Top Stories category, Page 250
Morning Roundup: No injuries reported in Etna fire; Glassport man charged in McKeesport shooting
Here are some news items for Thursday, Feb. 27: No injuries reported in Etna fire Multiple fire companies quickly knocked down a fire reported late Wednesday night in the wall of an Etna home. Fire crews were called to the unit block of Ann Street just after 10 p.m. They...
High school counselors weigh options as Penn State branch campuses hang in the balance
Burrell High School guidance counselor Sandra Oskin thinks Penn State New Kensington is still a good option for prospective students, despite the Upper Burrell campus potentially closing in two years. “I’m hoping it remains a viable option — especially for Burrell,” she said. “It’s been a great resource. It’s convenient...
Jeannette, police dog handlers agree on $70K compensation settlement
Jeannette will pay $70,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by police dog handlers who claimed the city violated labor laws by not paying them an overtime rate for time spent caring for their canines. The settlement agreement, obtained by the Trib, also outlines that Sgt. Jim Phillips will work a...
Gene Hackman, wife and dog were dead for some time, warrant shows
SANTA FE, N.M. — Oscar-winner Gene Hackman, his wife and one of their dogs were apparently dead for some time before a maintenance worker discovered their bodies at the couple’s Santa Fe home, according to investigators. Hackman, 95, was found dead Wednesday in a mudroom and his 63-year-old wife, Betsy...
Banana Republic on Walnut Street in Shadyside to close
The Banana Republic store on Walnut Street in Shadyside is set to close after being open for more than 30 years. Two signs posted in the store’s windows say “We’re Closing: March 2025.” A specific date has not been announced. The two-story store is located at 5542 Walnut St., at...
Pope Francis shows further slight improvement as he battles pneumonia, the Vatican says
ROME — Pope Francis has shown further slight improvement as he battles double pneumonia, but doctors said Wednesday his prognosis is still guarded. A chest CT scan taken Tuesday evening showed the “normal evolution” of an infection as it is being treated, the Vatican said in its late update. The...
Private company rockets toward the moon in the latest rush of lunar landing attempts
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A private company launched another lunar lander Wednesday, aiming to get closer to the moon’s south pole this time with a drone that will hop into a jet-black crater that never sees the sun. Intuitive Machines’ lander, named Athena, caught a lift with SpaceX from NASA’s...
What you need to know about possible cuts to Medicaid
Nearly a quarter of Pennsylvanians are on Medicaid, the joint federal-state program that covers medical costs for poor people along with nursing home and personal care home expenses. If Republicans on Capitol Hill target Medicaid as they seek to slash federal spending by $2 trillion and enact $4.5 trillion in...
Pa. Republican says he’ll protect Medicaid’s ‘core mission’ while looking for budget savings
Democratic members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation railed against the budget blueprint that passed the House on Tuesday night, warning it could result in steep cuts to Medicaid. But an Altoona Republican who serves on a committee tasked with coming up with $880 billion in savings over 10 years says he...
Trump administration says it’s cutting 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Wednesday it is eliminating more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall U.S. assistance around the world, putting numbers on its plans to eliminate the majority of U.S. development and humanitarian help abroad. The...
Snowplow woes force Pittsburgh officials to explore asking for help clearing roads
With nearly a third of Pittsburgh’s snowplow fleet out of commission, some city officials want to ask their neighbors for help. Councilwoman Erika Strassburger, D-Squirrel Hill, said neighboring municipalities often seem to treat roads more efficiently than Pittsburgh. She wants to explore paying them to treat Pittsburgh roads after they’ve...
Westmoreland County suspends new purchasing director
Westmoreland officials for the second time in less than a year suspended the director of the county’s purchasing department. Daniel Ellingsen, who has been on the job since mid-November, was placed on paid leave early last week for undisclosed reasons. His suspension was changed to unpaid starting Wednesday, Commissioner Ted...
Excessive force lawsuit alleges Clairton police officer sicced K-9 on motorist
A Clairton man is suing his local police department, claiming he was mauled by a police dog after being pulled over for going through a stop sign last year. Te’mon Jackson, 19, filed the lawsuit in federal court on Tuesday against Officer Fred L. Hill Jr. alleging battery and the...
