Top Stories category, Page 719
Urban Redevelopment Authority to sell Hill District plaza to Salem’s Market and Grill
A local grocery store is set to buy a shopping plaza in Pittsburgh’s Hill District from the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority. The URA board on Thursday approved plans to sell the plaza on Centre Avenue that previously housed a Shop ‘n Save to Salem’s Market and Grill, which is expected...
Jury finds man guilty of 1st-degree murder in killing of off-duty Pittsburgh police officer
An Allegheny County jury on Thursday found a Wilkinsburg man guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of an off-duty Pittsburgh police officer in Homewood nearly four years ago. The trial of Christian Bey, 34, began on March 21. The jury of six men and six women deliberated less than...
AG: Guardsman to be charged with removing classified infoVideo
WASHINGTON — A Massachusetts Air National Guard member who has emerged as a main person of interest in the disclosure of highly classified military documents was taken into custody Thursday by federal agents, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced. Investigators believe that the guardsman, who specializes in intelligence, led the online...
Aurora opens terminal for driverless trucks in Texas
Self-driving vehicle startup Aurora Innovation, Inc. opened its first commercial-ready terminal for autonomous trucks that will serve as a “blueprint” for the Pittsburgh-based company’s future network of 24/7 driverless operations. The terminal in Palmer, Texas, near Dallas, deploys autonomous trucks for Aurora’s pilot customers, including FedEx, Schneider, and Uber Freight,...
Pitt official says more faculty need active killer training sessions
Not enough of the University of Pittsburgh’s 5,800 faculty have opted to take a campus police course that could save their lives if someone with a gun, knife or other weapon invades campus, a top official said. Fallout from Monday night’s active shooter hoaxes and a nearly 90-minute delay by...
VisitPittsburgh disputes Allegheny County audit questioning its fiscal practices
An audit released Thursday by Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor says the Pittsburgh region’s tourism agency has failed to follow proper financial management practices and should improve its transparency and reporting standards. VisitPittsburgh receives more than 90% of its funding from public tax dollars, O’Connor said in a release. The...
Haven’t filed taxes yet? Don’t panic. Here’s what to know
NEW YORK — The deadline to file your taxes is Tuesday, which is just around the corner. Filing U.S. tax returns — especially for the first time — can seem like a daunting task, but there are steps you can take to make it less stressful. Whether you do your...
Amera Gilchrist nominated to be Pittsburgh’s next EMS chief
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey is nominating Amera Gilchrist to be the city’s next EMS chief. Pending approval from City Council, Gilchrist would become the first Black woman to serve in the role. “I may be the first, but since that barrier (is poised to be) broken, I most certainly won’t...
Couple face drug, child endangerment charges after Vandergrift cops called to house for domestic dispute
Vandergrift police officers responding to a domestic disturbance call accused a couple of keeping the cocaine and marijuana they used or sold within reach of two young children. John Edward Johnston Jr., 30, of the 3900 block of Greenwood Drive in Allegheny Township was charged with two counts of endangering...
Trump answers questions for 7 hours in New York fraud lawsuit
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump answered questions for nearly seven hours Thursday during his second deposition in a legal battle with New York’s attorney general over his company’s business practices, reversing an earlier decision to invoke his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination and remain silent. The Republican met...
DOJ to ask Supreme Court to put abortion pill limits on hold
AUSTIN, Texas — The Justice Department said Thursday that it will again go to the Supreme Court over abortion after a lower court ruling allowed the abortion pill mifepristone to remain available in the U.S. but reimposed past restrictions on getting and using the drug. At stake in the accelerating...
Morning Roundup: Primanti Bros. is coming to Kennywood
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, April 13, 2023: Primanti Bros. to open in Kennywood Kennywood visitors will be able to order up a Pittsburgh staple this season — a Primanti Bros. sandwich. The local restaurant and bar chain will open its first theme-park...
Tim Benz: Plenty of worthy goats, sacrificial lambs after Penguins’ elimination — but no room for sacred cows
When we first heard the “Fi-re Hex-tall” chants from Pittsburgh Penguins fans at PPG Paints Arena during a 7-2 beatdown from the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 24, they really resonated. As general manager of the Penguins, Ron Hextall assumed a job that can’t escape criticism. His predecessors — Craig Patrick,...
