Regional category, Page 325
Trio charged by state police in Western Pa. cocaine, marijuana sting
State police raided a clandestine drug preparation facility and confiscated more than two pounds of cocaine and 20 pounds of marijuana during a 15-month investigation into an alleged southwestern Pennsylvania distribution network, according to court records. Investigators used confidential informants and surveillance that resulted in the arrests of a Fayette...
Food and Drug Administration considering CBD regulations
It seems like CBD products are available on every street corner, but the industry’s unregulated heyday may not last much longer. A federal Food and Drug Administration working group is gathering information and crafting regulations for the cannabis-derived substance. “We recognize that there is significant public interest in these products,...
Health officials: Algae bloom along Lake Erie shoreline dangerous to pets, kids
Health officials are warning visitors to Lake Erie that algae blooms in the waters along the shoreline are a danger to pets and young children. Algae in the water “exceeds dog safety thresholds” at eight swimming areas, according to the Erie County Department of Health. The algae blooms can produce...
McKeesport man accused of torching Brooklyn rabbi’s house has ‘hate’ tattoo
A McKeesport man accused of setting a fire at the home of a Brooklyn, N.Y., rabbi last week that injured 13 people had a history of threatening the religious leader, according to published reports. The victims, including a 6-week-old baby and three first responders, were injured in Thursday morning’s fire,...
Harsh winds, rain rip through Butler County knocking down trees, wires
Harsh winds and pouring rain cascaded through Butler County and other parts of Western Pennsylvania on Sunday evening. The National Weather Service Pittsburgh branch issued a tornado warning for the area through 6:45 p.m. Butler County dispatchers said multiple trees and wires came down with the hardest hit areas along...
Tornado warning for Butler, Mercer counties has expired
The National Weather Service has let tornado warnings for northeastern Butler County and southeastern Mercer County expire. The warning was issued through 6:45 p.m. Sunday. Authorities said the tornadic thunderstorm could impact West Sunbury, Hooker, Eau Claire, Harrisville and Cherry Valley among other rural areas of those counties. Folks in...
Pittsburgh region to stay wet over the next few days
Commuters are in for a soggy drive Monday morning as two storm systems settle over the area. “Right around 5 a.m. to about 8 a.m., we could see some pretty heavy rain showers maybe some thunderstorms,” said John Darnley, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon Township. Areas south...
Roller coaster at Cedar Point malfunctions mid-ride, passengers stuck for short time
Cedar Point officials say weather caused a roller coaster to get stuck midway through its course, trapping riders Wednesday. The GateKeeper malfunctioned shortly before the Sandusky, Ohio amusement park was set to close. Passengers were stuck for more than 90 seconds. “The train came to a stop on a section...
General Carbide CEO Mona Pappafava-Ray named regional Entrepreneur of the Year
Mona Pappafava-Ray, president and CEO of Hempfield-based General Carbide Corp., is a finalist for the national Entrepreneur of the Year Award after being named East Central Entrepreneur of the Year last week. Now in its 33rd year, the competition recognizes entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who excel in areas...
Cops: Fayette County parents charged after infant found to have 13 fractures
An examination at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh last month revealed an infant boy from Fayette County suffered 13 fractures throughout his body, state police in Uniontown allege in court documents filed Friday. After a two-week investigation, troopers charged the boy’s parents, John T. Clark, 29, and Tiffany L. Clark,...
Motorcyclist killed in I-79 crash in Washington County
Authorities have not released the identity of a driver of a dirt bike who was killed Thursday after his motorcycle left the roadway and struck a guardrail in North Strabane in Washington County. State police in Washington said the accident occurred along Interstate 79 North by the North Strabane exit...
It took 26,000 Post-It notes to make this Pride mural on a Cincinnati skyscraper
It took 26,000 Post-It notes to spell the word “PRIDE” on the face of an Ohio office building. More than 100 Cincinnati Bell employees on Wednesday stuck five colors of the sticky office products to the inside of 96 windows, reports WLWT-TV. Cincinnati Bell Pride Post-It Note drone shot from...
