Natasha Lindstrom stories, Page 4
Western Pa. groups prep for fleeing Afghans seeking to resettle in Pittsburgh
At least one Afghan family granted a special U.S. visa to flee their Taliban-toppled homeland is expected to resettle in Western Pennsylvania in the coming weeks. “We are ready for their arrival,” said Ivonne Smith-Tapia, director of refugee and immigrant services for the Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS), a...
Pitt volunteers slammed with requests from panic-stricken Afghans seeking escape from Taliban rule
Nearly 7,000 miles from the chaos embroiling Taliban-controlled Kabul, volunteers at the University of Pittsburgh are working around the clock to assist Afghan civilians who fear they’re in danger because of their work for the United States. Tens to hundreds of thousands of Afghans now are desperately seeking help, from...
Alligator found, unharmed, after days of wandering West Mifflin’s streets
Police have found the small alligator that’s been spotted roaming the streets of West Mifflin for nearly a week, officials said. The alligator, which stretches about 3 feet long, could be seen with its mouth duct-taped shut being carried in the arms of a gloved police officer on Saturday in...
Marlin Woods drops out of Pittsburgh mayoral race a week after Democrats contest his nomination papers
Independent challenger Marlin Woods has dropped out of the race for Pittsburgh mayor. Woods, a 48-year-old benefits consultant from East Liberty, said that he’s leaving the race regrettably because he does not have sufficient time to defend petition signatures that were challenged by a “few Democrats” last week. The law...
Body of 3-year-old boy recovered from Allegheny River in Armstrong County
The body of a 3-year-old boy was found Saturday afternoon by dive teams in the Allegheny River in Armstrong County. Dwight Lee Dinsmore, 3, of Yatesboro was recovered from the water about 2:40 p.m., about a mile south of Lock No. 6 in Bethel, Armstrong County Coroner Brian K. Myers...
Police search Allegheny River, Leechburg for missing 3-year-old
Dozens of police, fire, ambulance, river rescue and special operations task force units from around the region spent several hours Friday searching for a 3-year-old boy. The child was reported missing near a sandbar known for ATV recreational riding near the Allegheny River just off Kelly Station Road in Armstrong...
Search to resume for missing 3-year-old on Allegheny River in Armstrong County
Dozens of police, fire, ambulance, river rescue and special operations task force units from around the region spent several hours Friday searching for a 3-year-old boy. The child was reported missing near a sandbar known for ATV recreational riding near the Allegheny River just off Kelly Station Road in Armstrong...
Out-of-state covid hot spots ‘desperate’ to transfer patients to Western Pa. hospitals
Overburdened health care systems from Texas to Florida are pleading with Western Pennsylvania hospitals to take on transfer patients at record-high rates as beds and ventilators reach capacity in covid-19 hot spots across the country. “They’re running out of space, and they’re looking for help in trying to deal with...
Wilkinsburg man gets 5 years behind bars for role in cocaine ring tied to Hill District gang
A Wilkinsburg man has been sentenced to five years behind bars for his role in cocaine ring linked to a street gang in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, federal prosecutors said. Sanzio Williams, 33, was among individuals indicted and charged following a months-long wiretap investigation into the street gang known as “11...
Pittsburgh man convicted of dealing fentanyl that caused 2017 overdose death
A federal judge has found a Pittsburgh man guilty of dealing fentanyl that contributed to an overdose death in early 2017, federal prosecutors said. Deon Blair, 28, also was convicted of additional drug and gun crimes at the conclusion of a bench trial before U.S. District Judge David S. Cercone....
Pittsburgh man who tried robbing South Side bank in wheelchair gets nearly 4 years in prison
A Pittsburgh man will spend more than four years behind bars for posing as a customer using a wheelchair at a South Side bank and handing a note to the teller threatening to kill everyone inside with a bomb he claimed was strapped to his chest, federal prosecutors said Thursday....
Pittsburgh man guilty of helping 3 brothers flee botched gun shop burglaries
A Pittsburgh man has pleaded guilty to aiding three brothers in back-to-back botched attempts to steal firearms from gun shops in Pittsburgh’s western and southern suburbs, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Kaufman said Thursday. Haliston Este, 28, was convicted of one count of conspiracy before U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer...
