Natasha Lindstrom stories, Page 3
McKeesport man who kept ‘ghost guns’ inside tattoo parlor gets 2-plus years behind bars
A McKeesport man has been sentenced to 2½ years behind bars for storing so-called “ghost guns” and other illegal firearms inside his tattoo shop, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Richard Watson, 33, was caught with several unregistered weapons, including silencers and home-milled, AR-style pistols, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R....
Police investigate swastika taped inside Mt. Lebanon classroom
A handmade swastika found inside a classroom at Mt. Lebanon School District’s Jefferson Middle School on the third anniversary of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting has prompted Mt. Lebanon police to investigate. An unknown vandal or vandals made a swastika out of masking tape and affixed it to a...
Family doctor guilty of giving patients opioid painkillers, Xanax in exchange for sex
A family doctor who practiced in Westmoreland and Fayette counties has pleaded guilty to illegally prescribing opioid painkillers in exchange for sex, federal prosecutors said. Emilio Ramon Navarro, 60, also pleaded guilty to health care fraud for billing the federal government to pick up the tab for illegal prescriptions, Acting...
Voting by mail? Time to drop off your ballot in person, Pa. officials warn
Pennsylvania’s chief election official on Friday urged voters who are holding onto or applying for mail-in ballots to deliver their envelopes in person amid concerns that the U.S. Postal Service won’t deliver their ballots on time. “Election Day is just days away. Do not delay,” Acting Secretary of State Veronica...
South Hills pair charged with cheating federal housing program by flipping foreclosed homes
A pair of South Hills residents are accused of cheating the federal government by posing as the would-be owner-occupant of a foreclosed home, only to attempt to flip the property for profit. A federal grand jury accused J. Reed Pirain, 45, and Renee Vasilko, 48, both of Upper St. Clair,...
West View boy, 15, tried twice to poison parents, police say
A West View teen faces attempted homicide charges after police said he tried to poison his parents by pouring furniture polish into their spaghetti sauce on one occasion and using pesticide on another, police records show. Police filed charges against Jeff Miller, 15, on Friday morning — a day after...
Gov. Wolf calls for improved worker wages, sick leave, safety during Pittsburgh visit
Touting an economy “on the comeback,” Gov. Tom Wolf during a Thursday stop in Pittsburgh announced an executive order and his support for a slew of bills aimed at improving the wages, benefits and safety of workers statewide. “It’s a misconception that stiffing your workers is the way to high...
John Fetterman has raised $9.3M this year in Senate bid, dwarfing Democratic and GOP rivals
John Fetterman’s campaign war chest is dwarfing the coffers of his opponents early in the race for U.S. Senate. Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s Democratic lieutenant governor and former Braddock mayor, has outraised and outspent every other candidate in the crowded field vying to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, records show. From...
Pittsburgh airport’s $1.4B construction project cleared for takeoff; completion delayed to 2025Video
Pittsburgh International Airport is still considered a gem by many airline industry experts nearly three decades after it opened as a hub for the former US Airways. “Pittsburgh, as it is today, is still one of the most innovative airports out there,” said Mike Boyd, president of the Colorado-based aviation...
Allegheny County scraps remote drop boxes for mail-in voters; Councilwoman pushes to bring them back
Voters still are encouraged to cast ballots by mail in the upcoming election, but there won’t be drop boxes available in satellite locations across Allegheny County like there were during last year’s presidential race. And Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald says he has no plans to bring the remote boxes...
Allegheny County chief pitches 2022 budget with no tax hikes, more money for parks, jail, IT
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald is proposing a 2022 budget that would pump more money into parks, roads, technology and public health without raising any taxes on property owners. Fitzgerald, who pitched his budget in-person during Tuesday evening’s County Council meeting, touted his plan as another “responsible budget” that will...
Jury convicts Pittsburgh man of 1st-degree murder for Memorial Day shooting that killed man, injured teen
A jury convicted a Pittsburgh man Tuesday of first-degree murder for killing a man and recklessly endangering others during a 2019 shooting in the city’s Hill District. Jalaspian Charles, 34, stood trial in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on multiple charges in connection to the death of 34-year-old Isaac Harrison....
Pittsburgh’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s back after covid hiatus, aims to raise $425K toward care, cure
A socially distanced sea of more than 1,000 people is expected to walk along the Monongahela riverfront Saturday morning motivated by a shared goal — supporting those affected by Alzheimer’s disease and the researchers striving to cure it. The crowd of fundraisers will march a roughly two-mile loop from Highmark...
