Regional category, Page 205
2 men indicted on murder charges in slaying of Nashville nurse from Butler
A grand jury in Tennessee has indicted two men on charges of first-degree murder in connection with the December killing of a Nashville nurse, originally from Butler County, court records show. James Cowan, 28, and Devaunte Hill, 21, both face charges in the Dec. 3 shooting death of Caitlyn Kaufman,...
Clymer man killed in 3-vehicle crash in Cherryhill Township
A 59-year-old Clymer man was killed in a three-vehicle crash Thursday in Indiana County, according to state police. Police said the man was headed east on Route 286 in Cherryhill Township northeast of Blairsville and was over the fog line when he came up on a disabled box truck on...
State police: Man ran meth lab out of his home near Smicksburg
State police in Indiana County are preparing charges against a man who allegedly operated a meth lab out of his home near Smicksburg. Officers from the county’s probation department, who were conducting a check at the 39-year-old man’s home Wednesday, contacted state police after they suspected he was making methamphetamine,...
Busy as bees: ‘We need them a lot more than they need us’
Thursday was a busy day for beekeepers, and not just because it was World Bee Day, when people should reflect on the importance of bees and their role as pollinators supporting our food crops and environment. Bill Kopar of Fawn Township, owner of the Kopar Honey Farm, recently has been...
Fayette man’s rapid control of robotic arm at Pitt lab detailed in ‘Science’
Having the sensation of touch makes quite a difference for Nathan Copeland. The 35-year-old man from Dunbar, Fayette County, lost the sensation and most of the motion in his limbs at 18 when he broke his neck in a car crash. Since 2014, he’s been participating in a study at...
Former Pittsburgh mobster, Youngstown mob boss Lenny Strollo dies at age 90
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — A former mob boss whose criminal enterprise helped earn Youngstown the name “Crimetown U.S.A” before turning federal witness has died at age 90. The funeral home handling arrangements on Thursday confirmed Lenine “Lenny” Strollo’s death. Authorities accused Strollo of running a criminal enterprise that involved gambling, drugs...
Visitation resumes at 5 Pa. state prison facilities
The state Department of Corrections will slowly start phasing in-person visitation back in at five facilities, including SCI-Laurel Highlands, officials said this week. The decision to allow in-person visits at any particular facility is based upon vaccination rates, the percentage of cases among those incarcerated, and the amount of the...
Richard King Mellon Foundation gives $150M gift to Carnegie Mellon University
The Richard King Mellon Foundation on Thursday announced its largest ever grant — $150 million to Carnegie Mellon University. Half of the historic investment — $75 million — will go toward the construction of CMU’s long-awaited, cutting-edge $210 million science building on Forbes Avenue, adjacent to the Carnegie Museum in...
Leechburg paramedic for Allegheny Health Network featured in Marvel comic bookVideo
If you ask Gary Cockroft, he’s about as far from a superhero as you could get. “I’m really quiet. I don’t like the camera; I like to stay in the background,” said Cockroft, 64, a Leechburg resident and paramedic with A-K Pulser. Marvel Comics and the Allegheny Health Network, however,...
Police: Seward-area Corvette targeted among vehicle thefts in 3 counties
State police are investigating a string of vehicle thefts from three counties, including Westmoreland. Troopers this week searched for a red 2014 Corvette Stingray stolen from the Seward area. It was among three vehicles stolen since Friday night or early Saturday morning in what investigators believe are connected thefts across...
Pa. woman charged in Capitol riot recorded saying she wanted to ‘hang’ Nancy PelosiVideo
Two McKean County residents were charged Tuesday in connection with their participation in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Pauline Bauer, of Kane, organized a bus trip to the “Stop the Steal” rally that day in Washington, D.C., according to the FBI. She then illegally entered the Capitol,...
Greater Latrobe bus provider among area recipients getting grants for ‘green’ vehicles
State Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants are helping several area companies and municipal entities add green vehicles to their transportation fleets — including the firm that buses students to Greater Latrobe schools. General Manager Jay Kilpatrick said the $300,000 grant Norvelt-based DMJ Transportation received will help cover the extra investment the...
