Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1153
Lower Burrell woman ordered to stand trial on charges stemming from fiery Tarentum Bridge crash
An attorney representing a Lower Burrell woman who crashed her car in a work zone on the closed Tarentum Bridge in June tried to argue Wednesday there was no proof she was drunk at the time of the crash. Brackenridge District Judge Carolyn Bengel didn’t buy defense attorney Tom McKinley’s...
Half of Pa. school districts with mask mandates are in Allegheny County, officials say
There are 59 school districts in Pennsylvania with mask mandates, officials said Wednesday. About half of those districts exist in Allegheny County. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald praised those 30 Allegheny County school districts and their school boards for instituting the mask mandates, a move meant to protect, among the...
Court action threatened over Franklin Regional school mask policy, as debates rage in Pa.
An attorney representing a group of parents in the Franklin Regional School District sent the superintendent and board of directors a letter this week threatening litigation if masking is not made mandatory. It is one of many lawsuits being considered by parents on both sides of what has become a...
Hempfield retiree helps fend off attack on sheriff’s deputy in emergency roomVideo
Joseph Twigger said he didn’t think twice in the emergency room at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg this week when he saw a county jail inmate trying to grab a sheriff’s deputy’s gun. On Monday, an inmate was draped over Deputy Edgar Fink, who was pinned against a wall...
U.S. says 1,500 Americans may still await Kabul evacuation
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that as many as 1,500 Americans may be awaiting evacuation from Afghanistan, a figure that suggests the U.S. may accomplish its highest priority for the Kabul airlift — rescuing U.S. citizens — ahead of President Joe Biden’s Tuesday deadline. Untold thousands...
Covid cases, hospitalizations continue to rise in Allegheny, Westmoreland
The latest reports of coronavirus cases show new cases are being found at increasingly higher numbers. Hospitalizations are also rising, although not as rapidly. Over the past week, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has reported 24,875 new covid cases. Of that number, 21% (5,227) are old test results dating back...
Wolf asks Republican leaders to return to Harrisburg and pass school mask mandate
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 — Gov. Tom Wolf is calling on the Republican-led legislature to return to the Capitol immediately to pass legislation mandating...
Excela Health seeing increase in covid cases, with nearly all hospitalizations for unvaccinated people
The vast majority of covid-19 patients at Excela Health’s three hospitals have not been vaccinated against the virus, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carol Fox. “Our numbers have dramatically increased in the last month,” she said, pointing to a “tenfold” uptick in covid patients compared to the three patients...
Johnson & Johnson reports its booster shot increases antibodies ninefold
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson says a booster shot of its covid-19 vaccine appears to produce “a rapid and robust” increase in antibodies needed to fight the coronavirus. The drugmaker says researchers saw a ninefold increase in antibodies than levels seen about a month after the first dose...
Masks remain optional at Greater Latrobe after elementary mandate fails by slim margin
When Greater Latrobe parents send their elementary students back to the classroom beginning Monday, they will have the option of deciding whether their children should wear a mask upon entering their school building. The school board this week was just one vote away from amending its July 27 mask-optional policy,...
Peduto introduces ‘Dark Sky’ legislation to reduce light pollution in Pittsburgh
Some Pittsburgh residents may have been wondering why some stars in the night sky have been more difficult to see in recent years. Or why evenings seem less tranquil than they used to? It could be that excessive use of artificial light, called light pollution, is adversely affecting the health...
TV Q&A: What’s up with the ‘Jeopardy!’ host debacle and who could host now?
Q: If you had been choosing the next host of “Jeopardy” who would it be? What do you think of Mike Richards? — Barb via email Rob: This query arrived a week before briefly tenured Mike Richards exited the “Jeopardy!” host role. I started writing a response during the day...
Parcel containing unknown white powder delivered to Squirrel Hill grade school
Police were called to a school in Squirrel Hill on Tuesday after a suspicious package containing a white powder was delivered by mail. Officers from city’s Zone 4 station, the Bomb Squad, the Hazardous Materials Response Team and the Spill Truck responded to the Community Day School in the 6400...
