Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1807
Vendors, attendees brave weather on last day of Westmoreland arts festival
Several cars lined the parking lots at Twin Lakes Park in Hempfield on Sunday morning, waiting to peruse the last day of the annual Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival despite continued threats of rain that shut down the festival early on Saturday. Inside, vendors checked their products for water or...
Fallingwater, other Frank Lloyd Wright designs named to World Heritage list
Fallingwater, along with seven other Frank Lloyd Wright works, were officially named to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage list. Selected by the World Heritage Committee in Baku, Azerbaijan, the sites show the development and evolution of modern architecture in the first half of the 20th...
Editorial: Pennsylvania to blame for low Real ID applications
Pennsylvania is concerned that people aren’t jumping on the Real ID bandwagon. Hmm. It’s hard to figure out how 12.8 million people could have gotten the idea that it doesn’t matter. Pennsylvania has balked and delayed to implement Real ID at every turn for years. Yes, the state has finally...
How Pirates’ Josh Bell stacks up in Home Run Derby bracket
Forget the title chase in the National League Central. Set aside whatever you might think of the Pittsburgh Pirates roster and how it was constructed by a fiscally aware owner. For the next two days, let’s concentrate on how Josh Bell stacks up against the game’s greatest sluggers before taking...
18-year-old pilot dies after plane crashes on golf courseVideo
OXFORD, Miss. — An 18-year-old pilot of a single-engine plane died after crashing on a golf course while practicing takeoffs and landings at a small airport owned by the University of Mississippi. University spokesman Rod Guajardo said Sunday that Lake Little of Starkville died late Saturday of injuries from the...
Disney Channel star Cameron Boyce dies at 20
Cameron Boyce, a 20-year-old actor who is best known for his roles on Disney Channel’s “Descendants” and “Jessie,” has died, ABC News reported. A family spokesperson told ABC that Boyce died in his sleep after suffering a seizure, which was the result of “an ongoing medical condition.” Boyce made his...
California governor says earthquakes are a ‘wake-up call’
RIDGECREST, Calif. — The two major earthquakes that hit Southern California should alert people across the nation of the need to be prepared for natural disasters, the state’s governor said as officials expressed relief that the damages weren’t worse. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday that governments must strengthen alert systems...
2nd day of heavy rain causes more flash flooding across region
More showers and thunderstorms moved through the area Sunday, and flash flooding occurred in parts of the region. Part of Route 30 in Westmoreland County was closed for about an hour Sunday, between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m., because of flooding, a county emergency dispatcher said. The road was closed in...
Diabetes remains prevalent in Western Pennsylvania despite steep drop nationwide
Pittsburgh doctors say Type 2 diabetes continues to be prevalent in Western Pennsylvania despite the findings of a new study that shows incidences of the disease are decreasing nationwide. The study was published in the health journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care in May. It shows a roughly 35%...
New Kids on the Block’s Donnie Wahlberg dances his way through Hersheypark
One way to unwind before performing your hits in an amusement park is to dance along to the beat of a passing band. New Kids On The Block member Donnie Wahlberg grabbed a friend Saturday afternoon and cut a jig through Hersheypark a few hours prior to the band’s show....
AP Sources: Jeffrey Epstein arrested in NY on sex charges
NEW YORK — Wealthy financier and registered sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was arrested Saturday in New York on sex-trafficking charges involving allegations that date to the 2000s, according to law enforcement officials. Epstein, a wealthy hedge fund manager who once counted as friends former President Bill Clinton, Great Britain’s Prince...
Stevie Wonder says he’s getting a kidney transplant
LONDON — Stevie Wonder surprised concertgoers in London on Saturday night by announcing that he will take a break from performing so that he can receive a kidney transplant this fall. The 69-year-old music legend made the announcement after performing “Superstition” at the end of a packed British Summer Time...
Furries parade in Pittsburgh
On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of participants in the annual Anthrocon Convention gathered for the parade through the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. Here are some sights from the event....
