Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1854
Leslie Odom Jr. draws laughs, inspires during CMU graduation address
It was 16 years ago when Leslie Odom Jr. graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with his whole life ahead of him. Now, coming off of his success as a member of the original “Hamilton” cast, the Tony and Grammy award winning actor and singer returned to CMU on Sunday as...
Westmoreland voters might be using current voting machines for the last time
Tuesday’s primary election might be the last that use the touch-screen voting system that has been in place in Westmoreland County since 2005. The county last week received proposals from four companies to sell new computerized machines that will allow for the generation of a verifiable paper trail to meet...
Youngwood firefighter memorial 5K run raises funds for scholarships
Volunteer firefighter Lance Wentzel was a runner, so it’s only fitting that the Youngwood Hose Company No. 1 and Youngwood Area Business Association hold a 5K run/walk in his honor every year. On Sunday, 127 runners of all ages participated in the fifth annual Jeffrey “Lance” Wentzel 5K Run/Walk along...
Leechburg founder David Leech gets state historical marker
An official state marker now stands at River Avenue in Leechburg close to where founder David Leech established a canal and other businesses starting in the 1820s. “He founded the borough, and he made contributions to the state and the nation,” said Larry Boehm, vice president of the Leechburg Area...
Leslie Jones, ‘SNL’ take on Alabama’s abortion ban in season finaleVideo
Though the “Saturday Night Live” season finale opened with members of the Trump administration singing a corruption-themed parody of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” the episode’s most heated political moment arrived during the “Weekend Update” segment. Cast member Leslie Jones rolled in wearing a red cloak and white bonnet recognizable...
As states pass restrictive abortion laws, questions surface
ATLANTA — As multiple states pass laws banning many abortions, questions have surfaced about what exactly that means for women who might seek an abortion. The short answer: nothing yet. Governors in Kentucky , Mississippi , Ohio and Georgia have recently approved bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is...
Protesters say Paulson Spray Park opening a ‘political stunt’Video
The squeals of delighted children mixed with the shouts of protesters at Saturday’s opening of a new city spray park in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar. The Paulson Spray Park and Playground opened at noon Saturday at the site of the former Paulson Swimming Pool, which had been closed for more than a decade....
Defunct Bethlehem Steel’s 21-story headquarters implodedVideo
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Sixteen thousand tons of Bethlehem Steel collapsed in a matter of seconds Sunday as a demolition crew imploded Martin Tower, the defunct steelmaker’s former world headquarters. Crowds gathered to watch the demolition of the area’s tallest building, a 21-story monolith that opened at the height of Bethlehem...
Michigan GOP congressman Justin Amash says Trump conduct is ‘impeachable’
WASHINGTON — A Republican congressman from Michigan on Saturday became the first member of President Donald Trump’s party on Capitol Hill to accuse him of engaging in “impeachable conduct” stemming from special counsel Robert Mueller’s lengthy investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. But Rep. Justin Amash stopped...
Authorities identify man found dead in Swissvale early Sunday morning
A 22-year-old man was found dead on a Swissvale sidewalk early Sunday morning of multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim as Aris Payto Barclay Vann, of Wilkinsburg. Vann was pronounced dead at the scene in the 2200 block of Woodstock Avenue at...
Election guide: Here’s what you need to know for the primary
Primary Election Day is Tuesday. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Some of the notable races include Allegheny County district attorney, Allegheny County council, Pittsburgh city council, Westmoreland County sheriff and Westmoreland County commissioner. To get more information on polling places, go to the official election pages...
Garth Brooks lights it up in record-breaking Pittsburgh show
A Pirates jersey-clad Garth Brooks performed for a record-breaking audience Saturday night at Heinz Field on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. The concert was delayed slightly because of weather concerns, but the crowd — expected to top 75,000 for a Heinz Field record — was allowed to resume entering the stadium shortly...
Coal still fuels economic fire in Pennsylvania, industry study reports
Don’t rule the coal industry out as an economic force in Pennsylvania just yet. A new study — conducted by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and commissioned by the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance — found that coal mining accounts for nearly $7 billion in economic activity in the state, including...
