Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1791
Voodoo Brewery set for pop-up pub in New Kensington
Voodoo Brewery’s newest brew pub won’t open at its New Kensington location until this fall. But fans of Voodoo’s craft beer will have a chance to sample some of it Saturday. While work continues at Voodoo’s newest establishment inside the former Ritz Theater at 956 Fifth Ave., the brewery is...
Westmoreland commissioners award $1 million paving contract over objection
Westmoreland County commissioners awarded a $1 million contract to pave nearly 5 miles of roads amid a potential legal challenge of a policy that critics say freezes out non-union companies from seeking government work. The contract awarded Thursday to Derry Construction Inc. was approved by all three commissioners, including Republican...
Video: In 10 minutes, massive fire decimated historic Belvedere HotelVideo
It took only about 10 minutes for a massive fire to engulf the four-story Belvedere Hotel late Tuesday, according to the fire chief on the scene and a surveillance video from Naser Foods across the street. Firefighters on their way to the station could see that the blaze started behind...
Steelers roll into Saint Vincent College in style for training camp
Steelers cornerback Joe Haden has three Rolls Royces — but just one Penguins jersey. He rolled up in style Thursday at Saint Vincent College behind the wheel of his white Rolls Royce coupe, wearing a gold Sidney Crosby sweater. But he said it’s not about the show he or any...
Pittsburgh argues that gun ordinances do not represent outright ban
A lawsuit filed by four city residents over Pittsburgh’s controversial gun ordinances should be dismissed because it does not prevent them from carrying a loaded gun in the city, the city argued in a court brief filed this week. Attorneys for Pittsburgh argued that the four plaintiffs “rushed into court”...
Attorney says Beechview alligator owner knows how to care for reptiles
The Beechview man facing more than 30 neglect charges after police seized nearly three dozen animals, mostly reptiles, from his home is a respected professional in the reptile world who knows how to care for them, his attorney said. Mark A. McGowan, 44, waived a preliminary hearing Thursday in Pittsburgh...
Toddler spins, scrambles on wild ride on airport bag belt
ATLANTA — Dramatic video shows a toddler who climbed onto a conveyor belt scrambling over suitcases during his wild ride on a luggage chute that took him underground inside the world’s busiest airport. Edith Vega’s son Lorenzo, 2, climbed aboard the belt when she briefly set him down to print...
2 hurt in crash involving motorcycle, FedEx truck in Baldwin
Two people were injured in a crash between a motorcycle and a delivery truck just before noon Thursday on Becks Run Road in Baldwin, Allegheny County police said. The motorcycle was traveling up Becks Run Road when the FedEx truck, going down the road, turned left into its path, police...
Police: Pizzeria worker stole $500 from Allegheny Township shop
A River City Pizza employee is accused of using a hammer to break into the Allegheny Township pizzeria in May and steal about $500. Police said the girlfriend of Muhammad Imran Hashmi, 20, of Apollo told police that he used the stolen money to buy food and instant lottery tickets,...
Western Pa. schools promote ‘instant decision’ for admission
Some colleges and universities are offering students the opportunity to gain admission in a single day. The so-called “instant decision” is being offered at California University of Pennsylvania Monday through Friday next week. At Cal U’s Instant Decision Day, potential undergraduate and graduate students considering enrolling can complete an application,...
NYT video spotlights U.S.-Mexico border history as immigration debate continues
Immigration continues to be a hot-button topic, with Washington politicians — including ones who represent Western Pennsylvania — trekking to the U.S.-Mexico border on frequent visits to weigh in on the subject. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, last week visited detention centers along the Texas border that house migrants and...
Steelers players arrive at Saint Vincent for training camp
Steelers players have begun arriving at Saint Vincent College for the 54th annual training camp at the campus. Center Maurkice Pouncey and guard Ramon Foster were among the first to arrive. The team will spend the next three weeks at the college dorms getting into shape and practicing before the...
4 hurt in Port Authority bus crash in East Hills
Four passengers were hurt when a car crashed into a Port Authority bus Thursday morning in Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood, officials said. The 77-Penn Hills bus was inbound at about 8:45 a.m. at Frankstown Road and Eymard Street when a car crashed into the driver’s side of the bus, pushing...
