Top Stories category, Page 797
Crews remove box covering Columbus statue in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — Crews have removed the plywood box that had been placed over a Philadelphia statue of Christopher Columbus that saw tense standoffs in 2020 between supporters of the monument and opponents who viewed it as a symbol of white supremacy. The box was removed Sunday night, as a small...
Pennsylvania lifts ban on gas production in polluted village
One of Pennsylvania’s largest drillers will be allowed to extract natural gas from underneath a rural Pennsylvania community where it has been banned for a dozen years because of accusations it polluted the water supply, according to a settlement with state regulators. The Department of Environmental Protection quietly lifted its...
Richmond removes its last city-owned Confederate monument
RICHMOND, Va. — The city of Richmond — the capital of the Confederacy for most of the Civil War — removed its last city-owned Confederate statue on Monday, more than two years after it began to purge itself of what many saw as painful symbols of racial oppression. It took...
Pittsburgh’s URA sells Hill District properties to clear way for affordable housing, restaurants, gallery space
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority has sold a dozen Hill District properties to a city-based firm that wants to build a $3.4 million development with affordable housing, restaurants and gallery space. The URA board voted unanimously Thursday to sell the properties to the Pittsburgh-based Studio Volcy for $94,500, plus costs. Studio...
MAWC lifts boil water advisory for Hempfield, Unity
A boil water advisory issued over the weekend to about 4,500 Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers in Hempfield and Unity was lifted Monday afternoon. The authority said no contamination was found during tests of water lines affected by a leak that drained a water storage tank serving the area,...
Barb Warwick sworn in as Pittsburgh city councilwoman
Newly elected Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Barb Warwick was sworn in Monday morning, filling a vacant seat on council. Warwick, 45, of Greenfield, handily won a special election in November to fill the District 5 seat left vacant by Corey O’Connor, who now serves as Allegheny County controller. She launched her...
5 things we learned: Steelers running game became an afterthought following Kenny Pickett’s early exit
Five things we learned from Ravens 16, Steelers 14: 1. One-dimensional offense After having five consecutive games with at least 100 yards rushing, the Steelers totaled just 65 on the ground against the Ravens. That is the second-lowest total of the season. The fewest rushing yards came in Week 5...
Mark Madden: Go ahead and blame Mitch Trubisky for loss, but Steelers have many warts
When Kenny Pickett relieved Mitch Trubisky in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 4 home loss to the New York Jets, Pickett threw three interceptions. That was OK. The kid has a lot to learn. Be patient. When Trubisky relieved Pickett and served up three picks in Sunday’s home defeat vs. Baltimore,...
Woman accused in robbery slips handcuffs, found driving stolen truck, officers say
An Allegheny County woman arrested in a robbery at a Hempfield store Saturday is accused of slipping out of a handcuff at the state police station and stealing a pickup before being stopped on Route 22 in Murrysville, according to court papers. Kristy R. Zalac, 33, of Liberty is being...
Gas prices falling across nation and state, but Pennsylvania drivers still paying more than others
Average gasoline prices are continuing to fall in Pennsylvania and across the nation, although the average in Pennsylvania is about 50 cents per gallon higher than the national average. According to AAA, the national average Monday is about $3.26 per gallon. That’s about 14 cents less than a week ago,...
List of nominees to the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Nominees for the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards, which were announced Monday by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Film Best picture, drama: “Avatar: The Way of Water”; “Elvis”; “The Fabelmans”; “Tár”; “Top Gun: Maverick.” Best picture, musical or comedy: “Babylon”; “The Banshees of Inisherin”; “Everything Everywhere...
Golden Globe noms led by ‘Banshees,’ ‘Everything Everywhere’
NEW YORK — After scandal and boycott plunged the Hollywood Foreign Press Association into disarray and knocked its annual award show off television for a year, the Golden Globes geared up Monday for its return by showering nominations on the black comedy “The Banshees of Inisherin” and the multiverse mash-up...
Young voters’ enthusiasm for Democrats waned during midterms
WASHINGTON — Young voters who have been critical to Democratic successes in recent elections showed signs in November’s midterms that their enthusiasm may be waning, a potential warning sign for a party that will need their strong backing heading into the 2024 presidential race. Voters under 30 went 53% for...
