Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1154
New Kensington girl survives fall from 3rd-story window
A New Kensington girl survived a 35-to-40-foot fall from an apartment building window Tuesday afternoon. The incident happened in the 600 block of Fifth Avenue around 12:50 p.m., according to a Westmoreland County emergency dispatcher. Police said the girl, whose age was not available, fell from the top window on...
Pa. report describes ‘gross incompetence’ at Shuman Juvenile Detention CenterVideo
State officials made the decision to revoke the license of the Shuman Juvenile Detention Center because of violations that constitute “gross incompetence, negligence and misconduct” that were found during inspections between July 24 and Aug. 4, according to a document detailing the violations sent Friday to county officials. It was...
Wrongful death lawsuit filed over 2020 crash that killed popular West Penn Power lineman
Relatives of a New Stanton man killed Oct. 21, 2020, when a tractor trailer slammed into the rear of his car along Interstate 70 sued the rig’s driver and his California employer for wrongful death, according to court papers. The administrator of the estate of Dillon W. Walton, 27, a...
Pennsylvania deer hunters face expanded chronic wasting disease regulations this year
Regulations prohibiting the movement of high-risk body parts from deer, elk and related species have been expanded for the 2021-22 hunting seasons to combat the spread of chronic wasting disease, an always fatal neurological disease in those species. As the disease continues to spread in the state, and beyond, the...
Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts dies at age 80
Charlie Watts, the self-effacing and unshakeable Rolling Stones drummer who helped anchor one of rock’s greatest rhythms sections and used his “day job” to support his enduring love of jazz, has died, according to his publicist. He was 80. Bernard Doherty said Tuesday that Watts “passed away peacefully in a...
3 serious crashes in 3 days in Derry Township leave motorists hospitalized
One person was flown by medical helicopter from a two-vehicle crash Tuesday in Derry Township, according to state police. The crash was reported about 11:15 a.m. at the intersection of Route 217 and Pizza Barn Road, just south of Blairsville. Sean R. Ober, 24, of Latrobe, drove a Hyundai Santa...
Hot week ahead for Western Pa. with possible record highs
The dog days of August are going out in a blaze of hot temperatures that could threaten record highs for this time of year. The National Weather Service in Moon was predicting a high temperature of 92 degrees for Tuesday. The record for Aug. 24, set in 1918, is 94....
‘We will find you’: Pittsburgh officials start illegal dumping crackdownVideo
Pittsburgh will be using hidden, high-resolution cameras to catch people dumping at sites around the city and Mayor Bill Peduto is proposing changes in the city’s laws to strengthen the penalties for those who are caught. “We will find you,” Peduto said. “We will have cameras up at those locations....
CIA head meets Taliban leader as fears for Afghanistan grow
The director of the CIA met with the Taliban’s top political leader in Kabul, an official said Tuesday, as more reports emerged of abuses in areas held by the fighters, fueling concerns about Afghanistan’s future and the fate of those racing to leave the country before the looming U.S. withdrawal....
Police: Butler police officer fatally shoots man accused of stabbing him
A Butler City Police officer was in surgery Tuesday morning and a Butler man was dead after a violent encounter that lasted about five minutes, authorities said. The incident began with a 911 call around 6:54 a.m. about an “erratic male” on West Jefferson Street who was reportedly jumping in...
Biden tells G-7 allies he aims to stick to Afghanistan withdrawal deadlineVideo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden appeared unwilling to bend to pressure, including from European allies, to continue a massive evacuation effort from Afghanistan, planning — for now — to stick to his Aug. 31 deadline for troop withdrawal. On a chaotic day at the White House, Biden delayed scheduled remarks...
Monessen man killed in Washington County motorcycle crash
A Monessen man died after a motorcycle crash Friday in Washington County, according to state police. Dennis Sepesy, 60, was headed north on Route 43 in California just after 8 p.m. when he drove his Harley-Davidson onto the side of the road near milepost 32, police said. After one-tenth of...