Rain can’t dampen spirits at New Kensington Fireworks Festival
Erika Plunkett remembers watching fireworks with her mother, Kathie Males, on her grandfather’s house boat. “It was always very near and dear to my mom’s heart,” Plunkett said. For many years, Males brought fireworks to all of New Kensington, until she died in 2014. Now, her daughter has taken over,...
Westmoreland municipalities count on windfall from natural gas impact fee
For communities across Westmoreland County, Act 13 is the gift that keeps on giving. “I don’t know where we’d be without it,” Sewickley Township Supervisor Brian Merdian said. Of the 65 municipalities in Westmoreland County, Sewickley enjoyed the biggest increase in natural gas impact fee windfall this year — from...
Dozens of classic tractor-trailers gather in New Stanton for annual show
Tim Hoover has 15 antique tractor-trailers at his Saltsburg home, but he brought only two to this year’s Steel Valleys Antique Truck Historical Society’s classic truck show. “The truck shows, there’s no competition here,” said Hoover, 61. “Everybody’s equal. It doesn’t matter what you bring, how you bring it. It...
Flooding follows storms, heavy rain in Westmoreland, Allegheny counties
Flooding followed heavy rain across parts of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties after storms moved through the region Saturday afternoon. The National Weather Service warned of the storm around 4 p.m. It contained heavy rain, frequent lightning and wind gusts up to 60 mph. Rainfall amounts of up to an inch...
Civil War weekend slated at Historic Hanna’s Town
Historic Hanna’s Town, a recreation of Westmoreland County’s original 18th century county seat, will experience a time shift in late July as Civil War armies take over the Hempfield site. Visitors will discover the history of the War Between the States as reenactors settle in for a weekend encampment representing...
Staycation destination: Polymath Park in Mt. Pleasant Township
Need a break? Looking for new adventure? There’s no reason to leave Western Pennsylvania. In this occasional series, we highlight “staycation” ideas found in our own backyard. Imagine being able to tour a Frank Lloyd Wright home — it’s easy if you try because Fallingwater is only an hour’s drive...
3 hurt in 3-vehicle Allegheny Township crash
One person was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital and two others also were hurt in a three-vehicle crash Saturday in Allegheny Township. The crash happened around 10:45 a.m. at the intersection of routes 56 and 356. According to township police Sgt. Dan Uncapher, Daniel Hoffman, 50, of Vandergrift was taken...
At least 20 hurt as explosion rocks South Florida shopping center
PLANTATION, Fla. — An explosion at a Plantation shopping center injured 15 to 20 people, before noon Saturday, in a loud blast that could be felt for miles around. “We did find a ruptured gas line under the rubble but I can’t tell you exactly where it came from,” Plantation...
Flash flood watch issued ahead of thunderstorms in Western Pa.
Westmoreland, Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler and surrounding counties are under a flash flood watch, according to the National Weather Service. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to bring over 2 inches of rain per hour. Soil that is already wet from recent rainfall could create flash flooding around streams, creeks and roads,...
Help sought with funeral for ex-Greensburg woman whose remains were found in suitcase
Family members of a former Greensburg woman whose remains were discovered in a suitcase in Georgia are seeking help in preparing a service to remember their loved one. Brother Dylan Caldwell has set up a GoFundMe page seeking donations for a funeral service for Jessica Ashley Manchini, who authorities say...
Suspect surrenders in North Versailles Walmart shooting
A Penn Hills woman surrendered to police Saturday after being accused of shooting another woman Friday night in the Walmart in North Versailles. Rojanai Alston of Penn Hills turned herself in to Allegheny County Police, authorities reported. Alston was transported to the Allegheny County Jail to await arraignment on her...
Police: Pittsburgh man wanted for 2 bank robberies captured
A Pittsburgh man wanted in connection with two bank robberies in the city was apprehended by Allegheny County sheriff’s deputies. Law enforcement officials said Jaymar Henderson, 58, of the Hill District was arrested on a warrant around 2:45 p.m. Friday. He was wanted by Pittsburgh police for allegedly robbing the...
