Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1784
Police frustrated by wide-ranging juvenile car thefts in Allegheny County
Police across Allegheny County say they are bewildered by a recent rash of thefts by minors who are stealing vehicles, cash and even guns in the middle of the night. The style of thefts are nearly identical in suburban communities from Castle Shannon to Harmar, including cases in Oakmont, Fox...
Work on Harmar hospital expected to start next week
After nearly a year of delays, work to build Allegheny Health Network’s neighborhood hospital in Harmar is expected to begin next week. AHN spokeswoman Candace Herrington said Rycon Construction crews will begin by preparing the site for construction, including installing fencing around it and placing a trailer onsite. The planned...
Paralyzed New Kensington Navy veteran receives van from Virginia charityVideo
Dan Hika, a Navy veteran paralyzed in a swimming pool accident seven years ago, feels free. And he owes it to Frank Lasch and Azalea Charities, which raised enough money to buy Hika and his family a minivan that will allow him to get to and from places without having...
Unity gym regular accused of stealing car, purse after workout
Frequent gym-goer Britnee M. Silvis walked into the Planet Fitness in Unity on July 8, moments after workout regular Ryan Crawford had parked a red 2014 Mazda 6 outside, according to state police. When Silvis left the gym a short time later at 7:06 p.m., the 31-year-old woman, who walks...
Analysis shows Bernie Sanders with most donors and money in U.S., Western Pa.; Joe Biden still leads in polls
Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders — once again making a play for blue-collar workers — has received donations from across the country, including much of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Maps created by The New York Times show Sanders receiving a higher number of donations across Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh region — areas with...
Pittsburgh working on plan to address homelessness, crime in Downtown
Pittsburgh police have been working several months on plans to better address growing problems with homelessness and crime in the Golden Triangle, Chief Scott Schubert said Friday. He said the Zone 2 station, which staffs a substation on Liberty Avenue in Downtown, did an evaluation that included the number of...
Judge David Cashman resigns from Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge David Cashman resigned from the Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board following two heated board meetings this week. Cashman served on the board for about seven years and was serving as its chairman. “I appreciate the accomplishments that we have achieved in reducing the...
Police seek people seen near Belvedere Hotel minutes before fire broke outVideo
State police said Friday they want to talk with two people seen walking near the Belvedere Hotel in Oklahoma Borough shortly before it burned down last month. Security camera footage shared by state police briefly showed the two people walking before they disappeared from view near the hotel. The pair...
Video: Shark sinks teeth into charter captain aboard boat in Outer BanksVideo
A charter boat captain was helping an angler land a blacktip shark on the deck when the fish bit into his leg and wouldn’t let go. Rick Caton’s group was having great luck with Spanish mackerel and bluefish on Tuesday when they headed toward a school of blacktip and sharpnose...
Kunco, freed of rape conviction, pleads guilty to lesser charges; to be released
John Kunco, the Allegheny County man who served more than 28 years in prison for a New Kensington rape he said he didn’t commit, pleaded guilty Friday to reduced charges. Kunco, 54, was immediately paroled and was expected to be released from jail later Friday under terms of the sentence...
Steel City Con marks 30th anniversary in Monroeville
An event three decades in the making will soon take place at the Monroeville Convention Center. Steel City Con, one of the largest pop culture and comic conventions in the nation, will mark its 30th anniversary in the municipality. It’s slated for 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 9 and...
5 things to do in and around Westmoreland: Aug. 2-4
And just like that, it’s August. Fear not … it’s still hot, it’s still summer and there’s still plenty of fun to be had. Sweet rides Bright, shiny and classic are all on tap this weekend as the Mount Pleasant Area Historical Society hosts a car show Sunday. It’s set...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Aug. 2-4
Sadly, there’s nada Three Rivers Regatta this weekend. Still, a few surviving events will go on. Here’s what’s going on this first August weekend in Pittsburgh. The show will go on After the cancellation of the regatta, Squonk Opera’s Pittsburgh premiere of “Hand to Hand” will go on as planned...
