Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1822
35 from Western Pa. indicted in drug trafficking ring
Federal authorities announced indictments Thursday against 37 people they say are part of a drug trafficking organization spanning three states. The indictments were handed down by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh. Thirty-five of the people involved are from Western Pennsylvania. One person is from New York, while another is...
In the end, injury forces Sewickley bicyclist to stop cross-country journey
This incredible cross-country bicycle journey is over, a little sooner than expected. Christian Echavarria of Sewickley had to get off the bike he planned on riding 3,070 miles. He stopped pedaling near the 1,800-mile mark. He was participating in the Race Across America when so-called saddle sores became so bad,...
Pittsburgh church bomb plot suspect had several targets, authorities say
In the days before and after his June 8 graduation from Pittsburgh’s Brashear High School, 21-year-old Mustafa Mousab Alowemer was planning something catastrophic, federal authorities contend. He received his diploma on Saturday during a ceremony at the Petersen Events Center. On Tuesday, authorities said, he met with two men he...
Outer Banks beachcombers find ancient shark tooth
There are large fossil deposits along the North Carolina coast but not everyone is lucky enough to spot an ancient bone while walking the beach. Beachcombers last week found a fossilized tooth from a prehistoric shark and got some verification from the experts at North Carolina Aquariums’ Jennette’s Pier facility...
19 pacifiers removed from stomach of dog that swallowed them
A Boston veterinary hospital got quite a surprise recently when a family brought in their bulldog after he stopped eating. The Angell Animal Medical Center found 19 baby pacifiers in the dog’s stomach. It started in April when the Wellesley family noticed that their 3-year-old dog, Mortimer, started getting nauseous...
Slain Sacramento officer had been on force just 6 months
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A rookie Sacramento police offer was fatally shot during a domestic violence call and laid wounded for about 45 minutes as the gunman kept officers at bay with volleys of bullets, authorities said Thursday. Officer Tara O’Sullivan, 26, was shot shortly Wednesday while helping a woman collect...
Extra crispy meets crunchy as KFC serves up Cheetos sandwich
Crispy chicken gets a cheesy crunch as KFC introduces a sandwich with a layer of Cheetos. After testing in a few markets, the restaurant chain famous for chicken with a crisp crust is going national with their Cheetos-filled creation. The Cheetos Sandwich will be available at KFCs for just four...
$1 million scratch-off ticket sold in Pittsburgh
Someone is walking around with $1 million scratch-off winner. The lottery announced that a Max-A-Million Scratch-Off ticket winner worth $1 million was sold at Z & Z Associates at 300 Sixth Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh. The seller gets a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. No winner was announced,...
Krispy Kreme bakes up new ‘kreme’-filled doughnuts
Krispy Kreme apparently believes its new doughnut is out of this world. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, on July 20, 1969, the doughnut maker is releasing new original doughnuts, filled with Classic Kreme and Chocolate Kreme. It’s even released a tongue-in-cheek video linking...
Unheard song from Queen frontman Freddie Mercury releasedVideo
Universal Music unveiled a previously unheard and unreleased song by the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. The record label announced the track, “Time Waits for No One,” on Thursday. It was originally recorded in 1986 for the concept album of the musical “Time” with musician Dave Clark. A video to...
10 wounded in shooting outside Deja Vu nightclub in Allentown
ALLENTOWN — Authorities say a street shooting in eastern Pennsylvania has left 10 people wounded. The shooting outside the Deja Vu nightclub in Allentown occurred shortly before 2 a.m. Thursday. Authorities say most of the victims had just left the nightclub or were standing on the sidewalk outside when the...
‘That’s Life’: New song by late Mac Miller released
A new song featuring late rapper and Point Breeze native Mac Miller was released Thursday by music producer 88-Keys. The song, titled “That’s Life,” also features musician Sia. The song originally was recorded by 88-Keys and Miller while they were in a New York City studio. In an announcement, 88-Keys...
