Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1443
Trump administration finalizes coal plant pollution rollback
BILLINGS, Mont. — The Trump administration on Monday finalized its weakening of an Obama-era rule aimed at reducing polluted wastewater from coal-burning power plants that has contaminated streams, lakes and underground aquifers The change will allow utilities to use cheaper technologies and take longer to comply with pollution reduction guidelines...
Prosecution, family against early release for Indiana Township woman who killed FBI agent
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as the national organization that represents active and retired FBI special agents, say that the Indiana Township woman who shot and killed an FBI agent in 2008 should not be released early from prison. Christina Korbe filed a request for compassionate release in U.S....
St. Louis couple Mark and Patricia McCloskey, charged after waving guns, appear in courtVideo
ST. LOUIS — The attorney for a white St. Louis couple charged for waving guns during a racial injustice protest outside their home said Monday that they’re anxious to prove “with absolute certainty” that they did not commit a crime. One week after Mark and Patricia McCloskey spoke on video...
Police: Man in wig robs Dormont bank with threat of bomb
A man wearing a brown wig and claiming to have a bomb allegedly robbed the Dollar Bank in Dormont over the weekend, Allegheny County police said Monday. The robbery happened about 6:40 p.m. Saturday at the bank on West Liberty Avenue. Police said the man – who wore dark clothing...
Pittsburghers remember Chadwick Boseman’s artistic influence on Steel City
Number 42 was foremost on the minds of Major League Baseball players who wore it last Friday. It was the number Jackie Robinson wore, and the day was set aside to honor his accomplishments, including breaking baseball’s color barrier. But the number 43 also crept into the consciousness of baseball...
Greensburg rally pushes extension of eviction, foreclosure ban; Wolf hints at action
About a dozen members of Voice of Westmoreland rallied Monday in front of the courthouse to lobby Westmoreland County President Judge Rita Hathaway to issue an order barring evictions and foreclosures amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “This is incredibly important so people don’t lose their homes,” said Celina Culver, organizer...
Joe Biden makes campaign stop in Pittsburgh, says he’s not banning fracking
Using the repurposed site of a former Pittsburgh steel mill as a backdrop, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden gave his first major campaign speech following the August convention. At the limited-access event, Biden called President Donald Trump a “toxic presence,” and forcefully condemned the violence at recent protests, while also...
Allegheny County sees sharp decline in covid cases from July to August
Allegheny County saw a stark decline in covid-19 cases from July to August. The county’s health department announced 37 new coronavirus cases Monday, bringing the total for the month to 2,253. The county’s overall case numbers stand at 10,347. The month of August saw 58% fewer new covid-19 cases than...
Highway ‘stop-and-frisk’: How Pennsylvania state troopers conduct illegal traffic searches
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. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter. This article is a collaboration with The Appeal. Around 10 a.m. on Nov. 6, 2013, a Pennsylvania state trooper pulled...
Moon man killed in Parkway East motorcycle crash
A motorcyclist died in a crash with an SUV Monday on the Parkway East outbound, according to Pennsylvania State Police. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the motorcyclist as Gregory John Rozzo, 60, of Moon. Rozzo was headed east in the center lane and the SUV was in the...
Former administrator contends retaliation in lawsuit against Pittsburgh Public Schools
A former deputy superintendent for the Pittsburgh Public Schools is suing the district for retaliation, alleging his contract wasn’t renewed after he showed support for another employee in a race discrimination complaint. Anthony Anderson was hired in October 2016 and left the district three years later, serving as the deputy...
Westmoreland had nearly 50% fewer covid cases in August than July
Westmorland County experienced nearly 50% fewer cases of covid-19 in August than in July. The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Tuesday added six new cases, bringing the county’s total for August to 406. That total is 47% less than July’s 763 cases. Westmoreland County has seen a total of 1,815...