Editorial: A covid vaccine is fully approved — no excuses now
In December 2020, the first shots in the war against covid-19 were fired into the arms of health care workers with the emergency-use authorization of a vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech. Those were followed by another similar authorization for a Moderna vaccine two weeks later, and then in early 2021, Johnson &...
Man found with multiple gunshot wounds in Hill District
A man was critically wounded by multiple rounds of gunfire in the Hill District early Tuesday, according to Pittsburgh police. Officers from the city’s Zone 2 station responded to a ShotSpotter gunfire alert for five rounds fired in the 2200 block of Webster Avenue shortly after 12:30 a.m., according to...
Bethel Park man, Rostraver native competes in Paralympic Triathlon in Tokyo this week
Eric McElvenny never shied away from a challenge. This week, the 38-year-old Bethel Park father of three will face a new one. The Rostraver native will take to an international stage as a member the U.S. Paralympic Triathlon Team in Tokyo. Like the Summer Olympic competitions that wrapped up there...
Bethel Park School Board requiring masks for 1st semesterVideo
Bethel Park School District officials voted on Aug. 23 to require masks for everyone through the first semester when classes began Aug. 24. The board voted 7-2 with Connie Ruhl and Russ Spicuzza dissenting. Spicuzza was the only one on stage not wearing a mask during the whole meeting. Ruhl...
Pedestrian struck by motorcycle, critically injured near Shadyside
A female pedestrian was taken to a local hospital in critical condition Monday after being struck by a motorcycle near Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood, according to a city public safety spokeswoman. The male driver of the motorcycle also was taken to a hospital, in stable condition with injuries to his jaw,...
Taliban warn of ‘consequences’ if U.S. extends evacuation past AugustVideo
KABUL — In the eight days since tens of thousands converged on Kabul’s airport to flee an Afghanistan under Taliban rule, critics and allies alike have blasted President Joe Biden’s insistence on the Aug. 31 deadline for U.S. and NATO troop withdrawal, urging him to delay so as to complete...
Westmoreland’s former elections director claims political coercion and scapegoating in federal lawsuit
JoAnn Sebastiani, former director of the Westmoreland County Election Bureau, claimed in a federal lawsuit filed Monday against all three county commissioners that she was “scapegoated,” belittled and discriminated against before she was fired without adequate cause. Sebastiani, 63, had been on the job for 10 months when she was...
Westmoreland controller questions approved raises in new union contract
Raises handed out to about 250 employees in Westmoreland County’s court-related offices appear to be double what was estimated when a new four-year labor contract was ratified in April, according to an analysis from Controller Jeffrey Balzer. Balzer said the deal with the Westmoreland County Court Related Employees Association, approved...
Hearings in Pennsylvania election ‘investigation’ to begin, senator says
HARRISBURG — The top Republican in Pennsylvania’s Senate said Monday that hearings will begin this week as he committed to carrying out a “full forensic investigation” of the state’s 2020 presidential election. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre, said he has communicated with former President Donald Trump, whose baseless...
5 things to know about the Pfizer covid vaccine approvalVideo
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued its full approval of the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine Monday. The move comes eight months after the Pfizer vaccine was authorized for emergency use in the United States. Infectious disease experts hope the full approval will inspire those wary of the vaccine to now...
Shuman Juvenile Detention Center to close after state revokes license
Allegheny County’s juvenile detention center will close Sept. 18 after the state Department of Human Services revoked its license. The state notified county Manager William McKain the license for the Shuman Juvenile Detention Center was being revoked Friday. By Monday afternoon, McKain announced the closure of the 46-year-old facility in...
Federal judge reinstates mandatory masks at North Allegheny
Students in the North Allegheny School District returned to classes from summer break Monday morning for full, in-person instruction with only a recommendation that they wear face masks while in school buildings. By afternoon, the mask mandate was back following a federal court ruling. On Sunday, a group of parents...
U.S. regulators give full approval to Pfizer covid-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON — The U.S. gave full approval to Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine on Monday, a milestone that may help lift public confidence in the shots as the nation battles the most contagious coronavirus mutant yet. The vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech now carries the strongest endorsement from the...
