Regional category, Page 181
1 killed, 3 hurt in head-on crash on I-79 in Butler County
One person was killed and three others were injured Wednesday in a head-on crash on Interstate 79 in Butler County, state police said. The crash happened shortly before 5 p.m. on the highway in Muddy Creek Township. State police said James E. Dapper, 58, of Zelienople, was driving a pickup...
3 indicted in ‘grandparent scheme’ targeting Pa. seniors by posing as fake attorneys, bail bondsmen
A federal grand jury has indicted three out-of-state residents for targeting elderly Western Pennsylvanians in a so-called “grandparent scheme” that involved posing as attorneys and bail bondsmen to bilk their victims out of at least $250,000. Roderick Feurtado, 54, and Tarek Bouanane, 45, both of Las Vegas, and Roberto Gutierrez,...
Report: Pennsylvania casinos shatter record, generate $425 million in revenues
Pennsylvania casinos generated more than $425.9 million in October, eclipsing a revenue high set in July, state regulators said. Casinos generated $2.25 million more last month than in July, when revenues topped $423.6 million, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. In addition, revenues last month increased...
Infamous anniversary: 100 years of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes
November marks the 100th anniversary of an infamous event in the history of Great Lakes fishing: the date when sea lamprey, native to the Atlantic ocean, first moved into Lake Erie from the Welland Canal in Ontario. The parasitic invaders decimated Great Lakes fish populations, which reached rock-bottom in the...
Troopers say accused shoplifter flashed handgun during theft at Indiana Mall
State police are asking the public’s help identifying a man who is accused of flashing a handgun as he fled a J.C. Penney store at Indiana Mall in White Township with a shopping cart of stolen merchandise. Troopers said they were dispatched at 3:01 p.m. Tuesday to the mall on...
Pittsburgh area getting last warm day before rain, colder temps move in
Anyone who enjoys warm, dry days better get out Wednesday and enjoy it, for it will be here but a day. The high temperature is expected to rise into the mid-60s this afternoon, with a high of 67 expected in the Pittsburgh area, National Weather Service meteorologist Lee Hendricks said....
Truck driver flees police stop on Pa. Turnpike, crashes in Ohio
The driver of a tractor-trailer reported driving erratically on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and accused of fleeing from a traffic stop was apprehended after crashing in Ohio Monday, according to state police. State police charged Ricardo Andres Kostyk, 30, of Clearwater, Fla., with a felony count of fleeing or attempting to...
Trib CEO Jennifer Bertetto recognized by Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association
The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association on Tuesday honored Trib Total Media President and CEO Jennifer Bertetto with the 2021 Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence. The award recognizes outstanding service that reflects positively on the news industry in Pennsylvania. Brad Simpson, president of the Harrisburg-based news association, praised Bertetto for being a...
Connellsville man almost ate 18-pound walleye he pulled from Yough before state record verification
After pulling a mammoth 34-inch walleye out of the Youghiogheny River in Connellsville on Oct. 28, Richard Nicholson had to be persuaded by his son not to fillet the fish but have it weighed to see if it was a state record. So the next morning, Nicholson, 62, put the...
State police say missing Indiana County woman found safe in Allegheny County
A 79-year-old Indiana County woman who was reported missing Monday evening was found Tuesday in Allegheny County and is safe, state police said. Relatives reported Nancy C. Smith, 79, of Dilltown, missing when she did not return home from a shopping trip Monday evening, state police said. Trooper Cliff Greenfield...
Woman dies after vehicle crash, fire in Washington County
A 35-year-old woman died after a single vehicle crash in Washington County Monday night, the county coroner said. The coroner identified the woman as Abbey Rhoades, of Washington. The crash happened around 10:30 p.m. on Moore Road in South Franklin. According to the coroner, Rhoades was alone and driving north...
Junior Achievement seeking nominations for 18 Under Eighteen
Junior Achievement of Western PA is shining attention on tomorrow’s leaders with its latest initiative, 18 Under Eighteen. Looking to showcase teens and inspire others, 18 under Eighteen will celebrate and honor 18 youths in our communities for making a difference through their exemplary leadership. Nominations are being accepted through...
