Top Stories category, Page 658
Mark Madden: Risk-averse Steelers play it too safe
The first practice at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp takes place July 27 at 1:55 p.m. It’s scheduled as precisely as a NASA launch, or the ball dropping in Times Square. “Times Square” should be Diontae Johnson’s nickname. Break out the lawn chairs and Styrofoam coolers. “I really like that undrafted...
Children lost in flooding as U.S. endures extreme weather, from smoke up north to heat in the West
WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa. — Pennsylvania authorities drew on 100 people, drones and cadaver dogs Monday in their search for two missing children whose family’s car was swept away in flash flooding that ravaged the East Coast over the weekend. Other parts of the country endured threateningly high temperatures and severe...
Wildfire smoke again returns to Western Pa.
The Pittsburgh region is again suffering from poor air quality as smoke from Canadian wildfires has returned. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on Monday declared a statewide code orange air quality action day. Pennsylvania officials warned that a number of locations could see a rise in particulate matter that...
‘It all happened so fast’: Tiki boat captain saves boy in Allegheny River
All it took was a second. On a sunny summer afternoon, Shaler native Jason Ruhle was halfway through a two-hour cruise around the confluence of Pittsburgh’s three rivers, captaining 12 passengers on two tiki boats down the Allegheny River. He docked about 4:30 p.m. July 8 at Point State Park....
Westmoreland awards $3M in covid funds to social service programs
Westmoreland commissioners last week gave $3 million to eight social service agencies as part of its continuing allocation of federal covid relief funds. “We’re confident that the grants awarded in the fields of workforce development, mental health, housing and children and youth services are going to have a significant impact...
Freight train derails in southeast Pennsylvania, but no known injuries or hazards
WHITEMARSH TOWNSHIP — A freight train derailment in southeast Pennsylvania early Monday spurred precautionary evacuations, but officials said no injuries were reported and there was no known hazard to the public. The 40-car CSX train, which was operating on tracks owned by Norfolk Southern, derailed around 4:50 a.m. in a...
Woman fatally shot in Braddock during neighborhood dispute
Pennsylvania State Police are investigating after a woman was fatally shot Sunday evening in Braddock during a neighborhood dispute. Troopers said Erica Vail, 43, was shot in the abdomen around 7:30 p.m. on Corey Avenue during the dispute among residents that turned into an altercation. She was taken by ambulance...
Man shot multiple times in Wilmerding
A man was shot several times early Monday morning in Wilmerding, according to Allegheny County Police. At about 5:16 a.m., Allegheny County 911 was notified of a shooting in the 600 block of Airbrake Avenue. At the scene, first responders found a man with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported...
Concrete floor crumbling under weight of newest engine at Harrison Hills VFC
The Harrison Hills Volunteer Fire Company should see improved response times, if only slightly, thanks to a new floor at its garage on Freeport Road. Installation of a concrete floor began last week because the old one was crumbling under the weight of the engines, Chief Jim Bartolovich said. “Our...
Washington Township’s top cop to retire; new chief named
The Washington Township supervisors have set the structure for a change in the police department’s leadership. Chief Scott Slagle is retiring after serving as chief for 27 years and working in the department for 33. His departure is not a surprise, though. He filed for the Deferred Retirement Option Program,...
Increased turnout expected for Bushy Run reenactment
Although it was in jeopardy of not happening, the Bushy Run Battlefield Historical Society anticipates an increased turnout at this year’s reenactment, set for Aug. 5 and 6. Reenactors portraying Native Americans at the event will have additional procedures to follow this year, a conciliation to the Pennsylvania Historical and...
Code orange air quality alert issued for Monday
A statewide code orange air quality alert has been issued for Monday. That means young children, the elderly and people with respiratory problems should limit outdoor activities for risk of exposure to elevated air pollution. According to the state Department of Environmental Protection, smoke from Canadian wildfires is expected to...
Police seek help finding Bethel Park teen
Bethel Park police are seeking the public’s help to find a 15-year-old girl last seen Saturday. Armor Wilson is described as 5 feet, 7 inches tall and 150 pounds. She has short faded red hair. When she left home Saturday morning, Wilson was wearing pajama pants and a black hoodie...
