Top Stories category, Page 167
100th family reunion held in West Deer, but their roots came from Scotland — so did the clan’s leader
It’s in the Scottish nature to want to get together and meet up, says Madam Pauline Hunter, the 30th clan chief of Clan Hunter. Often that sees members of the clan, now scattered around the globe, returning to their roots and visiting Hunterston Castle, which is located southwest of Glasgow,...
Pirates great Dave Parker dies at 74, a month before his induction into baseball Hall of Fame
A rocket-armed right fielder and five-tool star who brought a big bat and a smooth swagger to the 1979 World Series champions, Dave Parker became a larger-than-life figure for the “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates lost a member of the family when Parker died Saturday at 74, just...
Biden, Harris and Walz attend funeral for former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman
MINNEAPOLIS — Democratic former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman was honored for her legislative accomplishments and her humanity during a funeral Saturday where former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris joined more than 1,000 mourners. Hortman was shot to death in a pair of attacks two weeks...
Many forget the damage done by diseases like whooping cough, measles and rubella. Not these families
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — In the time before widespread vaccination, death often came early. Devastating infectious diseases ran rampant in America, killing millions of children and leaving others with lifelong health problems. These illnesses were the main reason why nearly one in five children in 1900 never made it to...
Cars, motorcycles, tattoos on tap at inaugural Whiskey Throttle Fair
Joe Fidanzato loves to flaunt his shiny, silver 1981 GMC Caballero Diablo any chance he can get. Fidanzato, 75, of Monongahela polished the wheels after parking the car Saturday morning off a dusty road at the Westmoreland Fairgrounds in Mt. Pleasant Township for the Whiskey Throttle Fair. The fair featured...
Senators prep for a weekend of work to meet Trump’s deadline for passing his tax and spending cuts
WASHINGTON — The Senate is expected to grind through a rare weekend session as Republicans race to pass President Donald Trump’s package of tax breaks and spending cuts by his July Fourth deadline. Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into...
Farmers market nutrition programs receive federal funding cuts, delays
Federal funding used to pay for food for low-income families and seniors has been cut by half and delayed, with fewer vouchers available, officials say. The cuts affect vouchers given to those eligible for the Women, Infants and Children Farmers Market Nutrition Program for low-income families and the Senior Farmers...
Bicycle sales hang on despite post-covid sales decline
At the height of the covid-19 pandemic, Chris MacTaggart and his friends had no problem following federal guidelines for outdoor recreation. In May 2020, he and two other cyclists started riding around Pittsburgh to get coffee once or twice a week. It was typical of covid-era social distancing in many...
Trump says he’s ending trade talks with Canada over ‘egregious’ tax on technology firms
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday he’s suspending trade talks with Canada over its plans to continue with its tax on technology firms, which he called “a direct and blatant attack on our country.” Trump, in a post on his social media network, said Canada had just informed the...
Senate, helped by Fetterman, rejects effort to restrain Trump on Iran
WASHINGTON — Democratic efforts in the Senate to prevent President Donald Trump from further escalating with Iran fell short Friday, with Republicans blocking a resolution that marked Congress’ first attempt to reassert its war powers following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The resolution, authored by Sen. Tim Kaine of...
18th-century artifacts get room with a view at Fort Ligonier Museum
A place for everything and everything in its place applies equally to spontoons and shards. Thanks to a new climate-controlled collections storage room in the basement of Fort Ligonier Museum, Meghan Budinger will have separate compartments to safely archive the former iron and brass weapon — a type of personal...
Former Monessen man resentenced to life in prison for children’s murder in 1973
Susan Worlton only knew her sisters from her mother’s stories and the few pictures that remain. In a courtroom Friday, Worlton told a Westmoreland County judge how the violent murders of her sisters five decades earlier have impacted her family. She and her mother were among the witnesses at the...
Trump administration ends legal protections for half-million Haitians who now face deportations
MIAMI — The Department of Homeland Security said Friday it is terminating legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitians, setting them up for potential deportation. DHS said conditions in Haiti have improved and Haitians no longer meet the conditions for the temporary legal protections. The termination of temporary protected...
