Megan Guza stories, Page 14
New Kensington holiday parade brings community together once againVideo
Hundreds of people packed the sunshine-lit streets of downtown New Kensington on Saturday for the return of the city’s holiday parade. It was a bigger turnout than pre-pandemic years, according to Carol Grunden. “I think people are just tired of being confined,” she said. The covid-19 pandemic forced the cancellation...
Fired Harrison man highlights tension over vaccine exemption requests
The battle over covid-19 vaccine mandates has pulled religion into the spotlight as experts say more people than ever claim vaccines conflict with their religious beliefs, an assertion employers must try to evaluate amid a deep vaccination divide. Shane Chesher, 34, of Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood, was among a number of...
Pittsburgh police say they’ll have ‘zero tolerance’ for unruly fan behavior as Pitt goes for ACC title
Authorities in Pittsburgh are preparing for increased crowds and possible ruckus Saturday as the Pitt Panthers take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in North Carolina in the ACC Championship. Pittsburgh police officials said they’re expecting large crowds both in Oakland and on East Carson Street in the city’s South...
Allegheny Health Network moves forward with vaccination requirement; UPMC, Excela await court ruling
Leaders with UPMC and Excela Health said Thursday they will back off of covid-19 vaccine requirements while the federal mandates are challenged in court, though Allegheny Health Network’s top doctor said the health system’s Jan. 4 vaccine deadline remains firm. Separate federal mandates affecting both health care workers and workers...
Police: McKeesport man knew his brakes didn’t work before fatal July crash
Police say that a McKeesport man knew his 2003 Yukon had no brakes and was unsafe to drive when he left ACS Auto Repair on July 3, but he drove off anyway and crashed about a mile away, killing his female passenger. Eric Oliver, 47, faces a slew of charges...
Allegheny County police searching for man accused in McKees Rocks homicide
Allegheny County police on Wednesday filed homicide charges in connection with the midday killing of a man in McKees Rocks last month, authorities said. David Goodwine, 29, of McKees Rocks, faces homicide and firearms charges for the alleged shooting of 35-year-old Brian Irby on Oct. 7. Irby, also of McKees...
Pittsburgh police officer charged with DUI and rear-ending car driven by WPXI reporter
A Pittsburgh police officer is on unpaid administrative leave after he was charged with rear-ending a car while intoxicated in Plum earlier this month. The driver of the car he hit, according to police, is WPXI-TV reporter Amy Hudak. Tariq Jamal-Francis is charged with driving under the influence, endangering the...
Health official: Breakthrough cases make up 38% of Allegheny County’s cases
Vaccinated residents made up about 38% of Allegheny County’s roughly 20,000 covid-19 cases in October and November, a health official said Wednesday. That’s around 7,700 cases among the vaccinated, said Dr. LuAnn Brink, chief epidemiologist for the county health department. Brink filled in for Dr. Debra Bogen, the county’s health...
Homicide charges filed in deadly Baldwin bar fight
A man’s death following a bar fight at the Loose Moose Saloon in Baldwin earlier this year has been ruled a homicide, and the Peters man accused of punching him is charged with homicide. Zachary Blake, 22, is charged with homicide in connection with the July death of Mark Thompson,...
Pittsburgh police give away gun locks after accidental shootings involving kidsVideo
Pittsburgh police are offering free gun locks in an effort to combat accidental shootings after two children were killed in separate incidents on Monday. The gun locks are available at the six zone stations as well as police headquarters on the city’s North Side. “Taking five to 10 minutes to...
Woman injured jumping from burning Pittsburgh home
A woman was injured Tuesday when she jumped from a burning home in Pittsburgh’s Elliott neighborhood, authorities said. Neighbors reported the one-alarm fire around 11 a.m. at a home near Werder and Herrod streets. A woman jumped from the roof of the two-story home, authorities said. She was taken to...
Police: 5-year-old shot and killed by 6-year-old sibling in Penn Hills
A 6-year-old shot and killed a 5-year-old sibling Monday night in Penn Hills, according to police Chief Howard Burton. The medical examiner’s office identified the boy as Connor Wolfe. The incident happened about 5:30 p.m. at a home on Prescott Drive, Burton said. The 5-year-old was taken to UPMC Children’s...
