Top Stories category, Page 137
Pickleball popularity presents sustainability problems with plastic balls
When pickleball exploded in recent years as America’s favorite sport, the pastime came with collateral damage — plastic neon-colored balls piling up in landfills. More than 500 million pickleballs are manufactured each year, seemingly with nowhere to go, said Jeff Pepper, an avid player from Verona. “The number is huge,”...
Hear ye, hear ye: Hanna’s Town seeks reduced speed
Motorized vehicles and paved roads didn’t exist when Historic Hanna’s Town was settled in 1773. Fast forward 252 years and the modern transportation environment is juxtaposed against the centuries-old historic site that was Westmoreland County’s first government seat. The contrast is causing problems for thousands of visitors who must cross...
Cuomo concedes NYC Democratic mayoral primary to Zohran Mamdani
NEW YORK — Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo conceded New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary to Zohran Mamdani as the 33-year old member of the state Assembly had a significant lead in the race Tuesday night. Cuomo’s concession came as the race’s outcome will be decided by a ranked choice count...
Environmental groups demand Nippon Steel work to cut emissions after buying U.S. Steel
With U.S. Steel’s $14.9 billion sale to Nippon Steel made official last week, environmental advocates say it’s time for corporate leadership to take make real strides toward limiting pollution. “U.S. Steel has gotten everything that it wished for in this deal with Nippon,” said Matt Mehalik, executive director of the...
Fragile ceasefire appears to hold between Iran and Israel as Trump vents frustration with both sides
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel appeared to hold Tuesday after initially faltering, and U.S. President Donald Trump expressed frustration with both sides, saying they had fought “for so long and so hard” that they do not know what they are doing. But even...
Norwin School Board members critical of removal of archived YouTube videos
A Norwin School Board member and several residents are questioning the removal of archived school board meeting videos from the district’s official YouTube page. Administrators were not able to provide a specific reason at this week’s school board meeting why several livestreamed recordings of 2024 school board meetings — and...
With nowhere to hide, these workers are left with no choice but to endure sizzling temps
It was so hot Tuesday that Chris Kelly had to pull his roofing crew from their regularly scheduled job. “Once it hits about 85 or 90 degrees, we don’t even install because the shingles will heat up to the point that walking on them will scar them,” said Kelly, owner...
Former IT manager for Heinz Endowments indicted for embezzling nearly $1 million
The former IT manager for the Heinz Endowments is charged in federal court with embezzling nearly $1 million. Charles A. Richardson, 45, of Pittsburgh, was indicted on five counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering on June 17. The indictment was unsealed on Tuesday. He is free...
Court affirms dismissal of charges against retired minister accused of $350K theft
The state Superior Court on Monday upheld the dismissal of charges against a retired North Side pastor accused of stealing more than $350,000 from his church. The Rev. Wayne C. Peck, 73, of Highland Park, was charged in 2022 with theft and receiving stolen property after he was accused of...
UPMC to stop gender-affirming care for patients 18 and under by month’s end
UPMC has confirmed it will end gender-affirming care for patients 18 and younger in response to the Trump administration’s policies aimed at transgender youth. A spokesperson for UPMC, the region’s largest hospital network, said federal guidance has made it clear clinicians who provide care such as puberty blockers and hormone...
Former McKeesport detective admits stealing $1 million from police union
A former McKeesport detective and police union finance officer pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing more than $1 million from his fellow officers. Joseph Osinski, 56, will be sentenced Sept. 18 on four felony counts — including theft by deception and receiving stolen property — by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge...
At Home store in Pleasant Hills to close amid company bankruptcy
One of the Pittsburgh region’s four At Home stores is set to close amid the company’s bankruptcy, according to court filings. The Pleasant Hills store on Clairton Boulevard is one of 26 stores initially closing, the company said. No one answered the phone Tuesday, and a message seeking comment went...
‘I’m pretty sure this is it’: Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers admits he’s entering final NFL season
Aaron Rodgers said his first year with the Pittsburgh Steelers likely will be his last in the NFL. “I’m pretty sure this is it,” Rodgers said Tuesday during an appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.” The veteran quarterback ended months of speculation that he would play a 21st season...
