Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 893
Historic Herbst House in Sewickley may be coming down
The Herbst House, a former Catholic school, convent and private residence along Broad Street in Sewickley, may soon be demolished after standing for more than 137 years. Divine Redeemer Parish officials want to raze the property in the historic district due to safety concerns. The parish includes St. James Church...
Is Twitter down? Service appears to return after outage
Twitter appears to be returning for some users after experiencing an hourlong outage that affected both its app and website on Thursday. Individuals attempting to use the social media platform were met with a message saying “Tweets aren’t loading right now. Try again.” According to Downdetector, users began reporting the...
Pittsburgh City Council tweaks redistricted maps as finalization nears
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday amended redistricted council maps so that the Polish Hill and Bon Air neighborhoods would remain in their existing districts. The nine-member Reapportionment Advisory Committee — formed in late September — drew up a proposed map based on the 2020 census. Their map aimed to ensure...
1 dead in Hill District shooting
A shooting left one man dead early Thursday in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, authorities said. A passerby initially believed the man, who was in the driver’s seat of a vehicle near Fifth Avenue and Vine Street in Crawford-Roberts, was overdosing. The passerby administered the overdose-reversal drug Narcan and called 911 shortly...
U.S. regulators OK new covid-19 shot option from Novavax
The United States is getting another covid-19 vaccine choice as the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday cleared Novavax shots for adults. Novavax makes a more traditional type of shot than the three other covid-19 vaccines available for use in the U.S. — and one that’s already available in Europe...
Pittsburgh cocaine dealer sentenced to 15 years in prison
A former Pittsburgh man who distributed at least five kilograms of cocaine to drug dealers who sold it lower-level dealers and users over almost three years was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in a federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh said. Cadee Akins Sr., 50, formerly of the...
Kiski Township supervisors hire 2 part-time officers as officials rebuild force after resignations
Kiski Township residents left without 24/7 police coverage for the last week amid widespread police resignations soon will see police coverage restored to normal staffing. The township supervisors voted to hire two part-time police officers, pending a vetting process, during Wednesday’s meeting. Zachary Byers and Daniel Clark were hired by...
West Nile virus found in mosquitoes in Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg; no cases reported in humans
The Allegheny County Health Department has confirmed that mosquitoes found July 6 in Point Breeze, the North Side, and Wilkinsburg carried the West Nile virus. West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States. There is no vaccine or medication to combat it. Though there...
Southwest Virginia flooding damages homes, prompts rescuesVideo
WHITEWOOD, Va. — Flooding in a remote pocket of southwest Virginia has damaged more than 100 homes and left some 40 people unaccounted for, but there are no confirmed deaths or injuries, authorities said Wednesday. First responders in Buchanan County began receiving reports of rising water and damage Tuesday night,...
Witness tampering at Jan. 6 hearing? Rep. Liz Cheney raises prospectVideo
WASHINGTON — In the latest Jan. 6 hearing, already standing out for its notable moments, Rep. Liz Cheney saved the most startling for last. In her closing remarks, the co-chair of the House investigating committee said the panel had learned that former President Donald Trump had recently tried to contact...
Greensburg Hempfield Area Library weighs funding options amid revenue uncertainty
Greensburg Hempfield Area Library is expecting a funding boost under the recently passed Pennsylvania budget, which includes an $11 million increase for public libraries across the state. Although the amount has yet to be determined, it will be a welcome hike for the library at a time when it has...
Democrats planning rallies in Harrison, Arnold in response to overturning Roe v. Wade
Motivated by the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Democrats will be rallying in Harrison and Arnold over the next two days. • A picnic-style family event is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Wake Robin pavilion in Harrison Hills Park. • A “Vote...
Federal prosecutor: Pa. dentist confessed to wife’s safari death
DENVER — A wealthy Western Pennsylvania dentist killed his wife of 34 years with a shotgun blast at dawn on a remote African safari in 2016, collected nearly $5 million in insurance proceeds and later blurted out to his longtime lover that “I killed my (expletive) wife for you!,” a...