Western Pa. hospitals: We won’t deny organ transplants to patients who refuse covid-19 vaccine
Medical providers in Colorado and Washington state have begun denying organ transplants to patients who refuse to get vaccinated for covid-19. That’s not happening in Western Pennsylvania, the Tribune-Review has learned. Neither of the region’s two largest hospital systems and transplant providers are linking transplant eligibility to covid-19 vaccination status....
Man, 35, dies after being shot in McKees Rocks residential area
A 35-year-old man was shot and killed Thursday afternoon in McKees Rocks, officials said. The shooting happened shortly before 4:30 p.m. in a residential area on Fair Oaks Street, near Friendship Avenue and Meyers Ridge Park, according to emergency dispatchers and Allegheny County Police. First responders arrived to find a...
Pittsburgh mayoral candidates Gainey, Moreno outline their visions for city’s future
Mayoral candidates clashed Monday night over their visions for Downtown Pittsburgh, whether Wilkinsburg should merge into the city and how to improve relationships between police and residents across all 90 of the city’s neighborhoods. With four weeks until election day, Democratic nominee Ed Gainey and Republican challenger Tony Moreno participated...
Lower premiums, more perks for seniors shopping 2022 Medicare Advantage plans
Still-growing demand among Western Pennsylvania seniors for Medicare Advantage plans has spurred a slew of new health coverage options featuring lower costs and better perks as insurers compete to grow their market shares. “This is a ripe market in Western Pa., and we’re able to take those dollars and invest...
Allegheny County nixes proposed mask-wearing mandate to thwart spread of covid
An Allegheny County proposal to mandate mask-wearing at large outdoor events and most indoor gatherings failed to advance Tuesday night. The bill was pitched as an effort to thwart the ongoing spread of covid-19 while local cases and hospitalizations are on the rise and vaccination rates remain below targets. County...
Highmark grows insurance rolls by 355K with newly inked acquisition of Gateway Health
Pennsylvania regulators have approved Highmark Health’s deal to become the sole owner of Gateway Health, instantly expanding Highmark’s insurance rolls by more than 350,000 members. “This acquisition will help us further our mission and better serve current and future Medicaid and Medicare members across Pennsylvania,” Deborah Rice-Johnson, president of Highmark...
New Castle doctor gets 1 year of home detention for dealing fentanyl out of clinics in Western Pa., Ohio
A Lawrence County doctor has been sentenced to a year of home detention and an additional year of probation for illegally prescribing and doling out fentanyl and other opioid painkillers while practicing at clinics in Western Pennsylvania and Ohio, federal prosecutors said. Dr. Thomas A. Ranieri, 68, took a plea...
Police: Resident returns fire in North Side shooting
Police are investigating an exchange of gunfire early Monday involving an occupied residence in the Allegheny Center section of Pittsburgh’s North Side. No one was injured, initial reports indicate. The incident happened about 4:40 a.m., according to Pittsburgh police and Allegheny County 911 dispatchers. According to the initial investigation, someone...
UPMC touts growing North Hills hospital hub, $12B in midyear revenue
UPMC executives boasted Thursday of “transforming” the health system’s North Hills footprint into a hub of innovative, high-demand health care services — such as robotic lung cancer detectors, more options for women and children, and a new mobile unit set to hit the streets next week. “We’ve added an extremely...
What to expect if you want a covid-19 booster shot
Western Pennsylvanians who want a covid-19 vaccine booster likely will have the chance to get one in the coming months. The Biden administration earlier this week recommended the extra protection for all Americans, starting as soon as Sept. 20 for those who were fully vaccinated by late January. In Pennsylvania,...
Route 28 traffic to shift lanes in Aspinwall as nearby projects aim to improve drainage, thwart bottlenecks
Drivers heading northbound on Route 28 from Pittsburgh through Aspinwall will follow a slightly different traffic pattern starting Monday morning, PennDOT officials said. The flow of traffic will be adjusted to shift from the highway’s left outbound lane, which will be closed, to the right lane. It’s expected to remain...
Multi-vehicle crash snarls traffic on Route 28 near Etna
A crash involving multiple vehicles on Wednesday evening snarled rush-hour traffic on Route 28 in Etna, officials said. Officials temporarily shut down the highway’s northbound lanes to respond to the incident and clear the wreckage near Exit 5A. By 6 p.m., at least one northbound lane had reopened, though traffic...
