Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1677
Pittsburgh Diocese announces closure of South Side church
The St. Peter Church building of the Prince of Peace Parish on Pittsburgh’s South Side will close for worship, the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced in a statement Saturday. All sacred objects will be removed from the church, and the building will be sold or rented. Any money raised by...
From Belschnickel to Santa Claus, Westmoreland historians trace Christmas traditionsVideo
It’s hard to see how Belschnickel could have been mistaken for Santa Claus. But back in the days when Western Pennsylvania was the edge of the frontier and colonists were beginning to talk revolution, there’s a good chance children who never heard of Santa were more familiar with the ornery...
Former Mt. Lebanon, Point Park star Don Kelly named Pirates bench coach
The Pittsburgh Pirates stayed in town for their bench coach. Don Kelly was hired to be new manager Derek Shelton’s right-hand man Saturday. Kelly starred at Mt. Lebanon and Point Park and lives in Mars with his wife Carrie — sister of former Pirates second baseman Neil Walker — and...
Paste Magazine names Brew Gentlemen’s General Braddock’s IPA a beer of the decade
General Edward Braddock may have failed at capturing the French Fort Duquesne during the French and Indian War, but his namesake beer once again proved to be a winner, according to Paste Magazine. General Braddock’s IPA, the flagship American IPA from the Braddock-based Brew Gentlemen, was named one of the...
New Kensington ushers in the holidays with annual parade
New Kensington held its annual Christmas parade Saturday. The parade wound through downtown and featured floats and bands. It was followed by a touch-a-truck event on Fourth Avenue in front of the fire station....
Minnesota National Guard identifies 3 killed in copter crash
ST. CLOUD, Minn. — The Minnesota National Guard says the three soldiers who were killed when their helicopter crashed near St. Cloud this week were part of a unit that returned last May from a nine-month deployment to the Middle East. The Guard identified the men who were killed in...
Aging survivors return to Pearl Harbor to recall ’41 attack
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — A dozen frail survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor returned Saturday to honor those who perished when Japanese planes pierced a quiet sunny morning 78 years ago and rained bombs on battleships lined up below. About 30 World War II veterans and some 2,000 members...
PG&E says it has reached $13.5 billion wildfire settlement
SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas and Electric says it has reached a $13.5 billion settlement that will resolve all major claims related to devastating wildfires blamed on its outdated equipment and negligence. The settlement, which the utility says was reached Friday, still requires court approval. PG&E says it is a...
Border Patrol nabs Mexican man convicted of sex offense in Indiana County
A Mexican man deported four years ago after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a minor in Indiana County, was arrested this week for attempting to illegally enter the country along a desolate section of the Arizona border, the U.S. Border Patrol said. The suspect, Romualdo Gregorio Felipe, 48, was...
AG agents shoot at suspected child predator who fled North Fayette sting
Police fired several shots at the car of a suspected child predator they were trying to arrest Thursday at a North Fayette business park. Justin David Torres allegedly fled the business park after ignoring commands to stop and speeding at officers who fired shots at his car, according to the...
Penn Hills marks 10 years since death of Officer Michael J. Crawshaw
Michael J. Crawshaw, end of watch: Dec. 6, 2009. The words and numbers tell a story many cannot understand, but they are why many gathered at the Penn Hills Municipal Complex exactly 10 years later. To remember. “Although this is just a very emotional, very painful day for us, I...
Ex-Leechburg police chief back in jail, attorney says
Former Leechburg police Chief Mike Diebold is back in jail on a suspected probation violation, his attorney said Friday night. Diebold, 42, was booked into the Westmoreland County Prison on a 72-hour hold Friday, according to his attorney, Duke George. George, who plans to visit Diebold at the Hempfield lockup...
Free rides on historic 96A-Golden Triangle route mark end of Neoplan USA buses
People will have one last chance to ride decades-old Port Authority buses as the transit agency honors their retirement by restoring a long-gone Pittsburgh route this weekend. The final two Neoplan USA buses left in Port Authority’s fleet will go out of service after this weekend. Neoplan USA buses have...
