Regional category, Page 352
Don White, GOP state senator, leaving seat in middle of term
State Sen. Don White said that when he came to the Pennsylvania Legislature, he was 50 years old but felt like he was 30. “I was full of energy, anxious to do a good job,” he said Tuesday in a video posted to his website. These days? “Now I’m 69...
Ohio pastor pleads guilty to sex trafficking of teen girls
TOLEDO, Ohio — A second of three Ohio ministers accused of enticing teenage girls to have sex with them has pleaded guilty. Cordell Jenkins agreed to plead guilty Tuesday to federal charges that include child sex trafficking. Federal authorities say he was among three Toledo-area pastors who paid teenage girls...
Hazardous sub-zero wind chills to cripple Pittsburgh region through early Friday
Southwestern Pennsylvania residents who have to venture outside Wednesday or Thursday will need to bundle up to protect against bitter cold and strong winds that can quickly lead to frost bite on exposed skin. Wind chills dipping as low as minus 20 degrees are expected between 5 a.m. Wednesday and...
These places will be surprisingly warmer than Pittsburgh this week
Yes, Pittsburgh, it’s going to be cold mid-week. But there are plenty of cities elsewhere in the world that will make Western Pennsylvania look like a frozen tundra Wednesday and Thursday. The National Weather Service predicts the high temperature Wednesday will be 7 degrees with wind chills as low as...
Warming centers open as Arctic blast expected this week
Warming centers in the region are beginning to open as temperatures are expected to plummet to the single digits Wednesday and Thursday. The list below will be updated as more shelters open. Allegheny CountyMagee, West Penn, Brookline and Phillips Community Recreation Centers in Pittsburgh will be open until 9 p.m....
Troopers seeking clues in 2016 brutal beating of Somerset County woman
On Jan. 28, 2016, Somerset County native Rachel Mishler returned to her home in Greenville Township after finishing an evening shift as a health care worker at a Cumberland County, Md., hospital. “I felt someone was behind me when I walked into the basement. … I turned around briefly and...
State police find 3rd meth manufacturing site in 8 days in Indiana County
For the third time in eight days, state troopers in Indiana County made arrests after finding items related to manufacturing methamphetamine. Troopers said they arrested two women and two men Saturday after finding two “one pot” labs in the trunk of a vehicle in the parking lot of the Walmart...
Online convenience driving return of grocery deliveries in Western Pennsylvania
The days of the home-delivered milk bottle may be gone, but the idea of having groceries delivered is anything but passé. In fact, the service — once the domain of local mom-and-pop stores — is catching on with Giant Eagle, Walmart and other grocery giants. The service is fueled in...
Gas prices rise in Pittsburgh, fewer nationally under $2 per gallon
Gas prices are up in the Pittsburgh area, and, nationally, with fewer stations selling fuel for under $2 per gallon. “The percent of gas stations in the U.S. selling under $2 per gallon fell from 37 percent to 27 percent over the last week as oil prices hold above $53...
Police: Man accidentally shot himself in leg at Somerset Walmart
A 48-year-old Somerset man accidentally shot himself in the leg at a Walmart store in Somerset County over the weekend. State police said the victim was inside the Somerset Township store when his firearm accidentally discharged at 10:15 p.m. Saturday. A bullet hit him in the right calf, according to...
Peoples Gas wants to raise rates by 14 to 19 percent to pump $95M into replacing pipelines
Peoples Natural Gas is seeking permission from state regulators to increase rates for its customers by 14 to 19 percent so the utility can pump $95 million into replacing aging pipelines, officials said Monday. Typical residential customers would see an increase of about $10 per month, or 14 percent, under...
Arctic air mass ushering in below-zero wind chills this week
This morning’s frigid temperatures will inch above freezing during the day before giving way to frigid Arctic air that is set to hang around for several days, according to local meteorologists. “We’re going to have a pretty good little bit of warming through Monday with highs right around 38 degrees,”...
Allegheny County ranks 2nd for most insurance fraud cases in Pa.
