Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1376
Iota threatens 2nd tropical strike for Nicaragua, Honduras
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tropical Storm Iota was brewing in the Caribbean Sea early Saturday, threatening a second tropical strike for Nicaragua and Honduras, countries recently ransacked by a Category 4 Hurricane Eta. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Iota could bring dangerous wind, storm surge and as much...
Infrastructure, jobs are key to coming together under Biden, say Pennsylvania Republicans, unions
After more than a decade of division — Republicans trying to block Barack Obama at every move and Democrats questioning Donald Trump’s legitimacy — President-elect Joe Biden is inheriting a contentious crowd. His best strategy to bring them around a table together, a diverse group of Pennsylvanians say, would be...
First Sunday of big-game hunting in Pa. since colonial timesVideo
Pennsylvania was a British colony in 1682 when blue laws were enacted banning many activities, including hunting, on Sundays. For the first time since, Sunday and on the next two weekends, hunting of big game such as deer and bear will be allowed on Sundays. Hunting will be allowed this...
Grand jury indicts Pittsburgh man accused of extorting minors for nude photos
A federal grand jury has indicted a former Pittsburgh resident who confessed to threatening to kill the families of minors around the country unless they sent him sexually explicit photos via Instagram. Markell Smith, 24, formerly of the city’s Hill District faces charges of child sexual exploitation and making threats...
Nov. 13: Here is covid-19 data from selected Western Pa. colleges
Western Pennsylvania is home community to several colleges and universities, attracting students from around the state and country. During the coronavirus pandemic, many are tracking the number of positive covid-19 cases as they emerge on campus. University of Pittsburgh Enrollment: About 30,000 students New cases: There were 118 student cases...
Out & About: The Westmoreland lights up the Greensburg night skyVideo
With the flick of a switch, accompanied by oohs, aahs and applause, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art was awash in a festive glow. The second annual Winter Lights Illumination Night was held Friday, bringing cheer to downtown Greensburg as the darkest days of the year tick down to the...
1 hospitalized after van strikes Port Authority bus in Pittsburgh’s Strip District
A minivan crashed into a Port Authority of Allegheny County bus Friday night in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, sending the van’s driver to the hospital in serious condition, officials said. The crash happened shortly before 6:30 p.m. in the 1600 block of Liberty Avenue, a couple blocks from the 16th Street...
Oregon, New Mexico order lockdowns as other states resist
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The governors of Oregon and New Mexico ordered near-lockdowns Friday in the most aggressive response yet to the latest wave of coronavirus infections shattering records across the U.S., even as many of their counterparts in other states show little appetite for reimposing the hard-line restrictions of last...
Washington Township nursing home reports at least 112 cases of covid-19 among residents and staff
The number of covid-19 cases among residents of a Washington Township nursing home has more than doubled since Monday, climbing from 30 cases to at least 75, facility officials said. There are also at least 37 cases among the staff at Quality Life Services, for a total of 112 cases....
GOP commissioners reject defective mail-in ballots
Westmoreland County’s Republican commissioners on Friday declined to vote on the status of 343 mail-in ballots that were not properly dated and a separate batch of 375 ballots delivered to the courthouse by the Postal Service nine minutes after the 8 p.m. deadline on Election Day. The move came during...
Pittsburgh Public Safety: 6 police officers have recently tested positive for covid-19
Six Pittsburgh police officers have recently tested positive for covid-19, a Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesman reported Friday. Other officers are also in isolation or quarantining due to possible exposure. Spokesman Chris Togneri said the department continues to take steps to safeguard against the spread of the virus. Those measures include...
Federal court rejects effort to block late-arriving Pennsylvania ballots
PHILADELPHIA — A federal appeals court in Philadelphia on Friday rejected an effort led by a Republican congressional candidate to block about 9,300 ballots that arrived after Election Day. The three-judge panel, led by Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Brooks Smith, noted the “unprecedented challenges” facing the nation this year, especially...
Allegheny County sees 2nd highest jump in coronavirus cases
Allegheny County on Friday reported 378 new cases of coronavirus, the second highest increase since the pandemic began. The record was set yesterday with 412 cases. Of the new cases, 296 are confirmed from 1,673 new PCR tests, according to the Allegheny County Health Department. Two of the new positive...