Voters poised to elect 1st female lawmaker in 59th District special election to replace Mike Reese
Voters in the 59th Legislative District appeared to be on their way to choosing their first female lawmaker in Tuesday’s special election. Unofficial returns in Westmoreland County with 37 of 41 precincts reporting showed Republican Leslie Rossi with 63% of the vote, compared to about 34% for Democrat Mariah Fisher...
Giant Eagle to allow fully vaccinated customers, staff to go maskless
Giant Eagle will not require fully vaccinated shoppers or workers to wear masks at its supermarkets and GetGo locations starting Monday, company officials announced. Company spokesman Dick Roberts explained the move via press release Tuesday evening. “Throughout the covid-19 pandemic, we have taken every opportunity to safeguard the health and...
Heat wave finally on the way to Western Pa.
Get those air conditioners ready. A warmup is expected to kick in with temperatures in the low-80s by Wednesday and the mid- to upper-80s by Friday. Seemingly gone for good are the below normal temperatures that brought frost potential earlier this month. “We’re coming off a period of cold weather...
‘It’s a personal choice’: Western Pa. residents have mixed reactions to mask guidelinesVideo
Since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, some have embraced face masks while others resisted them. Even now that the CDC says fully vaccinated people can go mask-free in many public settings, masks remain the topic of much debate. In Pennsylvania, the mask mandate now requires fully vaccinated people wear...
Western Pa. universities weigh covid vaccine requirements for fall
Leaders at colleges and universities in Western Pennsylvania are grappling with how to safely restart classes in the fall — specifically, if requiring covid vaccination should be part of that strategy. Carnegie Mellon University announced last week that it would require students to get a vaccine before returning to campus....
New York man charged in child sexual trafficking linked to Monroeville, Erie
A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh has indicted a New York man on a charge of child trafficking, prosecutors said. Adrian Petty, 26, of Buffalo is the sole defendant in the grand jury’s recently unsealed indictment, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Kaufman said. According to the indictment, Petty was charged for...
Police: Man arrested after fatal shooting at Washington County graduation party
One man was killed at a graduation party in Washington County on Saturday, and the man accused in the killing was arrested, according to police. Richard Lawrence Rollison, 54, of Washington was charged with homicide after a shooting at his home on the 500 block of Pleasant Valley Road in...
New bishop presides at first maskless Mass at Saint Vincent Basilica
In yet another sign that the world is beginning to reopen from the covid-19 pandemic, Bishop Larry Kulick of the Catholic Diocese of Greensburg celebrated Mass without a mask Sunday for the first time in more than a year. The occasion was a visit to the Saint Vincent Basilica Parish...
Help wanted: Western Pa. businesses hurting from lack of worker interest to fill open jobs
Dino’s Sports Lounge is in the same boat as so many other employers — competing to attract workers in a market made all the harder by covid-19 and an extra $300 a week in benefits being pocketed by eligible jobless workers. “I can’t get people to apply,” said Dino DeCario,...
Trib Total Media names Luis Fabregas as next executive editor
A veteran, award-winning journalist and longtime Trib Total Media editor has been named the company’s next executive editor. Luis Fabregas will assume the role Sept. 16, succeeding Executive Editor Susan McFarland, who announced she will retire in the fall. “I am so pleased that we have someone with Luis’ talent,...
Fully vaccinated parishioners can shed masks in Pittsburgh Diocese churches
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced Friday that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask in church. According to the Centers for Disease Control, fully vaccinated is defined as being two weeks after a second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines,...
Kennywood, Hersheypark ditch mask requirements for fully vaccinated
Kennywood Park announced Friday that fully vaccinated visitors do not have to wear masks, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s easing of restrictions. The park posted on Facebook on Friday that fully vaccinated patrons do not have to wear a mask, and those who have not been vaccinated...
Election HQ: A voter guide to 2021 primary races
Primary election day in Pennsylvania is Tuesday. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote. The state has an online tool to let voters find their polling place by entering their address here. For more information on...
