Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1690
How a movie about Mister Rogers came togetherVideo
Marielle Heller had a daunting task. As the director of “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” she had the job of bringing a story to the big screen that involved two legendary performers: children’s TV host Fred Rogers and the multi-Oscar-winning actor playing him, Tom Hanks. Her mission became a...
Pittsburgh sinkhole that swallowed a bus could take months to repair
City officials believe it will take several more months to repair utility lines on Pittsburgh’s 10th Street that were damaged when a sinkhole opened up in October and swallowed a bus. Karina Ricks, director of the city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, said the mishap damaged multiple utility lines that...
Greensburg, Pittsburgh hospitals sued over baby’s death
A Youngwood couple sued two local hospitals and medical personnel, claiming doctors and nurses failed to properly identify and treat a prenatal condition blamed for their son’s death in late 2017. In a 20-count wrongful death lawsuit, Joanie and Samuel Adams contend an ultrasound performed at UPMC Magee Womens Hospital...
Pennsylvanians to get more time on sex abuse charges, suits
HARRISBURG — The state where a grand jury’s groundbreaking report set off a new wave of reckoning over sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church passed legislation Thursday giving victims more time to sue and police more time to file charges. The Pennsylvania House sent the statute-of-limitations bill to Democratic...
DNA match leads to child sex assault charges against Greensburg man
A Greensburg man was arrested Thursday on charges of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl last spring after a forensic test revealed his DNA was on her clothing, police said. Michael T. Walker, 37, was arraigned on charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault on a person...
Firefighter hurt in 4-alarm blaze at Market Square restaurantVideo
A four-alarm fire during lunchtime Thursday heavily damaged a popular restaurant in Downtown Pittsburgh’s Market Square. Authorities were still investigating the cause of the blaze in the floors above Winghart’s Restaurant at 5 Market Square. The fire was reported shortly before noon and was upgraded to a four-alarm blaze by...
Judge temporarily stops 1st federal executions since 2003
WASHINGTON — A judge has temporarily halted the first federal executions in 16 years as a lawsuit on how the government intends to carry them out continues. U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan said in a Wednesday evening ruling that the public is not served by “short-circuiting” legitimate judicial process....
Ineligible Avonworth football player drops lawsuit against WPIAL, PIAA
Attorneys for ineligible Avonworth football player Kyros Thorpe withdrew his lawsuit against the WPIAL and PIAA on Thursday, ending his legal battle to play in the WPIAL football championship. Thorpe and his mother Anna Hollis had asked the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court to issue a preliminary injunction that would’ve...
North Huntingdon rejects liquor license transfer for Winghart’s
North Huntingdon officials rejected a request to transfer an expired liquor license from the former Winghart’s Burger Beer & Whiskey Bar in Hempfield to a closed tavern in North Huntingdon. The township commissioners on Wednesday unanimously rejected a request from Prasad Margabandhu and his brother, Sivram Bandhu, both of Pittsburgh,...
Police: Export man seriously hurt in motorcycle crash
An Export man was seriously injured Tuesday after being thrown from a motorcycle during a crash, state police said Thursday. Daniel H. Loughner, 35, was taken to AHN Forbes Hospital in Monroeville after the crash on Kennedy Avenue at 1:16 a.m. Troopers said Loughner was traveling at 45 mph near...
Westmoreland County Prison inmates charged with hiding drugs in peanut butter jar
Two inmates at the Westmoreland County Prison were arrested this week after county detectives said they hid paper containing synthetic marijuana inside a jar of peanut butter, according to court papers. Jail guards found the paper inside a cell occupied by Dameon Jerod Hill, 30, and Allen Coker III, 25,...
Monroeville home heavily damaged in fireVideo
A Monroeville home was heavily damaged by fire early Thursday morning. No one was hurt in the 5:30 a.m. blaze along Center Road. Police Chief Doug Cole said the home is being renovated and no one was inside when the fire started. Nora Nkonde, who lives across the street, said...
Cleveland company selling ‘Pittsburgh started it’ shirts after Steelers-Browns melee
They don’t necessarily like what Myles Garrett did, but one Cleveland-based company is pinning the blame for Garrett’s actions elsewhere. GV Art + Design is selling “Pittsburgh started it” shirts on its website a week after the Browns defensive end ripped the helmet off Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and struck...