Safety measures taken at Live! Casino Pittsburgh prior to openingVideo
As the number of coronavirus cases continues to climb in Westmoreland County, Live! Casino Pittsburgh officials are taking extra precautions as their opening date nears. Hand sanitizer, signs promoting social distancing and plexiglass dividers placed around table games and slot machines dominate the casino floor, located in the former Bon-Ton...
GOP state Senate challenger Ziccarelli seeks to have ballots tossed
The Republican candidate for state Senate running against incumbent Sen. Jim Brewster has filed a petition in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court to set aside 2,349 undated mail-in ballots. Unofficial vote totals Friday morning from Allegheny and Westmoreland counties showed Brewster, D-McKeesport, leading by 44 votes. Attorney Matthew Haverstick, who...
Game warden cites Derry Township man after trophy deer post on social media
A Derry Township man’s boast on social media about bagging an albino deer during archery season last month landed him in hot water with the state game commission. After an investigation, Stone P. Kepple, 23, admitted to wardens that he had struck the deer while driving in Derry Borough and...
Westmoreland County reports 119 new coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County on Friday reported 119 new cases of coronavirus, down from yesterday’s record 207 daily cases. But that was not enough to keep the county’s seven-day average from reaching a new high of 123 cases. The seven-day total rose to 858 cases. The county has had a total of...
Pennsylvania continues to set coronavirus records with 5,531 new cases
Pennsylvania on Friday continued to set records with 5,531 new cases of coronavirus. That is the fourth consecutive day of record-high daily cases. The state’s seven-day average has marched upward for a dozen consecutive days to 4,348 cases. Similarly, the seven-day case total has been accelerating and is now 30,437....
Pittsburgh fugitive on the run for nearly 50 years arrested in MichiganVideo
After nearly 50 years on the run, a Pittsburgh man who escaped authorities in 1971 was done in by $43. Leonard Rayne Moses had been working as a traveling pharmacist under the name Paul Dickson in Michigan since at least 1999, according to federal authorities. He’d served two years of...
Santa is coming to malls, wearing a mask, keeping his distance and making his list
Covid-19 travel restrictions won’t stop Santa from visiting some local malls, although he will be wearing a mask and keeping his distance. Other shopping centers will offer virtual visits with the jolly old elf. Plan your in-person or online visit with Santa at these locations: • Westmoreland Mall: Santa and...
Pittsburgh lawyers seek to withdraw from Trump federal suit
The Pittsburgh-based attorneys representing the Trump campaign in a federal lawsuit challenging the election results are seeking to withdraw from the case. Ronald L. Hicks Jr. and Carolyn B. McGee, who work for Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, filed the motion Thursday. The firm filed a lawsuit in the...
Giant pickle ornament among Pittsburgh’s holiday attractions
There’s a big dill in Pittsburgh this holiday season. The giant custom-made Heinz pickle balloon, a recognizable sight above the Clemente Bridge during Picklesburgh festivals, has been transformed into a super-sized ornament. It will be unveiled Nov. 27 (the Friday after Thanksgiving) in EQT Plaza, Downtown, a project of the...
5 Things to do this weekend in and around Pittsburgh
Looking for weekends plans? Here are a few fun things to do in Pittsburgh: Fall Foliage Yoga Hike with Elevate Yoga Pittsburgh Elevate Yoga Pittsburgh is hosting a hiking and yoga event at Settlers Cabin Park in Collier, North Fayette and Robinson at 12 p.m. on Saturday. The Fall Foliage...
Lori Falce: Christmas movies and the end of 2020
Let’s just move on. It’s time. We have to put things behind us and get on with our lives. Some people are happy and some aren’t, but really, there are just two kinds of people in the world anymore. People who are ready for Hallmark Christmas movies to be on...
Army Corps says Parks Township nuke cleanup on way and a top priority nationally
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday night that resuming the $500 million cleanup of the nuclear waste dump in Parks Township is a top priority and they are getting ready. “The time is right for it,” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Col. Andrew J. “Coby” Short said in...
