Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1624
Allegheny County Council votes to ban conversion therapy
Allegheny County Council voted Tuesday to ban the practice of conversion therapy in the county. Conversion therapy is a widely discredited practice used to attempt to change a person’s feelings of same-sex attraction or to change their gender identity. Council voted 13-2 in favor of the ordinance, which was introduced...
Federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh reportedly to vet Biden info Giuliani providing from Ukraine
Information being passed to the Department of Justice from President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, regarding Democratic rival Joe Biden, his son, Hunter, and Ukraine apparently will be vetted in Pittsburgh. The office of U.S. Attorney Scott Brady is tasked with examining information being gathered and shared by Giuliani, the...
Scottdale man gets 3-8 years in prison for sex assault; victim gets support from biker groupVideo
A teenage girl was kept hidden by her new biker friends outside a Westmoreland County courtroom Tuesday so she didn’t have to see the man she said sexually abused her last year. Members of the Southwest Pennsylvania Bikers Against Child Abuse formed a human shield to surround the girl, who...
Pittsburgh Council proposes another plan for spending park tax money
Pittsburgh would use a plan created by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy as a template for spending revenue generated by the city’s controversial parks tax under a resolution introduced in city council Tuesday. Two council members — Anthony Coghill and Deb Gross — who opposed the tax, said the resolution sponsored...
Flu deaths climb to 47 in Pennsylvania this season
The flu contributed to another seven deaths in the past week of a flu season that shows no signs of letting up, according to data the state Department of Health released Tuesday. Through Saturday, 47 flu-associated deaths had been reported this flu season, up from 40 the week before. It’s...
Pennsylvania hemp farmers look to future at conference
Pennsylvania hemp farmers saw a lot less green than they were hoping for in 2019. A sudden glut of supply and lack of infrastructure caused national hemp prices to plummet throughout the year. “We had a bunch of people who threw hemp in the ground and expected at the end...
GM hired for soon-to-be Hempfield mini casinoVideo
Operators of the soon-to-open casino in Hempfield have tapped a former general manager of the Meadows Racetrack & Casino to serve the same role at Live! Casino Pittsburgh. Sean Sullivan, who has worked in the gaming industry for over 40 years, will oversee development along with day-to-day management and operations...
As jurors deliberate in Wilkinsburg shooting case, questions ariseVideo
Jurors in the 2016 Wilkinsburg mass shooting deliberated about seven hours on Tuesday before going home without reaching a verdict. Judge Edward J. Borkowski, who is presiding over the case, said he’s letting jurors set the pace of the deliberations. The jurors – six men and six women – reported...
Pitt to host coronavirus panel discussion Wednesday evening
Public health, history, political experts and epidemiologists will gather Wednesday at the University of Pittsburgh to discuss the coronavirus outbreak. The event is sponsored by the Pitt Asian Studies Center. Mari Webel, an assistant professor of history, pulled together the panel in an effort to address the lack of information,...
Clark Bars are back in time for Valentine’s Day
They are as much a part of the taste of Pittsburgh as Iron City Beer, Primanti’s sandwiches and Heinz ketchup. The Clark Bar, with its crispy peanut butter and spun taffy core, coated in milk chocolate, is back. The bars are returning to Steel City candy stores on Valentine’s Day...
Man accused of exposing himself in Greensburg restaurant
Greensburg police are looking for a former Latrobe man after they said he exposed himself over the weekend to workers at a city restaurant. Eric Trice, 43, is accused of showing his genitals to waitresses and a female patron at Dino’s Sports Lounge, according to court papers. He was charged...
Pittsburgh, former police officer battling in court over termination
Pittsburgh last month paid more than $163,000 to a former police officer who was reinstated with back pay after being fired three years ago in connection with an alleged road rage incident. The officer, however, hasn’t returned to work, and an ongoing legal imbroglio is far from over. The chain...
NASA exhibit sought for 2021 Westmoreland air showVideo
After taking a year off, officials hope to land some help from NASA when the air show returns for Memorial Day 2021 at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. “We’re checking into something new,” said Gabe Monzo, executive director of the county Airport Authority. Monzo said he was not certain what...
