Regional category, Page 310
Indiana County man killed in crash
An Indiana County man was killed in a one-vehicle crash in West Wheatfield Township early Saturday, according to state police. Daniel J. Rodkey, 28, of Indiana, died after being ejected from a car at the intersection of Ofman and Shellbark roads. State police said the driver of a Tesla Model...
Crash kills 3 men in Greene County
WAYNESBURG — Authorities say a crash over the weekend claimed the lives of three men in southwestern Pennsylvania. State police in Greene County say a vehicle traveling on Route 19 in Franklin Township went out of control on a curve, struck a guardrail and hit a tree before overturning. Three...
Gasoline prices continue decline despite oil prices moving higher, analyst says
Gasoline prices have continued to fall in the Pittsburgh area and across the nation. “For its eighth straight week, the national average has declined even as oil prices have bucked the trend in the last week, moving higher on optimism over upcoming trade talks between China and the United States,”...
Wolf administration to give away free Naloxone at health centers in Western Pennsylvania
The Wolf administration later this month will give away free Naloxone at nearly 100 state and local health centers, including those in Western Pennsylvania, as part of an ongoing effort to reduce opioid overdoses. Naloxone is used to reverse overdoses caused by opioids by blocking the effects of opioids on...
Double your elk-watching: Murrysville company sets up live webcam in Benezette
The Murrysville man who set up the Pittsburgh eagle webcam now has a live webcam with two cameras in Benezette capturing all of the excitement of the bull elk in rut. Elk in Pennsylvania were wiped out by the late 1870s. But the Pennsylvania Game Commission re-introduced elk from the...
Uniontown man convicted of possessing 1,181 images of child porn
A Uniontown man who admitted to having more than 1,181 images and videos of child pornography on his home computers was sentenced to serve more than three years in prison Monday. Jason A. Early, 41, was sentenced to three years plus one month in prison, to be followed by 10...
Temperatures could reach 90s around Pittsburgh
It’s going to be warmer than average this week, but there’s nothing unusual about this latest stretch of warmer weather, a National Weather Service meteorologist said. “I think we could see 90,” John Darnley, one of the meteorologists based in Moon, said of Tuesday’s high temperature. The National Weather Service...
Cops: Somerset County radio station owner impersonated woman, solicited rape
The owner of a Somerset County radio station took secret naked photos of a woman, set up a fake dating profile in her name, sent the photos to several men and asked one of the men to rape her, according to state police. Police charged Roger Dale Wahl, 68, of...
For many in Western Pa., UPMC-Highmark deal doesn’t end questions, frustration
Tens of thousands of Western Pennsylvanians shut out of UPMC and Highmark’s freshly inked deal don’t have much say in the health insurance plans they get — workers under 65 who rely on the coverage options their bosses choose. Kindergarten teachers, state troopers, pharmacists, municipal employees, community college professors, sales...
25 years ago, USAir Flight 427 crashed near Hopewell despite perfect conditions
It was sunnier 25 years ago than it was today. “Folks, from the flight deck we should be on the ground in ‘bout 10 more minutes. Sunny skies, little hazy,” the first officer of USAir Flight 427 told the 127 passengers over the intercom. “Temperature’s, ah — 75 degrees, wind’s...
Inmate accused of smuggling Suboxone, assault at SCI Somerset
A 32-year-old inmate at state prison in Somerset already serving a life sentence for murder was charged by state police with assaulting a corrections officer who broke up an alleged drug smuggling attempt in the prison’s visitation area last month. Marcus L. Graham, 32, formerly of Reading, Berks County, has...
Dogs get their turn at Ruff Mudder steeplechase near Slippery Rock
As Cooper’s Lake Campground in Slippery Rock, Pa., filled with athletes for the Tough Mudder, a designated section of the festival was designed with four-legged athletes in mind. The Ruff Mudder, an obstacle course for dogs and their owners to go through at their own speed, was a product of...
Former Obama advisor to participate in women’s health care symposium in Pittsburgh
Valerie Jarrett, former senior advisor to former President Barack Obama, will participate in an Adagio Health symposium dedicated to women’s health later this month in Pittsburgh. Jarrett will be involved in a discussion regarding the importance of better health care and policies for women across the country at the second...
