Regional category, Page 156
Here’s how U.S. Reps from Western Pa. voted on gun legislation bills
Congressional Republicans and Democrats in Western Pennsylvania fell in line with their respective parties as they voted on legislation that would enact stricter gun laws. The Protecting Our Kids and Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order acts passed in the Democratic-led House of Representatives last week. The bills need to overcome...
Gun owners, onlookers split on what gun control proposals could accomplish
Reaction to proposed gun control laws shows that even some local gun owners appear just as divided about the effectiveness of such measures as the politicians debating them. Mass shootings over the past month in Buffalo, N.Y.; Uvalde, Texas; and Philadelphia have reignited the debate over gun laws. Although many...
Ohio man found dead in Butler County
State police are investigating an Ohio man’s death in Butler County as a homicide. State police said the body of Frederick Orr, 32, of Columbus, was found around 3:30 a.m. Saturday along Kelly Road in Muddy Creek Township. Police said they were awaiting autopsy results and an investigation is ongoing....
Thousands of fans celebrate Kenny Chesney’s return on Pittsburgh’s North Shore
Maybe it’s because the weather was absolutely perfect for an outdoor tailgate on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. Or maybe it’s because the music of country superstar Kenny Chesney brings people together. Or maybe it’s because so much of the world shut down over the last two years because of covid-19. Whatever...
Researchers seek volunteers to gather, report firefly data this summer
When Ryan Reed, a resource program specialist with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, was taking wildlife courses at college in the 1990s, one of his professors accused certain animals of getting all the attention. “He called them ‘charismatic mega-fauna’ — bears, deer, elk, those types of animals,”...
Researchers: Fireflies are being threatened by artificial light, habitat loss
Growing up around Seattle, Ainsley Seago said she never saw a firefly until she visited Hershey as a teenager. These days, she watches in amusement as her 10-year-old son, Maxwell, enjoys catching lightning bugs and releasing them. “How can you not catch them?” asked Seago, associate curator of invertebrate zoology...
Suspended Somerset DA wants ‘wiretap’ statements tossed; state aims to include alleged previous ‘bad acts’
SOMERSET — Suspended Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas wants recordings of conversations between him and a woman he’s accused of sexually assaulting to be excluded from his upcoming trial. The request is part of a lengthy list of motions filed by attorneys on both sides that could determine what...
Veterans Expo slated for Friday morning
Information on job opportunities for veterans, mental health support, health screenings, legal advice, housing information, benefit options and financial advice will be available at the Veterans Expo planned for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at the Greene County Fairgrounds, Route 21, Waynesburg. The event is sponsored by the Greene...
Bantam Jeep Festival celebrates vehicle in its Butler birthplace
They call it “the wave.” If you know, you know. Jeep owners acknowledge each other by holding up two or three fingers from their steering wheel when they pass by on the road. There will be a lot of waving this weekend. Jeep enthusiasts will gather Friday through Sunday at...
Gas hits $5 national average for first time, GasBuddy reports
The national average price of gasoline reached $5 per gallon Thursday for the first time, according to price-tracking service GasBuddy.com. The milestone comes after months of gas price increases across the country accelerated by the rise in seasonal demand during supply constraints brought on by the covid pandemic, according to...
Romanian men accused of planting credit card skimmers in Frazer, Monroeville now charged in Washington County
Two Romanian nationals accused last month of planting skimming devices at Sam’s Club stores in Allegheny and Butler counties were charged this week with targeting a store in Washington County. South Strabane police filed criminal charges against Colceag Constantin, 41, and Raul-Mihani Cojucaru, 40, after a skimmer was found on...
About 1,100 W. Pa. residents still without power; forecast has sunshine returning
Electric utility crews had restored power to all but about 1,100 Western Pennsylvania residents Thursday evening after severe thunderstorms blew through the region late Wednesday, according to area utility companies. At 7:30 p.m., West Penn Power reported 666 customers without power in a nine-county region while Duquesne Light Co. reported...