Where and when to shop on Black Friday in Western Pa.
Christmas season seems to start earlier and earlier every year, at least according to store displays – need some holly with your Halloween pumpkin? Still, lots of folks don’t get into the spirit until after Thanksgiving. Once the pumpkin pie is eaten, though – watch out. It’s time to go...
Mt. Oliver man tells police he committed 5 robberies to get bail money
A Mt. Oliver man told police he committed five robberies around Pittsburgh to get enough cash to cover bail so he could turn himself in on a protection-from-abuse order warrant, according to criminal complaints filed against him. Michael Buchanan, 36, was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon after a short standoff...
Buttigieg, 2020 front-runners avoid attacks: Takeaways from the 5th Democratic debate
The Democratic presidential debate Wednesday was supposed to be a sharp-elbowed argument about the future of the party and how best to defeat Donald Trump. Surprisingly, the candidates had other ideas. In a stark reversal from the tense moments of previous debates, the 10 Democratic White House hopefuls gathered in...
5 Pittsburgh things in the new Mister Rogers movie
There is plenty of Pittsburgh in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” However, the city is not quite ubiquitous in this film about the real life friendship between Fred Rogers, played by Tom Hanks, and a cynical journalist portrayed by Matthew Rhys. Make no mistake, you will see plenty of...
Auditor general accuses Pittsburgh schools of ‘runaway travel costs’ amid budget woes, proposed tax hike
Superintendent Anthony Hamlet and other top Pittsburgh Public Schools administrators have spent more than $450,000 this year on trips to Las Vegas, Nashville and Los Angeles and other travel-related expenses “without clearly demonstrating any benefit for students,” the state’s top fiscal watchdog said Wednesday. In a scathing report, Pennsylvania Auditor...
Police on alert for furnace, hot water tank stolen in Brady Township
State police are investigating the theft of a furnace and hot water tank from a Brady Township home. Troopers from the Butler station reported a burglary occurred sometime between Nov. 10-13 in the Brady Hills Mobile Home Park along Bluebell Lane. Someone entered the victims’ residence and stole the items...
Pennsylvania lawmakers near finish on church scandal bills
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s Legislature moved closer Wednesday night to settling a yearslong battle over lifting criminal and civil statutes for child sexual abuse crimes in a debate growing out of Roman Catholic Church scandals. The Republican-controlled state Senate voted to dramatically expand statutes of limitation in sexual abuse cases where...
Defense Official: Ukraine asked about aid on day of Trump callVideo
WASHINGTON — In a blow to GOP defenses of President Donald Trump, a Defense Department official said Wednesday the Ukrainian government asked “what was going on” with U.S. military aid as early as July 25 — the very day that Trump asked Ukraine’s president to investigate Democrats. Testifying in an...
No jail time for Elizabeth Boro ex-police chief who stole heroin from evidence room
Former Elizabeth Borough police Chief Timothy Butler will not serve any jail time after pleading guilty to emptying his department’s evidence room of thousands of packets of heroin to feed his personal drug addiction. Butler, 43, of Finleyville will spend about four years on probation. He also must perform 325...
Clairton man sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for robbing bank, store
A Clairton man was sentenced this week to five years in federal prison for robbing a store and a bank earlier this year, federal prosecutors said. Richard D. Parrish, 41, was convicted of interference with commerce by robbery and bank robbery. According to U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady, Parrish robbed...
Leechburg considers 24% tax hike
Leechburg Council has approved a $1.2 million preliminary budget that includes a 24% increase in property taxes. Under the preliminary plan, the borough’s tax rate would go up 4 mills, to 22.3 from 18. At the proposed rate, someone with a house assessed at $25,000 would pay about $558 in...
‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’ debuts in PittsburghVideo
It was a beautiful night in the neighborhood in Pittsburgh as the Mister Rogers movie debuted. A red carpet gala and special screening of “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” took place Wednesday at the SouthSide Works Cinema in Pittsburgh. Rogers’ wife Joanne Rogers arrived at 6:30 p.m., smiling and...
