Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1685
‘Miracle’ reunion leads to adoption for thankful Greensburg family, teen
Amanda Ferree reached forward and squeezed the girl’s shoulder as they walked, both dressed in plaid button-down shirts, into a Westmoreland County courtroom. Her husband, Ian, wiped tears from his face on the witness stand as he recounted the fateful steps that brought the girl into their lives. And Leesa...
Harrison police arrest man, woman near township police station allegedly with cocaine; gun found near toddler
A Sheldon Park man accused of selling drugs close to the Harrison police station was found sitting on a couch with a loaded pistol under a seat cushion and a 1-year-old nearby, police said. According to an affidavit, no one answered the door when police serving an arrest warrant yelled...
With Wolf’s signature, Sunday hunting coming to Pa. in 2020
Pennsylvania hunters who clamored for a Saturday start to firearms deer season now have another reason to celebrate — Sunday hunting in 2020. Gov. Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 147, lifting the ban on Sunday hunting, on Wednesday. The law allows hunting on three Sundays: one during rifle deer season,...
PWSA: Boil water advisory issued for Upper Lawrenceville
A Wednesday morning water main break in Upper Lawrenceville has prompted the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority to issue a flush-and-boil water advisory for its customers in the area. PWSA was working to repair the break on McCandless Avenue, which was reported at about 6:30 a.m. Because the lines lost...
12,600 power customers reported to be in the dark across region, at least 1 person hurt
Thousands have been left without power Wednesday as winds whipped up all across Western Pennsylvania. West Penn Power reported there were more than 10,800 customers without power in its coverage area of 8:50 p.m. That was down from 14,700 about an hour before. Among those are 2,200 in Washington County,...
Pittsburgh leaning toward silver-colored police cars with purchase of first hybrids
Pittsburgh is getting its first hybrid police cruisers and the mayor is “leaning toward” a color change from the current white, black and gold to a silver aimed at signifying steel. Mayor Bill Peduto said he would make a decision on the color change before ordering the purchase of 32...
Harris Theater to remain open; lawsuit details fiscal woes at Pittsburgh Center for Arts
The Harris Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh will remain open through at least the end of the year, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust spokeswoman Robin Elrod said Wednesday. Programming at the Liberty Avenue theater was suspended on Monday, as part of extensive cuts and layoffs by the Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media,...
Diocese: Sex abuse allegations ‘credible’ against 4 Pittsburgh-area priests
A review board has found sexual abuse allegations against four Pittsburgh area priests credible enough to forward them to the Vatican, a Diocese of Pittsburgh spokeswoman said Wednesday. Bishop David Zubik has agreed not to return the three living priests to the ministry in the meantime. The Rev. John Bauer...
John Shumway steps down from KDKA Radio
John Shumway has stepped down as the morning news co-host on KDKA Radio. His last day was Wednesday. He will remain on KDKA-TV as a general assignment reporter, according to a statement from Michael Spacciapolli, senior vice president of Entercom in Pittsburgh, shared by KDKA. “(John’s) tireless work ethic and...
Ohio man accused in bizarre North Huntingdon bank heist attempt headed to trialVideo
The family of an Ohio man arrested in a bizarre Westmoreland County bank robbery scheme involving a mask and claim of bombs at two area high schools said Wednesday they still can’t understand his actions. Luke J. Dell, 35, of Beavercreek, Ohio, made his first court appearance Wednesday since his...
Pittsburgh appeals Mt. Washington billboard ruling to state Supreme Court
Pittsburgh contends Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court erred in upholding a ruling that a controversial sign atop Mt. Washington owned by Lamar Advertising can remain. The city has appealed the ruling to the state Supreme Court, arguing that Commonwealth Court contradicted previous case law involving Lamar signs in Monroeville and violated a...
Penn Hills theater owner irked over getting barred from showing Mister Rogers movieVideo
It’s an ugly day in the neighborhood, according to a disgruntled theater owner in Penn Hills. Penn Hills Cinema wasn’t allowed to show “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” the highly anticipated film featuring Tom Hanks as Pittsburgh legend Mister Rogers, during its $14 million opening weekend. “I can be...