Justice Department to restart federal executions for 1st time in 16 years
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department says it will carry out executions of federal death row inmates for the first time since 2003. The department says five inmates will be executed, starting in December. In 2014, President Barack Obama directed the department to conduct a review of capital punishment and issues...
Police: Washington County man flees traffic stop, crashes into 2 houses
A Washington man caught driving without a license plate fled state police for about a mile early Thursday, hitting multiple parked vehicles and two houses, according to police. Troopers were on patrol on Fayette Street and Baird Avenue in Washington County’s Canton Township when a white GMC Sierra Denali without...
Hersheypark’s tallest, fastest coaster, Candymonium, coming in 2020Video
Another marquee roller coaster is coming to Pennsylvania. Following on the heels of the opening of Kennywood’s Steel Curtain roller coaster this month, Hersheypark announced Wednesday that Candymonium is coming next summer. Billed as the “World’s Sweetest Coaster,” Candymonium will open in summer 2020 as part of Hershey’s new Chocolatetown...
Police seek help solving McKeesport homicide
Allegheny County police said they are seeking the public’s help as they investigate the July 13 shooting death of Delquay James. Police and EMS responding to a 911 call just before 8 p.m. found James, 21, dead of multiple gunshot wounds near a vacant home at 2001 Beacon St. in...
ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ broadcasts live from PittsburghVideo
The first fans lined up on Pittsburgh’s North Shore at 4:45 a.m. Thursday for an opportunity to board the Gateway Clipper’s Empress boat and join the “Good Morning America” live broadcast with Ginger Zee, T.J. Holmes and Tory Johnson. Friends Patty Kolesar of West Mifflin and Marlene Ordonez of McKeesport...
Elizabeth woman charged in connection with man’s 2017 overdose death
An Elizabeth woman is accused of supplying the drugs that caused a man to die from an overdose nearly two years ago. Police arrested Melanie Sphar, 43, on Wednesday and charged her with delivery of drugs resulting in death and three other related felonies in connection with the August 2017...
Puerto Rico governor says he is resigning Aug. 2
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said late Wednesday that he will resign Aug. 2 after nearly two weeks of furious protests and political upheaval touched off by a leak of crude and insulting chat messages between him and his top advisers. A crowd of...
Man gets 6-plus years for $2M counterfeit Darknet scheme that hit Pittsburgh, Uganda stores
The former head of an international counterfeit operation will spend more than six years behind bars for a scheme that used the so-called “Darknet” to flood Uganda and the Pittsburgh region with more than $2 million in fake U.S. currency, prosecutors said Wednesday. Ryan Andrew Gustafson, 31, also must pay...
Murrysville Council approves GetGo near Giant Eagle on Old William Penn Highway
Murrysville residents will get a GetGo convenience store and gas station off Old William Penn Highway, but they’ll have to get their cars washed elsewhere. Council gave unanimous approval Wednesday night for development of a 4,900-square-foot store alongside a dozen fuel pumps near the existing Giant Eagle. Giant Eagle officials...
Trump vetoes congressional effort to block Saudi arms sales
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday vetoed a trio of congressional resolutions aimed at blocking his administration from bypassing Congress and selling billions of dollars in weapons and maintenance support to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month cited threats from Iran...
Pittsburgh man accused of plotting to bomb church to support ISIS pleads not guilty
The 21-year-old Northview Heights man accused of plotting to blow up a North Side church pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges Wednesday in federal court in Pittsburgh. Mustafa Mousab Alowemer, a Syrian native admitted to the United States as a refugee three years ago, was arraigned at the federal courthouse...
Mueller: No Russia exoneration for Trump, despite his claims
WASHINGTON — Robert Mueller, the taciturn lawman at the center of a polarizing American drama, bluntly dismissed President Donald Trump’s claims of “total exoneration” Wednesday in the federal probe of Russia’s 2016 election interference. In a long day of congressional testimony, Mueller warned that Moscow’s actions represented — and still...