Amazon handed Ring footage to police without user consent
Amazon has provided Ring doorbell footage to law enforcement 11 times this year without the user’s permission, a revelation that’s bound to raise more privacy and civil liberty concerns about its video-sharing agreements with police departments across the country. The disclosure came in a letter from the company that was...
A ‘blockbuster’ movie about Doug Mastriano is ready to premiere — if a theater will show it
PHILADELPHIA — It’s been billed as a summer “blockbuster,” a hagiographic documentary about State Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor in Pennsylvania, that is set to premiere Saturday. But filmmaker Steve Turley’s red-carpet rollout for “The Return of the American Patriot” has stumbled twice in the last week,...
Target opens in Downtown Pittsburgh
Sharon Stritmatter heard rumors the Downtown Pittsburgh Target was open several days ahead of schedule. She stopped by Wednesday afternoon during her lunch break for confirmation. After buying a drink and a jumper, she said she would be visiting the store often because of its convenient location near her office....
Arnold police officer accused of lying about hit-and-run damaging patrol car
An Arnold police officer is accused of lying about his patrol vehicle being damaged in a hit-and-run and staging a scene at a convenience store parking lot. The officer, Ryan Matthew Clark, 32, of Buffalo Township, is suspended without pay, Mayor Joe Bia said Wednesday. The Westmoreland County Detective Bureau...
Man charged with rape of girl, 10, who traveled for abortion
COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio man has been charged with raping a 10-year-old girl whose case drew national attention following a doctor’s comments that the child had to travel to Indiana for an abortion, an account that had led some prominent Republicans — including Ohio’s attorney general and a congressman...
Pittsburgh could spend $1.95 million to repair 30th Street Bridge
Pittsburgh City Council is looking to contract a local construction company to repair the 30th Street Bridge for $1.95 million. The 30th Street Bridge, which connects Herr’s Island and River Avenue, is one of several city bridges in need of repairs and improvements. On Wednesday, council advanced a measure that...
Police: Pittsburgh man stole Allegheny County maintenance truck, crashed into pole
A Bloomfield man stole a leaf blower and a maintenance truck with 50 road cones in its bed from an Allegheny County Public Works garage and crashed it into a pole the next morning, according to police. Gregory Galvez, 47, is charged with theft, receiving stolen property, moving violations and...
Educator aiming for ‘Ivy League feel’ at new private school in Arnold
A new private, nonprofit middle school will have an “Ivy League” feel when it opens in Arnold in the fall of 2025, its backers say. Matt DeHart, a South Carolina teacher and founder of the Teach from DeHart Foundation, shared conceptual designs for Teach from DeHart Academy with Arnold Council...
Fitzgerald defends decision to veto Allegheny County parks fracking ban bill
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald called a news conference Wednesday to further explain his decision to veto a bill to prohibit new natural-gas leases in county parks. Fitzgerald and said that the language in the bill is unfairly critical of all fracking companies. He said not all fracking companies are...
Underage curfew violators could face $1,000 penalty in Jeannette
Child scofflaws of Jeannette’s 11 p.m. curfew will be facing hefty penalties of up to $1,000 under a revamped proposed ordinance. Police have been having issues with children out late at night and Chief Donald Johnston and Mayor Curtis Antoniak said the update is needed to address the problem. The...
U.S. inflation surges again in June, raising risks for economy
WASHINGTON — U.S. inflation surged to a new four-decade high in June because of rising prices for gas, food and rent, squeezing household budgets and pressuring the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates aggressively — trends that raise the risk of a recession. The government’s consumer price index soared 9.1%...
Foxtail, Skybar temporarily close, citing South Side’s ‘problematic’ customer base
Foxtail and Skybar on Pittsburgh’s South Side have shut down indefinitely, days after a video began circulating of a lewd act that allegedly took place at a private pool party at the venue. Owners did not address the video and did not return requests for comment but noted in a...
