Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1340
Pittsburgh police: SWAT situation ends after domestic in Larimer
A SWAT situation in Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood ended without incident after a search of a home for a possibly armed and barricaded man, authorities said. The incident was reported shortly after 11 a.m. Sunday in the 400 block of Enright Court, according to an Allegheny County 911 emergency dispatcher. UPDATE:...
4 charged with assisting McKeesport fugitive accused of shooting patrolman
Four people were charged this week with helping Koby Lee Francis, the 22-year-old McKeesport man wanted in connection with the Dec. 20 shooting of a city police officer. Daniel M. Neal, 19, Gesiah N. Grigsby, 21, Justine D. Kenyatta, 20, and Jasmyn Henderson-Bracey, 25, are charged with hindering apprehension after...
Small fire reported inside store at Monroeville Mall
An Allegheny County fire marshal is attempting to determine the cause of a minor fire inside a store at Monroeville Mall Sunday. Firefighters and police responded to a fire alarm about 6:30 a.m. at the SoKool store in the mall, according to the fire department. Firefighters reported finding smoke and...
Fire chief: 3 adults displaced in Avalon house fire, no injuries reported
No injuries were reported in a Sunday morning fire that damaged a single-family home in Avalon, according to the borough’s volunteer fire chief. The two-alarm blaze was reported about 5:15 a.m. at a home on Marie Avenue, according to an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher. Three adult occupants were displaced and...
Penn Hills woman recalls pain of losing her sister to covidVideo
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series highlighting five people whose lives were reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic. Kim Fife and her sister, Tami Fife Dixon, talked every day. They shared thoughts and dreams and reminisced about growing up together. As kids, they dressed alike and slept in...
Sharing lessons learned in a tough 2020, looking ahead to a better 2021Video
Was most of what we learned in 2020 stuff we didn’t want to know? Like what really happens during a global pandemic or an ultra-polarized presidential election? From wildfires and earthquakes to hurricanes and floods, it hasn’t been pretty. In fact, a lot of it has been frightening and heartbreaking....
Watch those birdfeeders for rare northern finches visiting Western Pa.Video
Linda Croskey guessed it’s been about 30 years since she has seen the rare winter migrant, the evening grosbeak, show up at her birdfeeder at her West Deer home. Then, after last week’s snowstorm, Croskey was elated to see at her feeder the rare visitor. It looks like an overgrown...
Group of Greensburg Salem students call for end of senior projectsVideo
A group of Greensburg Salem High School seniors is calling on the district to cancel senior projects because of the coronavirus pandemic. Student Tyler Allen uploaded a video on the subject to YouTube Tuesday. It had been viewed over 6,000 times as of Sunday morning. “It’s been held over everyone’s...
Casino revenues decreased across Pennsylvania last month, report shows
Casinos across the state saw a drop in revenue last month as the facilities struggle to recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Figures released by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board show total revenue generated from gaming and fantasy contests in November totaled more than $284.2 million, an...
Pennsylvania State Police seek donated horses for mounted patrol unit
Maverick spent the last decade of his life in public service, ranging from ceremonial duties in the nation’s capital to watching over World Series attendees in Philadelphia. The Percheron crossbreed horse was about 6 when owners Dave and Pat Miller of Youngwood donated him as a recruit for the Pennsylvania...
Year in Pictures: Trib photographers document a tumultuous 2020 in Western Pennsylvania
The year 2020 is likely to be a benchmark in history for the upheaval of human lives around the globe. A pandemic virus, a loud call for social justice and an American election unlike any other have left an indelible imprint on the world. Western Pennsylvania made frequent appearances in...
Canada records 1st cases of new coronavirus variant
TORONTO — Officials in Canada’s most populous province have confirmed the first two known Canadian cases of of a more contagious variant of covid-19 that was first identified in the United Kingdom. The province’s associate chief medical officer says that the cases are a couple from Durham Region, just east...
