Regional category, Page 331
Retrial planned for man who broke $4.5M statue’s thumb at Philly museum
PHILADELPHIA — Federal prosecutors plan to retry a Delaware man who admitted he broke a thumb off a $4.5 million statue at a Philadelphia museum. Philly.com reports prosecutors told a judge Thursday they’re refiling charges against Michael Rohana for theft and concealment of an object of cultural heritage. A jury...
Giant Eagle adding car-charging stations thanks to $660K in state grants
The state Department of Environmental Protection on Thursday announced $660,000 in grants for Giant Eagle to add electric car charging stations in Allegheny, Butler and Washington counties aimed at expansion of the state’s alternative fuel highway network. “Pennsylvanians are increasingly interested in protecting the environment and saving money by driving...
UPMC, Attorney General’s legal teams face off before state Supreme CourtVideo
HARRISBURG — UPMC’s looming prepayment rule for out-of-network patients demonstrates the health giant’s efforts to serve the public have “deteriorated” in the past five years, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office argued Thursday before the state Supreme Court. Bart DeLone, chief attorney general, told justices that the controversial prepay rule —...
Washington County clinic owner pleads guilty to unlawful drug distribution
A Washington County woman has pleaded guilty to helping illegally peddle drugs from the addiction treatment clinic she owned, according to U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady. Jennifer Hess, 50, founded and owned Redirections Treatment Advocates LLC, which had operated five clinics in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Hess used pre-signed prescriptions...
Western Pa. farmers prefer free market trade to tariff-compensation handout
It’s déjà vu all over again for Pennsylvania farmers. This time last year, farmers were contemplating a federal bailout to the tune of $12 billion to offset the negative impact of retaliatory tariffs from China. Now the figure being floated by President Trump in his ongoing trade war with China...
Lawmaker says pets should be given special consideration in divorces
In a divorce, deciding who gets a pet should be treated differently than deciding who gets a piece of furniture, according to a state legislator from Allegheny County. But Pennsylvania law treats pets as chattel to be divvied up, said state Rep. Anita Kulik, D-Kennedy Township. Kulik wants to change...
Ohio teen loses 115 pounds while walking to school every day
An Ohio student will graduate 115 pounds lighter than when he started high school. Michael Watson, 18, of Canton decided two years ago to do something about his weight. He was 6 foot, 4 inches tall and tipped the scale at 335 pounds, reports CNN. “My self-confidence was zero,” Watson...
Ex-Butler man accused of forcing boy and pregnant woman to have sex
A former Butler County man forced a 12-year-old boy and 29-year-old woman to have sex, according to police. Butler Township police charged Chester Henry Thompson Jr., 55, formerly of Lyndora, with several sex crimes. The woman told police she was about two-months pregnant when she was forced to have sex...
Fallen law enforcement remembered on National Peace Officers Memorial Day
Law enforcement officers on Wednesday are gathering in Washington, D.C., to remember their fallen on National Peace Officers Memorial Day. Four Pennsylvania officers are among those being honored during the national memorial service, including New Castle Detective Sgt. Brian S. Cuscino, 44, and state prison guard Sgt. Mark Baserman, 60,...
Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics will host open house
The Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics will host an open house May 18 for those with an interest in flight-related careers. Representatives from Endeavor Air will be at the school’s main campus, at the Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin, to talk with prospective students. PIA President Suzanne Markle said the...
Pittsburgh region’s rainfall above average in 2019, but behind 2018 pace
If it seems to have been wet for a solid week, it wasn’t your imagination. The Pittsburgh area saw rain for six consecutive days, with about an inch of rain recorded at Pittsburgh International Airport from Thursday through Monday, according to the National Weather Service Pittsburgh office in Moon. The...
USDA funds available to communities trying solve stormwater runoff problems
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering grants to small, rural communities to help them deal with stormwater runoff problems. USDA announced on Monday the latest round of grants awarded through its Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program. Rural communities, water districts and other eligible entities can use...
