Top Stories category, Page 651
Man who died in Shaler house fire remembered fondly by heartbroken neighbors
By all accounts, Tony Garland was an altruistic, lovable man. That’s the way his neighbors remembered him after learning he died at a hospital at 11 a.m. Wednesday following injuries suffered in a house fire Tuesday night at his home at 1601 Burchfield Road in Shaler. His partner, Michael E....
Synagogue shooter would live in near isolation in supermax prison if spared death penalty, expert says
If Robert Bowers is sentenced to life in prison, he almost certainly would go to what is called the ADX in Florence, Colo. The administrative maximum-security prison, the only supermax facility in the federal Bureau of Prisons, is reserved for the most notorious prisoners, terrorists and national security threats. Bowers,...
Derry Township man accused of slaying Samantha Lang 16 years ago
A man long suspected in the 2007 death of 22-year-old Samantha Lang was arrested by state police Wednesday on homicide charges. Troopers believe Charles Earl Ream, 53, of Derry Township is responsible for Lang’s death at her father’s home. Ream is being held without bail on charges of homicide, robbery,...
Another natural gas drilling well pad, pipeline proposed in West Deer
Another well pad is proposed in West Deer, as residents learned during a public hearing Tuesday for a separate interconnect pipeline. Olympus Energy is proposing the Tyche well pad and an associated pipeline at property located at 201 Bairdford Road, west of the Pittsburgh National Golf Club. The proposed well...
Jail inmate who died Sunday was accused of sexually assaulting nurse
A McKeesport man who died in Allegheny County Jail on Sunday was accused of sexually assaulting an Allegheny General Hospital nurse in March. Douglas Bonomo, 59, solicited sex from the nurse, who police did not name, when she entered the room where she attempted to give him IV medication around...
Steelers report to training camp intent on ending ‘too long’ streak of playoff failures
Since he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, outside linebacker T.J. Watt has enjoyed a treasure trove of individual success. He has tied the NFL single-season sacks record. He has been named the league’s defensive player of the year. He received a nine-figure contract that made him the highest-paid player...
Congressional resolution calls for Oakmont teacher Marc Fogel’s release from Russian prison
Support for the Oakmont teacher who was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison for possessing a small amount of medical marijuana has been growing steadily in Congress, and a new effort was introduced Wednesday. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a resolution in both the Senate and House...
Sinéad O’Connor, gifted and provocative Irish singer, dies at 56
LONDON — Sinéad O’Connor, the gifted Irish singer-songwriter who became a superstar in her mid-20s and was known as much for her private struggles and provocative actions as for her fierce and expressive music, has died at 56. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our...
Charges filed in Downtown Pittsburgh hotel attack
Pittsburgh police arrested a man who they say viciously attacked another man this week in a Downtown hotel elevator. Police charged Heiko Lamar Joseph Calhoun, 26, who is homeless, with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, robbery and recklessly endangering another person, court records show. Calhoun was arraigned Tuesday and remains in...
Big men on campus: From snacks to sleeping pads, Steelers load in for 2023 training camp at Saint Vincent College
When Pittsburgh Steelers players are hanging out at the end of a day at training camp, even a game of Uno can get amped up quickly. “Everything you can get competitive about, it’s going to happen,” said offensive tackle Kevin Dotson. “Everybody’s trying to win. That’s part of what’s great...
Whistleblower tells Congress the U.S. is concealing ‘multi-decade’ program that captures UFOs
WASHINGTON — The U.S. is concealing a longstanding program that retrieves and reverse engineers unidentified flying objects, a former Air Force intelligence officer testified Wednesday to Congress. The Pentagon has denied his claims. Retired Maj. David Grusch’s highly anticipated testimony before a House Oversight subcommittee was Congress’ latest foray into...
Pitt to raise in-state tuition for undergrads on its main campus by 2%
The University of Pittsburgh is increasing its base tuition for in-state undergraduate students on its main campus by 2% this fall, but will freeze tuition on its branch campuses in Hempfield, Johnstown, Bradford and Titusville. Out-of-state undergraduates will see increases of 7% on the main campus, while graduate students from...
