Regional category, Page 159
Court rejects John Lesko’s appeal in 1980 western Pa. ‘Kill for Thrill’ spree
One of the last appeals for Pennsylvania’s longest-serving death row inmate has been denied. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Tuesday rejected 64-year-old John Lesko’s request for a new trial and sentencing hearing. He was convicted in the 1980 murder of Apollo police Officer Leonard Miller,...
5-way race in 12th Congressional District remains too close to call
A five-way race for the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District remained too close to call as of midnight Tuesday, with state Rep. Summer Lee leading Pittsburgh attorney Steve Irwin by just more than 500 votes. Irwin had jumped out to sizable early lead, collecting about half of the...
Chris Deluzio, Jeremy Shaffer stake early leads in Pa.’s 17th Congressional District
Former Ross Township Commissioner Jeremy Shaffer and Iraq War veteran and voting-rights attorney Chris Deluzio staked early leads in their primary races Tuesday in the 17th Congressional District. Shaffer was vying for the Republican nomination against national security expert Jason Killmeyer and Kathy Coder, a former Bellevue councilwoman who owns...
Wilmington Area High School music teacher accused of inappropriate relationship with student
A Wilmington Area High School music teacher is accused of having a sexual relationship with a student. Olivia Ortz, 26, of Hermitage was charged Tuesday with unlawful contact with a minor, criminal use of a communication facility and two counts of institutional sexual assault. Charges stem from an investigation that...
Primary updates: Polls are closed; 90K mail-ins processed in Allegheny County
Polls in Pennsylvania for the primary election have closed. Now candidates — and voters — must sit and wait for the ballots to be tallied. Several high-profile races are on the ballot, including the governor’s office and the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Pat Toomey. Toomey, a Republican, announced...
Week in pictures: May 9-15
A selection of the most compelling images from Tribune-Review photographers from around the region during the week of May 9-15....
Pa. casino revenue at $462M, down slightly from record March, as sports betting slows
Pennsylvania casinos generated more than $461.6 million in gambling revenues last month, down slightly from the record-breaking month of March, state regulators said. In all, revenues last month were down by about $1.1 million when compared with the $462.7 million generated in March, the highest monthly total to date. Despite...
Primary voter turnout expectations low across Pittsburgh region
Voters at Harold Zion Lutheran Church in Hempfield will receive one of four different ballots on Tuesday as Westmoreland election officials navigate the first Election Day that features a splitting of Hempfield’s Middletown precinct into two Congressional districts. Hempfield Middletown, with its 668 registered voters, was split in half as...
Respite from gas price increases will be brief as summer driving season nears, analyst says
The national average price of gasoline could be closer to $5 per gallon than $4 later this week as demand increases and inventories decline with the Memorial Day weekend and the start of the summer driving season approaching, an industry analyst said. “New records continued to be set on a...
Damaging wind, large hail possible with midday storms
Damaging winds and large hail are possible with storms from mid-morning through midday Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Severe weather is possible in the Pittsburgh area from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., meteorologist David Shallenberger said. In Southwestern Pennsylvania, the main threat will be wind, he said. “It...
Dennis Hall, a miner rescued from Quecreek Mine collapse, dies at 68
Dennis Hall, one of nine men rescued from the Quecreek Mine collapse in 2002, died Friday. He was 68. Hall and eight other coal miners were trapped 240 feet below ground for 77 hours when the Quecreek mine collapsed in Somerset County in July 2002. “We lost a unique individual...
Mothers searching for formula finding store shelves are bare
The Enfamil formula Katie Feola feeds her 10-month-old daughter, Grace, has been getting scarce over the last few weeks. The Delmont woman noticed four months ago that there seemed to be less available. The family would sometimes go weeks without seeing any at a store. “Now it’s like months that...
What would a college voucher program mean for students in Pennsylvania?