In wake of election, Republican leaders seek vote restrictions
ATLANTA — Changes to the way millions of Americans voted this year contributed to record turnout, but that’s no guarantee the measures making it easier to cast ballots will stick around for future elections. Republicans in key states that voted for President-elect Joe Biden already are pushing for new restrictions,...
Unemployment benefits expire for millions as Trump stands pat
WEST PALM BEACH, — Unemployment benefits for millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet lapsed overnight as President Donald Trump refused to sign an end-of-year covid relief and spending bill that had been considered a done deal before his sudden objections. The fate of the bipartisan package remained in...
Hempfield couple joyful at arrival of Christmas ‘surprise’
You couldn’t name your first child after a character from the Batman comic book series and not expect any surprises. For first time parents, Tammy Maharaj, and Brandon Kalp of Hempfield, the surprise from their daughter, Harley Quinn Kalp, was born at 2:13 p.m. Christmas Day at Excela Health Westmoreland...
Trump’s court appointments will leave decades-long imprint
WASHINGTON — On this, even President Donald Trump’s most fevered critics agree: He has left an imprint on federal courts that will outlast his one term in office for decades to come. He used the promise of conservative judicial appointments to win over Republican skeptics as a candidate. Then as...
Vaccination rate in W.V. surges, as pandemic claims more lives
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice reported that nearly half of his state’s stock of covid-19 vaccines has been administered. But the promising news was tempered by the governor’s announcement on Christmas Day that 55 more West Virginians had died from the disease. During a press briefing Friday, the governor described,...
Q&A: Knowing when to get the coronavirus vaccine — and if pregnant women should get it
SEATTLE — Federal approval of the second coronavirus vaccine means more doses are coming to Washington and with them a growing interest about the distribution of vaccines. This week, Washington was set to receive 130,000 doses of Moderna’s vaccine, which was approved by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup...
Jeannette woman ticketed for driving over 130 mph on Route 119
A woman who led police on a brief chase at speeds exceeding 130 mph along Route 119 in East Huntingdon this month has a hearing on multiple criminal and traffic citations tentatively scheduled next month. Roxanna L. Varriano, 44, of Jeannette was charged this week by state police with illegally...
Nashville explosion investigation prompts FBI to search home
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Federal agents converged Saturday on the home of a possible person of interest in the explosion that rocked downtown Nashville as investigators scoured hundreds of tips and leads in the blast that damaged dozens of buildings on Christmas morning. More than 24 hours after the explosion,...
In other white Christmas news, 74 pounds of cocaine found floating off the Florida Keys
MIAMI — The Keys sheriff’s office came across some white stuff Christmas week. But it wasn’t the usual kind of snow. About 74 pounds of cocaine was spotted floating off the Lower Keys by a fisherman Wednesday afternoon. The fisherman, who was boating south of Sugarloaf Key, notified a Monroe...
Pennsylvania passes 600,000 coronavirus cases; adds 165 deaths
Pennsylvania on Saturday reported 14,755 new coronavirus cases over the past 48 hours, as the Keystone State jumped over the 600,000-case mark. Officials said 7,581 additional cases were reported Christmas Day, while 7,174 were reported the day after. The new data bring the total cases to 605,141. That’s a jump...
Westmoreland County posts 357 covid-19 cases; 5 more deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Saturday reported 357 new cases of the coronavirus in Westmoreland County during the past 48 hours, as cases continue to dip in the area. The numbers represent 215 new cases reported Christmas Day and 142 the day after. Westmoreland County has remained below 400...
Allegheny County surpasses 50,000 coronavirus cases, 850 deaths
Allegheny County on Saturday recorded a 48-hour total of 1,209 new coronavirus cases. Officials reported 657 cases on Christmas Day and 552 cases the day after. The report shows two days of dramatic dips from Thursday’s total of 912. On Wednesday, 830 cases were reported. The county has reported eight...
Thousands of ballots will be audited as part of Pa.’s post-election review
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. This article is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan reporting project covering local election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — At least 64 counties in Pennsylvania have...
