Top Stories category, Page 827
Unity man charged with homicide in Cassandra Gross disappearance
For 1,662 days, Kathe Gross waited for Thursday. It was the day state police charged the man they believe killed her daughter, Cassandra Gross, of Unity. Since April 9, 2018 — the day Kathe Gross reported her daughter missing — she pushed for homicide charges against Thomas G. Stanko, 52....
In Pa. governor’s race, faith surfaces in contrasting ways
In one of the most closely watched races in one of the most contested of battleground states, both gubernatorial candidates bring up religion. But in starkly different ways. Republican Doug Mastriano’s campaign has several hallmarks of Christian nationalism, which fuses Christian and political imagery, words and rituals and promotes a...
Editorial: Did Fetterman-Oz debate change any minds?
For weeks and months, the question was out there. When would the candidates for Pennsylvania’s first up-for-grabs U.S. Senate seat in years face off in a debate? It finally happened Tuesday. So did it change anyone’s mind? Maybe for some people. In reality, probably not for many. It is increasingly...
Early voting soars in Westmoreland County
Exceeding expectations, nearly 22,000 Westmoreland County voters already have cast ballots with less than two weeks to go before the Nov. 8 general election. County officials said the number of mail-in applications requested and returned by voters has continued to surpass estimates. As of Wednesday, more than 36,000 mail-in and...
Teen dies after being shot in head in Beechview
A 17-year-old boy was killed Wednesday after being shot in the head in Pittsburgh’s Beechview neighborhood, city police said. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the boy as Clayton Tierney of Pittsburgh on Thursday morning. He was found shot around 4:20 p.m. on the 1700 block of Broadway Avenue,...
Bodies recently found in Pittsburgh communities being investigated as homicides
Pittsburgh police continue to investigate the deaths of two men whose bodies were found earlier this week. Officers were dispatched at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday for reports of a dead man found along the 800 block of Aisbett Street in the city’s Garfield neighborhood. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said the...
Josh Shapiro rallies in Cheswick, says 33rd House District critically important
A visit to Cheswick by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro on Wednesday highlighted the significance of the 33rd District to flipping the state House, many audience members said. “Having the potential governor spend time and resources in our area shows how important our voices are,” Brackenridge Councilman Dino Lopreiato said....
Allegheny Township woman dies in wreck on Garvers Ferry Road
A 45-year-old Allegheny Township woman is dead after she crashed her car into a tree Wednesday afternoon, police said. Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office identified the driver as Sarah Bowser of Gene Drive. She died at the scene as the result of blunt force trauma. Her death was ruled accidental. Township...
Federal judge dismisses wrongful termination case against University of Pittsburgh
A federal judge on Wednesday threw out a retaliation lawsuit filed by a former researcher at the University of Pittsburgh against her employer, saying that she failed to prove that it was protected conduct that led to her termination. Diana Zaldonis, who worked in UPMC’s Cardiothoracic Transplantation division, filed the...
Father ordered to stand trial on charges of strangling, murdering son in New Kensington
A man accused of killing his 9-year-old son earlier this year in New Kensington will stand trial. During a preliminary hearing Wednesday, District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. held Jean J. Charles, 40, of Brackenridge for trial on criminal homicide, first-degree murder, unlawful restraint, strangulation, concealing the death of a...
How redistricting could alter control of the Legislature — and other changes to watch on Election Day
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — It’s showtime for Pennsylvania’s brand-new legislative districts. The revamped state House and Senate lines were approved by a commission...
Argo AI, a Pittsburgh driverless car pioneer, goes out of business
One of Pittsburgh’s autonomous vehicle companies announced Wednesday that it is shutting down. It’s unclear how many Pittsburgh workers will be laid off, as some Argo AI employees at the Strip District-based company will be absorbed into two of Argo’s investors: Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG. In addition to...
