Top Stories category, Page 869
Changing agricultural landscape leaves fewer farmers to work larger farms
When Ralph Myers, 85, looks at the farming operations around him, the difference is stark compared to three decades ago. “In 1995, there were about 195 dairy farmers in Armstrong County,” said Myers, a fourth-generation farmer from Gilpin and patriarch at Myers Pickle Farm, which dates to 1866. “Today, there...
Low-interest loans available to Aug. 5 Western Pa. flood victims
Residents and business owners in nine Western Pennsylvania counties whose property was damaged by the Aug. 5 flood can apply for low-interest loans through the federal government, the state said Friday. Flood victims in Westmoreland, Fayette, Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Cambria counties are eligible for the loans...
Doug Mastriano, Florida’s Ron DeSantis focus on crime, pandemic closures at Pittsburgh rally
Over one thousand people attended a rally in Downtown Pittsburgh on Friday evening where Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized Democrats over rising crime rates and boasted about Republicans’ record for keeping schools open during the pandemic. DeSantis, who has been floated as a potential...
Police say Pittsburgh man was selling drugs out of New Kensington house, nearly 2 ounces of crack confiscated
A Pittsburgh man was arrested Friday morning on felony charges after a drug task force raided a house in New Kensington and found him in possession of close to 2 ounces of crack cocaine and other evidence of drug dealing, according to authorities. Jordan Edwin James, 30, of the 3400...
Former Shondell Mike Vale’s Crystal Blue Band to hold final concert Saturday in Latrobe
Mike Vale can vividly recall the details of the night his life changed dramatically in January 1966. He and his band, The Raconteurs (not to be confused with the modern Jack White-affiliated band), were playing at the Thunderbird Lounge in Greensburg. “Who, of all people, walks into the Thunderbird Lounge...
Driver’s license scanners could help reduce problems on Pittsburgh’s South Side, DA says
Bars on Pittsburgh’s South Side could start checking patrons’ driver’s licenses — not just to make sure they’re old enough to drink, but also to see if they’ve caused problems at other bars in the neighborhood. In a meeting with South Side bar owners Tuesday, District Attorney Stephen Zappala said...
Gatto Harley-Davidson moving from Tarentum; watersports, bike sales will remain
A cycle shop that has grown to become a Tarentum institution since opening in 1964 will move part of its operations from the borough. Gatto Cycle Shop announced it will close its Harley-Davidson dealership along East Sixth Avenue. It will merge it with a shop along Glenn Avenue in Shaler,...
Hempfield Area hopes first 49 queens will join 50th at homecoming ceremony this fall
When Renee Lytwak walked onto Hempfield Area High School’s football field in the fall of 1973, she never expected to leave it adorned with a crown and bouquet of flowers. That day, Lytwak — then a high school senior dressed in a floor-length red gown trimmed with white lace —...
Pittsburgh woman bitten by shark at Myrtle Beach; she’s one of 2 victims
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Two swimmers survived being bitten by sharks this week at South Carolina’s most popular beach. Both people were attacked in Myrtle Beach on Monday with one suffering a serious injury to the forearm and the second a more glancing bite to the leg, police told media...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Aug. 19-21
From racing to runways to reggae, there’s something for everyone to do this weekend in the Pittsburgh area. Moto madness MotoAmerica Superbikes at Pittsburgh is planned for 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday at Pittsburgh International Race Complex at 201 Penndale Road, Wampum, Lawrence County....
Woman whose body was recovered from river near Mon Wharf is identified
Authorities have identified a woman pulled from the Monongahela River near Downtown Pittsburgh on Thursday. Gloria Anderson, 38, of Pittsburgh, was pronounced dead at the scene around 9:45 a.m. Pittsburgh police and River Rescue responded to the river near the Mon Wharf for a report of a body in the...
Lori Falce: Veggie trays or crudite? The battle for Pa. votes
Who could have predicted that carrots and broccoli would have such an impact on politics? Every day at parties, barbecues and receptions of all kinds, platters of produce are being ignored in favor of chips, cookies, pizza and tiny little sandwiches with the crusts cut off. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania is taking...
