Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1894
Felicity Huffman, 12 other parents to plead guilty in college scheme
BOSTON — Actress Felicity Huffman and a dozen other prominent parents have agreed to plead guilty in the sweeping college admissions cheating scam that has ensnared wealthy families and athletic coaches at some of the nation’s most selective universities, federal authorities said Monday. The “Desperate Housewives” star and the other...
Tarentum police charge man they say had knife at Praha Hotel
Tarentum police arrested a man Sunday who is accused of pulling a knife on another customer at the Praha Hotel who, police said, responded by drawing a gun. The incident happened shortly before 6 p.m. Sunday at the bar at Corbet Street and East Fourth Avenue. In a criminal complaint,...
Antwon Rose family to receive proceeds from East Liberty concert
A concert Wednesday to benefit the family of Antwon Rose II will include Atlanta rapper Sa-Roc along with several local musical acts. Organized by 1Hood Media, Unappreciated Management and Voices Against Violence, the concert will be from 7 p.m to 10 p.m. at the Ace Hotel in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty...
3 American soldiers, 1 U.S. contractor killed in Afghanistan
KABUL — Three American service members and a U.S. contractor were killed when their convoy hit a roadside bomb on Monday near the main U.S. base in Afghanistan, the U.S. forces said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. The U.S. and NATO Resolute Support mission said the four Americans...
Bills to combat child sexual abuse move ahead in Pennsylvania Legislature
HARRISBURG — Two related bills designed to help victims of child sexual abuse received favorable committee votes in the Pennsylvania House on Monday and are poised to pass the full chamber in the coming days. The House Judiciary Committee voted overwhelmingly for a bill that would eliminate the statute of...
Excela leadership shakeup comes amid financial losses, worker outsourcing
Excela Health’s abrupt announcement Friday that two top executives were resigning immediately followed months of growing financial pressures on the Westmoreland County health system that said it is seeking “fresh perspectives.” Recent developments suggest the health system that encompasses Latrobe, Westmoreland and Frick hospitals and is the county’s largest private...
Secret Service Chief Randolph ‘Tex’ Alles leaving Trump administration, White House says
WASHINGTON — U.S. Secret Service Director Randolph “Tex” Alles will be stepping down from his post, the latest in a string of departures from President Trump’s administration. Alles “has done a great job at the agency over the last two years, and the President is thankful for his over 40...
Allegheny Valley Hospital raises flag to raise organ-donation awareness
Officials from Allegheny Valley Hospital celebrated Donate Life Month on Monday with a flag-raising ceremony. National Donate Life Month is celebrated every April to encourage people to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to honor those whose organ donations have saved or extended other people’s lives. Across the...
McKeesport woman takes plea deal to avoid death penalty for killing her son
A McKeesport woman took a plea deal Monday to avoid the death penalty for suffocating her 17-month-old son out of anger when she believed her boyfriend was cheating on her. Christian Clark, 24, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing her son, Andre Price III, by...
Pitt study says doctors overprescribe meds to kids through telemedicine
As telemedicine visits increase, so do the chances of overprescribing of antibiotics to children, according to a new study. Children with acute respiratory infections were prescribed antibiotics more often during direct-to-consumer telemedicine visits than during in-person appointments or urgent care visits, according to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh research reported...
Bad idea: Pouring gas on wet ballfield, setting it on fire
RIDGEFIELD, Conn. — Authorities say it could cost over $50,000 to repair a Connecticut baseball diamond where somebody dumped gasoline and set it on fire to dry out the infield. Police are investigating the fire in Ridgefield in which 25 gallons of gasoline was poured on the field Saturday. First...
Bernie Sanders plans presidential campaign rally in Pittsburgh
Presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders will have a campaign rally Sunday in Pittsburgh. His campaign announced Sanders will stop at Schenley Plaza on Forbes Avenue in North Oakland in his bid to win the Democratic nomination for president in the 2020 primary election. The rally will start at 5...
