Top Stories category, Page 741
Morning Roundup: Allegheny County hosting online meeting for 4 upcoming bridge projects
The Allegheny County Department of Public Works is playing host to an online meeting March 22 to discus plans to restore four bridges. The meeting is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. using the Microsoft Teams video conferencing app. The projects up for discussion are the restoration of: • Ivory...
Norfolk Southern CEO ‘sorry,’ but avoids specifics at Senate hearingVideo
WASHINGTON — Norfolk Southern’s CEO earnestly apologized before Congress on Thursday for last month’s fiery hazardous materials train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border and pledged millions of dollars to help the local town recover. But he stopped short of fully endorsing tougher safety regulations or specific commitments to pay for...
Jaded with education, more Americans are skipping college
JACKSON, Tenn. — When he looked to the future, Grayson Hart always saw a college degree. He was a good student at a good high school. He wanted to be an actor, or maybe a teacher. Growing up, he believed college was the only route to a good job, stability...
Vandergrift residents implore officials to unlock borough playgrounds
Taegen Caudle stood at the podium in front of Vandergrift officials during Monday’s council meeting to plead for playtime options in the borough’s still-locked parks. Taegen, 9, was one of about 20 residents in attendance in support of the playgrounds being unlocked April 1. “We really want some time outside...
1 dead, 1 hurt in West Homestead crash overnight
A West Homestead woman died and a second person was injured in an early morning crash Thursday in West Homestead, according to authorities. The wreck was reported at about 12:45 a.m. along Route 837 near West Seventh Avenue, emergency dispatchers reported. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the person...
Wrong way: Driver impairment, lack of awareness key elements in deadly crashes
When Earl Travis looked back at the road after glancing at a side mirror, he saw headlights on his side of a divided highway. He had a few seconds to react. “All I could do is, literally, I just turned the wheel to the right,” he said. That quick move...
Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell hospitalized after fall
WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was hospitalized after tripping at a local hotel, a spokesman for the senator said. The Kentucky senator, who’s 81, was attending a private dinner in Washington on Wednesday when he tripped. He was admitted to a hospital for treatment, spokesman Doug Andres said....
Westmoreland ballot set with primary races for commissioner, sheriff
Westmoreland Republican Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew will have three challengers in the May 16 primary election as the field of candidates for countywide offices appears to be set. Meanwhile, Democrats will have two candidates seeking the party’s two nominations in a bid to reclaim a majority at the...
Robinson woman missing since December found dead
A Robinson woman missing since December was found dead on Sunday evening in Bellevue, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office reported late Wednesday. The victim, Sherri Keefer, 60, was discovered in the 4400 block of Ohio River Boulevard around 8 p.m. Sunday, the medical examiner said. Keefer was last seen...
Springdale Planning Commission holds off decision regarding Cheswick Generation Station rezoning
After listening to input from more than half a dozen residents Wednesday night, the Springdale Planning Commission decided it has more questions than answers regarding the future of the defunct Cheswick Generating Station. So, the commission voted 3-0 to postpone whether to consider, in effect, changing the 56 total acres...
Pittsburgh police: SWAT units nabs alleged shooter in Hill District after gunfight
A man was arrested Wednesday in Pittsburgh’s Hill District after allegedly engaging in gunfire with another person, prompting Pittsburgh police to respond with its SWAT unit. The suspects were shooting at each other in the 2500 block of Bedford Avenue shortly before 2 p.m. when officers arriving at the scene...
Report: 6-year-old won’t be charged after shooting Virginia teacher
RICHMOND — Authorities in the Virginia city where a 6-year-old shot and wounded his teacher will not seek criminal charges against the child, the local prosecutor told NBC News on Wednesday, in a decision that was anticipated by legal experts. But Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn said his office...
Police say man shot multiple times in North Versailles
Police are investigating a shooting Wednesday night in North Versailles. An emergency dispatcher received a call shortly before 6 p.m. that someone had been shot in the 800 block of Westbury Road. First responders found a man who had been shot in his arms and legs. The victim was taken...
