Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1864
U.S. prosecutors add hate crime charges in California synagogue shooting
SAN DIEGO — Federal officials announced Thursday that they have filed 109 hate crime charges against the 19-year-old man accused of opening fire in a Southern California synagogue. Prosecutors say the gunman, identified as John T. Earnest, killed a woman and wounded an 8-year-old girl, her uncle and Rabbi Yisroel...
Almost 40 businesses raising money for woman injured in Hempfield crash
Local businesses have joined a growing effort to raise money for Cait Tracy, who was injured in a car crash Sunday night that killed two other passengers. What started as a fundraiser at the Hempfield location of Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard has spread to almost 40 restaurants and...
Police: Facebook friend request led to beating of New Stanton woman
A Pittsburgh man who police said befriended a New Stanton woman on Facebook is accused of beating her and stealing her laptop and notebook, according to court papers. Brian Craig Wilkinson, 45, of the city’s Greenfield neighborhood, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the March 25 incident. He was being...
Cops: Man who fought North Huntingdon police had empty stamp bags, suboxone
A Trafford man accused of fighting North Huntingdon police in a convenience store parking lot this week is also charged with possessing 176 empty stamp bags, a package of Suboxone and hypodermic needles, according to court documents. Michael J. Lapaglia, 29, of Trafford was ordered held in the Westmoreland County...
4 Armstrong County drug task force members on leave after money goes missing
Four members of Armstrong County’s Narcotics Enforcement Team (ARMNET) are on administrative leave while the district attorney investigates $300 missing in a drug case. The issue surfaced last week during First Assistant District Attorney Jared Trent’s preparation for the jury trial of a Kittanning man on drug charges. Trent found...
Massive Etna fire likely destroyed rare, exotic cars worth millionsVideo
Moments after he realized the STORExpress building in Etna was ablaze, Ross Godber’s only thought was to try to save the cars. Godber, 42, of Indiana Township was working on a rare Bentley at his business, Victory Garage, which rents space inside the building. He was on the ground beneath...
Hempfield man sentenced to state prison in marijuana operation
A Hempfield man who police said had more than 50 pounds of marijuana at his home was sentenced Thursday to one to three years in a state prison. Nickolas Boyd Hobaugh, 28, pleaded guilty to several drug offenses in two cases. He was ordered to forfeit $16,720 that police confiscated...
North Park bald eagles suffer empty-nest syndrome
The bald eagles at North Park, likely the first pair to nest in an Allegheny County park, didn’t produce any young this season, wildlife officials said. The Pennsylvania Game Commission confirmed recently there are no chicks in the nest. “There have been sightings of both parent birds leaving the nest,”...
‘Archie’ causing some royal name drama
The inspiration for Prince Harry and Meghan’s newborn son’s name seems to be causing as much drama as the wait for his birth. Little Archie — full name Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor — came as a surprise to those betting on his name. In fact, Archie was not even in the...
West Penn Power restores electricity in Allegheny, Westmoreland after outage
A broken switch Thursday at a West Penn Power substation knocked out service to more than 7,000 utility customers in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. More than half of impacted customers had power restored by 11 a.m., according to the FirstEnergy website. Power to all customers was restored by 2:30 p.m....
Guffey Road section closed for landslide repair in North Huntingdon
A section of Guffey Road in North Huntingdon has been closed as PennDOT crews work on landslide repair. Guffey is closed between Turner Valley Road and Mickanin Road. The closure will last about two weeks, weather permitting. Drivers coming from Irwin will turn left onto Mickanin Road and travel out...
Greensburg woman’s spiritual mission: ‘Kindness and love for everyone’
Joyce McCauley may not have been missionary material at the beginning, but that didn’t deter her from following a calling that would take her life in a radically different direction. The mother, wife and businesswoman decided to enter the foreign mission field with her husband, Don, in the early 1990s....
