Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1244
Pine-Richland: Kasperowicz let go following investigation into ‘allegations of inappropriate student conduct’Video
Pine-Richland’s school board president did not release any details about a three-month long investigation into allegations of misbehavior in the high school football program during a news conference Tuesday. He said at the conclusion of the district’s probe “neither the administration nor any member of the nine-member school board” could...
Key events since George Floyd’s arrest and death
MINNEAPOLIS — A timeline of key events that began with George Floyd’s arrest on May 25, 2020, by four police officers in Minneapolis: May 25 — Minneapolis police officers respond to a call shortly after 8 p.m. about a possible counterfeit $20 bill being used at a corner grocery and...
Derek Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter in George Floyd’s deathVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murder and manslaughter for pinning George Floyd to the pavement with his knee on the Black man’s neck in a case that triggered worldwide protests, violence and a furious reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S. Chauvin, 45,...
Trio of Pa. bills addresses gaps in drug rehabilitation process
Pennsylvania legislators unanimously passed several bills Tuesday aimed at ensuring that friends and family of people struggling with addiction issues are kept “in the loop,” so to speak. House Bill 944, written by State Reps. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, and Eric Nelson, R-Westmoreland, would require in-patient rehabilitation facilities to notify a...
Hempfield Area OKs study for renovating or rebuilding high school
Members of the Hempfield Area School Board are moving forward with a feasibility study that will look into the possibility of renovating or rebuilding the high school. Board members on Monday unanimously voted to hire SitelogIQ, a Minnesota-based company that has an office in Oakmont, at a cost that will...
Pa. highway deaths rose in 2020 despite less traffic
Statewide traffic deaths increased in 2020 from the record low set in 2019 despite a 20% decrease in traffic, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. PennDOT reported 1,129 highway fatalities in 2020, up 79 from the 1,059 recorded in 2019. That 6.6% increase is similar to the national estimate...
Biden praying for ‘right verdict’ in Chauvin trial
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he is “praying the verdict is the right verdict” in the trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin and that he believed the case, which has gone to the jury and put the nation on edge, to be “overwhelming.” Biden, ahead...
Here’s what’s happening at Historic Hanna’s Town
Historic Hanna’s Town opens to the public May 1, offering guided tours, a new walking path and a look into recently reconstructed and renovated log buildings. The Westmoreland Historical Society, which maintains the Revolutionary War-era site with Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation, also announced dates for its annual antiques and...
Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County see most reported covid deaths in months
Months-long highs for covid deaths were reported Tuesday in Pennsylvania and Westmoreland County. The additional covid deaths also continued a trend that has been going on at the state and county level for two and three months, respectively. Deaths Pennsylvania on Tuesday reported the most additional covid deaths since late...
Monroeville woman, 64, sues restaurant, police after arrest over wrong food order
A Monroeville woman is suing a police officer and a Panda Express restaurant, alleging she was arrested for complaining that she got the wrong meal. According to the lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court, Diana Broadnax, 64, went to the Panda Express on William Penn Highway in Monroeville on May...
Latrobe Little League working to recover after $4,000 worth of equipment lost in fire
Almost $4,000 worth of equipment used by the Latrobe Little League was lost this week after a fire engulfed a shed used by the organization, president John Russo said. Police, who responded to the fire at Legion Keener Park in Latrobe shortly after midnight Monday, are investigating the incident, Chief...
‘We’re certainly asking for peace’: Pittsburgh preps for Chauvin verdict reactionVideo
Pittsburgh leaders are preparing for local reaction to the Derek Chauvin verdict in Minneapolis. The former police officer’s fate is in the hands of a jury that’s deliberating whether he’s responsible for the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd. Deliberations began Monday and will continue today. Floyd’s death was...
