Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1783
2 mass shootings in less than 24 hours shock U.S.
Two mass shootings at crowded public places in Texas and Ohio claimed at least 29 lives in less than 24 hours and left scores of people wounded, a shocking carnage even in a country accustomed to gun violence. In the Texas border city of El Paso, a gunman opened fire...
White House fence project obscures tourists’ view
WASHINGTON — Tourists aiming for postcard-perfect photos of the White House at first couldn’t avoid the black metal bicycle racks that were arranged to form an extra security barrier against possible fence-jumpers. The racks were in just about every shot. But visitors now must contend with a tall white wooden...
Loyalhanna house destroyed by fire
A Loyalhanna Township house was destroyed early Sunday morning when a grease fire in the kitchen spread out of control, a fire official said. Saltsburg Fire Chief John Dice said the house on Moween Road in the village of Moween was fully engulfed in flames when he arrived on the...
Kennametal to start layoffs at Carbidie plant; 60 workers impacted in closure
Kennametal Inc. will begin laying off its 60 workers from its Carbidie plant in Hempfield in October and continue through the end of March 2020, when the plant will close, according a notice the company filed with the state. Kennametal, an industrial toolmaker with corporate offices in Unity, recently notified...
9 killed in Ohio in second U.S. mass shooting within 24 hours
DAYTON, Ohio — A shooter in body armor and carrying extra magazines opened fire early Sunday in a popular nightlife area of Dayton, Ohio, killing nine and injuring dozens before being slain by police, authorities say, in the second U.S. mass shooting in less than 24 hours. Police patrolling the...
Proposed ban on feeding Pennsylvania wildlife riles some in the Pittsburgh region
Gary Livingston has one thing to say to the Pennsylvania Game Commission about its proposal to ban big game feeding: Try and stop me. “They’re going to have to take me to jail because I’ve been doing it for so long. Plus, it’s on my property,” said Livingtson, 69, of...
Jeannette will use drone for police, fire, code enforcement
A drone will join the Jeannette police department soon, but the device’s potential uses could reach beyond the force. Police Chief Shannon Binda said the unmanned aircraft system will be available for city firefighters and code enforcement officers to use for checking out buildings and helping with rescues. “It’s more...
Springdale woman moved by reunion with UPMC doctors she thought she’d never see again
Six weeks ago, Evie Bodick had just about given up. The 75-year-old Springdale woman broke into tears in mid-June when she recounted that she had to shift her health care treatment away from the doctors and facilities she’d trusted for years, all because of a bitter battle between Pittsburgh’s two...
Grieving Harrison mother mentions suicide in daughter’s obituary to create awareness
When it came time for Michelle Gibb to begin the painful process of writing her daughter’s obituary, she had a choice to make: list her daughter’s death as a suicide, or use a more vague phrase, like “died unexpectedly.” To many people’s surprise, she chose the first option. It was...
Arnold ready to host Western Pa. Firemen’s Convention
Volunteer firefighters from across the region and numerous state fire officials will meet in Arnold next week for the annual convention for the Western Pennsylvania Firemen’s Association. The Aug. 8-14 convention will be the fifth to be held in Arnold since the 1950s and the first since 1996, according to...
Police: Driver flees scene of stolen truck crash in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh police are investigating after a stolen truck was found crashed and abandoned Saturday morning, authorities said. The incident happened about 11:45 a.m. on Mountain Avenue near Wagner Street at the border of Mt. Oliver and Carrick, according to Public Safety spokesman Chris Togneri. First responders arrived and found a...
Kennywood’s Steel Curtain down for weekend
Kennywood’s new Steel Curtain roller coaster will be closed for the remainder of the weekend, according to the amusement parks’ Facebook page. It’s at least the third time the coaster, which opened July 13, has shut down for maintenance. The coaster closed partway through its opening day, and its reopening...
New Kensington police seek help identifying robbery suspect
New Kensington police are asking for help identifying a suspect in a Friday night robbery. The incident happened at a New Kensington convenience store. The department posted a photo from a security camera to their Facebook page indicating the man shown is a suspect in a strong-arm robbery. Anyone with...