Rostraver man gets house arrest in drunken-driving crash that injured girl
The most serious charges against a Rostraver man were dropped Wednesday in exchange for a guilty plea in connection with a November 2018 crash that left a 12-year-old girl injured. Anzalone Jones, 63, was sentenced to six months of intermediate punishment and 90 days of home electronic monitoring on charges...
Pittsburgh stations to play Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young marathon, ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ on Thanksgiving
Turn on the Thanksgiving tunes Thursday for a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young marathon on WYEP and the annual WDVE airing of Arlo Guthrie’s 18-minute-plus song “Alice’s Restaurant.” As much a tradition as turkey on Thanksgiving, WDVE will air “Alice’s Restaurant” at noon Thursday when cooks throughout the region pause...
Tarentum couple sell vegan-inspired apparel from their home
Dan and Deborah Angeloni considered themselves outsiders in the fashion industry until a misfit donned one of their designs. Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, original guitarist for the punk rock group the Misfits, regularly wears a T-shirt featuring a cow’s head below the word Meatless, a vegan-inspired play on the band’s...
PennDOT needs more snow plow drivers in Westmoreland County
PennDOT needs to hire another 25 seasonal snow plow operators in Westmoreland County, with early winter weather on the horizon. It currently has 13 on the roster. About 100 seasonal plow drivers normally are hired to help treat and clear roads throughout District 12 — including Westmoreland, Fayette, Greene and...
Hempfield residents evacuated after crash damages natural gas line
About 20 residents in a Hempfield neighborhood were evacuated from their homes late Tuesday night as a precaution after a natural gas line was damaged during a car crash. The crash happened after 11 p.m. in the area of Swede Hill Road and Brownfield Drive, the Trib’s news partner, WPXI-TV,...
6 biggest mistakes when baking pumpkin pie
Pumpkin pie, with its thick, pumpkin-y custard, fragrant spices and flaky pastry crust, is about as delicious as Thanksgiving gets. Served with a dollop of homemade whipped cream, there is no Thanksgiving dish that arrives with such anticipation. Yet, even the most seasoned bakers know a truly perfect pumpkin pie...
Power restored to the Squirrel Hill Tunnel
Power has been restored and all lights are on at the Squirrel Hill tunnels in Pittsburgh. Electrical issues caused the cameras, traffic signals and half the lights inside the tunnels to go out shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday. PennDOT officials announced the issues were fixed shortly before 11 p.m. The...
Man rescued after being trapped under tombstone in Pittsburgh
Emergency responders were called to St. Michael’s Cemetery near Pittsburgh’s South Side Slopes neighborhood around 1 p.m. Tuesday after a man was pinned beneath a tombstone. The 47-year-old man was visiting the cemetery with his mother when he lost his balance and grabbed onto the tombstone, said Cara Cruz, a...
In Pa. and across the country, overdoses, suicides, alcoholism are leading Americans to earlier deaths
After nearly six decades of increasing life expectancy, U.S. average lifetimes have been declining since 2014, according to a bleak new report published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Drug overdoses — mainly opioids — suicides, alcoholic liver disease and conditions related to substance use disorder are...
Mayor Peduto: Pittsburgh Center for the Arts must be restructuredVideo
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said the Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media, which announced Monday it would close its main building at year’s end, must be completely restructured to secure sustainable funding for future operations. Peduto, who briefed reporters Tuesday during an unrelated event in Garfield, said the city has...
Pa. lawmakers push to ban hand-held cellphone use while driving
A bill to ban certain uses of cellphones by Pennsylvania drivers has advanced in Harrisburg, and its sponsor believes motorists’ confusion about laws when they cross state borders — something they will be doing frequently of over Thanksgiving — is an argument for approval. State Rep. Rosemary Brown, a Monroe...
Drink beer, get a free koozie from Allegheny County breweries
Craft beer enthusiasts can drink their way to a free koozie while exploring Allegheny County’s 34 breweries. A new collaboration between VisitPittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Brewers Guild will offer the free koozie (the insulating covers for a can) to anyone who collects five stamps for buying five beers from guild...
‘Tis the season: Pa. alcohol sales spike as holidays approach
It’s the holiday season, and everyone is getting into the spirit — or at the very least, into the spirits store. November and December are far and away the busiest times of the year at Pennsylvania’s Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores. The top single sales day in each of...