Notre Dame’s melted roof leaves astronomical lead levels
PARIS — Notre Dame Cathedral’s melted roof has left astronomically high lead levels in the plaza outside and adjacent roads. Paris police say lead levels from the roof were found to be between 10 and 20 grams per kilogram of ground — between 32 and 65 times the recommended limit...
Pennsylvania ranks as 3rd best state to spot Bigfoot
Don’t we all have that one odd relative that insists on having spotted Bigfoot while camping one time? No? Just me? Turns out, for those living in Pennsylvania it’s not such a far-fetched situation. In fact, Pennsylvania seems to be among the best states to see the big, hairy creature...
‘Art of the Deal’ co-author calls for Trump book to be pulled or ‘recategorized’ as fiction
Decorated in eye-catching gold lettering, President Donald Trump’s 1987 memoir - a self-described “common sense guide to personal finance” - is touted as “a firsthand account of the rise of America’s foremost deal-maker.” But following news this week that Trump reported more than $1 billion in financial losses to the...
BBC DJ fired after royal baby tweet with chimpanzee picture
LONDON — A BBC disc jockey has been fired after using a picture of a chimpanzee in a tweet about the royal baby born to Meghan the Duchess of Sussex and her husband Prince Harry. Danny Baker tweeted Thursday that he has been fired after posting an image of a...
Vatican law: Priests, nuns must report sex abuse, cover-up
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis issued a groundbreaking law Thursday requiring all Catholic priests and nuns around the world to report clergy sexual abuse and cover-up by their superiors to church authorities, in an important new effort to hold the Catholic hierarchy accountable for failing to protect their flocks. The...
1 dead in motorcycle crash along Parkway North
A Wexford man died after he crashed his motorcycle on the Parkway North early Thursday. He was identified as Douglas J. Regrut, 28, by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. The crash was reported just before 1 a.m. at mile marker 12.7 in Franklin Park. State police at the Moon...
Highlands changes expectations for savings with new bus company
Highlands School District says it will save only about half the money it expected to save by bringing on a new bus company. And its current transportation provider, W.L. Roenigk, insists the district would actually save more than $1 million over five years by sticking with them. The school board...
Man in critical condition after Brighton Heights shooting
A man was in critical condition early Thursday after Pittsburgh police say he was shot multiple times in Brighton Heights. The shooting was reported just before 11:45 p.m. Wednesday in the 1200 block of Woods Run Avenue. Police officers from Zone 1 first received a ShotSpotter notification, followed by 911...
2 injured when car goes into building on Route 51
Two men were in critical condition early Thursday after their vehicle hit the side of a building in Pittsburgh’s Mt. Washington neighborhood. The crash was reported at 3:22 a.m. on Route 51 just past Woodruff Street. The driver and a passenger were trapped inside and had to be extracted from...
Whitesnake’s Greensburg show is calm before the stormVideo
For hard rockers Whitesnake, it’s the calm before the storm. With legendary song stylist David Coverdale at the helm and guitarist/music director (and Pittsburgh native) Reb Beach as first mate, the band is ready to embark on its “Flesh and Blood World Tour.” The tour will introduce some of the...
Tyra Banks returns to the cover of Sports Illustrated, and she has a message for everyone
She’s 45? Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s 2019 edition hit newsstands Wednesday and Tyra Banks’ tweet of her gracing the cover shows that age really “ain’t nothin’ but a number.” As if Banks’ alluring gaze isn’t enough, the superstar is clad in a yellow string bikini while twirling her hair. The image...
Penn Hills students to receive free lunches, breakfasts next school year
Penn Hills School District students will not have to worry about paying for breakfasts and lunches next school year. District officials recently approved the high school’s participation in the National School Lunch Program’s Community Eligibility Provision. It’s being administered by the state Department of Education’s Division of Food and Nutrition....
Trump promises more hurricane relief for Florida PanhandleVideo
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. — President Trump promised a swift infusion of federal aid to the Florida Panhandle seven months after devastating Hurricane Michael as he rallied supporters Wednesday for his re-election. Trump addressed a crowd of thousands at an outdoor amphitheater, looking to rally loyalists in the reliably Republican...