2 Western Pa. doctors found not guilty of alleged Suboxone scheme
Two Allegheny County doctors are not guilty of illegally prescribing medication used to treat addiction to narcotic painkillers, a West Virginia jury found Thursday. Dr. Krishan Kumar Aggarwal, 75, of Moon Township, and Dr. Cherian John, 66, of Coraopolis, were acquitted on all charges of health care fraud, conspiracy and...
Help wanted: Pick up 35 tons of bottles, cans, plastics and paper for River Sweep
Now in its 30th year, River Sweep is need of volunteers Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon to clean up litter and debris along local waterways including the Allegheny, Ohio, Monongahela, Youghiogheny, Beaver and Kiski rivers. River Sweep, the largest organized volunteer cleanup event in the country, winds through Ohio,...
Chinese tariffs could impact future firework sales
While thousands of fireworks already have been shipped from China for Fourth of July celebrations, the industry is bracing for tariffs on Chinese goods that could drive up prices and darken skies for future summer celebrations. The 25% tariffs, which the Trump administration proposed in May, would hit a U.S....
Funding cuts jeopardize Amtrak service, PennDOT official says
The state’s Amtrak passenger rail service will be impacted when the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s $450 million annual payment to PennDOT plunges by $400 million three years from now, a PennDOT official warned Thursday. “Amtrak service is in jeopardy, as we know it today,” even without the pending funding crisis, Jennie Granger,...
Friday is Flag Day in Pittsburgh and beyond
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania became the first state to celebrate Flag Day as a holiday in 1937. This year, the National Flag Foundation in Pittsburgh hopes to inspire Americans across the country to fly the flag for unity and civility. “My mission is to re-establish the flag foundation and revitalize...
Diversity of students rises across Pennsylvania, including in Allegheny, Westmoreland counties, data show
Diversity in children in school districts in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties is on the rise, data show. One in three Pennsylvania children are children of color, with four of five school districts having a higher share of children of color than in 2009, according to data based on estimates from...
Congregation safety topic of free active shooter training at Mills Mall church
Most people consider the places where they worship to be a safe refuge from the the outside world. But the Oct. 27 mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh and other high-profile attacks on religious institutions have illustrated the vulnerability congregations can face. To help communities of...
New Cranberry liquor store first to feature tasting room
The first state liquor store that includes a tasting room opens Friday in Cranberry. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board will hold a grand opening for the new Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection location at 4 p.m. Friday at the Cranberry Mall, Phase III Shopping Center at 20111 Route...
Cops: Indiana County man jailed after firing shotgun inside house during argument
A 31-year-old Indiana County man was arrested this week on charges of firing a 12-gauge shotgun inside a house during an argument with a woman in White Township. Joshua N. Walters was charged with discharging a firearm into an occupied structure and reckless endangerment following the incident about 2:19 p.m....
Some Pa. residents receiving ‘unexpected’ medical bills, organization says
When Emily Christian-Michaels went to UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh for a regular scan at 20 weeks pregnant, she didn’t expect to get hit with a $1,900 bill. The now-31-year-old Bellevue resident said hospital staff performed an extended scan without letting her know — a procedure that was not covered...
Butler man arrested on DUI charges twice in same day
A Butler man was arrested for suspected drunken driving twice in the same day early this month, and police say he was more intoxicated during the second stop. State police said they stopped a minivan driven by Jonathan Joseph Dillingham, 26, around 3:30 a.m. June 1 in the 200 block...
Diocese of Greensburg reassigns 27 priests, approves 5 retirements
Bishop Edward C. Malesic has made a series of pastoral appointments involving 27 priests in the Diocese of Greensburg. The announcements, which include retirements for five priests, were made in the affected parishes at weekend Masses June 8-9. The complete list, with the effective dates of the different appointments, is...
East Stroudsburg mother sentenced for drug-related crash that killed daughter
STROUDSBURG, Pa. — A mother who authorities say was driving under the influence of drugs when she caused a head-on crash that killed her young daughter is now headed to prison. Rebecca Willis was sentenced Tuesday to a term of 18 to 36 months in prison. The 44-year-old East Stroudsburg...
