Top Stories category, Page 120
Oakdale man faces over 50 dog neglect, cruelty charges
An Oakdale man who is facing more than 50 charges of neglect and cruelty involving dogs was taken into custody, officials announced Saturday. Joshua Michael Humes, 36, was charged by North Fayette Township Police earlier this week, Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin M. Kraus said in a news release. The arrest...
Avonmore man’s family thanks bystanders who tried to save him after fiery New Stanton crash
The family of an Avonmore man who died after a fiery crash in New Stanton thanked the bystanders who tried to save his life. Carl “Butch” Noonan Jr., 71, died Friday afternoon at UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said. The crash happened Thursday in New...
An inside look at Plum’s controversial fracking wastewater injection well
The wastewater injection site in Plum run by Penneco Environmental Solutions has been the subject of nearly a decade of legal battles and community backlash as the company has sought to expand its operations along Old Leechburg Road. Since 2017, the borough and Penneco have been at odds, as the...
Smithton lawmaker puts tax collection agency Berkheimer under scrutiny
An erroneous personal tax bill has turned into a political crusade of sorts for state Rep. Eric Davanzo, a Smithton Republican. It started in August 2024, when the representative for the 58th House district received a letter from Berkheimer Tax Innovations stating that he was delinquent on a local tax...
Windmill turbine blade accident prompts closer review of large loads on Route 982 in Derry Township
PennDOT says it will require a more extensive review before permitting any oversize load longer than 100 feet to travel through a sharp 90-degree curve in Derry Township. The change comes after a massive wind turbine blade recently damaged an adjacent business when a truck driver was unable to negotiate...
New report lauds Pittsburgh region for AI talent, innovation
A new report appears to support what many political and business leaders asserted at Tuesday’s Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit: The state is well-positioned to be a key player in the growing artificial intelligence economy. The Brookings Institution report, released Wednesday, rated Pittsburgh as one of 14 “emerging centers” in...
What to know about chronic venous insufficiency — President Trump’s health diagnosis
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, or CVI, after he noted mild swelling in his lower legs. White House physician Dr. Sean P. Barbabella in a memo July 17 said the swelling prompted a full medical evaluation, including ultrasound tests and bloodwork. Those confirmed...
3 men charged in Larimer slaying headed to court after 7-hour hearing
Three Pittsburgh men accused of killing a Woodland Hills High School football standout last year during a drug deal that escalated into an execution are headed to court. After a marathon, seven-hour preliminary hearing Friday, District Judge Lisa Caulfield sent charges in the fatal shooting of Gavin Yarbough, 21, to...
Trump sues Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch over reporting on Epstein ties
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch Friday, a day after the newspaper published a story reporting on his ties to wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein. The move came shortly after the Justice Department asked a federal court...
Immigration activists protest ICE arrests at Philly courthouse
PHILADELPHIA — Crowds stood outside the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice chanting “say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here.” The Friday morning rally organized by Juntos, a community-led immigrant organization in South Philadelphia, follows a string of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainments outside courthouses, including...
Justice Department asks judge to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration asked a federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts related to the case of late, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein following a torrent of criticism that government officials are hiding documents and information. Justice Department lawyers made the requests to a federal court in Manhattan on...
Lawsuit challenging Westmoreland vehicle tracking policy rolls on
Sheriff James Albert’s initial attempt to invalidate Westmoreland County’s vehicle tracking policy has been rejected by a judge. Common Pleas Judge Harry Smail Jr., in a ruling made public Friday, said more evidence is needed to determine whether the policy violates the sheriff’s ability to independently run his elected office....
Starbucks makes secret menu official
For the first time, Starbucks is acknowledging its secret menu. Though countless “secret menu” items at Starbucks have been circulating online and on social media for years, this week, the coffee giant made the secret menu official. Starbucks Rewards members can now order the top drink customizations, including twists on...
Trump administration seeks release of Epstein grand jury records but not Justice Department files
WASHINGTON — Under intense pressure from President Donald Trump’s own supporters, his administration now says it will push a court to unseal secret documents related to Jeffrey Epstein’s case in an effort to put to rest for good a political crisis largely of its own making. But even if those...
Penn State increases 2026-27 tuition rates for University Park, some branch campus students
Penn State’s budget for the 2026-27 academic year raises tuition for all of its students attending University Park and some of its students that attend branch campuses. The $10.2 billion budget, approved Friday by the board of trustees, includes a 2% tuition increase for in-state undergraduate students attending University Park,...
Pittsburgh councilwoman raises red flag on winner of $1.8M bid to design public safety facility
A Pittsburgh councilwoman is raising concerns about paying an engineering firm $1.8 million to plan a public safety facility because of a report the company has placed opponents of its projects under surveillance. City Council this week delayed a vote on the measure after Councilwoman Deb Gross said she did...
New Kensington felon charged after raid seizes $10K and 27 bricks of heroin, fentanyl
State troopers arrested a New Kensington man after an undercover drug investigation turned up 27 bricks of heroin or fentanyl and more than $10,000 in cash. Raijon Deqae Wilson, 29, is charged with numerous drug-related counts in connection to a search warrant at a residence in the 1200 block of...
Mark Madden: T.J. Watt got what he wanted, but this contract raises the stakes
A new concept: Refreshing sports notes about one athlete! It’s an honor to chronicle all the skinny about T.J. Watt in the aftermath of his contract extension! Far superior to Myles Garrett notes! • Watt got what he wanted. Maybe less term than he’d prefer. But Watt got a higher...
House approves Trump’s $9 billion cut to public broadcasting, foreign aid
WASHINGTON — The House gave final approval to President Donald Trump’s request to claw back about $9 billion for public broadcasting and foreign aid early Friday as Republicans intensified their efforts to target institutions and programs they view as bloated or out of step with their agenda. The vote marked...
20th annual Kecksburg UFO Festival promises update on 1965 crash
Sixty years ago, a December day changed the course of history for Kecksburg, a small community in Mt. Pleasant Township. People in seven states and Canada reported seeing a fireball in the night sky on Dec. 9, 1965, according to an article that appeared in the Tribune-Review. “Back in ’65,...
Trump mired in Epstein controversy as Wall Street Journal reports on 2003 letter
WASHINGTON — The controversy over President Donald Trump ‘s handling of records from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation entered a new dimension Thursday as his administration struggles to make good on its promises to release details on the sex trafficking case involving a one-time friend of the now-president. Trump promised a...
$5,000-per-plate dinner with McCormick at Carnegie museum spurs backlash
A private event billed as a dinner and fireside chat featuring U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick and his wife at the Carnegie Museum of Art has generated backlash and raised concerns about the propriety of the museum offering space for such a gathering, which cost $5,000 to attend. The dinner occurred...
Flash flood warnings are being issued in W.Pa. at their fastest rate in 20 years
Western Pennsylvania has been awash in flash flood warnings this year. The National Weather Service has issued 112 such warnings so far in 2025, Alicia Miller, hydrologist at the weather service in Moon, said Thursday. That’s more than the past three years combined and more than any year since 2003....
Trump administration hands over Medicaid recipients’ personal data, including addresses, to ICE
WASHINGTON — Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will be given access to the personal data of the nation’s 79 million Medicaid enrollees, including home addresses and ethnicities, to track down immigrants who may not be living legally in the United States, according to an agreement obtained by The Associated Press....
Trump has no plans to appoint special council for Epstein case, White House says
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump would not recommend a special counsel to look into the Jeffrey Epstein case in the face of bipartisan calls for further investigation. “The president would not recommend a special prosecutor in the Epstein case. That’s how he feels,” Leavitt said...
