Morning Roundup: Water main break hits Pitt campus; Pittsburgh foster parent facing sex abuse charges

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, March 26:

Water main break impacts Pitt campus

A water main break Tuesday night along O’Hara Street in Oakland resulted in several University of Pittsburgh dorms losing water overnight, according to Pitt’s emergency alerts.

The break was announced via the alert system to the Pitt community at 9:58 p.m.

Dorms without water included Litchfield Towers A, B and C, along with Amos. Holland residents experienced low water pressure. David Lawrence Hall was used as an alternate site for restrooms.

Officials estimated water services would be restored by 11 p.m. Tuesday night, but service wasn’t fully restored until 2 a.m. Wednesday.

Pittsburgh foster parent facing sex abuse charges

A Pittsburgh foster parent is facing sexual abuse charges, Pittsburgh police said Tuesday.

Richard Brown, 61, of Pittsburgh was arrested March 12 on charges dating back to 2023.

Brown has been a foster parent since the early 2000s in the Pittsburgh region through various agencies. Police said they have reason to believe he may have abused other children in his care.

Police urge anyone who may have been victimized by him or have additional information to call the Special Victims Unit at 412-323-7141 or call 911.

Brown is charged with endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors, two felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor, indecent assault, harassment and dissemination to minors, police said.

He was transported to the Allegheny County Jail.

Fire breaks out in Armstrong County home

A little after 5 a.m. Wednesday, a fire broke out in a home in Armstrong County, according to TribLive news partner WTAE.

The home is along Veterans Avenue in Gilpin Township. Officials said it is still unclear how the fire started.

Armstrong County 911 dispatchers could not say if anyone was hurt.

$1 million lottery scratch-off in Fayette County

A lucky winner scratched off a $1 million winning Pennsylvania lottery ticket at a Fayette County sports bar, TribLive news partner WTAE reported.

The ticket was sold at Foster House II along Cook Road in Washington Township, lottery officials announced Tuesday.

The scratch-off game — $1,000,000 Winnings — costs $20 per ticket, with a top prize of $1 million.

Winners have one year from the game’s end-sale to cash in on their prize, and Foster House II will receive a $5,000 bonus for selling the ticket.

1 injured in multi-vehicle crash on Parkway West

A multi-vehicle crash Tuesday evening on the Parkway West sent one person to the hospital, according to TribLive news partner WTAE.

The crash happened a little after 6:30 p.m. on the inbound side of Interstate 376 in Green Tree.

One vehicle landed on its side in the center lane, and the driver was able to escape the wreckage with the help of several good Samaritans, the Green Tree Volunteer Fire Company said.

A second vehicle involved in the crash was an abandoned vehicle on the shoulder of the road.