Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 5
Westmoreland County gambling revenue funds 1st-of-their-kind police vehiclesVideo
Gambling revenue generated in Westmoreland County is helping two local police departments add one-of-a-kind vehicles to their fleets. More than $1.3 million in state grants were awarded this month for infrastructure and public safety projects, funded by tax revenue from Pennsylvania’s legalized casino industry. The latest round of awards comes...
Pittsburgh construction to be wrapped up in time for NFL Draft, officials sayVideo
It’s hard to drive anywhere in the Pittsburgh area without spotting a traffic cone or two — a sign of ongoing construction. However, Jeremy Waldrup, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, said this week that the construction cones and signs will be out of sight by the time...
One Pittsburgh councilwoman’s fix for avoiding future budget anguish: Talk early and often
Pittsburgh City Council members blamed their budget-drafting woes on a lack of critical information. The result: a 2026 spending plan crafted by council that the mayor says is underfunded by tens of millions of dollars. Councilwoman Erika Strassburger, who chairs the finance committee, is hoping to avoid repeating that mistake....
Ligonier Township want ad: volunteers needed for Ligonier Beach cleanup, $15 million to make into parkVideo
Ligonier Township is looking for a lot of volunteers willing to give of their time, energy, talent and tools to clean up the site of the former Ligonier Beach that local officials want to convert into a premier municipal park. Supervisors Chairman John Beaufort said Tuesday they’re hoping to have...
2 plead guilty to killing bystander, 16, during Wilkinsburg brawl
Two men accused of killing a teenager when they fired into a group of women fighting on a Wilkinsburg street will each serve up to 14 years in state prison. Eugene Camp, 23, of Whitehall and Omar Campbell, 21, of the North Side, pleaded guilty Tuesday to voluntary manslaughter before...
Trump says the U.S. is in talks with Iran as diplomatic efforts pick up
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — President Donald Trump said for a second day that the U.S. was in talks with Iran to end the war as diplomatic efforts picked up Tuesday and Iran issued a newly defiant statement. Airstrikes battered the Islamic Republic while Iranian missiles and drones targeted Israel...
Pittsburgh-funded shelter draws praise as rockets strike Israeli sister city
An Israeli bomb shelter Tuesday helped save the lives of two children threatened by an impending missile attack, Jewish leaders said — and the money to build the wartime safe haven came straight from Pittsburgh. The alarms sounded in Karmiel, Israel, at 3:45 p.m. local time on the 25th day...
Pa. House votes to boost state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029
The state House voted Tuesday afternoon to boost Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029. Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2009. “If you work hard, you shouldn’t have to worry about your next meal or having a roof over your head. Pennsylvania needs a...
DA Zappala serves sealed search warrant on City of Pittsburgh
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office on Monday served a search warrant on the City of Pittsburgh. What is being sought is unclear, as is the scope of the DA’s investigation. The warrant has been sealed for 60 days, according to the DA’s office. First Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Spangler...
Pittsburgh seeks pacts with 18 law enforcement agencies to help with 2026 NFL Draft
Pittsburgh wants to formally partner with 18 outside law enforcement agencies to help provide security during next month’s 2026 NFL Draft, a spectacle expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people to the city. A bill introduced Tuesday to City Council would allow Pittsburgh to enter cooperation agreements with municipal,...
ICE agents visible at Pittsburgh International AirportVideo
Several U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents could be seen at Pittsburgh International Airport on Tuesday, following reports of security checkpoint training sessions the day before. Allegheny County Airport Authority spokesman Bob Kerlik said on Monday that airport officials were not briefed on exact plans for how ICE would operate,...
Fire truck in LaGuardia crash lacked equipment needed to trigger runway warning system, NTSB saysVideo
NEW YORK — A runway warning system failed to sound an alarm moments before an Air Canada jet and a fire truck collided while the plane was landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, federal investigators said Tuesday. National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said during a news conference that...
2 Laurel Highlands teachers arrested in less than a week on separate assault charges
An instructor at Laurel Highlands High School was arrested at the building Tuesday morning by state police on accusations he had sex with a female student. Troopers said Daniel Cervone, 50, of Carroll Township, Washington County, admitted to sexually assaulting the girl in 2019 and 2020 at the high school....