Off-duty nurse pulls Route 30 crash victim from car, administers CPR in Southwest Greensburg
Dawn Hritz wasn’t even supposed to be driving on Route 30 at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. But she was. A forgotten karate uniform for her son and earlier-than-expected ride home turned into a lifesaving feat for the Hempfield woman who joined forces with Sophia Sikora and Kayla Borland, EMTs with Mutual...
Deal struck to preserve Cigna members’ access to AHN facilities
Thousands of Cigna Healthcare insurance members will keep full, in-network access to Allegheny Health Network following a contract agreement between the organizations. The deal was reached Friday after a monthslong dispute, the second in the past two years. It ensures more than 20,000 Cigna members in the region can continue...
Pitcairn shooting victims lauded for roles on Clairton High School football team
Neither Isiah McCarthy or Tyrant Sutton ever led a football huddle as a high school team’s star quarterback or scored a game-winning touchdown to clinch a playoff berth. But the two teens killed in a shooting in Pitcairn were remembered Friday for how they wore the Clairton Bears’ jersey with...
‘We’d love to have you here’: Pa. chamber courts NYC employers after Mamdani’s win
Progressive Zohran Mamdani’s upset win in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary has caused a stir among some in the city’s business establishment. It’s also spurred the leader of a Pennsylvania business group to try to take a bite of the Big Apple’s outsize share of the global economy and...
State senate approves Sunday hunting; measure moves to House
A state bill that would repeal Pennsylvania’s ban on Sunday hunting is headed to the House for a vote after the Senate passed it Thursday. Allegheny County Sportsmen’s League President Klint Macro said members of the group have been in favor of opening up hunting on Sundays for decades. He...
Conor Lamb steps up as Democrats try to figure out what to do about John Fetterman
ENOLA — Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania isn’t even up for reelection until 2028, but already a one-time primary foe, former U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, is crisscrossing Pennsylvania and social media, looking and sounding like he’s preparing to challenge Fetterman again. At town hall after town hall across Pennsylvania,...
Pittsburgh airport workers locate Sewickley woman’s lost diamond after Friday the 13th mishap
While most people consider Friday the 13th to be an unlucky date, that’s not the case for April Schmitt. The day, however, started with some bad luck. Returning from a business trip from Los Angeles on Friday, June 13, the Sewickley resident grabbed her luggage off the baggage carousel at...
What do new flu vaccine standards mean?
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) upheld recommendations for the fall flu vaccination to be administered to anyone 6 months and older, as long as the shots are completely mercury-free. While some Western Pennsylvania doctors say the new recommendations won’t change...
Mark Madden: What the Pirates will do with Paul Skenes, should do with Oneil Cruz and more sports notes
The days are turning long and hot, but refreshing sports notes are short and cool. Unwrap a Popsicle and dig in! • When Paul Skenes files for arbitration in 2027, the first year he’s eligible, he figures to be awarded in excess of $30 million. When that happens, the Pittsburgh...
Supreme Court limits nationwide injunctions, but fate of Trump birthright citizenship order unclear
WASHINGTON — A divided Supreme Court on Friday ruled that individual judges lack the authority to grant nationwide injunctions, but the decision left unclear the fate of President Donald Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship. The outcome was a victory for the Republican president, who has complained about individual judges throwing...
Trump says U.S. has signed a deal with China on trade; no details yet
BANGKOK — The U.S. and China have signed an agreement on trade, President Donald Trump said, adding he expects to soon have a deal with India. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Bloomberg TV that the deal was signed earlier this week. Neither Lutnick nor Trump provided any details about the...
GetGo’s sale to Canadian company gets Federal Trade Commission approval
Giant Eagle’s sale of its GetGo gas stations and convenience stores looks like it’s a go. The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday gave the green light to Canadian-based Alimentation Couche-Tard to proceed with its acquisition of GetGo. The transaction is expected to close within the upcoming days, according to a...
