Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1913
Rita’s Italian Ice and Dairy Queen welcome spring with freebies
More welcome perhaps than sunshine or robins, typical harbingers of spring, is the arrival on March 20 of free cone day at Dairy Queen and free Italian Ice day at Rita’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard. But if you’re going for a double whammy and planning to visit both on...
Chicago police union wants federal probe in Smollett case
The Chicago police union’s president alleges that the county’s top prosecutor interfered with the investigation of “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett before recusing herself and wants the Justice Department to determine if she broke any laws. WLS-TV in Chicago reports that Fraternal Order of Police President Kevin Graham wrote the Justice...
Attempted homicide, related charges filed in Jeannette shooting
Jeannette police filed criminal charges Tuesday against two people accused of involvement in a shooting last week that injured a woman. Arrest warrants were issued for Elijah T. Miles, 22, and DeJanette Ivy Crosby, 23. Police Chief Shannon Binda said Tuesday the female victim was recovering from a leg wound....
East Liberty’s Dinette named among best restaurants to work for
The chef/owner of Pittsburgh’s Dinette is working to make restaurant jobs better. Sonja Finn has operated her restaurant at 5996 Centre Ave. in the East Liberty Shopping Center for more than 10 years. She recently landed on a national Food and Wine report noting American restaurants operated by chefs and...
Powerball jackpot climbs to $550 million
Powerball players will be vying for the 10th-largest lottery jackpot in U.S.. history in Wednesday’s drawing. The top prize has climbed to $550 million, or about $335 million if taken as a lump sum. The winner will likely have to pay almost half the prize in state and federal taxes,...
Police: Man faked credentials for security firm, didn’t pay Greensburg man
Pennsylvania State Police say a New Jersey man who claimed to operate an area security firm had fraudulent credentials and was using a state certification number that belongs to someone else. Kenneth L. Wilson, 48, was charged in Greensburg with theft and tampering with public records. A warrant has been...
White Oak woman diagnosed with cancer as a teen shares story in national publication
Denelle Suranski is sharing her story in hopes of saving lives. Suranski, 35, an advocate for colon cancer prevention and awareness, faced her own diagnosis as a teenager. Now the White Oak resident is offering the details of her cancer battle through a feature in “On the Rise,” the national...
The latest in Day 1 of the Michael Rosfeld trialVideo
The homicide trial of former East Pittsburgh police officer Michael Rosfeld began Tuesday, with proceedings getting underway around 9:30 a.m. in Room 313 of the Allegheny County Courthouse. Rosfeld is accused of shooting Antwon Rose II three times as he ran from a June 19 traffic stop in East Pittsburgh....
Audiophile hopes North Side’s Government Center is more than just a record storeVideo
When it came to naming his record store, Josh Cozby knew right away what to call the place: The Government Center. Only some customers make the music connection. “’The Government Center’ is a song by The Modern Lovers,” said Cozby, inside the shop on the North Side Friday. “And lead...
Churchill charter school employee charged with selling drugs
An employee at Pace Charter School in Churchill has been charged with selling drugs to a co-worker in the school parking lot, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. Devon Alexander, 29, of Coraopolis has been fired from his position as a behavioral specialist, the school told WPXI. The Churchill Police...
Graham Nash talks Pittsburgh, Woodstock and CrosbyVideo
Graham Nash is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, as a member of legendary musical acts Crosby, Stills and Nash and The Hollies. At 77, he could probably rest on his laurels, but instead Nash is on a tour that took him last week to the Carnegie...
Pitt law professor David Harris on what to look for during Michael Rosfeld trial
The trial for former East Pittsburgh police Officer Michael Rosfeld is set to begin Tuesday. University of Pittsburgh law professor David Harris, who hosts the “Criminal Injustice” podcast, spoke with the Trib about whether Rosfeld will testify, how important the cellphone video from the night of the shooting will be...
Body found near Rankin Bridge identified as Mississippi man
A man found dead in the Monongahela River near the Rankin Bridge Sunday morning has been identified. The body of Arsenio Ahmad House, 28, of Greenwood, Miss., was recovered from the water, Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office officials reported Monday night. Authorities said a tugboat operator spotted the body around...
