Top Stories category, Page 799
Police say man stole ambulance from Mt. Washington medical call
An Ohio man was arrested early Friday after Pittsburgh police said he stole an ambulance while paramedics were handling a medical call in Mt. Washington. Paramedics were treating a patient around 4:30 a.m. on West Sycamore Street when the ambulance was stolen. Authorities said it was driven onto the Parkway...
Indiana University of Pennsylvania to cut tuition for full-time, out-of-state undergrads by 20%
Indiana University of Pennsylvania says it is cutting the tuition price it will charge out-of-state undergraduate students next fall by as much as nearly 20%. It is switching to a flat rate instead of per-credit pricing for such students who are enrolled full time. The school’s Council of Trustees on...
Police say Saxonburg man used Christmas tree in assault on woman
An argument near Saxonburg led to a blow delivered with a Christmas tree, according to state police. Michael Bandi, 35, of Saxonburg, is charged with harassment and simple assault in the altercation reported at 10:15 p.m. Tuesday on Oak Leaf Drive in Jefferson Township. Police say Bandi had an argument...
Democrats, GOP to nominate candidates for 3 special election races for state House
Democratic and Republican committees in Allegheny County will pick their nominees to run in three pivotal special election races for state House within the next week and a half. The three races will determine which party holds power in the state House. Allegheny County Democrats said Thursday they will hold...
New York Times journalists, other workers on 24-hour strike
NEW YORK — More than 1,000 New York Times journalists and other staff walked off the job for 24 hours Thursday, frustrated by contract negotiations that have dragged on for months in the newspaper’s biggest labor dispute in more than 40 years. Hundreds of reporters, editors, photographers and other employees...
Family of Oakmont teacher imprisoned in Russia looks for hope in Brittney Griner release
As WNBA star Brittney Griner traveled home to the United States after being released from a Russian prison Thursday as part of a prisoner swap between the countries, Oakmont native Marc Fogel remained in a penal colony north of Moscow unsure of when — or if — he would receive...
Pa. receives $6.6 million from ‘Internet for All’ initiativeVideo
Governor Tom Wolf today announced that Pennsylvania is receiving $6.6 million from President Joe Biden’s “Internet for All” initiative, these are the first funds to be awarded of the more than $100 million to be managed by the Pennsylvania Broadband Authority. “Pennsylvania’s lack of affordable, accessible broadband is one of...
Philly’s slain ‘Boy in Box’: 66 years later we know his name
His name was Joseph Augustus Zarelli. Nearly 66 years after the battered body of a young boy was found stuffed inside a cardboard box, Philadelphia police say they have finally unlocked a central mystery in the city’s most notorious cold case: The victim’s identity. Revealing the name to the public...
Man killed, another injured after car crashes into Clairton house
A Duquesne man died and another was injured when a car crashed into a house in Clairton early Thursday. Allegheny County emergency dispatchers were notified of a one-car crash in the 500 block of North 8th Street at 3:11 a.m. First responders found a man unresponsive in the passenger seat,...
IUP officials consider school of osteopathic medicine — 1st at a Pa. public university
Indiana University of Pennsylvania could open the state’s first school of osteopathic medicine at a public university, a venture to train and graduate professionals to improve rural health and advance Pennsylvania’s economy. A resolution to endorse the state-owned university to explore the school’s possible development was approved unanimously by IUP’s...
Pittsburgh City Council approves $7M contract with security firm
Pittsburgh City Council has awarded a city-based company a nearly $7 million contract to provide security at the City-County Building and other sites for the next five years. In addition to the City-County Building on Grant Street, St. Moritz Security Services will provide guards at other city-owned locations such as...
Bill protecting same-sex, interracial unions clears Congress
WASHINGTON — The House gave final approval Thursday to legislation protecting same-sex marriages, a monumental step in a decadeslong battle for nationwide recognition that reflects a stark turnaround in societal attitudes. President Joe Biden has said he will promptly sign the measure, which requires all states to recognize same-sex marriages....