No appointment needed at covid vaccine clinic at Pittsburgh Mills
Walk-ins will be accepted Tuesday afternoon at a covid-19 vaccination clinic at the Pittsburgh Mills mall that was originally by appointment only, an Allegheny Health Network spokeswoman said. The clinic administering the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine opened at 8 a.m. in the former Sears Grand store and is...
Teen’s death in Chicago puts focus on split-second police decisions
It happened in less than a second. Thirteen-year-old Adam Toledo dropped the gun he’d been holding, turned and began raising his hands just as the officer had commanded. Then the cop fired a single shot, killing the boy in the dark Chicago alley. The graphic video that became the latest...
Man dies after rollover crash in Bethel Park
An Upper St. Clair man died after a one-vehicle crash in Bethel Park Monday. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the man as Michael D. Brunn, 33. Allegheny County Police said Brunn’s vehicle rolled over in the 5000 block of Library Road around 3:10 a.m. Police said Brunn was driving...
Apple to host virtual iPad event, may hint at new AirPods
Many of us may be suffering from virtual event fatigue after a year of video calls. But not Apple, which plans new product announcements at what seems likely to be an iPhone-less online event on Tuesday. It’s the first such event for the company in 2021. Analysts expect new iPads...
Should states set pot policy by its potency? Some say yes
NEW YORK — As marijuana legalization spreads across U.S. states, so does a debate over whether to set pot policy by potency. Under a law signed last month, New York will tax recreational marijuana based on its amount of THC, the main intoxicating chemical in cannabis. Illinois imposed a potency-related...
4 referendums to appear on primary ballots in May; all registered voters eligible
All 8.8 million of Pennsylvania’s registered voters will be able to cast ballots on May 18, when four referendums will appear, including three that seek the change the state’s constitution. The deadline to register to vote in the primary is May 3. Voters will have until 5 p.m. May 11...
Police: Pizza delivery driver carjacked at gunpoint in Homewood
A pizza delivery driver told Pittsburgh police he was carjacked at gunpoint in the city’s Homewood neighborhood late Monday night. Police said officers responded to reports of an armed carjacking in the 7300 block of Monticello Street just before 11:45 p.m. The driver told officers he was making a delivery...
Pittsburgh police: Missing 12-year-old boy safe
A 12-year-old Pittsburgh boy who had been missing for about two days has been found and is safe, city police said Tuesday afternoon. Brice Rose had last been seen on Sunday in the city’s Warrington neighborhood, where he resides, police said....
Allegheny County Health Department introduces ‘air quality’ dashboard
The Allegheny County Health Department revealed a new air quality dashboard on Monday in an attempt to simplify information for the public. The revamped dashboard, which uses buttons, rather than tabs, provides easily digestible and understandable data for all users, the county said. The tool was developed by the Air...
Walter Mondale, Jimmy Carter’s vice president, dies at 93Video
MINNEAPOLIS — Former Vice President Walter F. Mondale, a liberal icon who lost the most lopsided presidential election after bluntly telling voters to expect a tax increase if he won, died Monday. He was 93. The death of the former senator, ambassador and Minnesota attorney general was announced in a...
Pa. pensions board votes to raise rates for 94K school employees
HARRISBURG — The board of Pennsylvania’s largest public pension system on Monday night voted to raise contribution rates for tens of thousands of public school employees after a mistake in a calculation of the fund’s long-term investment performance was revealed last month. The board of the $64 billion Public School...
Murder case against Derek Chauvin in George Floyd’s death goes to the juryVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — The murder case against former Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd went to the jury Monday in a city on edge against another round of unrest like the one that erupted last year over the harrowing video of Chauvin with his knee on the Black...
Fired football coach Eric Kasperowicz reaches out to Pine-Richland to ‘come to a resolution’
With students, parents and community members demanding Pine-Richland rehire Eric Kasperowicz, the ousted football coach has asked school administrators to meet with him and “come to a resolution quickly.” The Pine-Richland football coach and his assistants were fired last Wednesday. Kasperowicz re-applied for the school’s head coach position Friday and...
