Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1227
Trump-backed Sean Parnell announces bid for U.S. Sen. Toomey’s seatVideo
Sean Parnell has officially declared his candidacy to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate. Parnell, a Republican, is a former Army platoon leader, veterans charity founder and published author who resides in Ohio Township. On Tuesday, he joined a growing field of candidates vying for the seat held by Sen....
Gas stations report shortages as pipeline shutdown continuesVideo
CHAMBLEE, Ga. — More than 1,000 gas stations in the Southeast reported running out of fuel, primarily because of what analysts say is unwarranted panic-buying among drivers, as the shutdown of a major pipeline by a gang of hackers entered its fifth day Tuesday. Government officials acted swiftly to waive...
W.Va., Pa. men charged in police assault on Jan. 6 to remain behind bars
Two men charged in the assault of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died after defending the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, must remain behind bars while they await trial, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan denied pretrial release for George Tanios and Julian Khater, calling...
Washington Co. man sues former employer, says he was fired for calling off with covid
A Washington County man who said he was fired after calling off sick with covid-19 symptoms last year is suing his former employer. David Matyjasek, of Washington, filed the federal complaint on Tuesday against Kellington Protection Services, of Robinson, alleging a violation of the Family First Coronavirus Response Act. A...
Baby flown from Murrysville after ‘water rescue’ at Sardis Road residence
A child younger than 1 year old was flown by medical helicopter after a 911 call for a water rescue in Murrysville. Westmoreland 911 officials said the incident was reported around 4:07 p.m., on the 5000 block of Sardis Road in Murrysville. The child was transported to Sardis Fire Department...
State Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward reveals breast cancer diagnosis
State Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, revealed Tuesday that she has undergone treatment for stage-one breast cancer for several months and soon will undergo surgery with the hopes of preventing the disease from returning. Ward said she learned of the diagnosis in December, weeks after she won reelection and made history...
4 former Pittsburgh PetSmart employees face charges in death of toy poodle
Four employees from the PetSmart in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood face felony animal cruelty charges in connection with the November death of a toy poodle named Kobe, court records show. Julie Miller, Shaphan Stonge, Elizabeth Doty and Heather Rowe face various animal cruelty and neglect charges for their alleged roles...
Pennsylvania Republicans’ plans for election reform take shape in new report
PHILADELPHIA — As Republican lawmakers across the country have moved to tighten voting laws following former President Donald Trump’s lies about a stolen election, Pennsylvania’s GOP-controlled Legislature has waited to act during months of hearings. Now Republicans in Harrisburg are making their first moves, with the state House GOP releasing...
Sean Parnell expected to announce run for Pennsylvania Senate seat
HARRISBURG — Sean Parnell, a decorated Army veteran and regular guest on Fox News programs who became a favorite of former President Donald Trump, is expected to announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat. Parnell, who unsuccessfully challenged Democratic U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb in...
Wolf: Indoor, outdoor event spaces in Pa. can increase capacity next week
Pennsylvania officials will increase capacity limits for indoor and outdoor event spaces Monday, though neither type can operate at full capacity yet. Gov. Tom Wolf said in a release Tuesday that occupancy limits for indoor events can increase to 50% and capacity for outdoor events can increase to 75% of...
Former W.Va. nursing assistant gets 7 consecutive life sentences in veteran deaths, including former Westmoreland man
The daughter of a former Westmoreland man had strong words Tuesday for the nursing assistant at a West Virginia veterans hospital who killed her father and six others by giving them insulin they did not need. “You took some of the greatest men of their time … and you preyed...
Pa. covid case average drops to October level
The start of May has seen covid case numbers decline in Pennsylvania. With the declining figures, a key statistic has also dropped to a level it hadn’t been since October. Cases Pennsylvania reported 2,385 additional covid cases (1,669 confirmed, 716 probable) to its total Tuesday, according to the state Department...