Harrison Point project awarded $1M state grant for development
A Harrison business park development is getting $1 million in state grant funding. The money for the Harrison Point business park is coming from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. In Harrison, the grant money will be used for site preparation work, including stormwater mitigation, utility installation and roadwork. The proposed...
Police: West Mifflin woman drove with 4-year-old on her lap
A video shared on a community Facebook page caught a West Mifflin woman driving with her young daughter on her lap Thursday night on Route 837 in Duquesne, police said. The video was shared with Duquesne police, who said they were able to identify the driver as 29-year-old Mary Ann...
Trump declares he will rid U.S. of AIDS and cure pediatric cancer ‘very shortly’
President Donald Trump on Thursday said that he will put an end to two deadly diseases for Americans. “The things we’re doing in our country today, there’s never been anything like it. We will be ending the AIDS epidemic shortly in America and curing childhood cancer very shortly,” he said...
AG: Freeport man tried to arrange sex encounter with agent posing as teen boy
A Freeport man known online as “Verse Dad” was arrested Wednesday night on charges of trying to arrange a sexual encounter with who he allegedly thought was a 14-year-old boy but was actually an agent with the state Attorney General’s Office. Prosecutors say Scott Alan Speer, 54, of Main Street...
3-year-old girl drowns in Plum family’s swimming pool
A 3-year-old girl drowned in a backyard swimming pool Aug. 1 in Plum. The child reportedly was found at the bottom of the pool by a family member, Allegheny County Police said. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the girl Friday morning as Ca-Nayah Mitchell. The incident happened at a...
Texas Rep. Will Hurd, lone black House Republican, won’t run again
SAN ANTONIO — U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, an ex-CIA undercover officer and the lone black Republican in the House of Representatives, says he won’t seek a third term next year. The San Antonio Republican’s announcement came in a statement Thursday posted on his House web page. He’s the third Texas...
Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board meeting cut short after disruption, 2 citedVideo
The Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board meeting was cut short Thursday after two people were removed by sheriff’s deputies and cited for disrupting the meeting. Ciora Thomas, executive director of the Pittsburgh-based advocacy group SisTersPGH and Christian Carter, a community organizer from East Liberty, were both led out of the...
Chick-fil-A tops poll as America’s favorite fast-food spot
Even with one day tied behind its back, Chick-fil-A has taken the crown as the nation’s favorite fast-food joint. The latest edition of MarketForce Information’s annual consumer study reveals more customers are loyal to Chick-fil-A than any other quick-service restaurant (MarketForce’s terminology). RestaurantNews reports MarketForce surveyed over 7,600 consumers, asking...
Teacher at CAPA school in Downtown Pittsburgh accused of sexually abusing student
A teacher has resigned from his job at the Creative and Performing Arts 6-12 school in Downtown Pittsburgh after being charged with sexually abusing a student, officials said. Samuel Karas, 28, of Carrick, was charged Wednesday with institutional sexual assault, court records show. Karas — who has taught at the...
Veterans can receive VA services at MedExpress, urgent care facilities
Urgent care services are now offered to veterans through Veteran Affairs urgent care clinics. The program, which started June 6, offers services to those suffering from the flu, minor burns or skin infections at locations like MedExpress, UPMC Urgent Care and MinuteClinic, located inside CVS stores. Retail locations include a...
Senate approves two-year, $2.7 trillion government spending bill
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday approved a $2.7 trillion spending agreement negotiated between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House, sending the deal to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature. The bill passed 67-28. It was approved with more Democratic votes than Republican, a potential embarrassment for the...
Swimply lets you rent strangers’ swimming pools by the hour
Your neighbor’s pool can look mighty tempting on a hot summer day. Now, there’s a chance you can book a couple of hours of time in their swimming hole. Swimply is a swimming pool rental network that allows owners to make a few bucks by letting strangers take a dip...