UPMC alleges AG Shapiro is promoting the interests of Highmark, not the public
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro is promoting the private interests of Highmark Health over the public good in his attempt to force UPMC to contract with its rival, UPMC told a state court Monday. UPMC made the argument in Commonwealth Court as part of its opposition to Shapiro’s petition to...
Penn Township boy who inspired Rocco’s Warriors loses battle with leukemia
A Penn Township boy who received the love and support of the community in his battle against acute Myeloid leukemia has died. Rocco Joseph Monteleone, 2, the son of Brandon and Michelle Monteleone, died Sunday, according to an obituary released by the family. He had been diagnosed with leukemia Dec....
Police say Frazer murder scene, photo didn’t match
One of the first police officers to arrive at the scene of a 2017 fatal shooting in Frazer testified in an Allegheny County court Monday that he found the dead man clutching a loaded pistol in his right hand. The testimony came during the first day of the non- jury...
Pentagon lists possible project cuts to pay for border wall
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon sent a 20-page list of military construction projects to Congress on Monday that might be slashed to pay for President Trump’s wall along the Mexican border. Democrats expressed hope that by knowing which local projects could be targeted, lawmakers would be likelier to override Trump’s veto...
Pennsylvania lawmaker Brian Ellis facing sex assault claim quits House
HARRISBURG — A Western Pennsylvania state lawmaker resigned Monday, two months after being stripped of a chairmanship over allegations he had sex with a woman against her will while she was blacked out. Republican state Rep. Brian Ellis, who has not been charged with any crime, wrote in a letter...
Suspect in mob boss hit flashes pro-Trump slogans on hand
TOMS RIVER, N.J. — The man charged with killing the reputed boss of the Gambino crime family wrote pro-Donald Trump slogans on his hand and flashed them to journalists before a court hearing Monday. Anthony Comello, 24, was arrested Saturday in New Jersey in the death of Francesco “Franky Boy”...
Westmoreland inmates reach record detox level in February
More than 80 percent of new inmates lodged at Westmoreland County Prison in February were addicted to drugs or alcohol. Warden John Walton on Monday told members of the county’s prison board that inmates who needed detoxification services hit an all-time high, raising concerns the drug epidemic that has plagued...
Derry Township constable ordered to stand trial on theft, extortion accusations
The situation seemed to make sense at first for a Hempfield man who gave a Derry Township constable $2,000 last year for a purported shooting competition. Matthew Sellers signed up for what he thought was a couple sponsorships and gave Brian McDowell, 35, some extra cash to fix a scope...
Legal sports bets steady as Pennsylvania sports books prep for March Madness
Sports books in Pennsylvania didn’t see a bump in wagers in February, though many took the first legal Super Bowl bets in the state. Now, they’re hoping for a March Madness windfall as the NCAA men’s basketball tournament approaches. The state’s six sports books operational by February reported a $31.5...
Over 1,000 feared dead as cyclone slams into Mozambique
JOHANNESBURG — More than 1,000 people were feared dead in Mozambique four days after a cyclone slammed into the country, submerging entire villages and leaving bodies floating in the floodwaters, the nation’s president said. “It is a real disaster of great proportions,” President Filipe Nyusi said. Cyclone Idai could prove...
Police charge 2 men with transporting cocaine, pot on Route 28 in South Buffalo
Two men were arrested Saturday night after state police said they were driving on Route 28 with illegal drugs in their vehicle. State police said Fabian Fitzroy Douglas and James Pierre Louis had more than a half-ounce of cocaine and more than a pound of marijuana when they were pulled...
Police: Man drove 100 mph on Route 30 in Ligonier
A Derry Township man didn’t have a valid driver’s license when police say he was going twice the speed limit on Route 30 eastbound Saturday in Ligonier Township. Todd Michael Trout, 28, was driving at 77 mph in a 55 mph zone at 8:20 a.m. and accelerated to 100 mph...