W.Va. man killed in turnpike crash in Somerset
A West Virginia man died in a weekend wreck along the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset County. Ryan M. Smith, 35, of Huntington, W.Va., was killed when his car collided with the rear of a tractor-trailer at about 4:40 p.m. Saturday in the eastbound lanes of the turnpike, about five miles...
Boone, the little therapy dog from Butler, wins big award
A little dog with a big heart won a nationwide canine competition. Boone, a two-legged special needs hound-mix from Butler Township, was named the 2021 American Humane Hero Dog on Friday in an awards ceremony Friday in Palm Beach, Fla. He appeared as a finalist in the 2021 American Humane...
No charges to be filed in New Castle ‘kidnapping’ case
New Castle police say there won’t be any charges filed in what initially was though to be the kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl there. According to WPXI-TV, Police Chief Robert Salem said investigators determined the missing girl was not kidnapped and no charges will be filed in the case. Police...
‘Buy it now’: The time has come to start holiday shopping or risk missing Christmas
If you haven’t started holiday shopping, you might be falling behind. The culprit is supply chain disruptions. This year, more than any in recent memory, it is imperative to get an early start checking off items for those on your naughty-or-nice list, retail analysts say. “Inventory concerns, combined with constantly...
More Americans expected to enroll in Affordable Care Act health plans as costs drop, benefits increase
If you’ve shopped the Affordable Care Act marketplace for a health plan in recent years only to be disappointed by its price tags, you might want to try again. More Americans than ever qualify for federal subsidies to reduce what they spend on health insurance in 2022 — including millions...
Group to again lobby Harrisburg lawmakers for ‘People’s Maps’ over traditional Pa. politics
A citizens group that solicited public input to create “People’s Maps” to guide officials in drawing new legislative districts for the Pennsylvania General Assembly will make a final pitch on Monday. Carol Kuniholm, executive director of Fair Maps Pennsylvania, will make her pitch for the House and Senate maps, created...
Sept. 11 Memorial Trail to Shanksville gets boost from land purchase in New Jersey
The 9/11 National Memorial Trail, which will link to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, has advanced with action in New Jersey. N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy announced plans to spend $65 million to buy a 9-mile greenway, which will be a segment of the 9/11 Trail. The trail is...
Missing Penn State student found dead
A Penn State student reported missing Thursday has been found dead, according to State College Police. Police did not name the 19-year-old woman. The Centre Daily Times, citing the university and family members’ social media, identified her as Justine Gross. Police said early indications are her death was accidental. It...
Highmark CEO David Holmberg’s pay dipped to $7.8M in 2020
Highmark Health CEO David Holmberg made $7.82 million in total compensation in 2020, about $325,000 less than the previous year, records filed Friday show. The reduced compensation and bonus package amid the covid-19 pandemic follows Holmberg reaping a pay increase of about $660,000 in 2019, an 8.8% hike, according to...
Police investigate shooting that killed Aliquippa man
State police are investigating a shooting that left a man dead Thursday in Beaver County. Brandon L. Murray, 36, of Aliquippa, was pronounced dead in his apartment in the 500 block of Linmar Terrace. Aliquippa police were dispatched to the apartment shortly before 11 a.m. to check on Murray’s welfare....
Snow possible as weather turns chilly this weekend
For the first time since last spring, that four-letter weather word — snow — is being mentioned again. And it’s not one bit unusual for this time of year according to Jenna Lake, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Moon Township. “It’s very typical for this time...
A dozen Western Pa. health systems pledge to comply with vaccine mandate for hospital workers
UPMC’s top doctor affirmed Thursday that Pennsylvania’s largest health system and nongovernment employer will comply with a newly issued federal mandate that all health care workers get vaccinated for covid-19 by early January, in line with prior pledges by competing medical providers in recent months. Dr. Donald Yealy, UPMC’s chief...
Convicted child sex offender who escaped Pittsburgh halfway house caught in Spring Hill, officials say
A convicted child sex offender from Fayette County who escaped from a Downtown Pittsburgh halfway house three weeks ago was arrested this week by sheriff’s deputies at a North Side apartment, officials said. Tyree Lamar Hill — who also goes by Tyreek and has ties to Fayette City, Pittsburgh and...