President Trump to campaign in Westmoreland County this week
President Donald Trump will make a campaign stop Thursday in Unity, according to his campaign website. Trump is scheduled to speak at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport at 7 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m. “It’s really exciting to see him coming back into the county, he did so well there....
Attorney general sues Philadelphia company, alleges price-gouging on hand sanitizer
More than 5,000 Pennsylvania residents had reported price hikes in essential products during the covid-19 pandemic as of early June, and state Attorney General Josh Shapiro filed a lawsuit against a Philadelphia company accused of charging nearly $76 for a small bottle of hand sanitizer during the height of the...
‘Tragedy’: St. Louis officer dies after being shot by gunman
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — A St. Louis police officer who was shot in the head while responding to a shooting on the city’s south side died Sunday, authorities said. Officer Tamarris L. Bohannon, 29, had been with the department for 3½ years. A second officer who was shot in the...
Lower Burrell woman, others join 6-person living-donor transplant swapVideo
Katherine “Kate” Maloney is definitely a daddy’s girl. And her father, Steve Leach, is definitely a girl dad. “When I look at my dad, I see a strong, hardworking man. I see my best friend,” said Maloney, 30, of Lower Burrell. “I see an amazing grandfather. I love that I...
Greensburg Bishop Malesic bids farewell to dioceseVideo
It was five years ago that Bishop Edward C. Malesic celebrated Mass at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg to formally take the reins of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg. On Sunday, Malesic, 60, again presided over Mass at the cathedral, but this time it was to bid farewell to...
Joe Biden to visit Southwestern Pennsylvania Monday; location, details not announced
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is planning a visit to Southwestern Pennsylvania on Monday, according to officials with his campaign. A press release issued by the Biden/Harris campaign said the former vice president “will travel to southwestern Pennsylvania to lay out a core question voters face in this election: Are...
Pa. implements OmniBallot tool for blind voters in November election
Blind voters in Pennsylvania will be able to use a federally approved, cloud-based electronic platform to vote remotely in the November, and subsequent, elections. The Pennsylvania Department of State will implement Democracy Live’s OmniBallot tool in response to a state court’s ruling that the previous paper ballot system used in...
K-9 ‘officer’ Rudy on patrol in GilpinVideo
A once-hesitant pup is patrolling with confidence in Gilpin. Rudy, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, certified by the North American Police Work Dog Association, joined the Gilpin police department on Dec. 17, 2019. Gilpin Supervisor Chairman Charlie Stull said Rudy has honed his “officer” skills during the past eight months. “When...
Democrats seeking to compel in-person election security briefingsVideo
WASHINGTON — Racing the political clock, frustrated Democrats on Sunday searched for a way to force the Trump administration to continue briefing Congress in person about foreign attempts to interfere in the November election. The director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, said most briefings on what the administration knows about...
Spotted lanternfly reports surge statewide with confirmed cases in Allegheny County
In just seven months, reports of the invasive and grotesque spotted lanternfly jumped 147% statewide. Confirmed cases in Allegheny County are creeping up in Swissvale, Avalon and some Pittsburgh neighborhoods, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The moth-like insect from China and Southeast Asia that hit the state in...
Body recovered from Monongahela River, Pittsburgh police investigating
Pittsburgh police are investigating after a man’s body was recovered from the Monongahela River on Sunday afternoon, a spokesman said. Chris Togneri, public safety spokesman, said a kayaker called 911 around noon to report what appeared to be a body in the water near the Homestead High Level bridge. Togneri...
Burrell gets therapy goldendoodle while demand for therapy dogs growsVideo
The ultimate teacher’s pet is expected to show up in the near future in Burrell School District buildings: Her name is Stella, a goldendoodle who is a therapy dog in training. The pet will serve as an aid to support students. Not to mention provide a little fun. The Burrell...
Vital rental assistance program riddled with problems as Pa. prepares to resume evictions
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. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter. HARRISBURG — It wasn’t until the summer, after leaving his job as a drug treatment counselor, that James Pride began...