“Heated budget battles” were raging in Harrisburg last year when state Rep. Eric Nelson stopped by the Hempfield Home Depot. Unexpectedly, he ran into a young man whom he coached in youth football. As Nelson and the former player chatted, the man explained he worked at the home improvement store...
5 Democrats, 1 Republican seek nominations to run for U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle’s seat
Five Democrats and one Republican are seeking their parties’ nominations in Tuesday’s primary to run for longtime U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle’s seat in November. The Democratic congressman, who is in his 14th term representing a district comprised of Pittsburgh and suburban Allegheny County communities, said last year he would not...
Police issue 2 arrest warrants after 58-year-old woman shot, killed in Washington
Washington City Police issued arrest warrants for two men allegedly involved in the shooting death of a 58-year-old woman Wednesday afternoon, officials said. Police are searching for Brandon Ronald Allen, 30, and Javarr Thomas, 27, both of Washington. They are charged with criminal homicide and criminal attempt homicide after Kristen...
California men accused of defrauding older Americans indicted in Pittsburgh
Two California residents have been indicted in federal court in Pittsburgh after prosecutors said they scammed older victims — including three in Western Pennsylvania — out of more than $1 million. The indictment, unsealed Thursday, charges Thien Phuc Tran, 32, and Ton Huynh Bui, 29, both of Santa Ana, Calif.,...
Internet access funds could boost connections for low-income families
Mandy Zalich knows just how important internet service has become in Westmoreland County. For many low-income residents, the rising costs of the service has left them more than just disconnected. This week’s announcement from the Biden administration of a plan to provide $30 monthly subsidies for high-speed internet access is...
East Millsboro man dies after crash in Redstone Township
A 26-year-old man died in a single-vehicle crash early Thursday morning in Redstone Township, according to Pennsylvania State Police. William J. Vernon, of East Millsboro died after his 1991 Ford Ranger crashed into a home at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Stone Church Road shortly before 3:50 a.m. According...
Washington woman, 58, dies following Ridge Avenue shooting
A 58-year-old woman died after being shot Wednesday afternoon along Ridge Avenue in Washington. Emergency responders were called to Ridge Avenue shortly after 5 p.m., where they found Kristin A. Barfield, of Washington, with a gunshot wound, according to the Washington County Coroner’s Office. Barfield was taken to Washington Hospital,...
Telephone hearings scheduled for Columbia Gas rate increase request
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission will start this month a series of hearings on a rate increase proposed by Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania. Under the Columbia Gas proposal, the total monthly bill for a residential customer using 70 therms of gas would increase by about 10% — from $123.24 to...
Lawrence County homicide suspect arrested after Route 28 police chase
State police arrested a New Castle man they say was wanted in connection with a homicide after an early-morning chase along Route 28 in Frazer, officials said. Shane McDevitt, 36, was taken into custody Wednesday after the high-speed police pursuit on Route 28 that ended when the Nissan Sentra he...
John Fetterman brings bid for U.S. Senate to Greensburg as primary nears
John Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor and a leading Democratic candidate for a U.S. Senate seat, made his ultimate goal clear when he spoke to an informal gathering of about 130 people Tuesday evening in Greensburg. During a meet-and-greet campaign stop on the patio of El Diablo Brewing Co. & Wood-Fired...
Pennsylvania electric generation costs increasing up to 45% on June 1
Pennsylvania regulators are warning consumers that most utilities will be increasing their prices for electric generation on June 1. Energy supply costs will increase between 6% and 45% across the state for consumers who aren’t under contract with a supplier, according to the state’s Public Utility Commission. Most electric utilities...
Gas prices set record highs in Pittsburgh and state
Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh region have set record highs for gas prices, while the national average on Monday was only a fraction of a cent away from the record that was set in March. According to AAA, the average for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in Pennsylvania on Monday...
Week in pictures: May 2-8
A selection of the most compelling images from Tribune-Review photographers from around the region during the week of May 2-8....