GOP lawmakers introduce resolution to impeach Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner
Pennsylvania House Republican lawmakers announced on Wednesday their intention to file articles of impeachment against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who they say has “tipped the scales of justice in favor of criminals.” The announcement came two days after a Select Committee on Restoring Law and Order issued a second...
Pa. Supreme Court hears arguments on Medicaid funding for abortion
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments over the state Medicaid program’s coverage ban on abortion. Under the 1982 Abortion Control Act, passed by the Pennsylvania legislature, Medicaid prohibits reimbursement for abortions in all instances other than to prevent the death of the woman or in the case of...
Herschel Walker faces abortion allegation from 2nd accuserVideo
LOS ANGELES — A woman came forward Wednesday to accuse Herschel Walker, the anti-abortion Republican running for U.S. Senate in Georgia, of encouraging and paying for her 1993 abortion — an accusation that came just weeks after a former girlfriend said he did the same for her in 2009. Walker’s...
South Carolina judge: Mark Meadows must testify before Georgia grand juryVideo
PICKENS, S.C. — A South Carolina judge ruled Wednesday that former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows must testify before the Fulton County special grand jury investigating attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election. Following a 45-minute hearing in this small city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains,...
Takeaways from Pa.’s highly anticipated U.S. Senate debate between Oz, Fetterman
Tuesday night’s U.S. Senate debate between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz figures to be remembered mostly for how one candidate spoke instead of what either candidate said. The hourlong debate at the WHTM-TV studio in Harrisburg covered key issues such as inflation, fracking, minimum wage, abortion, international...
Man convicted of killing 6 with SUV in Wisconsin Christmas parade
MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin man was convicted Wednesday of killing six people and injuring dozens of others when he drove his SUV through a Christmas parade, wrapping up a trial in which he defended himself with bizarre legal theories and erratic outbursts. It took the jury a little over...
Pa. fisherman pleads not guilty to charges in tournament scandal
CLEVELAND — Two men accused of stuffing five walleye with lead weights and fish fillets during a lucrative fishing tournament on Lake Erie pleaded not guilty to cheating and other charges on Wednesday. Jacob Runyan, 42, of Broadview Heights, Ohio, and Chase Cominsky, 35, of Hermitage, Mercer County, made no...
Fetterman’s health takes center stage at debate with Oz
All eyes on Pennsylvania on Tuesday night seemed to focus on the U.S. Senate debate between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz. Most of the attention focused on Fetterman’s health. “The two candidates differed sharply on multiple issues during the debate, held in a Harrisburg television studio. But...
Remember When: Johnetta was once a thriving town in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Western Pennsylvania has a number of ghost towns that thrived during the Industrial Age. In some cases, not a trace of the towns exist. One example in the Alle-Kiski Valley is Johnetta, a town once located along the Allegheny River north of Gilpin Township’s Schenley section. Johnetta got its start...
Kia recalls SUVs again for risk of engine fire
Kia is telling owners of nearly 72,000 older Sportage small SUVs in the U.S. to park them outdoors and away from structures after getting reports of more engine fires. It’s the second time that Sportages from the 2008 and 2009 model years have been recalled due to fire risks that...
Bicyclist injured in crash with school bus in Richland
A bicylist who was injured after being struck by a school bus in the North Hills has been upgraded to stable condition at an area hospital, police said. The 29-year-old man, who police did not name, was riding southbound on Route 8 in Richland around midnight Tuesday when he was...
Tim Benz: Steelers need to get over fear of change at offensive coordinator
During his weekly Tuesday press conference, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was reminded that a few weeks ago he said he would be open to changes — if he felt like those changes would yield better results. Now that the team has sunk to 2-5 and the offense is struggling...
18-year-old fatally shot in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood
An 18-year-old man died Tuesday after he was shot, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. At around 6:45 a.m., first responders found Omar McCord Jr. unresponsive in the area of Ionic Way and Millbrae Way in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood. Medics pronounced McCord dead at the scene. Police...
