Top Stories category, Page 279
Work underway for development of former Monsour Medical Center site in Jeannette
More details are expected to be released publicly in the coming months related to a long-awaited proposed development at the former Monsour Medical Center property in Jeannette. Mayor Curtis Antoniak hinted at the potential movement during a council meeting last week. “This is a big one. Don Tarosky Jr. has...
Netanyahu says deal to release Hamas-held hostages has been reachedVideo
TEL AVIV, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached, after his office had said earlier there were last minute snags in finalizing a ceasefire that would pause 15 months of war. Netanyahu said he would convene...
Snow in the forecast for Western Pa.
The National Weather Service Pittsburgh released this forecast Thursday morning: The area is under a winter weather advisory until 4 a.m. Friday. Widespread accumulating snow is predicted to start Thursday morning and will continue all day, impacting both the morning and afternoon rush hours. Accumulation in the lower elevations will...
Hempfield lawyer announces campaign for county judge
Hempfield attorney Matt Schimizzi on Wednesday announced his candidacy for a seat on Westmoreland County’s Court of Common Pleas. Schimizzi, 41, is making his second run for a judicial post after finishing third in both the Democratic and Republican primaries in 2019, in what was among the expensive local judicial...
Trump’s outsider Cabinet picks are rapidly gaining support for confirmation
WASHINGTON — One by one, all the president-elect’s men, and women, are falling into place in his Cabinet. While Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth’s nomination was teetering toward collapse just weeks ago, he now appears on track for confirmation after a fiery Senate hearing that focused on his drinking, views...
Law firm excited to take over iconic Pittsburgh billboard
Law firm Pond Lehocky is hoping to make itself better known to Pittsburghers, taking over a massive billboard overlooking the city from atop Mount Washington. The new ad replaced Iron City Beer on the well-known billboard earlier this week. “We see it as an honor to have our name on...
North Huntingdon fire crews work to douse flames at Otis Drive fire
A number of North Huntingdon’s seven fire departments worked Wednesday night to douse the flames that ripped through a home along the township’s Otis Drive. Firefighters were dispatched to the 1400 block of Otis around 7:40 p.m. according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. No injuries were immediately reported, according...
Biden warns in farewell address that an ‘oligarchy’ of ultrarich in U.S. threatens future of democracyVideo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden used his farewell address to the nation Wednesday to deliver stark warnings about an “oligarchy” of the ultra-wealthy taking root in the country and a “tech-industrial complex” that is infringing on Americans’ rights and the future of democracy. Speaking from the Oval Office as he...
Trump adviser says president-elect exploring options to ‘preserve’ TikTok
Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, said in an interview on Wednesday that the president-elect is exploring options to “preserve” TikTok. Waltz made the comment when Fox News anchor Bret Baier asked him about a report from The Washington Post that said Trump was considering an...
Investigation into Hempfield high school basketball coach continues, assistant coach fills in
Hempfield Area School District will continue to compensate high school basketball coach and guidance counselor Bill Swan more than $90,000 as it investigates a complaint against him. Swan has been placed on paid administrative leave from his coaching and guidance counselor positions as the district investigates the allegation — which...
Which products contain Red 3, the dye now banned by the FDA?
Cookies, concoctions and candies like Dubble Bubble could be in double trouble after the Food and Drug Administration announced a ban of Red. No. 3 food dye . The dye gives some foods, beverages and medications its cherry-red color. Its use is banned for more than three decades after the...
As wind chills plummet below zero, officials undeterred: ‘It’s winter’ in Western Pa.
Burrell Superintendent Shannon Wagner makes a flurry of decisions before 5:30 each morning, especially this time of year. On Monday, when temperatures are expected to nosedive below zero for the first time since 2022, Wagner will be up at 4:45 a.m. to review road conditions with Upper Burrell and Lower...
Theft from Evgeni Malkin’s home not tied to organized burglary network, police say
The person who stole three Stanley Cup championship rings from Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin’s Sewickley Heights home doesn’t appear to be linked to any national operation targeting sports superstars, Allegheny County Police said Wednesday. Police have made no arrests in the case. Malkin discovered his home had been burglarized...