Erin McClelland drops out of Allegheny County executive race; Burgess not running for Pittsburgh council
Harrison resident and former congressional candidate Erin McClelland has ended her bid for Allegheny County executive. McClelland, a contractor in Allegheny County’s Human Services Division, didn’t submit signatures to the county election division even though she was the first candidate to announce for the executive race. She said her experience...
Rep. Abby Major calls for broader ethics rules after harassment allegations
State Rep. Abby Major said she is committed to changing the culture and ethics rules for her colleagues in Harrisburg after relating a personal story Wednesday at a news conference that added to sexual harassment allegations against Rep. Mike Zabel of Delaware County. Zabel, a Democrat, on Wednesday submitted his...
Tucker Carlson’s scorn for Trump revealed in court papersVideo
NEW YORK — A defamation lawsuit is revealing scornful behind-the-scenes opinions by Fox News figures about Donald Trump, including a Tucker Carlson text message declaring, “I hate him passionately.” Carlson’s private text comments were revealed in court papers at virtually the same time the former president was hailing the Fox...
Advocacy group says higher ed funding in Shapiro’s proposed budget shows ‘appalling neglect’
A Pennsylvania group that advocates for public education says it is “deeply disappointed and concerned” by Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed funding support for state-owned universities in his first proposed state budget. Shapiro’s 2% increase includes neither the funding that system leaders sought to freeze tuition for a fifth straight year...
Pittsburgh officials prepare for St. Patrick’s Day parade, celebration
Pittsburgh public safety officials are preparing for the city’s Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations this weekend. The St. Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday will march through Downtown Pittsburgh, starting at 10 a.m. at Liberty Avenue and 11th Street. The route will proceed to Grant Street, turn right onto the Boulevard of...
Pa. lawmaker Mike Zabel quits amid sex harassment allegations
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania state lawmaker submitted his resignation letter Wednesday, a week after a union lobbyist accused him by name of having sexually harassed her four years ago. Democratic Rep. Mike Zabel of Delaware County said in the letter to Democratic Speaker Joanna McClinton that his resignation will take...
Kiski Township supervisor Sherry Tamski resigning after alleging gender discrimination, ‘despicable treatment’
A Kiski Township supervisor who has accused other supervisors of discriminating against her because of her gender has submitted her resignation. Township supervisors were expected to vote on Sherry Tamski’s resignation during their meeting Wednesday night, according to an agenda for the meeting. The motion also authorizes advertising to fill...
Woman punched trooper who was trying to stop fight at Rivers Casino, police say
A Pennsylvania state trooper was punched in the face early Monday morning while trying to break up a brawl inside Rivers Casino, according to authorities. Security officers and a trooper stationed in the North Shore casino responded to the gaming floor at 1:07 a.m. after seeing a fight on the...
Freeport residents expected to see 80% increase in sewage bills to pay for new treatment plant
Early estimates indicate residential customers tied into Freeport’s sewage system will see their monthly bill jump from about $50 to about $90 in order for the borough to build a new sewage treatment plant. That estimate was given Monday, when Freeport Council approved a bond issue to help finance its...
Man’s hand cut by machete in Latrobe robbery; 3 charged
A Latrobe man’s hand was cut by a machete after a robbery Tuesday night during which he and a woman sought refuge in a bathroom to fend off their attackers, authorities said. Three people were charged after police said they chased two of the suspects through town. Codi J. Barger,...
Greensburg landlord charged with obstructing emergency services during mobile home fire
The landlord of a Greensburg mobile home destroyed by fire was charged this week with obstructing emergency services, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. The Fox Hill Street home was engulfed in flames around 12:30 a.m. March 1 and a resident was hospitalized for treatment of injuries. Overhead power lines damaged...
Women’s Day events highlight gaps in gender equality
MADRID — Demonstrations, conferences and artistic events around the world Wednesday marked International Women’s Day, an annual observance established to recognize women and to demand equality for half of the planet’s population. While activists in some parts of the planet noted advances, repression in countries such as Afghanistan and Iran...