Georgia suspect in 4 killings shot and killed, 2 officers hurt during encounter, official says
HAMPTON, Ga. — Officers shot and killed a man wanted in four weekend killings near Atlanta during an exchange of gunfire, and a sheriff’s deputy and a police officer were injured trying to take the suspect into custody, authorities said. Henry County Sheriff’s spokesperson Syntonnia Moore said Andre Longmore was...
DeSantis presidential campaign is cutting staff as new financial pressure emerges
NEW YORK — Republican presidential contender Ron DeSantis is cutting campaign staff as he struggles to catch former President Donald Trump in the GOP’s crowded primary contest while facing unexpected financial pressure. DeSantis, the Florida governor, let go fewer than 10 paid staffers late last week to help reduce operating...
Pitt-Greensburg hosts veterans benefits fair as deadline nears for toxic exposure claims
Veterans and their survivors are invited to attend a claims and enrollment fair Tuesday at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, to learn about benefits that have been expanded to cover more people who were exposed to toxic substances during military service. The Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System is sponsoring...
2 Pittsburgh facilities up for ‘America’s Most Beautiful Hospitals’
Two Pittsburgh medical facilities are in the running for “America’s Most Beautiful Hospitals” contest. The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, both situated along Penn Avenue, are among 50 hospitals nominated nationwide. Sponsored by healthcare staffing firm Soliant, the contest runs through July 27. Soliant plans...
Building the Valley: Pup-friendly ice cream joint has tongues and tails waggin’ in Vandergrift
A beloved pet is the inspiration behind a new business venture in Vandergrift. Vandergrift native and business owner Stephanie Crooks, 40, designed the logo for her ice cream shop, Scoops on Jackson, using the likeness of her late pup, Brody, who loved to eat ice cream. “I made the logo...
Heavy rain swamps Northeast again as flash flooding claims at least 5 lives in Pennsylvania
WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa. — Heavy rain pounded an already saturated Northeast on Sunday for the second time in a week, spurring another round of flash flooding, cancelled airline flights and power outages. In Pennsylvania, a sudden flash flood late Saturday afternoon claimed at least five lives. Officials in Bucks County’s...
The Iowa caucuses are six months away. Some Republicans worry Trump may be unstoppable
NEW YORK — He’s been indicted twice. Found liable for sexual abuse. And he’s viewed unfavorably by about a third of his party. But six months before Republicans begin to choose their next presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump remains the race’s dominant front-runner. Early leaders don’t always go on...
Powerball prize grows to $900 million after no jackpot winner drawn
Another Powerball drawing ended with no winner Saturday night, sending the jackpot soaring to an estimated $900 million. No ticket for Saturday’s drawing matched the winning combination: white balls 2, 9, 43, 55, 57 and red Powerball 18. The jackpot was estimated at $875 million. Ticket buyers for Monday’s drawing...
Pittsburgh synagogue shooting case turns to ‘most important decision’
It took a jury less than two hours last week to decide that Robert Bowers had the intent to kill. He plotted and planned. He practiced. When it was over, he bragged about it. Now, that same jury must decide whether he pays with his life. “The other two decisions...
Law says Pa. autopsy reports should be public. Why aren’t they?
From coast to coast, officials have tried to block Terence Keel from getting autopsy reports as he studies jail and police-custody deaths. But after clashing with recalcitrant civil servants in California, Illinois, Maryland and Texas, the UCLA professor said no state has vexed him like Pennsylvania. In his quest for...
Children, relatives of alumni no longer have admissions edge at Carnegie Mellon, Pitt
For decades, Carnegie Mellon University viewed whether a student applicant was related to alumni as an “important” or “considered” factor in admissions decisions. But it appears that legacies, as children or relatives of alumni are called, no longer have an edge in admissions decisions at the highly selective university. In...
Pennsylvania jail escapee Michael Burham captured
YOUNGSVILLE — Looking dirty, wet and “worn out” from living in the wilderness to evade arrest, a homicide suspect who used bedsheets to escape a northern Pennsylvania jail has been captured, authorities said. Michael Burham, 34, fled the Warren County jail in the late evening hours of July 6 by...
