see anywhere between 1 to 4 inches of rain this week, with temperatures in the upper 60s to low 70s on Friday and Saturday, WTAE meteorologist Ashley Dougherty said in...
Freeze-thaw cycle leaves region scrambling to fill potholesVideo
If you’re seeking the culprit behind that crater you have to avoid on your morning drive, look past the local road crew — and blame Mother Nature. That’s because of a process called the freeze-thaw cycle, something particularly present in Western Pennsylvania’s wet climate and varied topography. It’s a recipe...
WTAE’s Elena LaQuatra: How a cochlear implant helped new Pittsburgh morning anchor rise to the top
As the clock in the WTAE studio counted down, Elena LaQuatra’s bubbly personality turned serious. She scanned scripts behind the anchor desk and made quick adjustments to her hair and dress. With a hand signal from show control operator Taylor Jones, LaQuatra’s face was broadcast live on televisions around Pittsburgh....
Islamic group calls Iran strikes illegal; Pennsylvania expats in Israel weather counterattack
A Jewish social worker who called Pittsburgh home for 32 years spent most of Saturday sheltered behind a steel door and reinforced-concrete walls waiting for Iranian missiles to strike. Carri Golden, who raised her two children in the city’s Greenfield neighborhood before emigrating to Israel during the pandemic, heard the...
Breaking into the trades: 4 blue-collar women from Western Pa. share their stories
When the explosion thundered through the U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, Renee Hough thought her life was over. She was about 500 feet away when the blast went off in August. The experience left her in therapy for her mental health. Nearly 30 years ago, her job in the male-dominated...
Breaking into the trades: 4 blue-collar women from Western Pa. share their storiesVideo
When the explosion thundered through the U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, Renee Hough thought her life was over. She was about 500 feet away when the blast went off in August. The experience left her in therapy for her mental health. Nearly 30 years ago, her job in the male-dominated...
Slippery Rock to offer bachelor’s degree in nursing
For years, prospective students interested in attending Slippery Rock University would ask if the school offered a bachelor’s degree in nursing. For a long time, the answer was no, said Christine Karshin, dean of SRU’s College of Health Professions. Starting in the fall, that no longer will be the case,...
Summer food program seeks additional partners, host sites for 2026
In the summer of 2025, nearly 300 organizations provided low-income children with daily meals at more than 2,100 sites across Pennsylvania as part of the state’s Summer Food Service Program. Additional program sponsors and host sites are being sought this year. “Across Pennsylvania, community organizations step up every year to...