Whitehall man who threatened to ‘blow up’ Treasury Dept., attack CIA pleads guilty to explosives charges
A Whitehall man who made threats online to blow up government buildings in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C. using homemade bombs has pleaded guilty to gun and explosives charges. Kurt Cofano, 32, was convicted of three counts of five counts brought by a grand jury indictment in connection to his arrest...
Pittsburgh man caught with child sex videos gets 1 year, 9 months in prison
A federal judge sentenced a Pittsburgh man caught with videos depicting children younger than 12 years old engaged in sexual acts to serve a year and nine months behind bars. Philip Wagner, 44, will must also spend at least eight years on probation following his release from federal prison, Acting...
East Pittsburgh fentanyl dealer, 7-time felon gets 15 years in federal prison
An East Pittsburgh man with seven prior felony convictions will spend 15 years behind bars for using a gun while dealing large amounts of synthetic fentanyl he ordered by mail from South Korea. James Folks, 47, who also has ties to Homestead, was sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh for...
Police arrest carjacking suspect on Route 28; U-Haul employee shot when truck stolen
A carjacking and shooting near a U-Haul facility in Pittsburgh spurred a police chase that culminated in an arrest made on Route 28 during rush-hour traffic Tuesday evening, initial reports indicate. A Pittsburgh officer was injured when the suspect’s stolen rental truck struck him in the leg during the pursuit,...
Pittsburgh cocaine dealer gets 10 years in prison
A Pittsburgh man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for dealing cocaine, federal prosecutors said. Raymond Erfort, 45, was convicted of possessing nearly 500 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute the drugs in Western Pennsylvania, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman said. Erfort will serve six...
Rural Pennsylvanians would get $500M broadband boost under Rep. Pam Snyder’s new bill
State Rep. Pam Snyder wants to ensure rural Pennsylvanians have access to high-speed internet — particularly since the covid-19 pandemic has made the persisting digital divide more apparent and problematic for those who don’t. The Greene County Democrat announced Wednesday she plans to introduce a bill to devote $500 million...
Grand jury indicts suspected dealer busted with 1,000 packets of fentanyl in Monroeville sting
A North Braddock man who police say scuffled with several officers after pulling up to a Monroeville parking lot with 1,000 packets of fentanyl inside his car has been indicted on drug and gun charges by a federal grand jury. Darion Ethridge, 21, is accused of trying to flee police...
Pittsburgh police seek help finding boy, 12, who’s missing again
Police asked for the public’s help Wednesday to find a 12-year-old boy who has gone missing for the second time in two weeks. Kirill Matveev was last seen 2½ days ago — about noon on Monday in the city’s Arlington neighborhood, according to Pittsburgh police. Police seek the public's assistance...
Steelworkers still sparring with ATI as employees return after months-long strike
Lingering grievances are flaring up between the United Steelworkers and Allegheny Technologies Inc., despite the two parties inking an agreement last week to end a months-long strike by 1,300 employees. The union declared that members voted last Tuesday to ratify a four-year contract after months of stalled talks with ATI...
Legalizing marijuana could stem opioid abuse, Pitt study suggests
Legalizing marijuana for recreational use could lead to fewer opioid-spurred health emergencies and overdose deaths, a University of Pittsburgh study has found. Opioid-related emergency department visits dropped by 7.6% within a year of cannabis legalization for adult residents in four states — California, Nevada, Maine and Massachusetts — according to...
Got glass? Roving bin to hit Allegheny County Parks as curbside recycling wanes
Western Pennsylvanians who don’t want to see their glass garbage end up in a landfill can bring it to a roving bin scheduled to rotate across Allegheny County’s parks. The county teamed up with the Pennsylvania Resources Council for its 2021 Traveling Glass Recycling Bin Program. They plan six-day stops...
Woman killed in Etna house fire identified as grandmother of 12, food pantry volunteer
The woman who died soon after a fire ripped through her Etna home last week was 80-year-old Janet Wilson, authorities confirmed Tuesday. Wilson was pronounced dead around 5:30 a.m. last Thursday, about a half-hour after emergency responders received the report of thick black smoke and flames shooting out of a...
Pittsburgh man pleads guilty to gun charge linked to heroin/fentanyl ring
A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty to using a gun to further a drug trafficking crime as part of a 2019 bust that nabbed more than three dozen suspects linked to a heroin and fentanyl ring, federal prosecutors said. Jaimone Robinson, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of using a gun...
