Top Stories category, Page 174
Evergreen Drive-In screen toppled; Westmoreland County recovers from storms, 79 mph winds
Joe Warren has been in the drive-in movie scene for about six decades. But he has rarely seen devastation to an outdoor theater like he did Wednesday morning at Evergreen Drive-In. Warren, owner of the East Huntingdon theater, surveyed the splintered wooden trusses and bent metal scraps piled in the...
What is a derecho? Meteorologists weigh label after powerful storms slam Western Pa.
After powerful storms swept through Western Pennsylvania this week, meteorologists hesitated to apply labels — though terms like derecho began to circulate. A derecho is a fast-moving, long-lived windstorm that the National Weather Service says can produce tornado-like damage — but in a single, straight path. To qualify, it must...
Prosecutor says officer killed in gunman’s Pennsylvania hospital attack was hit by fire from police
YORK — An officer killed while responding to a Pennsylvania hospital siege was struck by a shotgun blast fired by police that also hit an armed man holding hostages, a prosecutor disclosed at a news conference Wednesday. The attacker and West York Patrolman Andrew W. Duarte were killed in the...
School districts weigh options on instruction as power restoration work continues
School leaders spent most of Wednesday reviewing their options as many districts were forced to cancel classes after a destructive storm cut through the region Tuesday evening, knocking out electricity and leaving some roads impassable. And just like a snow day in winter, those same leaders were looking at their...
Costly cyber charter tuition is consuming tens of millions of new state dollars for poor Pa. schools
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — A surge of taxpayer money approved last year to help students in Pennsylvania’s poorest schools is being used by dozens of districts to...
Harrison funeral home tied to pet cremation scandal expected to be sold
The listing agent facilitating the sale of Vereb Funeral Home in Harrison said he was unaware the owner was entangled in alleged criminal activity. Patrick Vereb, 70, of Hazelwood was charged Monday by the state Attorney General’s Office with theft of almost $660,000 after taking money for pet cremations but...
Western Pa. buildings offer charging stations, supplies, shelter after storms
Municipalities and local organizations around the region have stepped up as shelters, offering residents a place to charge their devices and get assistance in the wake of Tuesday’s severe storms, which left thousands without power. People can find electricity at: Plum Borough Municipal Building is operating on a generator and...
Photo gallery: Evergreen Drive-In in East Huntingdon damaged in storm
Evergreen Drive-In in East Huntingdon Township was damaged Tuesday during the severe storms that hit the region. Related • `Short, sharp storm`: Fast-moving squall line leaves death, widespread destruction in Western Pa. • Power companies expect restoration time to be 5-7 days in wake of storms • Photo gallery: Storm...
‘Short, sharp storm’: Fast-moving squall line leaves death, widespread destruction in W.Pa.
Crews and residents in Southwestern Pennsylvania on Wednesday began the long process of cleaning up after a severe storm described by officials as an “unprecedented event” left at least three people dead and hundreds of thousands without power. Duquesne Light Co. estimated it could take five to seven days to...
Power companies expect restoration time up to 5 days in wake of storms
About 130,000 Duquesne Light customers in the region — still without power Wednesday because of the severe storms Tuesday evening — may have to wait for five days before they have electricity restored, a company official said. The storm that caused an “unprecedented event in the history of Duquesne Light”...
U.S., Ukraine sign economic deal after Trump presses Kyiv to pay back for help in repelling Russia
KYIV, Ukraine — The U.S. and Ukraine announced on Wednesday an economic agreement after a weekslong press by President Donald Trump on Ukraine to compensate Washington for billions in military and economic assistance to help Ukraine repel the Russian invasion. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a video posted to...
Pittsburgh Marathon, Pitt graduation and Pirates game coincide on Sunday
May the fourth be with you on Sunday (May 4), when Pittsburgh will have three major events happening. The Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon is expecting the biggest participation in its history with more than 46,000 participants; the University of Pittsburgh is hosting its largest-ever graduation class and the Pirates...