Watch Heinz Field crowd sing Garth Brooks’ ‘Friends in Low Places’
Everyone knew this was coming, but it doesn’t make the moment any less special. Fans attending the Garth Brooks show Saturday night at Heinz Field took over when Brooks played fan-favorite “Friends in Low Places.” At his preshow news conference Friday, Brooks cracked that he hasn’t actually sung “Friends in...
Schools turn to apps, other tech to guard against shootings
LOS ANGELES — Schools trying to protect kids from mass shootings are turning to gunshot detection systems, cellphone apps and artificial intelligence — a high-tech approach designed to reduce the number of victims. Technology that speeds up law enforcement’s response and quickly alerts teachers and students to danger is a...
Alligator on the South Side, goat on Baum Blvd.: busy day for animal control
A family fishing along the banks of the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon encountered something else: an alligator. The family spotted the alligator sunning itself on a riverside trail around 1:15 p.m., according to Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesman Chris Togneri. The gator, about 3 feet long and weighing...
Pittsburgh Diocese announces mergers, shrines established, priest assignments
Five parish mergers were announced Saturday by Pittsburgh Diocese Bishop David Zubik. He also said five Downtown Pittsburgh church buildings will be classified as shrines. Zubik said the five parish mergers are a result of the ongoing On Mission for The Church Alive! initiative. The bishop made the announcements in...
Former Disney employee accused of stealing parks’ costumes
ORLANDO, Fla. — A former Walt Disney World employee with backstage access stole about $14,000 worth of costumes and items from the Magic Kingdom and Epcot theme parks, authorities said Friday. Patrick Allen Spikes, 24, faces burglary, grand theft, and trafficking in stolen property charges, news outlets reported. The Orange...
2 DAs obtain injunction against municipal authority, warn of pollution to Mon River
Two county district attorneys are intervening in a dispute between a local municipal authority and a Rostraver landfill over concerns fracking waste is polluting the Monongahela River. On Saturday, Washington County District Attorney Eugene Vittone and Fayette County District Attorney Richard Bower announced they had obtained a temporary injunction against...
Garth Brooks fans swarm North Shore prior to Heinz Field concertVideo
The temperature on the North Shore was 84 degrees and rising at 4:15 p.m. Saturday, less than an hour before the gates at Heinz Field were set to open for the Garth Brooks concert. People sought shade and were filling the grassy spaces near trees outside the stadium. Others were...
Friends, family of Cassandra Gross gather in remembrance of beloved missing woman
Melissa Moore became fast friends with Cassandra Gross in 1993. Their relationship progressed from working together in a mailroom to meeting up outside of work. Moore would, at first, introduce Gross to others as her coworker, until one day when Moore used the word friend, instead. “We moved from coworkers...
Ray Charley finishes cross-country ride, dips bike in Atlantic Ocean
Ray Charley has finished his cross-country bicycle ride for veterans. The 68-year-old owner of the Shop ’n Save stores in Greensburg and Murrysville posted to Facebook at about noon Saturday that he had completed his 3,058-mile benefit ride across the southern United States on behalf of Feherty’s Troops First Foundation....
Heinz Mayochup has an unfortunate translation in Cree
The Kraft Heinz company must have been selling a decent amount of their mayonnaise-ketchup mashup in the United States so they expanded sales into Canada. What could go wrong? Mayochup tastes exactly the same on both sides of the border but Canada’s Cree speakers think the condiment sounds a little...
Hempfield church .5K fundraiser aims for ‘all gain, no pain’Video
No training? No problem. The Greensburg Alliance Church in Hempfield held a race Saturday that was a twist on the traditional 5K — a .5K that required not even the equivalent of two laps around a regulation track. The theme of the day was “All Gain and No Pain.” “It’s...
Norwin grads killed in 9/11 attacks remembered with a plaqueVideo
Two Norwin High School graduates who were among the first victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, were remembered Saturday in a memorial ceremony at the Norwin High School Veterans Memorial. A plaque with the names of Brian Dale, class of 1976, and David Kovalcin,...