Police chief: Nevada authorities in town investigating Bethel Park woman’s death
Authorities from Nevada were in Allegheny County on Friday investigating the case of a Bethel Park woman who was found dead more than two months ago in the desert north of Las Vegas. Bethel Park police Chief Tim O’Connor said his department was cooperating with the Nevada authorities but would...
Officials at Beaver County home for disabled shocked by abuse allegations
Officials at McGuire Memorial Home said they were shocked to learn of allegations that two employees abused disabled residents of the Beaver County facility and immediately notified families of the alleged victims as soon as authorities permitted them to do so. Christopher Shay, president and CEO of McGuire, offered his...
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre sets stage for ‘The Nutcracker’
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre put the final touches on their production of “The Nutcracker” during a dress rehersal Thursday at the Benedum Center. There will be 26 performances of “The Nutcracker” from Dec. 6-29, at the Benedum Center in Downtown Pittsburgh. Tickets start at $28, and are available at www.pbt.org, 412-456-6666...
Body found in river at Point State Park ID’d as Munhall man
The body found Wednesday morning floating in the Ohio River near Point State Park was identified Friday by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. Brian Foster Greenhow, 27, of Munhall, was found at 8:30 a.m. just off the point. The cause of death was drowning, the medical examiner said. Greenhow...
Humane officers investigating sick pit bull found abandoned in Wilkinsburg
Two young dogs found sick and abandoned in separate parts of Allegheny County this week are on the upswing, according to officials at Humane Animal Rescue. Authorities are investigating both cases. A passerby found a dog near Turner Elementary School in Wilkinsburg on Tuesday evening and alerted the shelter, said...
Former Palace Theatre owner still loves Greensburg’s grand dameVideo
Judy Marinelli couldn’t help getting a little emotional at Thursday night’s show at The Palace Theatre in downtown Greensburg. Nostalgia was already in the air, as Cornell Gunter’s Coasters, the Drifters and the Platters performed favorites from the 1950s and ’60s. Marinelli’s thoughts invariably turned to her late husband, Carl....
Official: Pittsburgh pension funds on the rise
Pittsburgh’s employee pension funds are growing again after a loss of about $20 million in 2018, a pension official said. The invested portfolio increased by about 2.6% from September 2018 through this September for an increase of about $33.7 million, according to the Comprehensive Municipal Trust Fund board of directors....
Cartoon Network Hotel opening in LancasterVideo
There’s a hotel coming to Lancaster that you might want to check out. Cartoon Network Hotel will open Jan. 10, according to Lancaster Online, which attended a media tour of the site Dec. 6. The hotel’s website says a stay at Cartoon Network Hotel is like “having a sleepover in...
Highlands mother angry bus driver left autistic son alone outside school
Rachael O’Connor said that her 9-year-old son sat and cried when he was unable to find an open door to his elementary school Thursday morning after a bus driver dropped him off late and left him alone. O’Connor said her son, who has autism, pulled at the door he would...
Mt. Oliver man is 3rd arrest in connection with Carrick double-shooting
All three men accused of being involved in a Nov. 14 double shooting in Carrick after a robbery are in custody. Allegheny County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Steven Hill, 25, of Mt. Oliver on Thursday. Hill faces two counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy for his suspected role in...
Pennsylvania puppy abandoned in plastic-wrapped crate ‘improving every day’
A 10-week-old puppy is recovering after being left outside of a south-central Pennsylvania animal shelter in a crate wrapped in plastic with no ventilation holes. The Presa Canario puppy was dropped off about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday at the end of the Adams County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to...
10 things that annoy us about the holidays
It’s that holiday season. The trees are up, laden with keepsake ornaments. The little lights are twinkling. The stockings are hung by the chimneys with care. Presents are wrapped, adorned with ribbons and bows. Nice and all, but seriously, the holidays aren’t all fun and games. Here are 10 things...