How to make the transition back to school a smooth one
There’s nothing quite like new school year excitement — unless you’re overwhelmed by all of the back-to-school prepping and hype. Whether it’s being on time, dealing with first-day nerves or making sure your student has a happy return to class, area educators, parents and school officials share their tried-and-true back-to-school...
Duquesne man found shot inside vehicle in McKeesport dies
Authorities have identified a man who died after being found shot late Thursday in McKeesport. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said the victim is Maricco Randolph, 32, of Duquesne. Officers responded just before 10 p.m. to the 600 block of Versailles Avenue, where they found multiple shell casings. A...
1 man dead, another seriously wounded in McKees Rocks shootings
One man was fatally shot and man was seriously wounded in McKees Rocks late Thursday night, according to Allegheny County Police. A 50-year-old man died at the scene of the shooting that occurred around 8:30 p.m. in what police called “the 18 block” of Saint John Street. The Allegheny County...
Fire destroys East Huntingdon mobile home, 2 displaced
An East Huntingdon man and his home health aide escaped unharmed from a fire Thursday afternoon that destroyed the residence he shared with his son. The fire, which was reported at 12:30 p.m., gutted two bedrooms and a bathroom in one end of the mobile home of John Thomas of...
Mercer County man to remain in custody pending trial, accused of threatening FBI agents on Gab
Hours before a Mercer County man was arrested for threatening FBI agents on the alt-right social media platform Gab, authorities say he sent similar text messages to his girlfriend in which he said he hoped that the children of the agents he wanted to kill would become parentless. Those messages...
Raising Cane’s will open first Pittsburgh location in South Fayette
The popular and super-specialized fried chicken chain restaurant Raising Cane’s has finally found a location for its first Pittsburgh restaurant. Nine months after revealing its plans to open its first restaurants in Pennsylvania in 2022, Raising Cane’s has announced it will be moving into The Piazza in South Fayette. The...
New Kensington police say man risked burning his own apartment building
New Kensington police say a man told officers he wanted to burn an apartment building he lives in with his family and others. Mark Douglas Daniels Jr., 33, of 740 Seventh St. was arraigned Thursday, Aug. 18 on a felony charge of arson before District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr....
Man bought body parts on Facebook, central Pennsylvania police say
A Pennsylvania man has been charged with abuse of a corpse, receiving stolen property and other charges after police say he allegedly tried to buy stolen human remains from an Arkansas woman for possible resale on Facebook. A spokeswoman for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock...
Westmoreland County receives first payment of opioid settlement
Westmoreland County and its 11 largest municipalities will split nearly $3 million this year as part of the first installments paid out from a $26 billion national settlement of a federal lawsuit with drug manufacturers implicated in the opioid epidemic. Commissioners on Thursday approved a resolution to receive the county’s...
Pa. lawmakers weigh bills that would allow independents to vote on primary candidates
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 — Former elected officials and government experts told a panel of state lawmakers that Pennsylvania’s primary system should be opened...
Authorities identify man pulled from Allegheny River
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office on Thursday identified a man found dead in the Allegheny River earlier this week. Dwayne Fletcher, 39, of Braddock, was pronounced dead around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. Pittsburgh police responded to the North Shore near Art Rooney Drive around 7 a.m. for a report of...
Judge appears willing to unveil some of Mar-a-Lago affidavit
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Justice Department to put forward proposed redactions as he committed to making public at least part of the affidavit supporting the search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s estate in Florida. U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart gave prosecutors...
Man accused of calling in bomb threat to Allegheny County Courthouse ‘didn’t want to go to court’
A man who didn’t want to face a judge for a probation violation hearing Monday instead called in a bomb threat, forcing hundreds to evacuate the courthouse as authorities conducted a meticulous, 90-minute sweep of the building. Brandon Hipps, 21, who is homeless, now faces a litany of charges that,...