Officials ponder how to dispose of 3 million gallons of water at Jeannette’s former Fort Pitt Brewery
Enough water to fill five Olympic-sized swimming pools is, in part, delaying efforts to tear down the former Fort Pitt Brewery in west Jeannette. Brian Lawrence, director of the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank, said officials are working out the best way to dispose of 3.3 million gallons...
Torrential storms batter South Florida, close key airportVideo
FORT LAUDERDALE — Nearly a foot of rain fell in a matter of hours in Fort Lauderdale — causing widespread flooding, the closure of the city’s airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service for the Broward County region. The city of Fort Lauderdale released a statement Wednesday evening...
Tractor-trailer flips, injures 1 on I-79 in Washington County
One person was injured Wednesday afternoon when a tractor-trailer carrying cardboard overturned on Interstate 79 near the I-70 interchange in Washington County. State police said the rig was traveling north on I-79 around 3:45 p.m. when the driver lost control around a bend in the road near mile marker 34...
Lawsuit claims Excela secretly shared patient data with Facebook
A lawsuit filed this week in Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court alleges Excela Health disclosed personal patient information to Facebook and Google. The court filing on behalf of two unnamed Westmoreland County residents claims the health system allowed confidential medical and personal data collected through Excela’s web portal for patients...
Inbound Fort Pitt Bridge, tunnel closures overnight this weekend
It’s going to be a challenging couple of nights for motorists who plan on using the inbound Fort Pitt Bridge and tunnel in Pittsburgh this weekend. Overnight closures are scheduled for Friday and Saturday night, weather permitting. PennDOT says the closures are being put in place to allow crews to...
Mt. Pleasant Borough mourns unexpected loss of volunteer fire chief
Mark Kraisinger was a hometown boy. Some say that he lived for Mt. Pleasant Borough, that “he would give the shirt off his back” if it meant seeing the community thrive. Kraisinger, a longtime Mt. Pleasant volunteer firefighter and currently its fire chief, was found dead Tuesday in his home....
Aggressive, distracted drivers targeted by police
It didn’t take long for police with an eye peeled for aggressive driving behaviors Wednesday in North Huntingdon to find a speeding motorist who was using a phone while behind the wheel. The traffic stop was one of many motorists can expect to see around the area as law enforcement...
Penguins’ postseason hopes finally extinguished
Perhaps the only thing sharper than Sidney Crosby’s dagger of a backhander is his comprehensive memory. Ask him about any random game in November 2008 or some mundane goal a long-departed teammate scored during the late winter of 2014, he can recall seemingly any nugatory detail such as what kind...
Doven launches attacks against Hallam in Allegheny County Council race
The mudslinging continued Wednesday in the Democratic primary race for Allegheny County’s at-large council seat. Challenger Joanna Doven held a news conference in Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park to launch a series of personal attacks against incumbent Allegheny County Councilwoman Bethany Hallam, D-North Side. Doven, who runs a public relations firm and...
Pennsylvania Turnpike lanes reopen after eastbound crash near New Stanton
Eastbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike reopened Wednesday evening more than two hours after a tractor-trailer overturned just east of the New Stanton interchange. The crash occurred shortly before 3:30 p.m., a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said. According to New Stanton fire Chief Rob Cammarata, no one was injured when...
Abandoned house destroyed in New Kensington, neighbor angered that his house damaged, too
Matt Rhodes knew the abandoned house next to his New Kensington home was trouble waiting to happen. On Wednesday, it happened. A brush fire reported just before 3 p.m. spread to the back of the vacant house at 849 Franklin St. and then to his house next door. The fire...
East Liberty man used Nerf-style gun in 2 Shadyside bank robberies, police say
An East Liberty man in flip-flops used a blue and orange Nerf-style gun to rob two Shadyside banks in as many days before being arrested and confessing to the crimes, authorities said. Rashon Coleman, 29, stormed into PNC Bank on Centre Avenue around 4:30 p.m. Monday, shoving a white, plastic...