Minnesota sues Trump administration over shootings, including deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good
WASHINGTON — Minnesota officials sued the Trump administration on Tuesday for access to evidence they say they need to independently investigate three shootings by federal officers, including the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The lawsuit claims that the federal government reneged on its promise to cooperate with state...
Texas man charged with abandoning chocolate Lab puppy at Pittsburgh airport
Authorities are looking for a foster home for a chocolate Labrador retriever they say a Texas man abandoned Friday afternoon at Pittsburgh International Airport. Omar Orlando Perez, 42, of Robstown, Texas, was charged Tuesday with animal cruelty and dog abandonment after he left the animal — a puppy whose age...
Duquesne opens new nursing simulation center thanks to $4 million gift
Duquesne University has opened a new nursing simulation center thanks to a $4 million gift from a financier and philanthropist. The Joanne Barkett Conway Simulation Center is an 8,600-square-foot training facility located at Duquesne’s Fisher Hall and housed in the School of Nursing. University officials say the lab was made...
PennDOT requests public feedback on its winter road clearing
PennDOT is asking Pennsylvania residents to rate their satisfaction with how the roads were cleared this winter. Through an online survey, locals can add in their input by answering a series of questions. The responses are anonymous, according to PennDOT. However, at the end of the survey, people have the...
Mount St. Peter church air quality tests likely won’t halt Holy Week schedule
Mount St. Peter Catholic Church in New Kensington likely will be open for Friday’s fish fry and Holy Week Masses following air quality testing this week. On Monday morning, the New Kensington Catholic Community, comprising Mount St. Peter, St. Mary Czestochowa and St. Joseph churches, announced via Facebook that a...
Alleged mishandling of pet cremations by Harrison funeral director spurs state legislation
Tiffany Mantzouridis sat in the balcony of the state House chamber Monday, overwhelmed by emotion as legislators unanimously approved a bill to protect pet owners from what they called glaring oversights in cremation services. The Irwin resident is the whistleblower who essentially spurred the legislation after reporting what she saw...
Sheetz to hire 500 employees across Pennsylvania
Sheetz plans to hire 500 new employees at its stores across Pennsylvania. The hiring day takes place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday at all of Sheetz’ 315 locations in the commonwealth, the company said in an announcement. Sheetz got its start in Altoona in 1952. Each of...
Pennsylvania deer season opener: Bill introduced for return to Monday tradition
Two state senators said Monday they introduced legislation to restore Pennsylvania’s deer firearms season opener to the first Monday after Thanksgiving. It’s a tradition they say the state wrongfully disrupted in shifting opening day to the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2019. Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Lycoming County, and Sen. Lisa Boscola,...
Allegheny County Council trio pushes for regular property reassessments
A bill introduced Tuesday to Allegheny County Council would mandate regular countywide property reassessments. Under the proposed legislation, the county would reassess property values every three years, with the first reassessment mandated in 2028. The measure would ensure everyone pays a fair amount in property taxes and provide predictability for...
GOP state House candidate in North Hills ruled ineligible to appear on primary ballot
A McCandless Republican has been ruled ineligible to appear on the May 19 primary ballot as a candidate for state House because he doesn’t meet Pennsylvania’s residency requirement. Ehab Akkary was the lone Republican to file paperwork to seek the GOP nomination in the 30th state House District, which includes...
Saudi prince is said to push Trump to continue Iran war in recent calls
WASHINGTON — Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been pushing President Donald Trump to continue the war against Iran, arguing that the U.S.-Israeli military campaign presents a “historic opportunity” to remake the Middle East, according to people briefed by U.S. officials on the conversations. In...
Highmark lost $175M in 2025, battered by high insurance claims
Highmark took a $175 million net loss last year as rising health insurance usage battered the Pittsburgh-based company. Financial results released Tuesday also showed a $674 million operating loss for Highmark, even as revenue rose year-over-year to $32 billion from $29 billion. Highmark Health Plans, the organization’s insurance division, was...