Police: Homewood man cuts other man in fight over $2
A man from Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood is accused of cutting another man’s face with a knife during an argument over $2. Gary Bennett, 53, is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing Tuesday on aggravated and simple assault charges in connection to the April 1 fight. A phone message left...
Man accused of exposure, stalking woman on Ligonier track
A Cook Township man was charged with exposing himself and stalking a woman who was running on the track at Weller Field in Ligonier. Joseph T. Puschnigg, 24, was identified after the alleged victim obtained the license number on the red Jeep he was driving. The woman told police she...
Pittsburgh woman tapped to lead national higher education group for private colleges
No one could have predicted where Barbara Mistick’s story would go when she left college shy of a degree four decades ago. The Bethel Park native’s resume now includes a doctoral degree and stints as an entrepreneur and educator at institutions including Seton Hill University, the Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh...
West Newton woman accused of setting pickup on fire during argument
A 19-year-old West Newton woman was charged with arson, terroristic threats and simple assault after police said she admitted to throwing a can of gasoline in the bed of a man’s pickup and setting it on fire. Borough police officer Michael Stefko reported he found Marian L. Warman sitting in...
Lower Burrell urges caution with door-to-door salespeople, vendors
Lower Burrell officials are asking residents to be cautious when approached by door-to-door salespeople and vendors. The city’s Facebook account said some companies are going door-to-door without a permit and being overly aggressive with residents. Residents are advised to make sure door-to-door salespeople and vendors have proper, city-issued permits. A...
Suspected rhino poacher killed by elephant then eaten by lions, authorities say
Five suspected poachers entered Kruger National Park in South Africa last week to kill rhino living there, according to authorities. Only four of the men left alive. The fifth was killed by an elephant and later “devoured” by a pride of lions, park officials said in a statement. “Entering Kruger...
Police investigating after SUV crashes into Baldwin home
No one was injured when an SUV crashed into a home overnight in Baldwin but the impact crumbled bricks and damaged a gutter at the home along Michael Drive. The driver was in police custody after the incident, which happened at about 3:30 a.m., WPXI reported. Police are investigating how...
Police investigating report of suspicious vehicle at Mammoth Park
Westmoreland County Park Police are investigating a report of a suspicious vehicle at Mammoth Park in Mt. Pleasant Township on Saturday, according to Chief Henry Fontana. A couple of men in a van at the park made some park-goers feel uncomfortable, but by the time officers arrived the van had...
Supreme Court mulls rule change over malpractice suits, Pa. counties where filed
More than 100 malpractice lawsuits were filed in Westmoreland County courts since 2011 that claimed improper cardiac procedures were performed at Excela Health facilities a decade ago. Many of those cases might have been filed in other counties had a proposed change to court rules being weighed by the state...
8 Westmoreland County towns to benefit from new blight demolition fund
The first structures to be torn down in Westmoreland County using money from a newly created demolition fund will include four dilapidated homes and four former commercial buildings. “This is needed to remove blight and create economic impact,” said Jason Rigone, director of Westmoreland County’s planning department. Structures in Avonmore,...
Police release updated photo of Pitcairn homicide suspect
Allegheny County police released an updated photo of a man they said is suspected in an April 7 fatal Pitcairn stabbing. Derrick Avant, 59, is wanted for an incident in which a woman was stabbed during an argument and later died from her injuries. The victim was identified as Alison...
Pick your spot at The Lot in Oakmont for upscale modern industrial diningVideo
There’s a lot to choose from at The Lot. The Lot at Edgewater in Oakmont celebrated its first anniversary in February. Patrons can lounge in a upscale cigar bar located upstairs, relax on the 1,200-square-foot outdoor patio, complete with a large gas fire pit, dine inside, mingle at the modern...
Pennsylvania man gets 3 to 6 years in Russian roulette death
LOCK HAVEN — A man has been sentenced to three to six years in prison on charges related to a game of Russian roulette that killed another man in central Pennsylvania. Fifty-five-year-old Randy Hill was sentenced last week after pleading guilty in Clinton County to reckless endangering and drug counts...
