Yes, ‘frost quakes’ are actually a thing, but nothing to worry about
The polar air and rapid freeze of the Northeast and Midwest has prompted reports of “frost quakes” or “ice quakes.” Typically, the uncommon geological phenomenon characterized by a booming sound and caused by the sudden cracking of frozen soil or rock is reported in places like Alaska — not Dillsburg,...
2 congressmen ask for Jared Kushner’s security clearance to be revoked
WASHINGTON — Democratic Reps. Donald S. Beyer of Virginia and Ted Lieu of California sent a letter Thursday to acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney asking him to immediately strip senior adviser Jared Kushner of his security clearance. A recent NBC News report revealed that White House security...
Westmoreland courthouse space applications now online
Residents seeking to hold public events in meeting rooms and the courtyard in front of the Westmoreland County Courthouse can now submit applications online. County officials on Thursday issued a revised policy that will take effect Feb. 1 to allow online applications and other minor changes to the reservation process...
Border agency announces largest-ever fentanyl bust
PHOENIX — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials announced Thursday their biggest fentanyl bust ever, saying they captured nearly 254 pounds of the deadly synthetic opioid from a secret compartment inside a load of Mexican produce heading into Arizona. The drug was found hidden Saturday morning in a compartment under...
Poor weather cited in delayed Ligonier Township bridge reopening
Severe winter weather is being blamed for a delay in reopening a state bridge that has been under construction since April on Route 711 in Ligonier Township. The bridge over Mill Creek was expected to open in January. Project officials are now projecting both lanes of the bridge will be...
Senate vote rebukes Trump on Syria, Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — In a bipartisan rebuke to President Trump, the Senate voted 68-23 on Thursday to advance an amendment that would oppose withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan. The amendment by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell occurs after Trump called for a drawdown of troops in both of...
Hempfield to review past votes, but supervisors balk at state audit
Despite claims by one of its own, state investigators will not examine whether Hempfield supervisors have voted on issues outside the public eye — including on reaching a $125,000 union settlement agreement and other matters. The Pennsylvania Auditor General’s Office can only audit a township’s pension funds and use of...
Region getting break from winter blast
Count John Dean of Jeannette as one of the few people in the region who are unhappy that the polar vortex that left Western Pennsylvania in sub-zero temperatures this week will slowly disappear. “I don’t mind this at all. I’ve been waiting for this (cold weather) all winter long,” said...
‘Got away with one’: Judge dismisses DUI charges for Greensburg woman’s driveway crash
A Westmoreland County judge on Thursday dismissed drunken driving charges against a Greensburg woman who was arrested in her own driveway following a collision with a neighbor’s car. Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani ruled in favor of Mary Britz, 58, who Greensburg police charged after she crashed into a car...
Allegheny Health Network reports $3.3B in operating revenue, up 6.9% from 2017
Allegheny Health Network took in $3.3 billion in revenue last year, up 6.9 percent from 2017, as the health care provider and hospital system moves on aggressive expansion plans to reach more patients, financial statements filed Thursday show. Total operating revenue in 2018 increased by $213 million from the previous...
Woman who helped Lower Burrell cop killer gets parole
A Lower Burrell woman convicted of helping a fugitive evade police in the days before he shot and killed a police officer was released from jail Thursday. Westmoreland County Judge Christopher Feliciani granted parole to Amanda Walters, who had been behind bars since last summer following an arrest for possession...
Westmoreland County ups fees for filing civil, family court documents
Fees to file civil and family court documents in Westmoreland County will increase beginning Friday. The move will raise about $30,000 in new revenues for the county, Prothonotary Christina O’Brien said. The money is expected to balance her department’s budget and cover rising personnel and equipment costs. “We have to...
Catholic leaders in Texas name 286 accused of abusing minors
DALLAS — Catholic leaders in Texas on Thursday identified 286 priests and others accused of sexually abusing children, a number that represents one of the largest collections of names to be released since an explosive grand jury report last year in Pennsylvania. Fourteen dioceses in Texas named those credibly accused...
Man sent to prison for up to 40 years for raping Delmont girl
An Indiana County man will serve up to 40 years in prison for raping a Delmont girl, starting when she was 10. A Westmoreland County jury, following a three-day trial in May, convicted Bryan Harrold, 51, of Saltsburg, of 13 counts including rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse,...
Wisconsin high court candidate’s blog posts called ‘extreme’
MADISON, Wis. — The only conservative running for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat kept a personal blog more than a decade ago in which he opined on hot-button issues of the day, including that he thought a U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a Texas anti-sodomy law could lead to...
Pittsburgh man sues Greyhound, accuses driver of racial discrimination
A Pittsburgh man is suing Greyhound Lines Inc., accusing a driver of racial discrimination during a trip in early January from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. William Anderson, 46, of Homewood, who is black, contends in the federal lawsuit that the white driver accused him several times of vaping during the...
Bernie Sanders proposes estate tax of up to 77 percent for billionaires
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders is proposing to expand the estate tax on wealthy Americans, including a rate of as much as 77 percent on the value of estates above $1 billion. Sanders of Vermont, who’s considering a second run for president, said in a statement that his plan would apply...
Art Institute of Pittsburgh to close by March 31
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh will close March 31, according to a filing from the school’s parent company to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The plan, submitted to the state Jan. 28, will allow 286 of the 2,154 students enrolled in the school to complete their programs before it closes....
Jeannette woman wants to change guilty plea in boyfriend’s death
A Jeannette woman who faces a potential 40-year prison sentence wants to withdraw her guilty plea for the murder of her teenage boyfriend. The lawyer for Crystal Belle, 39, filed court documents Thursday in which she now contends someone else was responsible for the beating death of Khalil Parker, 19,...
Heating problem closes Vandergrift Public Library
Vandergrift Public Library was forced to closed for the day Thursday due to a heating malfunction. The first floor heating system is not working so it is too cold to open to the public, according to a library Facebook post. Friday and Saturday hours may vary. To check the hours,...
1 shot, 5 escape Baldwin home invasion
Two men opened fire during a home invasion Thursday in Baldwin Borough, critically injuring one man while five others escaped unharmed, according to police. The shooting happened shortly after 10 a.m. at the Leland Point housing complex on Macassar Drive, according to Allegheny County police Inspector Andrew Schurman. Paramedics transported...
Watching the Super Bowl isn’t the only thing to do Sunday
The National Football League’s biggest game — Super Bowl LIII — kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday night on CBS. Not everyone will be watching. First of all, The Steelers aren’t in it. Secondly, you may not like football or the teams playing, hint: Patriots. You might want to...
Trump says State of the Union address to stress ‘unity’
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says “unity” will be the theme of his State of the Union address next week, and says he respects Stacey Abrams, who will give the Democratic response. Trump told reporters Thursday that he’s familiar with Abrams from the 2018 Georgia governor’s race, which she narrowly...
New Vandergrift Dollar General grand opening set for Feb. 16
The new Dollar General, replacing the former Sprankle’s market at 523 Franklin Ave. in Vandergrift will hold a grand opening Feb. 16. The grand opening celebration will begin at 8 a.m. with free gift cards and giveaways, according to Angela Petkovic, spokeswoman for Dollar General. Store hours will be 8...
Man found with wife’s dismembered body convicted of felonies
OLATHE, Kan. — A man arrested at a Kansas storage unit with two of his children and his dismembered wife’s remains has been convicted of three felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Jurors Thursday found 36-year-old Justin Rey guilty of the felonies, as well as misdemeanor counts of...