Steelers vs. Ravens: What they’re saying in Baltimore after win
The Baltimore Ravens came into Acrisure Stadium Sunday and ran right over their heated rival. After four consecutive losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens righted the ship with third-string quarterback Anthony Brown and a punishing running game. Final score: 16-14. Steelers backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky made it much easier...
Hempfield Area’s proposed college lit class sparks debate over appropriate material
After months of debate over the availability of library books, some curriculum books are on the hot seat at Hempfield Area High School. During last week’s school board meeting, several parents voiced concerns over books intended to be included in a proposed college literature course for seniors. The directors approved...
Pittsburgh man killed in Braddock Hills apartment building fire
A 60-year-old Pittsburgh man was killed in a fire Monday morning at a senior apartment building in Braddock Hills. Kevin Prince was pronounced dead at 7:13 a.m., according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. Ten apartments were damaged in the fire at Brinton Towers, 3000 Locust Street, according to...
Pan Am Flight 103 parents say bomber’s arrest ‘bittersweet’
Shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday, Glenn and Carole Johnson of Hempfield received the call they had been awaiting for more than three decades. The U.S. Justice Department told them Sunday the man who built the bomb that destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, on Dec. 21, 1988, finally...
1 killed, 3 hurt in fire in Downtown Pittsburgh apartment building
One person died, another was critically injured and two emergency responders suffered injuries late Sunday in a fire at a Downtown Pittsburgh apartment building. Pittsburgh Public Safety said police, firefighters and paramedics responded to a five-alarm fire just after 10:30 p.m. at The Roosevelt Building at Penn Avenue and Sixth...
Pitt visionary remembered for her legendary leadership
A centenarian praised for a lifetime of leadership in America is being remembered for her tireless dedication to the Girl Scouts organization, the University of Pittsburgh and numerous global endeavors. Frances Hesselbein, of Easton, died at her residence Sunday, Dec. 11. She was 107. The former CEO of Girls Scouts...
Airing of Grievances: Mitch Trubisky’s interceptions, regressing run defense define Steelers loss’ to Ravens
I guess the Pittsburgh Steelers only ordered a short stack of wins. After weeks of discussing “stacking victories” down the stretch of this rudderless season, the Steelers only could manage two in a row against equally listless foes in the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons. That winning streak ended Sunday...
With suspect in custody, spotlight returns to 1988 bombing
The announcement Sunday that a Libyan man suspected in the 1988 bombing of a passenger jet has been taken into U.S. custody put the spotlight back on the notorious terrorist attack and longstanding efforts to pursue those responsible. The suspect, Abu Agela Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi, is accused of building the...
Kenny Pickett forced out of Steelers loss to Ravens, remains in concussion protocol
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett left Sunday’s home game before the end of the first quarter and did not return after being placed in NFL concussion protocol. Veteran Mitch Trubisky replaced him in facing the Baltimore Ravens, which went on to win the game 16-14. After absorbing a tackle to...
NASA’s Orion capsule blazes home from test flight to moon
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s Orion capsule made a blisteringly fast return from the moon Sunday, parachuting into the Pacific off Mexico to conclude a test flight that should clear the way for astronauts on the next lunar flyby. The incoming capsule hit the atmosphere at Mach 32, or 32...
Faces of the Valley: Vandergrift native opens neighborhood butcher shop in Lawrenceville
Having grown up in Vandergrift, Steve Dawson understands the heartbeat of a small town. Now, he is bringing that neighborhood vibe to an already-bustling area with his recently opened butcher concept in Lawrenceville. After years working as a corporate geologist, Dawson left his profession to pursue his passion for butchering,...
GOP sues over special elections in Pa. House majority battle
HARRISBURG — The top-ranking Republican in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives asked a court late Friday to prevent voters from filling three vacant seats in February that will determine majority control of the chamber. Rep. Bryan Cutler of Lancaster, who served as speaker until Nov. 30, asked Commonwealth Court to...
