Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1790
Supreme Court: Trump can use Pentagon funds for border wall
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court cleared the way Friday for the Trump administration to tap billions of dollars in Pentagon funds to build sections of a border wall with Mexico. The court’s five conservative justices gave the administration the greenlight to begin work on four contracts it has awarded using...
Police say Latrobe man assaulted Johnstown police officers
A Latrobe man allegedly assaulted two Johnstown police officers early Monday morning, officials said. Timothy Devalerio, 21, is being held in the Cambria County jail on $10,000 bail after he allegedly tried to bite one of the officers and eventually fled the scene. Officers responded to an area near the...
Steelers fans from near and far fired up about season as they flock to training camp
Josh Simpkons of Plum watched Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster very carefully. He observed the footwork and hand position of the third-year NFL player at the first public day of training camp at Saint Vincent College in hopes to find ways to get better. Josh, 10, a wide receiver for...
Gender reveal is JuJu Smith-Schuster’s latest interplay with Steelers fans
It’s a boy! JuJu Smith-Schuster got to break the good news to a happy young couple of Pittsburgh Steelers fans when he participated in a gender reveal following practice Friday at Saint Vincent. Caleb Deuschle and Taylor Lehman of Chambersburg traveled to the Unity campus to watch practice and caught...
After 37 years, Ralph Iannotti retiring from KDKA-TV
For 37 years, Ralph Iannotti has been a steady, stoic presence on the nightly news, doing his best to make sense of the chaos around him. He never let his emotions get in the way of his reporting. But he cried softly Friday during a phone interview from his South...
Pittsburgh lead levels in water drop as PWSA claims orthophosphate working
Lead levels in Pittsburgh’s water system are decreasing but remain above federal thresholds, according to the latest test results released Friday by the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority. PWSA said the drop indicates an additive the authority started using in April that coats lead pipes to prevent them from contaminating...
Pennsylvania’s absentee ballot rules mean many arrive too late to be counted
PHILADELPHIA — Comparatively tight deadlines for absentee ballots mean Pennsylvania’s mail-in votes arrive too late to be counted far more often than the national average, a newspaper reported Friday. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that 4.2% of the state’s absentee ballots got to voting offices after the deadline to be counted...
Schenley Plaza closed this weekend for private wedding
Schenley Plaza in Oakland is closed this weekend for a private wedding. But no one wants to identify the happy couple. The space is cordoned off. Several signs read: “THE PLAZA IS RESERVED FOR A PRIVATE EVENT.” The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, which runs and maintains the park, wrote on Facebook...
Pittsburgh region rated No. 6 for new college graduates
If you are a recent college graduate looking for a place to settle down, start your career and raise a family, the seven-county Pittsburgh region is a pretty good place to do it, based on a new report. The Pittsburgh region — Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland...
Pittsburgh airport trains running after breakdown
The trains that ferry passengers between the landside and airside terminals at Pittsburgh International Airport are functioning normally Friday morning following a breakdown overnight, an airport spokesman said. Airport spokesman Bob Kerlik said there was a “brief period” earlier Friday when both trains were down. The south train was out...
Spicy diet linked to dementia, study says
Do you add hot sauce to many of your favorite dishes? Beware, because a spicy diet could raise your dementia risk. Researchers from the University of South Australia recently conducted a study, published in the Nutrients journal, to explore the association between chili intake and cognitive function. To do so,...
Frosted Mug in Cheswick, soon to close, remembered for much more than good food
The freshly popped popcorn on the tables, the chicken wings and the fish sandwiches are just a few of the items regulars of the Frosted Mug in Cheswick will miss once it closes. Karen Black, 62, said the bar and restaurant will close its doors and she will retire later...
Cat found injured in McKees Rocks adopted after recovering from firecracker abuse
A cat severely injured after firecrackers were strapped to its paw and ignited has been adopted. The cat — a gray 3-year-old female tabby that was named Pickles by staff at Humane Animal Rescue — was found July 13 by two people along Highland Avenue in McKees Rocks. The incident...
Headed to Steelers camp? Here are other things to do in the areaVideo
We all know Steeler Nation is a loyal bunch. And as its members descend on the Saint Vincent College campus for Steeler training camp through Aug. 16, all eyes will be on Chuck Noll Field. But in between watching the action, visiting the vendors and trying to snag a photo...
6 things to do in and around Westmoreland: July 26-28
We are creeping toward August but there’s still plenty of summer fun yet to come. Here’s what’s going on in and around Westmoreland County this weekend. Ready for some football? Just like the swallows to Capistrano, the Pittsburgh Steelers return each summer to the Unity campus of Saint Vincent College...
2020 tests whether Democrats can win enough black voters without Obama
DETROIT — When Barack Obama was on the ballot in 2008 and 2012, there was no question that Terrance Holmes would vote for the first black president. But as he helped fix cars this week at a repair shop on Detroit’s west side, he recalled his ambivalence about the 2016...
Animal shelter says it mistakenly killed woman’s dog
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — An Alabama animal shelter says it mistakenly euthanized a woman’s dog only hours after picking it up. The Montgomery Advertiser reports Kim Wright found a note on her door Monday saying her dog Vinnie had been running loose in the neighborhood and was picked up by the...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: July 26-28
It’s the final weekend of July. Here are a few suggestions of how to spend it in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh becomes Picklesburgh Get pickled all weekend! Cue the pickle puns. Picklesburgh, the No. 1 specialty food festival in America as voted by a USA Today readers’ poll, will have more of...
Monthlong light rail project will detour South Hills commuters
Nearly two dozen Port Authority transit routes will be affected by a track replacement project at the South Portal of the Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel set to begin Friday evening, the transit agency announced. Starting at 7 p.m., the Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel will be partially closed to light rail...
Police look for missing McKeesport man considered to be endangered
McKeesport police are searching for a local man with reported “severe mental health issues” who has been missing since 7 a.m. Thursday. Charles Devon Surratt, 40, of 1719 Sumac St., moved to McKeesport four months ago, city police said. He is black, 5 feet, 10 inches tall and is “considered...
N. Korea says missile test was ‘solemn warning’ to S. Korea
SEOUL, South Korea — A day after two North Korean missile launches rattled Asia, the nation announced Friday that its leader Kim Jong Un supervised a test of a new-type tactical guided weapon that was meant to be a “solemn warning” about South Korean weapons introduction and its rival’s plans...
Plum offering variety of help for residents with flood damage
Help is continuing to come in and be made available for Plum residents hit by flooding brought on by heavy rain earlier this week. That includes dumpsters for residents to dispose of flood damaged property; cleanup and hygiene kits; and a Facebook group where residents who can help and those...
Murder-suicide ruled in shootings that claimed 85-year-old Irwin couple
An 85-year-old man fatally shot his 85-year-old wife at their Irwin home Wednesday or Thursday before shooting himself in a murder-suicide, according to authorities. Joan I. Agnew died of multiple gunshot wounds, and Thomas I. Agnew died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at their Highland Avenue residence,...
Kevin Gorman: Reading fine print on Mike Tomlin’s deal with Steelers
If the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t send a strong enough message this offseason that Mike Tomlin is still the man in charge, they made it official by announcing his contract extension Thursday as players were reporting to Saint Vincent. Upon missing the playoffs for the first time in five years with...
Maryland man pleads guilty to abducting, raping Somerset County girl in 1999
A Maryland man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to abducting and raping a 10-year-old Somerset County girl in 1999. Timothy D. Nelson Jr., 50, of Cumberland, Md., entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Kim R. Gibson in Johnstown on charges of kidnapping and aggravated sexual abuse of a...