Teen claimed fatal shooting of Gateway student in Pittsburgh was accidental
The weekend shooting that left one teenager dead and another facing homicide charges could have been accidental, according to charges filed by Pittsburgh police. Aliah Johnson, 17, a Gateway High School student, was pronounced dead Saturday night at a home in the city’s Point Breeze North neighborhood. A criminal complaint...
Teen wanted in fatal McKeesport stabbing arrested in Oakmont
A 15-year-old boy wanted for the fatal stabbing of another teen in McKeesport was arrested in Oakmont on Monday, according to police. Damian Baverso is charged with homicide and making terroristic threats in connection with the Friday killing of 19-year-old Kai Brown. He was taken into custody by Oakmont police,...
Police: 4-year-old dies in accidental shooting in Pittsburgh
A 4-year-old boy died Monday in Pittsburgh from a gunshot wound that police say was likely self-inflicted. “Everything points to that,” said Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the child as Ajene Lane. The incident happened around 8:15 a.m. at a home on North...
Pittsburgh zoo officials say African elephant calf stabilizing as recovery continues
An elephant calf born at the Pittsburgh zoo’s International Conservation Center in Somerset County over the summer is showing signs of improvement after health issues left her in dire condition. The African elephant calf, born in July, had developed several “serious medical conditions” by September, according to officials at Pittsburgh...
Missing Penn State student found dead
A Penn State student reported missing Thursday has been found dead, according to State College Police. Police did not name the 19-year-old woman. The Centre Daily Times, citing the university and family members’ social media, identified her as Justine Gross. Police said early indications are her death was accidental. It...
Pennsylvania to begin counting covid reinfections
Thousands of new covid-19 cases could appear in the state Department of Health’s Monday report as Pennsylvania begins counting reinfections, officials said. For the past 19 months, state health officials have counted only one case per infected person, even if that individual contracted the virus again at some later time....
Allegheny County leaders ask all businesses to require employee covid vaccinations
Allegheny County officials are asking all businesses to require their employees to be vaccinated against covid-19 by Jan. 1. “Jan. 1 will be a year since these vaccines have been available,” Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said during a news conference Wednesday. “We know how safe they are, we know...
Pittsburgh attorney, frustrated with metal detectors, ‘dropped his drawers’ in court building, official says
A Pittsburgh attorney removed his pants at the entrance of a Downtown court building Wednesday afternoon after becoming frustrated when his suspenders repeatedly set off metal detectors, according to the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office. Jeffrey Pollock, 59, was on his way to a hearing in the family court division when...
Wilkinsburg man accused of brandishing gun, threatening UPMC police officer
A Wilkinsburg man is accused of shoving, threatening and spitting on a police officer at UPMC Mercy after police said he became irate that a phone charger lent to him by a hospital staffer didn’t work. It wasn’t until Roderick Cook Jr., 28, flashed a gun at the UPMC officer,...
5 things to know about potential expansion of booster shots
Pfizer on Tuesday asked the Food and Drug Administration to give the go-ahead on covid-19 booster shots for anyone 18 or older. According to the Associated Press, the company is submitting early results of a 10,000-person booster study to back up its request. The study suggested a booster shot could...
Sto-Rox senior, 18, identified in fatal shooting
A Sto-Rox high school student was shot and killed Monday afternoon, authorities said, prompting district officials to switch high school students to remote learning for the rest of the week. Hasson Shackelford, 18, was a senior at Sto-Rox Junior-Senior High School, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. Shackelford was shot...
Charlie Moffatt remembered as pillar in Western Pa. law-enforcement community
Charlie Moffatt remained close to those he connected with throughout his 50-year law enforcement career, friends said. “He’s been a part of my family and I’ve been a part of his family. He’s just a wonderful human being and a quality guy,” said Jim Wymard, who first met Moffatt around...
Police: Charleroi couple hid infant’s body in bedroom wall for months
A Charleroi woman faces abuse of a corpse and other charges for hiding the death of her infant and sealing his body in a bedroom wall, according to the criminal complaint against her. Charleroi Regional Police Detective David Kimball wrote in the complaint that officers were called to a home...
