Top Stories category, Page 864
Charges withdrawn against man suspected in Unity woman’s disappearance
Criminal charges in three unrelated cases were dismissed against a man authorities have labeled a “person of interest” in a Unity woman’s disappearance. Charges of attempted burglary, forgery and tampering with evidence stemming from arrests in 2018 and 2019 were withdrawn against Thomas Stanko, 52, of Unity this month. Those...
Woman pleads guilty to running down, killing man she had been dating
A woman accused of running down a man she had been dating with a car in Homewood last year pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree murder. Ausha Dakisha Brown, 27, will be sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Elliot Howsie on Nov. 28 and remains in custody. There is no...
Josh Shapiro breaks with Democrats on covid policies in governor’s race
HARRISBURG — As attorney general, Josh Shapiro went to court repeatedly to defend Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration against legal challenges to his pandemic-era mandates and shutdowns. Now, as he’s running to succeed Wolf as governor, Shapiro says he is against some of the same covid-19 containment measures that his...
Man pleads guilty to fatal shooting outside Kennedy bowling alley
A Spring Hill man pleaded guilty on Monday to killing a woman outside a Kennedy Township bowling alley last year. Malik Smith, 20, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and a single firearms count before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jennifer Satler. He will be sentenced on Oct. 26. There is...
Pittsburgh Police investigate string of business break-ins in Shadyside, Lawrenceville
Pittsburgh Police are investigating whether a string of business break-ins over the weekend in Lawrenceville are related to several similar incidents days earlier in Shadyside. The rash of burglaries began overnight Thursday into Friday, according to police. Two businesses on South Aiken Avenue were broken into and had goods taken...
Canonsburg couple who fled after infant’s death face homicide charges
Two Canonsburg parents that went on the run after their infant daughter died suddenly earlier this month will face homicide charges in connection with her death, according to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office. The charges were announced Monday against Shannon McKnight, 23, and James May, 31. The couple’s 3-month-old...
Rioter who encountered senator gets over 4 years in prisonVideo
A Maryland man affiliated with the far-right Proud Boys extremist group was sentenced on Monday to more than four years in prison for storming the U.S. Capitol, where he encountered Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer as his armed security detail led the New York Democrat to safety. Joshua Pruitt, 40,...
Police: Man injured in Hempfield road rage incident
A man was hurt Friday after a witness said he tried to stop a motorist from leaving what was described as a road rage incident in a Hempfield shopping plaza, according to court papers. State police made an arrest within 20 minutes after finding the suspect in Hempfield Plaza along...
Surprise: Pa. borrowers may end up paying state taxes on forgiven student loans
Residents of Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia and 10 other states could end up with a surprise tax hit of hundreds of dollars next year on forgiven student loans. President Joe Biden’s announcement that the government would forgive some student debt for individuals earning less than $125,000 was welcome news to...
Gov. Wolf proposes $2K checks for some Pa. residents to help fight inflation
Gov. Tom Wolf and Democrats are hoping to help low- to middle-income Pennsylvanians as inflation has still led to increased costs of gas, groceries, and other goods over the last two years. Wolf visited Sharpsburg on Monday to campaign for his program to provide Pennsylvanians who make $80,000 or less...
2 injured in Ross crash involving motorcycle
A crash involving a motorcycle in Ross sent two people to the hospital late Monday morning, according to a 911 dispatcher. The crash, which involved a motorcycle and at least one vehicle, happened just before 11:30 a.m. on Route 19 near Trion Road. The dispatcher said two people were transported...
Deputy halts courtroom attack before guilty plea in Monroeville Mall shooting
Before a courtroom attack disrupted a Monday plea hearing, the grief between the two mothers was palpable. One woman desperately wanted the other to know her son did not intend to kill anyone. The other woman tried to forgive the young man who took her own son’s life in the...
