Top Stories category, Page 798
Hospitalizations signal rising covid-19 risk for U.S. seniors
Coronavirus-related hospital admissions are climbing again in the United States, with older adults a growing share of U.S. deaths and less than half of nursing home residents up to date on covid-19 vaccinations. These alarming signs portend a difficult winter for seniors, which worries 81-year-old nursing home resident Bartley O’Hara,...
Arizona Gov. Ducey stacks containers on border at term’s end
SAN RAFAEL VALLEY, Arizona — Work crews have steadily erected hundreds of double-stacked shipping containers topped by razor wire along Arizona’s remote eastern boundary with Mexico in a bold show of border enforcement by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey even as he prepares to leave office. Until protesters slowed, then largely...
Libyan accused in Lockerbie bombing now in American custody
WASHINGTON — A Libyan intelligence official accused of making the bomb that brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988 in an international act of terrorism has been taken into U.S. custody and will face federal charges in Washington, the Justice Department said Sunday. The arrest of...
Armstrong County fires 3 public defenders, they sue. County revamps department.
Three Armstrong County public defenders who were fired last month have filed a civil case against the Armstrong County Board of Commissioners in federal court in Pittsburgh. The lawsuit, filed Dec. 2, accused the county commissioners of wrongful discharge, breach of the terms and conditions of employment agreements and multiple...
Malls’ best days may be long gone, but memories remain strong, particularly at Christmastime
There was a time when holiday gift buying involved — and in many cases required — a pilgrimage to the nearest mall. Many malls are still there, but shoppers aren’t crowding into them like they once did. And while going to the mall isn’t the experience it once was, nostalgic...
States’ varying laws on reproductive rights impacting college decisions for some Pa. students
Mt. Lebanon High School senior Janet Montgomery said she will continue her education at St. John’s College in Maryland mostly because of what the picturesque liberal arts school has to offer academically. But what some states aren’t offering — or soon might not be offering — in terms of reproductive...
Pittsburgh police: Squirrel Hill serial burglary suspect turns himself in
A Squirrel Hill man previously charged with a rash of burglaries in Fox Chapel and O’Hara in April is behind bars. Andrew Clinton, 21, turned himself in to police Friday after police searched the home were Clinton lives. Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Cara Cruz said police reported to a burglary call...
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang returns less than 2 weeks after stroke
Less than two weeks after he suffered a stroke Nov. 28, defenseman Kris Letang was back in the lineup as the Pittsburgh Penguins faced the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena. Letang missed just five games. This is the second stroke the 35-year-old has suffered during his...
Indiana Township man dies following Dorseyville car crash
An Indiana Township man has died following a crash in Indiana Township on Friday night. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office on Saturday identified the victim as Shawn Lambert, 33. Emergency crews were called to the 100 block of Weber Drive, near Saxonburg Boulevard, at 9:30 p.m. Friday. That’s in...
Boil water advisory issued for MAWC customers in Hempfield and Unity
A boil water advisory was issued Saturday morning to about 4,500 Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers in portions of Hempfield and Unity. The advisory is expected to be in place until at least Monday morning, authority spokesman Matthew Junker said. Officials said customers will be notified when repairs are...
Westmoreland DA: Fatal shooting victim gunned down in New Kensington Friday night was a New Ken man
A New Kensington man was shot and killed Friday night on 11th Street in the city. Police were called to a shooting scene in the 400 block in a parking lot near the Kensington Arms Apartments shortly after 10:30 p.m., according to Westmoreland County 911. Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole...
Soccer writer Grant Wahl dies at World Cup match in Qatar
LUSAIL, Qatar — Grant Wahl, one of the most well-known soccer writers in the United States, died early Saturday while covering the World Cup match between Argentina and the Netherlands. He was 48. U.S. media seated near him said Wahl fell back in his seat in a section of Lusail...