Pa. Senate bill would give parents option of having child repeat grade
Allowing parents to hold back their child from being promoted to the next grade in 2021-22 due to learning loss during the covid-19 pandemic is now on track for consideration by the full Pennsylvania Senate. The Senate Education Committee voted unanimously to advance this legislation that also gives parents of...
Study finds 8 of 10 hospitalized covid patients have neurological symptoms
Neurological symptoms are frighteningly common among hospitalized covid-19 patients, and the symptoms are associated with a greater risk of death, a new study shows. A paper published Tuesday in the medical journal JAMA Network Open outlines a project studying patients from around the globe. Scientists, including several at the University...
U.S. job openings soar to highest level on record
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers posted a record number of available jobs in March, illustrating starkly the desperation of businesses seeking to find new workers as the economy expands. Yet total job gains increased only modestly, according to a Labor Department report issued Tuesday. The figures come after the April jobs...
Poll: Most in U.S. who remain unvaccinated need convincing
Fewer Americans are reluctant to get a covid-19 vaccine than just a few months ago, but questions about side effects and how the shots were tested still hold some back, according to a new poll that highlights the challenges at a pivotal moment in the U.S. vaccination campaign. Just 11%...
Police: McKees Rocks man flees hospital after leading officers on 90 mph chase in Penn Hills
Police are searching for a McKees Rocks man who fled from a hospital after leading officers on a chase and crashing his SUV in Penn Hills on Saturday. Mark Clements III, 19, is charged with reckless driving, careless driving, fleeing or attempting to elude police, resisting arrest and five related...
1.4B but no more? China’s population growth closer to zero
BEIJING — China’s population growth is falling closer to zero, government data showed Tuesday, adding to strains on an aging society with a shrinking workforce as fewer couples have children. The population rose by 72 million over the past 10 years to 1.411 billion in 2020, the National Bureau of...
Inside Arizona’s election audit, GOP fraud fantasies live on
PHOENIX — On the floor of Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where NBA stars like Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan once dunked basketballs and Hulk Hogan wrestled King Kong Bundy, 46 tables are arrayed in neat rows, each with a Lazy Susan in the middle. Seated at the tables are several dozen...
Westmoreland officials seek answers for Mt. Pleasant Township ballot error
Westmoreland County elections officials on Monday continued to piece together how the race for a district judge’s seat was excluded from mail-in ballots sent to voters last week in four Mt. Pleasant Township precincts. “It’s my responsibility,” Elections Bureau Director JoAnn Sebastiani said of the oversight that led to 189...
‘Adopt a Senior’ program brings joy to Springdale 12th-gradersVideo
An ordinary Monday turned into a day of special recognition for Springdale High School seniors who were taken by surprise when they received gift packages as part of a first-year program called “Adopt a Senior.” The warm-hearted trinkets in the gift packages reflected what teachers, staff and coaches had learned...
Pfizer covid-19 shot expanded to U.S. children as young as 12Video
Covid-19 vaccines finally are headed for more kids as U.S. regulators on Monday expanded use of Pfizer’s shot to those as young as 12, sparking a race to protect middle and high school students before they head back to class in the fall. Shots could begin as soon as a...
2 decades after being sentenced to death, Richard Baumhammers remains in prison
Twenty years ago this month, a jury in Western Pennsylvania had an important question to answer: should Richard Baumhammers be put to death for what he did? “Sentencing someone to death, that’s not an easy decision,” said Ron Frew on a recent rainy day in May. Frew, 67, lives in...
Former Mt. Pleasant police officer sentenced to prison for sexual assaults
A Westmoreland County prosecutor argued in court Monday that a former part-time Mt. Pleasant Borough police officer who used an escalating level of violence in sexual attacks against three women should spend up to 50 years in prison. “Law enforcement officials carry badges. If you look at it, it’s a...
Scene75 in Edgewood Towne Center closing permanently
Scene75, a large indoor entertainment center, appears to be the latest victim of the covid-19 pandemic, as its Edgewood Towne Center location is closing permanently. The Ohio-based company opened the Edgewood location at the site of a former Kmart in 2018. Scene75 offered an array of entertainment, ranging from an...