Pittsburgh Diocese: St. Raphael School in Morningside will not reopen
Saint Raphael School in Pittsburgh’s Morningside neighborhood will not reopen for the 2019-2020 school year, officials with the Diocese of Pittsburgh said Saturday. The board of Pittsburgh East Regional Catholic Elementary Schools voted Friday night to recommend the school’s closure for the coming school year, board president the Rev. Kris...
Hundreds come to Lower Burrell for Brian Shaw Memorial Fund eventVideo
Overcast skies in Lower Burrell on Saturday afternoon did nothing to temper the early turnout for the annual fundraiser celebrating the life of slain New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw. The fundraiser — the prelude to a motorcycle ride next weekend — helps raise money for the Brian Shaw Memorial...
Former Greensburg man accused of assaulting jail guards
A former Greensburg man is accused of hitting three Westmoreland County Prison guards in the face and biting their hands during a scuffle last November, authorities said. The suspect, Esteban Ortiz Sosa, 37, whose current address is listed on court documents as the state prison at Camp Hill, allegedly injured...
Annual reenactment of Battle of Bushy Run underway in Penn Township
The Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society on Saturday hosted the first of two days commemorating the 256th anniversary of the Battle of Bushy Run. The battle between the British and the confederation of Native Americans on the Penn Township battlefield took place Aug. 5 to 6, 1763. Activities continue Sunday...
Romanian tourist dies in accident at Yosemite National Park
A Romanian tourist has died in a fall near a waterfall in Yosemite National Park in California. Authorities say 21-year-old Lucian Miu was scrambling on wet rocks below Bridalveil Fall on Wednesday when he fell about 20 feet. He died at a hospital. The Fresno Bee says two other people...
Texas governor: 20 dead in shooting at El Paso shopping complex
EL PASO, Texas — A young gunman opened fire in an El Paso, Texas, shopping area packed with as many as 3,000 people during the busy back-to-school season Saturday, leaving 20 dead and more than two dozen injured. Authorities were investigating the possibility the shooting was a hate crime, working...
Separate shootings overnight in Pittsburgh leave 1 wounded
Pittsburgh police responded to two separate shootings early Saturday morning, including one that left a man in critical condition, authorities said. Officers responded about 1:30 a.m. to a ShotSpotter notification in the Hill District near Perry Street and Wylie Avenue, said Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz. Police found no victim...
Monongahela police officer involved in South Park Township shooting
A Monongahela police officer shot and injured a South Park Township man early Saturday after a car chase that began in Washington County became a physical fight in Allegheny County, authorities said. Allegheny County police are investigating. The incident began about 2:50 a.m. with a traffic stop in Monongahela, according...
Evening storms leave pockets of Allegheny, Westmoreland counties without power
Stormy weather on Friday evening made for a few scattered power outages in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. In Allegheny County, about 100 Duquesne Light customers in Penn Hills’ Shannon Heights neighborhood near Verona, and about 250 customers in both the Monroeville and North Versailles area were without power as of...
Trump to visit Beaver County ethane cracker plant Thursday
President Donald Trump will make his way to Beaver County next week to tour a soon-to-be completed Shell Chemicals ethane cracker plant. A White House official confirmed the president’s scheduled stop at the $6 billion plant near Monaca on Thursday. Trump plans to speak after the tour about his administration’s...
Hyde Park man to stand trial for wife’s 2017 death, her taped accusations played in courtVideo
Among the witnesses who testified Friday against a Hyde Park man accused of killing his wife in 2017 was the victim, herself. Jeffrey Mark Fondrk, 57, was ordered to stand trial Friday for allegedly beating Patricia Ann Fondrk to death in July 2017. Fondrk pleaded not guilty. At his preliminary...
$1M grant boosts Pittsburgh plan to open Downtown movie theater
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust received a much needed $1 million boost from Pennsylvania this week for plans to open a six-screen movie theater on Sixth Street, Downtown. Kevin McMahon, who heads the cultural trust, said it now has about $10 million for the theater project, but still needs another $2...