Proposed Pittsburgh bills aim to shield LGBTQ+ residents, reduce penalties for sex workers
Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Barb Warwick on Tuesday introduced legislation that aims to protect LGBTQ+ people and reduce the penalty for sex workers. The bills come at a time when the LGBTQ+ community is “under attack” by federal officials, Warwick, D-Greenfield, said during a news conference outside the City-County Building. “These...
Pittsburgh Mills quietly being shopped by owner Namdar
It appears the owner of the Pittsburgh Mills mall property in Frazer is in search of a buyer. An email received by some local real estate agents from mall owner Namdar Realty Group’s chief operating officer, Dan Dilmanian, says Namdar is “quietly exploring an off-market sale.” “We’re not looking to...
Trump says Israel-Iran ceasefire is in effect after deal initially faltered
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was in effect Tuesday after the deal initially faltered and the American leader expressed deep frustration with both sides. Israel had earlier accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace after the truce was supposed to take...
Norwin approves tax hike and $39.5 million bond issue for high school projects
Norwin School District property owners will see a 4.67-mill tax hike for the 2025-26 school year, following a 5-4 school board vote Monday night to approve the budget. The budget projects expenditures at $95.48 million, but anticipates revenue received at only $93.35 million. The tax hike is the maximum allowed...
Hempfield Area reduces expenses, balances $114.3 million school budget
The Hempfield Area school board passed a balanced budget Monday night, almost exactly two months after it was tasked with closing a $5.1 million deficit. The gap was presented at the beginning of the board’s budget discussions in April. The board in May cut the deficit to $172,000, approving a...
Judge halts another Trump administration effort to block foreign students from attending Harvard
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Monday blocked another effort by the Trump administration to keep international students from attending Harvard University, saying officials’ “misplaced efforts to control a reputable academic institution” threatened freedom of speech. The order from U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston preserves the ability of...
Lifeguard staffing shortage prompts planned, unplanned closures of Derry Community Pool
Temperatures soaring into the 90s drove plenty of people to the Derry Community Pool on Sunday — but it proved to be too many for the limited number of lifeguards available, prompting an unexpected premature closure of the facility in mid-afternoon. Normally, the pool, owned by Derry Borough, is open...
Trump announces a ceasefire in Iran-Israel war; Iran to halt its fire if Israel stops its strikes
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Israel’s military warned its public Tuesday that Iran launched missiles towards it, even as a proposed ceasefire hung in the air. The launch came after 4 a.m. local time Tehran, the time Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would halt fire if Isarel ended...
Residents seek relief as extreme heat prompts surge in hospital visits; cooling centers open
Hospitals throughout Western Pennsylvania are seeing a spike in patients with heat-related emergencies, officials said Monday as extreme heat blanketed the region. At UPMC, the region’s largest hospital network, the number of people with heat-affected illnesses has gone up “dramatically,” said Dr. Donald Yealy, chief medical officer. “Absolutely, there’s zero...
Torture claim allowed against Delmont parents charged in adopted son’s murder
Testimony that a 5-year-old Delmont boy was tortured by his adoptive parents will be admissible at an upcoming trial, a Westmoreland County judge ruled on Monday. Following a daylong hearing, Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears said he will allow prosecutors to present the evidence of torture against parents Lauren and...
Giant Eagle workers to see 3% to 5% raises under new union contract
More than 5,000 unionized Giant Eagle employees will see pay raises ranging from 3% to 5% each of the next four years under a new contract. The workers also will continue to have no-cost health benefits, a 401(k) and pension plans, depending on their role with the Cranberry-based company, according...
Man pleads guilty to aggravated assault in 2022 North Side shooting that left 3 dead
A man involved in a 2022 shootout between rival gangs on the North Side that left three people dead pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy. Charron Troutman, 21, of Pittsburgh, will spend at least eight years in state prison as part of the plea agreement. He also...