Tractor-trailer hit by train in Blawnox
The driver of a tractor-trailer narrowly escaped injury Tuesday after a train hit the trailer in Blawnox. The crash happened around 11 a.m. at the Center Avenue and Fourth Street crossing. “I heard the train, the whistle and then a boom,” said Jerry Michak, who lives about two streets from...
Pitcairn man pleads guilty in 2019 stabbing death of girlfriend
A 60-year-old Pitcairn man pleaded guilty to third-degree murder Tuesday in connection with the stabbing death of his girlfriend. Derrick “Deke” Avant admitted to stabbing Alison Fritzius, 55, on April 7, 2019, inside an apartment in the 800 block of Broadway Street. In exchange for the plea, the Allegheny County...
Brett Keisel to hold final ‘Shear Da Beard’ event for UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
For the last nine years, Brett Keisel has sheared off his infamous beard in support of cancer programs at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. But all good trims must come to an end. On Thursday, the former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end will endure the clippers one last time, ending what...
Video released of 2 wanted in connection to man killed in Wilkinsburg while saving child
Police are seeking help to identify two people wanted in connection with the Feb. 3 killing of a 23-year-old man who pulled a 5-year-old boy out of harm’s way before he was shot and killed in Wilkinsburg. Kevin Hall, 23, was shot at about 1 p.m. while walking along Winton...
Nonstop flight added from Pittsburgh to Indianapolis
Pittsburghers will have nonstop access to Indianapolis starting this summer as Contour Airlines plans a daily flight out of Pittsburgh International Airport. The 80-minute, early afternoon flights to Indianapolis International Airport will begin June 10, according to an announcement last week. Passengers will ride on an Embraer Regional Jet that...
Small New Hampshire town votes for Bloomberg in primary
DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H. — Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is not even on the ballot, won the votes of a tiny New Hampshire community that barely hung onto its tradition of being among the first to make their picks in the presidential primary. Dixville Notch’s five residents...
State Rep. Summer Lee, a former ‘insurgent,’ faces Democratic challenger backed by establishment
It’s been nearly two years since Summer Lee surprised Allegheny County Democrats by beating longtime incumbent Paul Costa for the District 34 state House seat. A member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Lee built her campaign on a platform of progressive issues: advocating for a $15 minimum wage, opposing...
Federal judge approves T-Mobile’s $26.5B takeover of Sprint
NEW YORK — A federal judge has approved T-Mobile’s $26.5 billion takeover of Sprint, rejecting objections from a group of states and removing a major obstacle to a shakeup in the wireless industry. After the deal closes, the number of major U.S. wireless companies would shrink from four to three....
4 lawyers quit case as a result of DOJ decision on Roger Stone prison timeVideo
WASHINGTON — Four lawyers who prosecuted Roger Stone quit the case Tuesday after the Justice Department said it would take the extraordinary step of lowering the amount of prison time it would seek for President Donald Trump’s longtime ally and confidant. The decision by the Justice Department came just hours...
Mon Wharf parking lot shut down due to flooding
The Mon Wharf parking area in Downtown will be closed Tuesday because of a flood advisory issued by the National Weather Service. Because of recent rainfall, the Ohio River at Pittsburgh is expected to rise above 18 feet. The advisory will remain in effect until Saturday morning, according to the...
Pentagon: 109 troops suffer brain injuries from Iran strike
WASHINGTON — The number of U.S. service members diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries has shot up to more than 100, the Pentagon said Monday, as more troops suffer the aftereffects of the Iranian ballistic missile attack early last month in Iraq. The department said the latest total is 109 military...
Beer and wine could be coming soon to Greensburg Sheetz
Beer and wine could be coming soon to the Sheetz on Harvey Avenue in Greensburg. City council Monday unanimously approved a liquor license transfer from Hempfield, completing the first step in the process. Sheetz now has to seek approval from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, which usually takes several months,...