Pam Bondi claims she won’t play politics as attorney general but doesn’t rule out probes of Trump foesVideo
WASHINGTON — Pam Bondi, Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, sought to reassure Democratic senators Wednesday that her Justice Department would not prosecute anyone for political purposes but also refused to rule out the potential for investigations into adversaries of the Republican president-elect. Her often-testy confirmation hearing centered on concerns...
Ligonier Valley Police Commission to ‘start from square one’ in naming citizen member
Ligonier Valley residents will have to wait until at least Feb. 11 to learn who will represent Ligonier Township as a citizen member on the police commission. The Ligonier Valley Police Commission’s vote in December to reappoint Scott Gongaware as the citizen member was ruled invalid by a Westmoreland County...
Jury finds undercover Pittsburgh cops used excessive force in Kopy’s Bar brawl
A jury on Wednesday found that three Pittsburgh police officers working undercover at Kopy’s Bar six years ago violated a man’s constitutional rights by beating him and filing felony criminal charges against him. But the same jury determined that that man, Frank DeLuca, was not entitled to any damages for...
Rubio vows to prioritize freeing Oakmont teacher from Russian prison
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio on Wednesday vowed to prioritize the release of Marc Fogel, an Oakmont history teacher who has been detained by Russia since bringing a small amount of legally prescribed medical marijuana into the country in 2021. Rubio’s comments came during a nomination hearing before the U.S. Senate....
Gun confiscations down at Pittsburgh International Airport last year
The number of guns Transportation Security Administration officers confiscated at Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh airports dropped slightly in 2024, officials announced Wednesday. TSA stopped 42 handguns at Pittsburgh International Airport’s security checkpoint last year, down from 44 in 2023, spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said. Pittsburgh accounted for nearly half of all guns...
Police continue to investigate apparent homicide in Shaler
The investigation into a body found Dec. 26 in Shaler is still ongoing, according to Jim Madalinsky, public information officer for the Allegheny County Police. Allegheny County detectives are investigating the body as a homicide because the victim had an apparent gunshot wound to the head, but Madalinsky said he...
Mediators tout a Gaza ceasefire deal and plan to free hostages. Israel says details still in flux
DOHA, Qatar — Israel and Hamas agreed to pause the devastating war in the Gaza Strip, mediators announced Wednesday, raising the possibility of winding down the deadliest and most destructive fighting between the bitter enemies. The three-phase ceasefire deal promises the release of dozens of hostages held by militants in...
‘Still not over it’: 30 years later, some Steelers can’t forget the ’94-’95 AFC Championship GameVideo
Former San Diego Chargers coach Bobby Ross just turned 88 years old last month. He also just went through knee replacement surgery. That didn’t stop him from sharing his memories of Jan. 15, 1995. “So, how can I help you?” Ross said on the other end of the phone. “What...
FDA bans red dye No. 3 from foods
U.S. regulators on Wednesday banned the dye called Red 3 from the nation’s food supply, nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk. Food and Drug Administration officials granted a 2022 petition filed by two dozen food safety and health advocates, who urged the...
FDA floats plan to make cigarettes nonaddictive, but its fate rests with Trump
WASHINGTON — Federal officials on Wednesday released a far-reaching proposal to make cigarettes far less addictive by capping their nicotine content, a goal long sought by antismoking advocates that is unlikely to go into effect anytime soon. The proposed rule from the Food and Drug Administration comes in the final...
Westmoreland to charge more to ensure the price is right
Westmoreland County’s department that ensures local consumers get what they pay for could charge business owners more to ensure checkout line scanners, gas pumps and other equipment remain accurate. Commissioners are expected to consider the change in fee structure this week. A plan was unveiled Tuesday to increase licensing fees...
Supreme Court will hear Texas anti-pornography law that challengers say violates free-speech rights
WASHINGTON — A Texas anti-pornography law is going before the Supreme Court on Wednesday in a collision of free speech rights, regulation of online content and the protection of children. Texas is among more than a dozen states with similar laws aimed at blocking young children and teenagers from viewing...
