Whole Foods recalls 365 Everyday Value brand tortilla chips in U.S., Canada
Whole Foods Market has recalled 365 Everyday Value White Corn Tortilla Chips, the FDA said Friday. The chips were recalled and removed from Whole Foods Market shelves because the product might contain undeclared milk that was not listed on the product label. “People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity...
Lenten fish fry sponsors need permits, health department says
Those sponsoring Lenten fish fries will need health permits to operate, the Allegheny County Health Department said Friday. “Operation of a food facility, whether temporary, seasonal or permanent, requires a valid health permit,” the department said. This year, the Lenten season runs from March 6 to April 20. Sponsors without...
Lawsuit: Dorney Park’s Halloween monsters went too far
ALLENTOWN — A woman and her teen daughter are suing a Pennsylvania amusement park, saying the costumed ghouls at its Halloween attraction were too terrifying. The (Allentown) Morning Call reports that Shannon Sacco and her daughter are seeking more than $150,000 from Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom and its parent...
Mister Rogers subject of Tarentum library’s ‘Who Knew?’ program
Mister Rogers will the subject of upcoming “Who Knew?” programs at the Community Library of Allegheny Valley in Tarentum in February. A session on Fred Rogers is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 19 and will be repeated on Wednesday, Feb. 20. Both will start at 6 p.m. at the library at...
Plum man accused of having, sharing child pornography
A Plum man was arrested Thursday after authorities reported finding child pornography videos and images on his computer, according to court papers. Antonio Raffale Pampena, 35, allegedly shared the files in December and January through a peer-to-peer network with an agent from the state attorney general’s office who is based...
Highlands stalls on releasing name of employee placed on unpaid leave
The Highlands School District is not identifying an employee recently placed on unpaid leave. The school board approved that action, and a statement of charges, against the unidentified employee at its Jan. 21 meeting. The employee was referred to only as “employee #7121,” and no information on the charges was...
Pittsburgh poised to pay interest on employee contributions to pension plans
Non-union Pittsburgh city employees may soon receive interest on contributions they made to their pensions if they leave their jobs before they are eligible for them. Unionized employees already receive interest on pension contributions. City Council is poised to amend an ordinance governing employee pensions after learning that 78 former...
U.S. announces pullout from key arms treaty with Russia
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Friday it is withdrawing from a treaty that has been a centerpiece of superpower arms control since the Cold War. Some analysts worry the move could fuel a new arms race. President Donald Trump said in a statement that Russia, “for far too long,”...
Teen held after apparent school shooting joke involving Siri
VALPARAISO, Ind. — Authorities say a 13-year-old Indiana boy is charged with intimidation after he told Apple’s digital assistant Siri that he planned a school shooting and posted an iPhone screenshot of the response on social media as an apparent joke. The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports the middle school student...
What will Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction be?
If history is any indicator, Punxsutawney Phil will not foresee an early spring when he emerges from his burrow Saturday. Phil has predicted six more weeks of winter 104 times since 1887, records show. The furry forecaster has called for an early arrival of spring just 18 times, most recently...
Sen. Cory Booker joins the 2020 presidential race
Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said Friday that he will seek the Democratic nomination for president, adding his name to a growing and increasingly diversified field of 2020 candidates intent on taking on President Trump. Booker made his announcement via an email and video to supporters, and he had...
Missing Maryland man found dead in West Virginia
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Police in Hagerstown, Md., say a missing man has been found dead in Berkeley County, W.Va. News outlets report Hagerstown police say the body 27-year-old Christopher Turner was found Wednesday. Police say the manner and condition of the body indicated that Turner was killed. Police say Turner’s...
3 students killed in South Africa school walkway collapse
JOHANNESBURG — At least three students are dead after a walkway collapsed at a school outside Johannesburg, a South African official said Friday, and 23 were injured. Panyaza Lesufi, the head of education for Gauteng province, posted the toll on Twitter shortly after the collapse at the Hoerskool Driehoek high...
Snow causing slick road conditions in Pittsburgh region
A wintry blend of light snow, fog and mist is creating slick road conditions for motorists throughout the region Friday morning. Traffic on I-376, the Turnpike, Route 28, I-79 and elsewhere crawled as cars took it slow and crews cleaned up crashes. Roads remained treacherous in spots throughout the morning...
Hong Kong court denies male status to 3 transgender men
HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s High Court has refused to allow three transgender men to be recognized as males on their official identity cards because they have not undergone full sex-change operations. Friday’s ruling was seen as a blow to the fledgling LGBT movement in the semiautonomous Chinese city of...
Lawsuit: Pennsylvania officer coerced 2 women into sex to avoid arrest
ASHLEY — Two women who said they were coerced into sex with a Pennsylvania police officer filed a federal lawsuit alleging he violated their constitutional rights. Mark Icker, 29, of Dickson City is facing sexual assault, official oppression and related charges alleging he pressured the two women into performing oral...
Human toll of cold: more than 2 dozen dead, hundreds hurt
CHICAGO — The dangerous cold and heavy snow that hobbled the northern U.S. this week has retreated, but not before exacting a human toll: more than two dozen weather-related deaths in eight states and hundreds of injuries, including frostbite, broken bones, heart attacks and carbon monoxide poisoning. In Illinois alone,...
The best hot peppers, from mild to wild
Question: We want to grow lots of hot pepper varieties in our garden this year to share with friends. Are some varieties better than others for growing here in Pittsburgh? Answer: There are hundreds of different hot pepper varieties out there, with a huge diversity of heat levels. Hot peppers...
Abortion quickly becomes key issue in Virginia politics
RICHMOND, Va. — A pitched debate about late-term abortions in Virginia erupted into all-out political warfare Thursday as Republicans — including President Donald Trump — sought to capitalize on Democratic missteps. Republicans accused Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, a folksy pediatric neurologist who is personal friends with many GOP lawmakers, of...
20 charged in Chinese birth tourism crackdown
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Dongyuan Li’s business was called “You Win USA,” and authorities say she coached pregnant Chinese women on how to get into the United States to deliver babies who would automatically enjoy all the benefits of American citizenship. Over two years, the now-41-year-old raked in millions through...
Irwin man boosted Blind Association using sales skills
Lawrence J. Helkowksi won salesman of the year honors three years in a row while working for Peoples Gas. After he retired from a 33-year career with the utility, he put his persuasive skills to work for the Westmoreland County Blind Association, serving as its president and CEO. As a...
Freeze adds layer of complication for farmers, livestock
RIPON, Wis. — On the coldest day in two decades on his fifth-generation dairy farm, Chris Pollack grabbed a thick, black hose from the barn and ventured into the subzero cold, where his beef cattle were chomping cud and waiting for water. The power had briefly gone out the previous...
St. Louis police chief angered over prosecutor allegations
ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis prosecutor’s criticism of how police investigated a male officer’s alleged Russian roulette-style fatal shooting of a female colleague drew an angry response Thursday from Police Chief John Hayden. Hayden, speaking at a news conference, raised his voice and pounded his fist in responding to...
Proposed rules would shake up drug pricing by ending rebates to middlemen
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Thursday proposed bringing transparency to one of the most secretive aspects of drug pricing by ending the widespread practice of rebates to middlemen — an effort to reduce what consumers pay for prescription medicine. Under draft rules announced by Health and Human Services Secretary...
Intelligence officials were ‘misquoted’ after public hearing, Trump claims
WASHINGTON — A day after ridiculing his top intelligence officials as “passive and naive” and claiming they were ignorant about world affairs, President Trump on Thursday said the media had fabricated a conflict, and that the officials were “misquoted” by the press after a public congressional hearing that was carried...