Weather service issues tornado watch for Washington, Fayette and Greene countiesVideo
The National Weather Service in Moon Township has issued a tornado watch for the Southwestern Pennsylvania counties of Washington, Fayette and Greene, until 1 a.m. Thursday. The National Weather Service issued the notification at 7:25 p.m. and included portions of eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia. All three Pennsylvania counties...
The best places in Western Pennsylvania to see mountain laurel in full bloom
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2018. Pennsylvania’s official state flower, the mountain laurel is in full bloom throughout the Pittsburgh region. Although most people are familiar with the laurel’s relatives — rhododendron and azaleas — the official state flower is plentiful but in select environments, mostly rocky,...
Police: Peters man charged in infant’s death said he tripped on a grocery bag
A Peters man told police his infant son sustained fatal head injuries when he tripped on a grocery bag while carrying the child last month, according to the charges against him. Jordan Clarke, 36, is charged with homicide in connection with the death of the infant, referred to in the...
Expert says Moderna booster targeting omicron could be superior to current boosters
As the covid-19 pandemic has changed with the emergence of new variants, Moderna is looking to update its vaccine offerings in response. The drug manufacturer is studying an updated booster vaccine that targets the omicron variant, which they say could offer better protection as the variant spreads. “The vaccine that’s...
Fayette state representative could face DUI charges after car crash, seeks alcohol treatment
State Rep. Matthew Dowling, R-Fayette/Somerset, could face DUI charges after he was involved in a car crash Saturday, and is seeking “professional treatment to address any possible alcohol issues.” State police responded to the incident at about 1:40 p.m. Dowling, 37, had rear-ended a car twice in the area of...
Boat-making challenge draws students from O’Hara, North Allegheny, other schools
Area students are part of a record-breaking, boat design challenge with more than 10,000 students from 134 schools across the state presented by Remake Learning Days Across America, a national nonprofit that started in Pittsburgh. Boatbuilding makes for an appropriate STEAM design challenge because the effort involves many areas of...
Bedford County toddler’s death ruled homicide, stepmother charged in death
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office has ruled the death of a 3-year-old Bedford County toddler who died May 29 as a homicide due to asphyxiation. The examiner’s office said Travis W. Young died at 4 p.m. at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh about 18 hours after he was taken...
Financier’s $2.5M foundation gift to fund nursing scholarships at Duquesne
The news came during National Nurses Week, and it was stunning. Although six- and seven-figure gifts to colleges are not unheard of, many of them come with strings. Often money is to be allocated for endowed professorships, labs or buildings. The $2.5 million award Duquesne University’s School of Nursing has...
Week in pictures: May 30-June 5
A selection of the most compelling images from Tribune-Review photographers from around the region during the week of May 30-June 5....
Southwestern Pennsylvania counties to reach $5-per-gallon gas price within week or 2, analyst says
Average gasoline prices in several southeast and northeast Pennsylvania counties already have exceeded $5 per gallon, and the rest of the state isn’t far behind, according to industry analysts. The state’s average price of a gallon of gas Monday was $4.95, AAA reported. That’s up 19 cents from last week,...
Bidding war for Spirit Airlines heats up ahead of vote
The bidding war over Spirit Airlines is ramping up again with JetBlue boosting its offer for the discount carrier just days after rival Frontier upped its own bid for Spirit. Spirit shareholders are also scheduled to vote Friday on Frontier’s offer. JetBlue said Monday that it will now provide a...
West Mifflin man killed in ATV crash in Somerset County, troopers say
A 21-year-old West Mifflin man died early Saturday after he crashed his all-terrain vehicle into a tree in Somerset County, state police said. Ethan Leskovitz was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash in rural Elk Lick Township at 12:11 a.m. Saturday, according to Trooper Ryan Platt of Somerset....
Excela Health’s proposed merger with Butler likely a bulwark against competitors, experts say
The landscape of health care in Westmoreland, Butler and Clarion counties could soon be changing in the wake of last week’s announcement that Excela Health and Butler Health System have inked an intent-to-merge agreement. It is likely an effort by both systems to better position themselves as a player in...