Judge denies request to exhume corpse of Pittsburgh synagogue shooter’s father
The federal judge presiding over the trial of the man convicted of killing 11 people at a Squirrel Hill synagogue denied a motion by the defense to have their client’s father’s body exhumed. Defense attorneys for Robert Bowers, 50, of Baldwin, filed a motion Tuesday seeking to have Bowers’ father’s...
Biden’s son Hunter pleads not guilty to 2 tax crimes after agreement with prosecutors falls through
WILMINGTON, Del. — President Joe Biden’s son Hunter pleaded not guilty Wednesday to two tax crimes after a deal with federal prosecutors unraveled during a court hearing following the judge’s concerns over the agreement. Hunter Biden was charged last month with two misdemeanor tax crimes of failure to pay more...
Blistering heat set to hit Western Pa. region
Western Pennsylvania is in for a sweltering week amid a national heat wave, with temperatures expected to climb into the 90s, according to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. Meteorologist Jason Frazier of the weather service said temperatures are expected to increase from Wednesday through Friday into the upper 80s...
No Mega Millions winner — jackpot rises to $910 million
The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $910 million after Tuesday night’s drawing produced no big winners, extending a stretch of bad luck dating back to April. The numbers drawn were: 3, 5, 6, 44, 61 and the yellow ball 25 The absence of a winner for the estimated...
Life sciences company brings corporate headquarters to Lawrenceville
A drug development company is sinking its roots further into the region, moving its corporate headquarters to Lawrenceville after expanding its laboratory in the neighborhood. Predictive Oncology Inc., a publicly traded company that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to accelerate oncology drug discovery, recently expanded its footprint to nearly...
Former Tarentum church up for sale, could become 24-hour gym
Holy Martyrs Church in Tarentum could once again draw crowds of people, albeit not for prayer. The 51-year-old building at 344 W. Ninth Ave. is up for sale, with the potential owner hoping to replace pews and altars with treadmills and a basketball court. The site is being sought by...
Formal arraignment postponed for Harrison nurse accused of killing 2 patients
The formal arraignment for a Harrison nurse accused of killing two patients by insulin overdose was continued Tuesday. Heather Pressdee, 40, was scheduled for a hearing at the Butler County Courthouse, but her case will be heard at a later unscheduled date, according to the Clerk of Courts Office. Pressdee...
2 hospitalized in Shaler fire that draws massive emergency response
Two men were hospitalized in critical condition, and a firefighter was treated for dehydration, Tuesday night as a result of a fire in Shaler. Allegheny County 911 dispatch said the calls for the two-alarm fire at a home along the 1600 block of Burchfield Road came in shortly after 9...
Glassport man pleads guilty to killing man in high-speed crash in North Versailles
A Glassport man who was driving nearly 100 mph last year when he crashed into a car in North Versailles, killing the driver, pleaded guilty Tuesday to homicide by vehicle and other charges, authorities said. Shamar Allyn Roach, 25, was driving a van about 95 mph when the crash happened...
Point Park University names Chris W. Brussalis as president
Trustees at Point Park University Tuesday evening removed the “interim” from Chris W. Brussalis’ title and made him the institution’s ninth president, six months after he stepped in following the departure of Don Green. Brussalis, 59, a North Hills resident, is a known entity both on campus and in Pittsburgh....
Victims identified in double fatal Mt. Pleasant Township motorcycle crash
Two residents of Greensburg were killed in a motorcycle crash Tuesday night on Route 819, according to information released by the Westmoreland County coroner. Timothy P. Kuhns, 50, was driving a Harley-Davidson motorcycle north on Route 819 in Mt. Pleasant Township just before 8 p.m. when he lost control around...
Fire damages attic, basement of former South Huntingdon coffee shop
Fire damaged a former coffee shop in South Huntingdon Township on Tuesday evening. According to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher, fires were found in the basement and the attic of the former Breaktime Coffee Services building, located at 2246 First St. in Wyano. No one was found in the building...
Blaze on Brunot reignites interest in historic Pittsburgh island
It’s certainly no Herr’s, much less a Neville. But Brunot Island — small, scrappy and often overlooked locally compared to its better-known cousins — is no slouch when it comes to its place in Pittsburgh history. Nestled snugly in the Ohio River just a few miles from The Point and...