Allegheny County ranks second among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties in prevalence of insurance fraud, according to cases filed in recent years through the state’s judicial system. A report issued Friday by the Administrative Office 0f Pennsylvania Courts indicates there were 348 insurance fraud cases filed in Allegheny from 2013 through 2017,...
Butler County state rep. accused of drugging woman, sexually assaulting her
HARRISBURG — A woman who alleges that a Western Pennsylvania lawmaker sexually assaulted her while she was incapacitated believes she was drugged on the night the incident occurred, according to Pennsylvania’s top advocate for crime victims. Jennifer Storm, head of the state’s Office of the Victim Advocate, said the woman...
New Florence man accused of shooting woman with BB gun
A New Florence man faces aggravated assault charges after police say he shot a 24-year-old woman multiple times with a BB gun. State police charged Allen K. Palmer, 31, with aggravated assault, simple assault and harassment. During an altercation at a Climax Road residence in West Wheatfield on Tuesday ,...
Price of Forever stamps to increase to 55 cents
Nothing is forever, including the price of stamps. Starting Jan. 27, the price of Forever stamps is expected to increase by five cents, from 50 cents to 55 cents, according to a release from the United States Postal Service. Other mailing and shipping services also are expected to increase. For...
Weekend snow, frigid temperatures coming to Pittsburgh region
More snow and chilly temperatures are on the way. Between 1 and 3 inches of snow is expected to fall in the Pittsburgh area through Sunday, with up to an inch expected on Sunday, National Weather Service Meteorologist Jared Rackley said Friday morning. “(We’re) not really looking at a whole...
Snow showers expected to blast parts of Western PA could affect Friday’s commute
More snow is on the way for Western Pennsylvania. And that snow could impact Friday morning driving conditions. A special weather statement issued early Friday morning by the National Weather Service said a band of moderate to heavy snow showers could affect visibility and cause hazardous conditions along some area...
Energy Department taps Penn State researchers to help modernize U.S. power grid
Penn State announced Thursday it is one of 10 universities selected nationwide to work on a project for the U.S. Department of Energy to modernize the nation’s power grid. The Penn State team of researchers chosen for the department’s Grid Optimization Competition’s first challenge is led by Uday V. Shanbhag,...
Pittsburgh area is getting its 2nd Wahlburgers restaurant
Wahlburgers, a restaurant founded by celebrity brothers Paul, Mark and Donnie Wahlberg, will soon open its second Pittsburgh area location. The new spot will be at the cafe entrance of the Mall at Robinson, 100 Robinson Centre Drive in Robinson Township. It’s expected to open this summer. The first Wahlburgers...
The Great Backyard Bird Count set for Feb. 15-18 worldwide
The 22nd Great Backyard Bird Count is set for Feb. 15- 18. Volunteers from around the world are invited to count the birds they see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count. Participating counters enter their bird checklists at birdcount.org. Anyone with internet access...
Greene County man faces attempted homicide charges in Fayette kidnapping, beating
A Greene County man is accused of attempted homicide, kidnapping and assault after police said he kept a man against his will and beat him with his fist, a belt and a gun over the course of several days, at a Fayette County residence where a murder was committed just...
Report: Ohio pipeline damaged in explosion part of same system damaged in 2016 incident
The natural gas pipeline in Noble County, Ohio, that exploded on Monday is part of the same system that had an explosion in Salem Township in 2016, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Monday’s explosion on the Texas Eastern Transmission pipeline in Noble County in eastern Ohio resulted in one injury, the...
Plummeting temperatures, gusty winds set to smack Pittsburgh region
Western Pennsylvania could see roughly an inch of snow in some places Thursday. A special weather statement issued early Thursday by the National Weather Service said temperatures have quickly dropped behind a cold front, allowing rain to transition to snow. A quick coating to near an inch of snow will...
State AG: School threat reporting system gets hundreds of tips in its first week
A statewide school-based anonymous reporting system for threats of potential violence fielded 615 tips in its first week of operation, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. The Safe2Say Something Anonymous Reporting System is a program enabling students, teachers, school administrators and others to detect and report potential threats of violence...
