Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1114
Faded license plate leads to drug bust in Lower Burrell
A faded license plate highlighted with a marker led Lower Burrell police to drug bust along Greensburg Road this week. Inside the car that was pulled over, police say they found heroin and methamphetamine hidden in various places, including a potato chip can. Officer Aaron Rodgers was on patrol near...
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...
Cleanup continues from wrath of 8 tornadoes in Western Pa. region
Daniel Andreko knew a tornado might be coming after receiving an emergency alert on his smartphone. But as he watched the rain turn from a drizzle to a torrential downpour with howling winds shortly before 8:30 p.m. Thursday, he thought the warning might have been a false alarm. “I was...
What’s in, and what’s out, as Democrats reshape Biden bill
WASHINGTON — After months of talks, Democrats are edging closer to an agreement on what programs and policies to include in President Joe Biden’s massive plan to expand health and safety net programs and combat global warming. The plan seems likely to include universal preschool, paid family leave and the...
Man charged in fatal Club Erotica shooting guilty of third-degree murder
A Carnegie man accused of killing another man at a McKees Rocks strip club earlier this year was found guilty Friday of third-degree murder. Charles Becher, 24, faces a possible prison term of six years in the standard guideline range when he is sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge...
Officials toast Jeannette Glass site’s transformation to cryogenic testing facility
Friday will be one of the memorable days in Jason Rigone’s career. He has seen the former Jeannette Glass site transform into Elliott Group’s $60 million cryogenic pump test stand and experienced the behind-the-scenes work to make it happen for years as a member of the Westmoreland County planning department...
Experts weigh in on ‘Rust’ tragedy: How can a prop gun be deadly?
Mt. Lebanon native and actor Joe Manganiello’s reaction probably mirrored that of many inside and outside the entertainment industry when hearing the news that actor Alec Baldwin “discharged” a prop gun Thursday on the set of his Western “Rust” in New Mexico. It killed the film’s director of photography, Halyna...
Pfizer says covid-19 vaccine more than 90% effective in kids
Kid-size doses of Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine appear safe and nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in 5- to 11-year-olds, according to study details released Friday as the U.S. considers opening vaccinations to that age group. The shots could begin in early November — with the first children in line...
Greensburg man accused of inappropriately touching 2nd girl
A Greenburg man who was arrested in June in connection with an alleged sexual assault on a 9-year-old girl was arraigned Thursday on similar charges involving a 13-year-old girl, according to court papers. John Harry Patak III, 30, was arraigned Thursday on charges of indecent assault, corruption of minors and...
Don’t expect to see a price break at the pump anytime soon in Western Pa.
Gas prices usually drop considerably in the fall. Instead, the cost of a gallon of gas is surging. The national average price is now $3.36 a gallon, the highest since 2014. In the Pittsburgh area, the price has soared to $3.50 a gallon this week, up from $3.33 a month...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Oct. 22-24
Here are some ways to spend the weekend in Pittsburgh. Immersive Van Gogh The Vincent Van Gogh exhibition — “Original Immersive Van Gogh Pittsburgh” — will celebrate its first weekend Friday through Sunday. Located at Lighthouse Artspace on Lacock Street on the North Side, the exhibit surrounds viewers with van...
Woman stabbed in Stowe, 1 arrested
A person was arrested Friday after a stabbing in Stowe that seriously injured a woman, according to Allegheny County Police. Investigators said township police were patrolling Broadway Avenue around 12:30 a.m. when they found a 29-year-old woman with multiple stab wounds. She was hospitalized in critical condition, police said. Police...
Sheriff: Alec Baldwin fired prop gun on movie set, killing woman
SANTA FE, N.M. — Actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of a Western and killed the cinematographer, officials said. The director of the movie was wounded, and authorities are investigating what happened. Halyna Hutchins, cinematographer on “Rust,” and director Joel Souza were shot Thursday in the...
Pittsburgh police lose 2nd officer to covid-19
A second Pittsburgh police officer has died from covid-19, police officials said Thursday night. Sgt. Richard ‘Rick’ Howe, of Cecil, died Thursday afternoon at St. Clair Hospital, officials said. He was 51. “We lost a good officer, a good supervisor and an even better person today,” said Cmdr. Edd Trapp,...
3 tornadoes confirmed in region, power being restored
Radar confirmed that three tornadoes touched down in the region Thursday evening and National Weather Service surveyors will spend the next couple days gathering information about them and other potential twisters, according to meteorologist Jason Frazier. Those tornadoes were near Mt. Nebo and Hampton in Allegheny County and Buffalo Township...
Federal lawsuit accuses Pittsburgh police of using excessive force during George Floyd protest arrest
A McKees Rocks man filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against three unnamed Pittsburgh police officers, as well as the city of Pittsburgh, claiming he was falsely arrested following his participation in a protest over the death of George Floyd last year. John Connors alleges in the lawsuit filed by Pittsburgh...
FBI: Remains found in Florida park ID’d as Brian Laundrie
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The FBI on Thursday identified human remains found in a Florida nature preserve as those of Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the death of girlfriend Gabby Petito while the couple was on a cross-country road trip. The remains, a backpack and notebook believed to...
Covid-19 vaccine: CDC panel backs expanded booster rollout
WASHINGTON — Millions more Americans are closer to getting a covid-19 booster as influential government advisers on Thursday endorsed extra doses of all three of the nation’s vaccines — and opened the possibility of choosing a different company’s brand for that next shot. Certain people who received Pfizer vaccinations months...
House votes to hold Trump ally Steve Bannon in contemptVideo
WASHINGTON — The House voted Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and aide to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. In a rare show of bipartisanship on the House floor, the committee’s...
Allegheny County jury tells judge it is deadlocked in South Side sex assault case
The jury deliberating the sexual assault case against former Istanbul Sofra owner Adnan Pehlivan told the judge Thursday afternoon that it was deadlocked. Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Anthony M. Mariani asked the jury of seven men and five women to continue their deliberations until 4 p.m. and return Friday...
Pittsburgh police: Bloomfield man hit woman in head with pumpkin during parking dispute
A man from Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood launched pumpkins at a grandmother who parked in front of his home to pick up her grandchild a few doors down, police said. James Gazis, 41, is charged with aggravated assault and propulsion of missiles in connection with the Wednesday altercation. A criminal complaint...
Lawsuit alleges UPMC is refusing to provide medical exemptions for school mask mandate
A group of parents and guardians from across Western Pennsylvania filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the acting secretaries of the state health and education departments, as well as UPMC, alleging that their children are being illegally denied medical exemptions from the school mask mandate. Ten plaintiffs from Kittanning, New...
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...
Ballot misprint affects some Allegheny County voters
An “isolated calibration issue” led to barcodes being printed on the wrong mail-in ballot envelope for some Allegheny County voters, officials said Thursday. The printing issue resulted in a barcode that was supposed to be on the declaration envelope instead being printed on the secrecy envelope, said county spokeswoman Amie...
Injunction halts separation agreement with Penn Hills police chief, voting on his successor
A court injunction has been granted to postpone Penn Hills Council votes on a separation agreement with the municipality’s police chief and the naming of his successor. A special meeting to vote on the matters had been scheduled for Oct. 18, but was canceled because three council members said they...
