Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1121
10-month drug investigation leads to Plum man’s arrest
A Plum man was taken to the Allegheny County Jail on Tuesday after police say they found several kilograms of suspected narcotics and weapons in his apartment. Plum Det. Dan Moriarty said borough police, along with the District Attorney Narcotics Enforcement Team and federal DEA agents, served a search warrant...
Police investigating fatal shooting in North Braddock
A 29-year-old man died after being shot multiple times in North Braddock Tuesday, authorities said. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the man as Anthony Smith, of Pittsburgh. Allegheny County Police said the shooting at Grandview Avenue and Lindberg Boulevard was reported to 911 around 4:20 p.m. Smith was taken...
Congress raises nation’s debt limit, but thorny December deadlines loom
WASHINGTON — The House raised the nation’s debt ceiling on Tuesday, averting a default for about three months but setting up a tougher political hurdle for Democrats at the end of the year. The bill was packaged with several other measures so there was no stand-alone vote on the unpopular...
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....
Nurse and quick-thinking dog lauded for lifesaving rescue at River Forest
Tom Kissel is alive today thanks to the combined efforts of strangers and a three-legged pooch named Tater Tot. Their quick work was recognized Tuesday in a ceremony sponsored by the American Heart Association and Allegheny Health Network at the River Forest Yacht Club in Allegheny Township. On July 10,...
Explainer: Why Social Security COLA will jump next year
WASHINGTON — Rising inflation is expected to lead to a sizeable increase in Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for 2022. Exactly how much will be revealed Wednesday morning after a Labor Department report on inflation during September, a data point used in the final calculation. Over the last...
Troopers: Rape victim took quick photograph, video of Salem suspect as he fled
A Salem woman who told state police she was raped early Monday was able to take a photograph and film a video of the suspect driving off in his black Chevrolet pickup truck, according to court records. Bryan M. Wallace, 31, also of Salem, was apprehended and arraigned on multiple...
Leadership shifts on Westmoreland airport authority board
Janice Smarto will lead the Westmoreland County Airport Authority board, filling a role formerly held by Paul Puleo — one of two board members jettisoned by a recent 2-1 vote of the county commissioners. The authority “will move forward. We’re here to serve the county and make the best decisions...
Confederate clothing donned for Norwin’s ‘Merica Day homecoming event draws ire
The father of a Norwin High School student complained that his daughter was subjected to racial intimidation for hours Monday when two students attended school wearing clothing with a Confederate flag pattern. Robert Dye said the actions were part of the school’s “’Merica Day,” promoted by the district as part...
Accused Tree of Life shooter’s anti-Semitic statements should be suppressed, defense attorneys say
As the man accused of shooting and killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue building in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood crawled, wounded, toward Pittsburgh SWAT team officers to surrender, authorities said he repeatedly proclaimed, “All these Jews need to die.” At a hearing this week, defense attorneys are...
Bomb threat prompts evacuation at Catholic school in Pittsburgh’s Hill District
A bomb threat forced a brief evacuation at St. Benedict the Moor School in Pittsburgh’s Hill District on Tuesday, according to police. Students were evacuated from the Watt Street school to the Calvary Baptist Church on Wylie Avenue after someone called and reported a bomb in the school, said diocesan...
2 arrested on charges of assaulting police, resisting arrest at Fort Ligonier Days
A Virginia man was armed with a handgun and brass knuckles when police say they found him visibly drunk and leaning on a sign pole Saturday during Fort Ligonier Days. In a separate arrest, police charged a Unity man after a disturbance at a Ligonier bar during the event. Ligonier...
Pa. lawmakers spend millions of tax dollars on private lawyers but often don’t reveal why
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania legislature spent nearly $10 million during the last two years on private lawyers but routinely shielded the...
’Tis the season … already? Christmas tree installed in PPG Place
Yes, Pittsburgh, there is a Christmas tree in PPG Place … in October. Owner Highwoods Properties replaced the 20-year-old decoration with a state-of-the-art tree with more than 100,000 LED lights. It can be programmed via a computer for shows choreographed to music. “The old tree was past its useful life,”...
Advice shifting on aspirin use for preventing heart attacks
Older adults without heart disease shouldn’t take daily low-dose aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke, an influential health guidelines group said in preliminary updated advice released Tuesday. Bleeding risks for adults in their 60s and up who haven’t had a heart attack or stroke outweigh any potential...
Americans quit their jobs at a record pace in August
WASHINGTON — One reason America’s employers are having trouble filling jobs was starkly illustrated in a report Tuesday: Americans are quitting in droves. The Labor Department said that quits jumped to 4.3 million in August, the highest on records dating back to December 2000, and up from 4 million in...
Coroner: Gabby Petito strangled, died 3-4 weeks before found
JACKSON, Wyo. — Cross-country traveler Gabby Petito was strangled to death, a Wyoming coroner announced Tuesday. Petito, 22, died three to four weeks before her body was found Sept. 19 near an undeveloped camping area along the border of Grand Teton National Park in remote northern Wyoming, Teton County Coroner...
URA loan to help bring music, restaurant back to Pittsburgh’s James Street Gastropub
A $500,000 loan from Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority could help bring music back to the city’s East Allegheny neighborhood. The loan to 422 Foreland LLC, which owns the former James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy at Foreland and James streets, is part of an effort to revitalize the site. The company...
Beaver County baby dies after ingesting heroin, mother charged
A 10-month-old girl died over the weekend, two weeks after ingesting heroin at a Beaver County home in September. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner said Myla Rushman died Saturday at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The incident happened in the 1000 block of Rice Avenue in Ambridge on Sept. 25....
State police looking for man after ‘dangerous’ pursuit in Somerset County
State police are looking for the driver of a vehicle after a pursuit in Somerset County last week. State police said they were unable to find Mark Lynn Boden, 27, of Johnstown, after the chase on Thursday that started on Glades Pike and continued for about 5 miles before ending...
Police: 3 men shot in Pittsburgh’s Hill District
Three people were hospitalized Monday evening after being shot in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood, police said. Public Safety Spokesperson Cara Cruz said officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert for multiple rounds fired shortly after 7 p.m. in the 200 block of Devilliers Street. Police found a man with a gunshot...
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issues executive order banning vaccine mandates by private entities
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday issued an executive order prohibiting any entity in Texas from mandating covid-19 vaccinations for employees or consumers, an expansion of a prior order limited to government entities. Abbott also asked lawmakers to tackle the issue during the current special legislative session, ensuring that...
Salem’s Market to open grocery store at former Shop ′n Save site in Pittsburgh’s Hill District
A new grocery store has been chosen for the former Shop ′n Save site at the Hill District’s Centre Heldman Plaza, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh. The URA said it will enter into lease negotiations with Salem’s Market & Grill, a locally owned, family-run grocery store. This...
Heinz Field management: Fans aren’t allowed to scatter a loved one’s ashes inside stadium
A fan scattered ashes of a family member at Heinz Field during the Steelers’ 27-19 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, a team spokesman said. “Heinz Field management does not permit or condone such actions,” Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten said in a statement. Pennsylvania does not have a state...
Pa. state universities enrollment drops to lowest point since 1986
Enrollment declined 5.4% across Pennsylvania’s 14 state-owned universities this fall, slipping to 88,651 — a low not seen in 35 years. Officials were anticipating a slight decline in enrollment, but nothing prepared them for the totals the universities reported after three weeks of classes. Enrollment has not been this low...