VP Mike Pence to speak at Flight 93 Memorial on 9/11
Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt will be the keynote speakers for the 18th annual 9/11 observance at the Flight 93 National Memorial on Wednesday, the National Park Service announced Friday. Pence last spoke for the memorial’s 9/11 observance in 2017. President Trump spoke in...
Study: Women spend more at craft brewpubs, while men prevail in volume
Craft beer drinkers might be predominantly male, but a recent study shows women spend more per brewpub trip. A recent survey of 5,000 visits over two years conducted by Secret Hopper, which conducts mystery shopping and consulting for the craft beer industry, found women spent nearly 7% more than men....
Hoodlebug Trail bike run kicks off annual Homer City festival
A bicycle poker run, a 5K foot race, a car cruise and a parade are among the highlights of Sunday’s annual Hoodlebug Festival in Homer City. An 11:45 a.m. flag-raising ceremony at the Homer City fire hall signals the start of many festival activities, taking place through 7 p.m. at...
Get a $30 Walmart gift card for recycling car seat
Walmart and TerraCycle are partnering on a recycling program offering $30 Walmart gift cards to be used for baby merchandise for customers turning in an old car seat from Sept. 16-30. All car seats collected in this program will be recycled through TerraCycle, and each component will be diverted from...
Police: Boy, 7, made threat at Indiana County school
A 7-year-old boy made a threat while inside a classroom at an Indiana County school Thursday, according to state police. The threat was overheard by a classmate near the end of the school day at East Pike Elementary in White Township who reported the situation to a parent, troopers said....
Butler County woman lied about husband to get $60K in Social Security benefits
A Butler County woman has pleaded guilty to receiving more than $60,000 in fraudulent Social Security benefits by lying about her husband, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Pattie Lou Smith, 56, of Connoquenessing admitted to making false reports to the federal government on documents required to determine eligibility for benefits between...
Firefighters mixed on call for Pennsylvania funding reform
Pennsylvania’s auditor general wants to reduce restrictions on how firefighters can spend state aid, but Western Pennsylvania fire departments have mixed feelings over whether change is needed. “The law has not kept pace with changing times and, in my view, puts too many restrictions on how relief associations can spend...
Sheetz appears to call peace with Wawa, others in convenience store feud
It looks like the great Sheetz-Wawa rivalry has entered a new chapter. In a tweet Thursday, the Altoona-based convenience store chain seemed to call a stop to online arguing about which store is the best. Sheetz went on to call Wawa “cool,” while also complimenting Quik Trip, Pilot Flying J...
Ohio man indicted in death of 14-year-old found buried on farm
CARROLLTON, Ohio — Authorities say an Ohio man faces multiple charges for giving a 14-year-old boy a fatal dose of the powerful opioid fentanyl and then burying his body in a shallow grave. Thirty-year-old Matthew Little, of Carrollton, was arrested Wednesday after a grand jury indicted him on charges that...
Labor Day weekend vehicle crashes down slightly from last year
The Pennsylvania State Police reported 5% fewer crashes on state-patrolled roads over the four-day Labor Day holiday compared to last year. This year’s holiday weekend saw 684 crashes that injured 204 people. In 2018, there were 722 crashes that injured 224 people. Across the state’s southwest region, which includes Allegheny...
Police say Ring video-sharing partnership has helped solve crimes
Two Western Pennsylvania police departments that have established partnerships with the doorbell-camera company Ring said the alliance has helped them solve crimes and benefited their communities. Baldwin Borough and Castle Shannon police are among roughly 400 police forces across the United States that have partnered with the Amazon-owned company, giving...
Analyst: Hurricane Dorian not expected to impact gas prices
Gas prices have continued to fall locally and across the nation, and they are expected to continue falling with the switch to cheaper winter gasoline and plummeting demand, an industry analyst says. “While a China/U.S. trade deal could undermine the normal seasonal decline in prices that we anticipate, its still...