Greensburg man pleads guilty to lesser charges in fatal overdose
Westmoreland County prosecutors dismissed a charge of drug delivery resulting in death in connection with the fatal overdose of a Greensburg man who died in 2023. Hugh Hawkey, 49, of Greensburg, pleaded guilty Tuesday to lesser drug-related counts after a Westmoreland County judge ruled in favor of the defense’s challenge...
Photo gallery: Storm damage leaves residents cleaning up throughout Pittsburgh region
Residents woke up Wednesday morning and started to assess the damage from the storm that ripped through the Pittsburgh region Tuesday night. See photos from around the region. Related: • 2 dead after storms with 70 mph wind slam region...
Pa. Sen. Costa pitches regional, multi-county transit authority for Southwestern Pa.
Pennsylvania Sen. Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, is pitching the idea of a regional, multi-county public transit authority as Pittsburgh Regional Transit braces for a fare increase and drastic service cuts. In a memo, Costa said he plans to introduce legislation “in the near future” to create such a transit agency....
‘Our region stands to lose something’: Students, residents rally in hopes of halting PRT cuts
For Wilkinsburg high school student Cameron Taylor, there’s only one way to get to school — by bus. Out of the 569 students who attend City Charter High School in Downtown Pittsburgh, most are like Cameron and rely on public transit to commute. Given Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s proposed increase in...
Democrats, Republicans outline visions for Pittsburgh in mayoral forum
The candidates seeking to lead Pittsburgh as mayor outlined their positions on key issues like public safety and affordable housing in a pair of debates held at Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse Downtown. Tuesday’s mayoral forum included all four candidates, separated into two separate debates, one for the Republicans and...
Photo gallery: Storms whip through Pittsburgh region knocking out trees, wires, power
Severe thunderstorms raced across Western Pennsylvania on Tuesday evening, downing trees, re-routing traffic and causing widespread power outages. See photos from around the region. Related: • Man electrocuted in South Side Slopes as storms with 70 mph wind down trees, wires, knock out power...
‘Nothing can fix this’: Owners share anger, grief over mishandling of their pets’ remains
Scores of area pet owners were shocked and angered this week when authorities charged a Pittsburgh and Harrison funeral director with improperly disposing of thousands of dogs and cats after owners paid for pet burials or cremations. Patrick Vereb, 70, of Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood, owns and operates funeral homes in...
Penn Hills man charged with using stolen SUV carrying drugs to ram police vehicle
A Penn Hills man awaiting trial for multiple drug crimes was charged this week with carrying heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and a stolen gun and repeatedly smashing a stolen SUV into a police vehicle while trying to flee. Allegheny County Police on Tuesday arrested Timothy Terry Jr. on 23 criminal charges,...
Wisconsin high court suspends Milwaukee judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities
MADISON — The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended a judge accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities. The FBI took Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan into custody on Friday morning at the county courthouse. She faces federal charges of concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest...
2 dead, 320K without power after storms slam regionVideo
Two people were killed Tuesday evening after a fast-moving line of storms downed trees and wires, causing power outages throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. Just after 7 p.m., Pittsburgh emergency crews responded to reports of a man electrocuted by live wires in the 1000 block of St. Martin Street in the city’s...
Derry Township couple plead guilty to child’s beating
A Derry Township couple pleaded guilty Tuesday to repeatedly assaulting a teenage boy so severely he is permanently disfigured. Charles E. Harr, 54, and his wife, Jamie Denise Harr, 53, were charged with multiple felony offenses in connection with allegations they beat and strangled the child for more than four...
Trump dismisses Biden nominees to Holocaust Memorial Council, including Doug Emhoff
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has dismissed many of former President Joe Biden’s nominees to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, including Doug Emhoff, the husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris. Emhoff, who is Jewish and who led the Biden administration’s efforts to combat antisemitism, criticized Trump’s action, saying,...
Hempfield OKs home purchase for $290K, with plans for demolition imminent
Hempfield supervisors this week signed off on the purchase of a home for $290,000 that will be demolished as part of a project to align the township’s new municipal complex with the Five Star Trail. The township will lease the Summit Drive property to its current owner for $1 until...