Pittsburgh streamlines process to convert unused Downtown office space into housing
A zoning change approved this week by Pittsburgh City Council will streamline the process to convert existing Downtown office space into residential units, officials said. The legislation, unanimously approved Tuesday, will allow proposed residential projects in the Golden Triangle area to move ahead without being reviewed and approved by the...
Jewish Americans confront antisemitism with resolve, worry
NEW YORK — Jewish Americans are closely following the recent upsurge in antisemitic rhetoric and actions with a mix of anxiety and resolve — along with a yearning that a broader swath of Americans, including leaders across the political spectrum, speak out against anti-Jewish hatred. New Yorker Rizy Horowitz, who...
New Kensington man faces up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal child porn charges
A New Kensington man could spend decades in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to distributing child pornography, authorities announced. Robert Pacek, 51, pleaded guilty Tuesday, Dec. 6, to seven counts of distributing images of children being sexually abused using a website on the Tor network, according to a...
Vandergrift man accused of slapping 3-year-old in face so hard it left a hand-shaped welt
Vandergrift police accused a man of repeatedly slapping a toddler in the face so hard that it left a handprint and a bruised and swollen welt. Timothy John Turner, 47, of Franklin Avenue in Vandergrift, was charged with a felony count of aggravated assault of a child under the age...
Brittney Griner back home in U.S. after Russian prisoner swap
WASHINGTON — American basketball star Brittney Griner returned to the United States early Friday after being freed in a high-profile prisoner exchange following nearly 10 months in detention in Russia. The deal, which saw her swapped for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, secured the release of the most prominent American...
Wiz Khalifa to make W.Pa. stops to push his medical marijuana products
Rapper Wiz Khalifa is making another mark on the Pittsburgh area — his medical marijuana products will be available at Trulieve locations statewide starting Monday. Khalifa, a graduate of Allderdice High School in Squirrel Hill, will be back in his old neighborhood at the Trulieve location there, as well as...
Meet Charlie: Highlands School District’s first-ever therapy dog
Trotting through the halls at Highlands Middle School in Harrison, an 8-month-old Labrador retriever is the district’s newest tool to help improve student success. The puppy, Charlie, will be tasked with more than looking cute. “He will increase the overall well-being for students,” said the dog’s owner, Principal Becky Bragan....
New Kensington-Arnold fires security guard accused of assaulting 5-year-old student
The New Kensington-Arnold School Board fired a security guard who had been accused of assaulting a 5-year-old elementary school student last year. Lori Ann Waltonbaugh, 59, of Greensburg entered a negotiated guilty plea Sept. 29 to a charge of recklessly endangering another person, according to court records. She was sentenced...
Over-the-counter medications tough to find this cold, flu season
Demand for over-the-counter medications to ease suffering related to a spike in colds, flu and covid has left shelves empty and shop owners frustrated in recent weeks. “It’s the trifecta,” said Ed Christofano, owner of Hayden’s Pharmacy stores in Youngwood, Mt. Pleasant and Donegal. The Centers for Disease Control and...
Police say Greensburg man starved dog to death
A Greensburg man is accused by police of letting a dog die in the basement of an apartment where he had been living, according to court papers. Timothy J. Steinman Jr., 43, was charged Wednesday with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and a single charge of animal cruelty....
Police: 2 firefighters die in house fire; body found outside
TAMAQUA, Pa. — Two firefighters died responding to a house fire Wednesday in rural eastern Pennsylvania where a man’s body was found outside, state police said. The New Tripoli Fire Company members who lost their lives were identified as Assistant Fire Chief Zachary Paris, 36, and Marvin Gruber, 59, Pennsylvania...
TSA finds 2 guns at Pittsburgh airport security checkpoint
Transportation Security Administration officers caught two guns Wednesday at the Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoint. The first gun, confiscated from a carry-on bag belonging to a West Newton man, was a loaded 9mm handgun. The second firearm was a loaded, antique .22-caliber handgun that belonged to a man from Clarksburg,...
Elizabeth Holmes’ former partner gets nearly 13 years in Theranos caseVideo
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A judge on Wednesday sentenced former Theranos executive Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani to nearly 13 years in prison for his role in the company’s blood-testing hoax — a sentence slightly longer than that given to the CEO, who was his lover and accomplice in one of Silicon...