Iran Revolutionary Guard shoots down U.S. drone amid tensions
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Revolutionary Guard shot down a U.S. drone on Thursday amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over its collapsing nuclear deal with world powers, American and Iranian officials said, though they disputed the circumstances of the incident. The Guard said it shot down the drone over...
Census Bureau data shows U.S. median age has risen by a year
ORLANDO, Fla. — America is aging. Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday showed the median age in the U.S. increased by a year to 38.2 years from 2010 to 2018. If there’s someone to blame, it’s the baby boomers. Many in that group of Americans born between...
Tornado confirmed in Indiana County, 4th in less than a month
Indiana County saw damage from its fourth tornado in less than a month on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in Moon. A damage assessment team visited Green Township on Wednesday and determined that the EF1 tornado — capable of moderate damage — touched down at 7:55 p.m. The...
Podcast part 4: Eric Kasperowicz begins his coaching career
Eric Kasperowicz often was told by coaches and those close to him that he would make a good coach one day. When his playing days were over, he decided to find out. “I had a feeling that if I wasn’t going to play, I’d be a coach,” Kasperowicz said in...
Flood waters trap people in vehicle in Monessen
Emergency responders rescued occupants of a vehicle surrounded by flood waters around midnight Wednesday, according to dispatches from the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety. Monessen firefighters responded to Graham and Parente boulevards at 11:50 p.m. where about four people were stranded in a vehicle surrounded by flood waters. All...
Western Pennsylvania wrestles with China’s recycling restrictions
The wall that China has built around imported recyclable materials like some plastics and glass is hitting home, as communities around Southwestern Pennsylvania will see costs rise while fewer recyclable materials will be collected. “It’s a national issue. This is a market-driven issue that is affecting everyone,” said Ellen Keefe,...
Joe Biden faces backlash over comments about ‘civility’ of his past work with racist senatorsVideo
Joe Biden faced a growing backlash Wednesday from prominent Democrats — and a bit of second-guessing within his own campaign — over comments in which he proudly described his history of working hand in hand in the Senate with avowed racists. Biden’s remarks, which came at a fundraiser Tuesday night...
KKK flag photo prompts calls for Sewickley Township supervisor’s resignation
A Ku Klux Klan flag that hung inside the Sewickley Township public works building at least two years ago created a “hostile work environment” for employees, township officials were told amid calls for the resignation of the roadmaster who also is a township supervisor. Former supervisor Alan Fossi called for...
PennDOT considers traffic signal changes at Route 22 crash site
The state is studying the timing of traffic signals at routes 22 and 819, as well as taking other safety measures, after that area was the site of several crashes, including one fatality earlier this month. PennDOT employees checked the traffic signals at the Salem Township intersection Wednesday after state...
Glow-in-the-dark ball pit pop-up bar coming to PittsburghVideo
Get ready to have a ball in September, when a pop-up bar featuring a glow-in-the-dark adult ball pit will be in Pittsburgh. The Ball Pit Party! will be in Pittsburgh on Sept. 28 and 29. For $20 to $25 , attendees can swim through the pit as many times as...
Pennsylvania bald eaglet knocked out of nest days before first flightVideo
A bald eagle parent knocked one of its two eaglets from its nest near Codorus State Park in Hanover when bringing in a fish to feed to its excited offspring Tuesday. The maturing young birds are within just days of taking flight. A live webcam operated by HDOnTap caught all...
Ed Saliba Sr. remembered as icon of New Kensington firefighting
“Chief 56” has acknowledged his last call. An icon of New Kensington firefighting, J. Edward Saliba Sr. died Wednesday afternoon. “He was 89 and a half,” said his son Edward Saliba Jr., who followed his father’s footsteps and now is the city’s fire chief. “It’s a sad day for New...
Latrobe-area dispensary opens as legal pot booms
Latrobe and Unity residents will be able to get medical marijuana a lot closer to home beginning Thursday. The Rise dispensary at 117 Beatty County Road in Unity is the third medical marijuana dispensary in Westmoreland County, joining facilities in Greensburg and New Kensington. Things have changed a lot from...