Police say man with cocaine in his system caused fatal Homestead crash
A man had cocaine in his system and was driving more than 100 miles an hour just before he caused a fatal crash in Homestead in July, police said Wednesday as they announced criminal charges. Jesus Luciano, 37, of the Homestead area was charged with homicide by vehicle and other...
Man fatally shot at Tube City Cafe in McKeesport
A man was fatally shot Wednesday morning in McKeesport. The victim was shot during an argument at the Tube City Cafe in the 900 block of 5th Avenue, according to Allegheny County Police. First responders answering a 911 call at 11:51 a.m. found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds. They...
Feds claim Allegheny County man had illegal guns, child porn, violent ideology
An Allegheny County man who authorities claim had numerous guns and espouses a “racially motivated, violent extremist ideology” is now facing a charge of possessing child pornography. Aidan Harding, 20, of Crescent, was indicted Tuesday by a grand jury in U.S. District Court. Harding remains in custody following a Feb....
Egg prices could jump another 41% this year, USDA says, as Trump’s bird flu plan unveiled
WASHINGTON — The Agriculture Department predicts the current record prices for eggs could soar more than 40% in 2025, as the Trump administration offered the first new details Wednesday about its plan to battle bird flu and ease the cost of eggs. With an emphasis on tightening up biosecurity on...
Hamas hands over to Red Cross 4 dead hostages from Gaza, as Palestinians leave Israeli prison
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Hamas handed over four dead hostages to the Red Cross early Thursday in exchange for Israel’s release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, days before the first phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was to end. An Israeli security official confirmed that Hamas handed...
NFLPA report card gives high marks to Mike Tomlin, low grade to Steelers ownership
INDIANAPOLIS — The good news for the Pittsburgh Steelers is that unlike the previous year, they received zero F grades in the NFL Players’ Association’s third annual team report card that was released Wednesday. The bad news? For the second year in a row, they continued to rank No. 28...
Arnold councilman champions regionalizing New Kensington, Arnold police forces
If New Kensington and Arnold are able to share a school district, the cities should also be able to share a police department, according to an Arnold councilman. “It’s time,” said Aaron Moore, who was elected to Arnold Council in the 2023 election. He said he received positive feedback to...
Pittsburgh Public Schools leaders recommend closing 14 schools
After years of discussion and potential closures, Pittsburgh Public Schools leaders this week released recommendations for the district’s restructuring — including the shuttering of 14 schools. Because of declining enrollment, underutilization and aging infrastructure, the feasibility report advised the district to close the following schools:Allegheny 6-8Arsenal PreK-5Fulton PreK-5King PreK-8Linden PreK-5Manchester...
A Texas child who was not vaccinated has died of measles, a first for the U.S. in a decade
LUBBOCK, Texas — A child who wasn’t vaccinated died in a measles outbreak in rural West Texas, state officials said Wednesday, the first U.S. death from the highly contagious — but preventable — respiratory disease since 2015. The school-aged child had been hospitalized and died Tuesday night amid the widespread...
Monroeville Giant Eagle recalls bread
Giant Eagle officials have issued a voluntary recall of multi-grain sourdough bread sold at its Monroeville store on Monroeville Boulevard. A limited amount of bread, sold at the store’s bakery, was incorrectly labeled as “multi-grain Tuscany,” resulting in an undeclared sesame allergen being potentially present. It was discovered during a...
East Allegheny becomes 1st U.S. public school district to integrate ‘immersive reality technology’
Step into a classroom at East Allegheny School District and it can immerse you in places all over the world. With the latest technology, it’s like experiencing virtual reality — without looking into a headset. Instead of putting on large goggles, the room around you is filled so that you...
Lawsuit filed against Aliquippa VFW owners on behalf of man ‘brutally’ attacked inside lodge
The owners of an Aliquippa VFW club are accused of negligence after an employee allegedly failed to protect one of its members from being brutally beaten inside the club earlier this year. Personal injury and civil rights attorney Todd Hollis recently filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of Aliquippa resident...