Dr. Oz to host town hall in Monroeville
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Pennsylvania Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, is hosting a town hall event in Monroeville tonight. Called the “Dose of Reality Town Hall,” Oz will be at Premier Automation in Monroeville. The event is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Oz, a celebrity heart surgeon, is running...
East Huntingdon woman accused of $13,500 theft from Greensburg YWCA thrift shop
An East Huntingdon woman is accused of taking $13,500 from the YWCA Thrift Shop in Greensburg while she worked there, according to court papers. Amy S. Yemc-Gera, 53, was in charge of making nightly deposits, police said. She is charged with theft and receiving stolen property. An accountant for the...
Unity man helps police nab suspect in ‘grandparent scam’
A New Jersey man is being held without bail after state police said they thwarted a “grandparent scam” Friday that sought to get $9,500 from a Unity man, according to court papers. A suspicious phone call was reported to troopers Thursday morning after a caller who identified himself as “Aaron...
U.S. says it’s reviewed documents seized in Mar-a-Lago search
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has completed its review of potentially privileged documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate this month and has identified “a limited set of materials that potentially contain attorney-client privileged information,” according to a court filing Monday. The filing from the department follows a...
President Biden to visit Pittsburgh
President Joe Biden is planning a Labor Day trip to Pittsburgh, the White House announced. The location wasn’t specified, but in a statement, the White House on Monday said Biden “will deliver remarks to celebrate Labor Day and the dignity of American workers.” Biden will also travel to Milwaukee that...
Gas prices fall for 11th week; some Pa. counties reach $4 mark
Average gas prices in a few Northeastern Pennsylvania counties have fallen to or just below $4 per gallon as the streak of dropping gas prices marks its 11th week. The average price in Pennsylvania is now about $4.14, down 8 cents from last week and 35 cents from a month...
Police: Man in serious but stable condition after Strip District crash
A man is in serious but stable condition after a crash early Monday morning in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, officials said. Crews responded to Liberty Avenue at 25th Street around 3 a.m. after reports that a vehicle had crashed into a pole, said Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz. The driver...
Point Park program allows those with other degrees to pursue teaching career
Over the course of Craig Johnston’s 20-year engineering career, the thought of becoming a teacher often crossed his mind. But it wasn’t until 2020 — months before the covid-19 pandemic would shut down most aspects of day-to-day life — that Johnston took the leap. In January of that year, Johnston...
Freeport alum killed in Armstrong County burn barrel explosion
An Alle-Kiski Valley native died in Armstrong County last week when something inside a burn barrel he was using exploded. Mark Liti, 48, was struck by debris in the explosion Tuesday and later died at ACMH Hospital. “He was a great family guy,” his brother, Chris Liti, told Tribune-Review news...
Re-creation of medieval times delights fans of Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival
Vendors peddled wares of the times as food on sticks and other delicacies wafted past dueling matches, singalongs and a jousting tournament Sunday at the annual Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival in South Huntingdon. Scott Walton of Blairsville was among the dozens of actors and performers draped in medieval garb for the...
The Philadelphia Police Department is short 1,300 officers. Here’s why the situation is about to get worse
The Philadelphia Police Department has faced a critical shortage of officers for months — one that’s all but certain to get worse as hundreds more cops plan to leave. With the police force already operating about 20% below its target staffing level, more than 800 officers and civilian employees have...
In-state Pitt students to receive grants from Pa. covid-19 relief money
The University of Pittsburgh will use all of its state covid-19 relief money to provide grants for its in-state students. About 20,000 students will benefit from the $7.5 million one-time state allocation granted to Pitt by Gov. Tom Wolf’s office, according to the university. Wolf quietly granted $40 million in...
NASA scrubs launch of new moon rocket test flight because of fuel leaksVideo
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Fuel leaks forced NASA to scrub the launch of its new moon rocket on a no-crew test flight on Monday. The next launch attempt will not take place until Friday at the earliest. The 322-foot Space Launch System rocket was set to lift off Monday morning...