Officials hope to bring 832 housing units to Bedford Dwellings in Pittsburgh’s Hill District
The Bedford Dwellings site in Pittsburgh’s Hill District could see a major update, including 832 housing units. The Urban Redevelopment Authority on Thursday unanimously voted to commit $350,000 through the Avenues of Hope Commercial Real Estate Program, plus $400,000 in Pittsburgh Business Fund financing for the program. Their vote also...
Behind the scenes at ‘The Nutcracker’ rehearsal at Palace Theatre is a winter whirlwind
In the two days leading up to the first performance of “The Nutcracker” at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg, every square inch of the space is a flurry of activity and excitement. Onstage, dancers of all ages — some 4 years old — practice pirouettes, leaps and twirls in fluttering...
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority approves $15.9M operating budget
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority has adopted a $15.9 million budget for next year. Nearly half of the revenue in the operating budget, unanimously approved Thursday, will come from government grants, the authority said. Federal grants will account for about 38% of the revenue, while local grants will provide 9% and...
Rioter who assaulted cops at Capitol gets 5 years in prison
WASHINGTON — A Tennessee man who authorities say came to Washington ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot prepared for violence in a car full of weapons and assaulted officers who were trying to defend the Capitol was sentenced Friday to more than five years behind bars. Ronald Sandlin, 35,...
Fort Necessity battle discussion planned for Braddock battlefield site
A discussion of George Washington and his ill-fated battle July 1754 defeat at the hands of the French at Fort Necessity in present-day Fayette County, will be held Sunday. Braddock’s Battlefield History Center at 609 Sixth St., Braddock, will be host to an 18th century roundtable discussion of the Battle...
Penguins to replace scoreboard, make other improvements at PPG Paints Arena
Pittsburgh Penguins fans will see a new and improved scoreboard at PPG Paints Arena next hockey season. Pittsburgh’s Sports & Exhibition Authority this week reached an agreement with the Penguins for a larger scoreboard in the Uptown arena. “The new, larger scoreboard allows for an improved fan experience, projection of...
Pitt basketball player Dior Johnson pleads guilty in domestic violence case
A University of Pittsburgh basketball player pleaded guilty Friday to two misdemeanor counts of domestic violence and was ordered to serve one year of probation. Dior Johnson, 18, a freshman, has been prohibited from being on campus or participating in basketball activities since he was charged, according to defense attorney...
Real-world events, from Mars rover to covid-19 to Artemis rocket, are shaping future scientists
For Alison Bresnahan, there isn’t a better time to be a science teacher. From NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission to the James Webb Space Telescope to the Mars Perseverance rover to even the covid-19 pandemic, significant real-world events are inspiring the next generation of scientists — even if they don’t...
Gainey looks to revamp Art Commission after removing all prior commissioners
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Friday said he is looking to change how the city’s Art Commission functions, weeks after removing all prior commissioners from their posts. Gainey’s office and the Department of City Planning proposed to split the Art Commission into two separate committees — one that will review...
Democratic Sen. Sinema has registered as an independent
WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced Friday that she has registered as an independent, but she does not plan to caucus with Republicans, ensuring Democrats will retain their narrow majority in the Senate. Sinema, who has modeled her political approach on the renegade style of the late...
Amazon will tip your delivery driver if you ‘thank’ them through Alexa
Amazon customers with Alexa-enabled devices can send a dose of goodwill to their delivery driver through a program the company announced this week. And the gratitude won’t cost the customer anything. Customers can use the device to say “Alexa, thank my driver” to have an appreciative message — and $5...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Dec. 9-11Video
Pop culture, vinyl records, artisan gift wares and holiday music take the stage this weekend in the Pittsburgh area. Comics and more Doors open at 10 a.m. Friday for Steel City Con, Pittsburgh’s premier comic book and pop culture convention, at the Monroeville Convention Center, 209 Mall Blvd. The convention...
Short stack, short staff: Restaurant industry still hurting for workers
For Tracy Allison, a bartender who serves the dining room at Ligonier Tavern and Table while completing a host of other tasks, finding good employees has been an ongoing challenge. “I have no earthly idea why” it has been so hard to attract and retain workers, said Allison, a Ligonier...