Man killed in Pa. Turnpike crash in Monroeville identified by state police
A Fayette County man died Wednesday in a tractor-trailer crash that closed the Pennsylvania Turnpike eastbound for several hours Wednesday in Monroeville, according to state police. David J. Paull, 60, of Uniontown, who was a passenger in the truck, died in the 1:30 p.m. crash that occurred at milepost 54.4...
Police investigate triple shooting in Pittsburgh’s Spring Hill neighborhood
Three people were transported to the hospital Tuesday night in connection with a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Spring Hill neighborhood, Pittsburgh Police said. Calls for the shooting along the 2100 block of Rhine Street came in around 9 p.m. Zone 1 officers located two male victims in an apartment, one who’d...
Penn Hills elementary students to experience new fruits, vegetables thanks to federal grant
With many school districts around the country reopening their doors to students and teachers for full-time classroom instruction, it also means school meals will be back on trays and cafeteria tables. Penn Hills School District officials want to ensure their young learners have a taste of some the healthiest options...
Supreme Court orders ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy reinstated
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to block a court ruling ordering the Biden administration to reinstate a Trump-era policy that forces people to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the United States. With the three liberal justices in dissent, the court said the administration likely violated...
Police: Boy, 15, shot in leg in Stowe
A boy was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to his leg on Tuesday evening in connection with incident in Stowe. Allegheny County Police were dispatched for the shooting shortly before 7:30 p.m. along the 600 block of Federal Street. First responders found a 15-year-old boy shot in the leg. He...
House passes voting rights bill, restoring critical provision of landmark lawVideo
WASHINGTON — House Democrats passed legislation Tuesday that would strengthen a landmark civil rights-era voting law weakened by the Supreme Court over the past decade, a step party leaders tout as progress in their quest to fight back against voting restrictions advanced in Republican-led states. The bill, which is part...
In major shift, Pa. panel votes to count incarcerated people in home districts, not state prisons
This article is part of a yearlong reporting project focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. It is made possible by the support of Spotlight PA members and Votebeat, a project focused on election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — Thousands of people incarcerated in state prisons will be counted...
First Avenue ramps to, from Tarentum Bridge to close for paving
The First Avenue ramps onto and off of the Tarentum Bridge will be closed for much of the day Thursday, Tarentum officials announced. The ramps will be closed from early morning until late afternoon for paving at Ross Street and First Avenue at the foot of the ramps, near the...
Advocacy group threatens suit over Allegheny County Jail militaristic training contract
The Abolitionist Law Center sent a letter to Allegheny County officials on Tuesday notifying them of their intent to file a lawsuit if the county does not immediately rescind contracts for militaristic training and less-lethal weapons inside the jail. Legal Director Bret Grote sent the 10-page letter to County Solicitor...
House passes $3.5T Biden blueprint after deal with moderates
WASHINGTON — Striking a deal with moderates, House Democratic leaders muscled President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint over a key hurdle Tuesday, ending a risky standoff and putting the party’s domestic infrastructure agenda back on track. The 220-212 vote was a first step toward drafting Biden’s $3.5 billion rebuilding plan...
Fired Westmoreland election bureau director claims commissioners set her up to fail
Former Westmoreland County Election Bureau Director JoAnn Sebastiani said she worked sometimes 16 hours a day and struggled through health issues as she was belittled and set up for failure by her bosses before being ultimately fired without cause. Sebastiani, 63, appeared with her lawyers at virtual news conference Tuesday...
Shaler Area School District sues school board candidate over use of Titan logo
A candidate for Shaler Area School Board is being sued by the district for trademark infringement after he used its Titan logo in his campaign materials during the spring primary election. Kenneth Klinvex used the Titan head logo on yard signs and in social media posts during his successful primary...