China trade deal could reverse relief at gas pump
Gas prices have come down a bit in Pittsburgh in the past week, although they’re still higher than they were both a month and a year ago. Prices in the Pittsburgh region are down 2.1 cents per gallon to an average of $3.12, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 731 stations....
Allegheny Health Network opens cancer center in Beaver County
Allegheny Health Network officially opened its new cancer center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday in Beaver County. AHN Cancer Institute – Beaver is located in Center Township and provides clinical and support services, including radiation oncology capabilities, medical oncology and infusion therapy, nutritional counseling, social services and access to cancer...
1 dead in Fayette County apartment building fire
One person died in a fire that broke out Sunday at an apartment building along Second Street in Brownsville. The early-morning fire in Fayette County is believed to have started on the building’s top floor where the man who died had lived, authorities told Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. Authorities did...
UPMC-Highmark split to take center stage in state Supreme Court showdown
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro balked at claims that his legal fight against UPMC is a ploy for political clout under the guise of acting in the public interest. “This has nothing to do with my career, and everything to do with the good people of Western Pennsylvania who deserve...
Pittsburgh diocese suspends priest accused of inappropriate contact with women
A priest serving at parishes in Butler and Lawrence counties has been placed on administrative leave while the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh investigates allegations that he had inappropriate contact with women. Bishop David Zubik suspended the Rev. James Young from engaging in public ministry while the investigation is being conducted,...
Shelocta man dead in Indiana County crash
A Shelocta man was pronounced dead Saturday evening at the scene of a one-car crash in Indiana County. State police in Indiana said Mason Robert McCauley, 18, was traveling on McIntyre Road in Young Township shortly before 6:30 p.m. when the vehicle he was driving veered off the side of...
Uber driver accused of trying to kidnap female passengers
An Uber driver allegedly kidnapped two women early Saturday morning, taking the women to a Point Breeze intersection and trying to lock them in the vehicle, according to Pittsburgh police. Officers responded about 1:30 a.m. to the intersection of South Homewood and Penn avenues where two women reported their Uber...
Police: 5 shot, wounded in Philadelphia ambush by 3 teens
Authorities say five men were shot and wounded, one critically, after being ambushed by three teenagers in north Philadelphia. Police said three males broke away from a group of 10 or 11 males walking down a street just before 5:30 p.m. Friday, and surveillance video shows three teenagers shortly afterward...
A Jefferson County man pleads guilty in federal court to buying guns for another man
A Jefferson County man has admitted in federal court about lying when he was involved with a gun sale. Brock Powell, 43, of Summerville entered his plea before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Joy Flowers Conti to one count of making false statements in relation to the acquisition of firearms....
Police: Fayette woman scammed by fake Amazon customer service number
A Fayette County woman who thought she was calling Amazon customer service ended up getting scammed by the person on the other end of the phone, according to state police. The Springfield Township woman told troopers she didn’t receive an item she bought from the website and searched on March...
Elizabeth Warren bringing opioids message to hard-hit W.Va., Ohio
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Elizabeth Warren is set to visit a state that hasn’t been friendly to Democrats lately to pitch her plan to combat the opioid addiction crisis by boosting taxes on the wealthy. The Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential candidate will travel to Kermit, West Virginia, on Friday before...
State, local officials practice emergency response at Indiana County school
State and local officials participated in an emergency exercise Friday morning at an Indiana County school. There was an increased police presence at United Junior-Senior High School in East Wheatfield Township, state police said. Those involved responded to a simulated critical incident to practice emergency response, lockdown procedures and communication...
4 Southwestern Pa. trails could be part of coast-to-coast bike route
Four Southwestern Pennsylvania bike paths eventually could be part of a coast-to-coast mega-trail. The Great American Rail-Trail, proposed by the nonprofit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, would link Seattle to Washington D.C. with 3,700 miles spanning 12 states. The conservancy has announced its preferred route for the trail, which would link up dozens...
