Top Stories category, Page 878
McKees Rocks woman accused in infant’s overdose faces more charges
A McKees Rocks grandmother already on the run after her infant grandson allegedly overdosed under her care faces additional charges after two more children for whom she cared tested positive for drugs, according to police. Robbie Boyer, 47, remains wanted in connection with a July 31 incident in which her...
Critics call water quality bill moving through Pa. legislature a back door to privatization
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 — Pennsylvania lawmakers are weighing legislation that would make it easier for private water companies to target municipal authorities for...
7 cars damaged after Jeep rolls in Downtown Pittsburgh crash
A man who ran a red light Friday morning in Downtown Pittsburgh could face charges after the collision ended with seven damaged vehicles, according to police. Authorities said the man, who police did not name, was driving a black Jeep when he ran a red light at Cherry Way and...
CDC: Allegheny, Westmoreland counties move to ‘high’ covid-19 level
Rising cases and hospitalizations pushed Allegheny and Westmoreland counties into the “high” covid-19 community level, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which set standards for defining the amount of the virus within a community. Allegheny County, which recorded nearly 2,700 additional infections over the past week, was...
U.S. employers added 528,000 jobs; unemployment falls to 3.5%
WASHINGTON — America’s hiring boom continued last month as employers added a surprising 528,000 jobs despite raging inflation and rising anxiety about a recession. July’s hiring was up from 398,000 in June. The unemployment rate slipped to 3.5%. The U.S. economy shrank in the first two quarters of 2022 —...
Penn Township man accused of killing father, aunt, now accused of attacking jail guard
A Penn Township man accused of killing his father and aunt was arraigned Thursday on police accusations that he attacked a guard at the Westmoreland County Prison, according to court papers. Neal M. Hubish, 42, is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and institutional vandalism. Westmoreland County detectives said Hubish...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Aug. 5-7
There’s still plenty of summer left to enjoy. Here are five things to do around the Pittsburgh area this weekend. Now you see it … Liberty Magic is putting the “Spotlight on the ‘Burgh” this weekend, with three shows featuring master magicians who call Pittsburgh home. Mr. Messado, Michael Misko,...
Fire breaks out in heart of Strip District at building housing new brewery
A brewery set to open soon in Pittsburgh’s Strip District neighborhood sustained a fire early Friday morning. Just after midnight on Friday, a passerby noticed smoke coming out of Bonafide Beer Co. at 21st Street between Penn Avenue and Smallman Street, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. The passerby called...
How Pennsylvania’s new minimum wage regulations will impact workers
For the first time in 45 years, Pennsylvania workers woke up to updated Minimum Wage Act regulations Friday morning. The new state regulations revise how employers pay tipped employees and process noncash tips, among other changes. They also align Pennsylvania regulations with federal ones. These regulations were proposed by Gov....
Democrats say they’ve reached agreement on economic package
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats have reached an accord on eleventh-hour changes to their top-priority economic legislation, they announced late Thursday, clearing their major hurdle to moving the measure through the chamber in coming days. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., a centrist who was seen as the pivotal vote, said in a...
Pittsburgh police: Woman in critical condition after being struck by vehicle
A woman was hospitalized after being struck by a vehicle on Thursday afternoon in Pittsburgh. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said police were dispatched shortly after 4 p.m. for the incident near the intersection of Ward Street and Boulevard of the Allies. Cruz said a woman, believed to be in...
Police: 2 teens shot in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood
Two young women were rushed to a local hospital, one in critical condition, after being shot late Thursday morning in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood. Public Safety spokeswoman Amanda Mueller said officers were dispatched at 11:17 a.m. to the intersection of Brushton Avenue and Stranahan Street for reports of two people shot....
Pittsburgh-area lawyers call legal blunder in Alex Jones trial a ‘breathtaking set of multiple catastrophes’
For a trial attorney, it was the stuff of dreams. On Wednesday, as cross-examination was underway in the defamation case against Infowars’ Alex Jones, the attorney representing the parents of a 6-year-old boy killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., caught Jones in a lie....
Mike Tomlin ready for Friday Night Lights to return to Steelers practice routine
After a two-year absence, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice billed as Friday Night Lights returns to Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium. Coach Mike Tomlin is looking forward to introducing his team’s younger players to the experience. The event is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., and 15,000 fans are expected to attend. “I...
Valley High School music teacher pleads guilty to sexting students
A former music teacher at Valley High School in New Kensington was ordered to serve nine months on house arrest and five years on probation for sending sexually-themed text messages to two students. Sean Timothy O’Neil, 35, of North Apollo, pleaded guilty in two related cases on Thursday in which...
Alex Jones ordered to pay Sandy Hook parents more than $4M
AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas jury on Thursday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay more than $4 million in compensatory damages to the parents of a 6-year-old boy who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, marking the first time the Infowars host has been held financially...
4th county adds to ballot dispute as candidate sues to quit
HARRISBURG — A judge deciding if three Pennsylvania counties have to certify May primary vote counts including ballots lacking dates on their return envelopes learned this week that a fourth county is in the same situation — and there may be more. The legal dispute has held up certification of...
U.S. declares public health emergency over monkeypox outbreak
WASHINGTON — The federal government declared a public health emergency Thursday to bolster the response to the monkeypox outbreak that has infected more than 6,600 Americans. The announcement will free up money and other resources to fight the virus, which may cause fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and pimple-like bumps...
Penn State did not prove its legal standing to have public court filing sealed, experts say
This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service journalism for Pennsylvania. Sign up for our regional newsletter, Talk of the Town. STATE COLLEGE — Penn State did not prove it had legal standing to request the...
Bloomfield man charged in connection with deadly drug overdoses
A Bloomfield man faces charges after police said he sold fentanyl-laced cocaine to three people who died of overdoses last summer. James Hamlett, 43, was taken to Allegheny County Jail after being denied bail Thursday, with District Judge Eileen Conroy calling him a “threat to the community” in court records....
Pa. congressional members lobby Secretary of State to help Oakmont teacher in Russian prison
Eleven members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation on Wednesday sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to include an Oakmont teacher being detained in Russia for possessing medical marijuana in any possible prisoner exchange. “Although he may not carry the notoriety of a celebrity WNBA athlete,...
Winning $207M Powerball ticket sold at New Stanton Sheetz store
A winning Powerball ticket worth $206.9 million was sold in New Stanton, lottery officials said, marking the first time since 2018 a jackpot was won in Pennsylvania. The ticket was sold at the Sheetz on North Center Avenue. The store will receive a $100,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket....
North Huntingdon’s Aubrey Burchell moves on to ‘America’s Got Talent’ live showsVideo
North Huntingdon singer Aubrey Burchell is among the 54 acts that are moving on to the live shows on “America’s Got Talent” on NBC. Burchell, 21, will compete in the next round. Next week the show will begin to air twice a week, from 8 to 10 p.m. Tuesday and...
New officer, police secretary hired in Kiski Township
Kiski Township continued rebuilding its police department by hiring a new part-time officer and a police secretary. Supervisors approved hiring Anthony Mangee as a part-time officer at a starting rate of $21.25 per hour. Also hired was Bethany Allera to serve as a police clerk two days per week. The...
Employee shortage shutters Prantl’s Bakery stores in North Huntingdon, Squirrel Hill
Prantl’s Bakery is temporarily closing its North Huntingdon and Squirrel Hill stores starting next week because of a lack of employees, owner Joe Cugliari said. He said a store needs about 10 employees to function properly. “We were operating with four,” he said. It’s a problem many businesses have been...
