Top Stories category, Page 32
New York man tried to derail train in Springdale by parking trucks from PPG on the tracks, police say
A New York man tried to derail a train in Springdale last week by parking tractor-trailers from PPG Paints on the tracks, Springdale police say. Officers filed charges Friday against Scott Andrew Heffner, 34, of Friendship, in upstate New York. A friend of Heffner said Heffner was “paranoid that he...
Dialysis by night, Steelers games by day: Sports photographer stays healthy while awaiting kidney transplant
Barry Reeger eats healthy and exercises, just like the professional football players he photographs on Sundays at Acrisure Stadium. But there’s a big difference in the Hempfield man’s repertoire that helps him keep up with the action on the field — eight hours of overnight peritoneal dialysis. When his kidney...
Trump administration tells states to undo efforts to issue full food aid benefits
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture directed states to roll back any steps taken to issue full food aid benefits to low-income Americans or risk financial penalties. The new guidance issued late on Saturday follows a U.S. Supreme Court order on Friday that allowed the Trump administration to continue...
U.S. surpassed 10K flight delays, most disruptions on a single day since government shutdown
Travelers across the United States scrambled to reach their destinations as thousands of flights were delayed or canceled on Sunday, the third day of government-mandated flight cuts at 40 high-traffic airports during the ongoing shutdown. As of 10 p.m. on Sunday, more than 10,000 flights within, into, or out of...
Light snow and chillier temperatures predicted for Monday morning
It’s still fall, but winter is getting revved up. Unseasonably cold air is expected to sweep into the area overnight into Monday and bring with it the potential for November snow showers. National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Frazier said on-and-off rain on Sunday could change over to snow flurries between...
Paul Tagliabue, NFL commissioner who ran league in era of riches and expansion, dies at 84
NEW YORK — Paul Tagliabue, who helped bring labor peace and riches to the NFL during his 17 years as commissioner but was criticized for not taking stronger action on concussions, died Sunday from heart failure. He was 84. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Tagliabue’s family informed the league of...
Colleges grapple with lukewarm perception of their importance
Joel Bauman has been involved in college admissions for 30 years, and he can’t remember a more challenging time than what he faces today. “It has become more cynical,” said Bauman, senior vice president for enrollment management at Duquesne University, “but you can’t blame families, given the financial situation.” Colleges...
Steelers vs. Chargers: Get ready for 2025 Week 10 matchup
The Pittsburgh Steelers are back in primetime for their matchup in California. They will visit the San Diego Chargers on “Sunday Night Football.” Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. Sunday. The game will be broadcast on NBC, with Mike Tirico on play-by-play alongside analyst Cris Collinsworth and sideline reporter Melissa...
Arbitrators wield nearly unchecked power to return disgraced police to duty
Keith Edmonds zapped an unarmed homeless man so many times with his Pittsburgh police-issued Taser that the city paid an $8 million court settlement after the man died. Aaron Fetty, another Pittsburgh police officer, was accused of sexually assaulting a co-worker while off duty. Philadelphia police Lt. Marc Hayes texted...
‘It’s our legacy that defines us’: Marines gather in Lower Burrell to celebrate 250th anniversary of the corps
Many would say a man of 38 years would not have much in common with a man of 80. But through their service in the Marine Corps, Adam Elliott and James Walters are more alike than unalike. Each enlisted as teens. “The brotherhood that we have as Marines is far...
Westmoreland Food Bank receives grant to help stock shelves as demand increases
The Westmoreland County Food Bank this week received a $75,000 emergency grant to help feed hungry residents. The money from the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County is needed to assist the food bank as uncertainty over federal SNAP benefits funding continues amid the federal shutdown, according to Executive Director McCrae...
Aluminum City Arts celebrates soft opening in New Kensington
Five years ago, Ernesto Camacho Jr. wanted to open doors for other artists by running his own gallery. He succeeded. But Camacho and his partner, Brian DeFelices, ran out of space at The Manos Gallery in Tarentum, which has led to them beginning the pursuit of new goals across the...
Man found dead in fire damaged home in Brighton Heights
A 64-year-old man was found dead inside a home damaged by fire Saturday morning in Pittsburgh, according to police. The fire was reported around 5 a.m. on Parviss Street in Brighton Heights. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames billowing from the upper floors and roof of the house,...
‘Thank you for your service’: Crowds at the Pittsburgh Veterans Day Parade show their appreciation
The motorcycles of the VFW Riders rumbled at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and 10th Street in Pittsburgh, waiting to get the Pittsburgh Veterans Day Parade underway. With a wave of the hand from the parade marshal, they headed down Liberty Avenue on Saturday to a huge American flag suspended...
After 57 years, wounded Vietnam veteran recognized for helping others heal
On a remote mountain in North Vietnam, 19-year-old Andy Nigut’s body lay limp. Terrified and going in and out of consciousness, he was struggling to breathe. The young Marine attempted to scream for help but quickly realized something sharp was lodged in his throat after his battalion was attacked Oct....
Springdale townhouse building evacuated after struck by SUV, shearing gas meter
The residents of a four-unit townhouse building in Springdale were put out of their homes Saturday after an SUV crashed into the back of it, shearing a natural gas meter, authorities said. The woman driving the SUV was not seriously hurt, and no other injuries were reported, Springdale fire Chief...
SNAP users brace for hungry weekend after Trump admin appeals order for full benefits
Tens of millions of Americans are spending the weekend anxious and hungry, as they await resolution of political and legal wrangling over federal food assistance. The Supreme Court late on Nov. 7 allowed the federal government to make only partial payments for now. The dispute ended up in the highest...
Trump urges lawmakers to give healthcare money ‘directly to the people’
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Saturday floated a potential compromise amid the impasse over the U.S. government shutdown, urging Republicans to redirect federal money that currently goes to health insurance companies under the Affordable Care Act and give it to individuals. “I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the...
Major retailers promise a cheaper Thanksgiving, but there’s a twist
Grocery giants Walmart, Target and Aldi are trumpeting their Thanksgiving meal deals as more affordable than ever. But those retailers are doing exactly what shoppers are doing, trading down to cheaper private-label alternatives or offering fewer items. Walmart’s meal this year features nine Great Value private-label brand items out of...
New Kensington’s Wildflower Bakery to fill another Fifth Avenue storefront
Wildflower Bakery in Downtown New Kensington is celebrating its one-year anniversary with an expansion. The bakery will expand by 1,200 square feet and open a storefront along 940 Fifth Ave., New Kensington, in addition to its existing entrance at 940 Barnes St. Owner Hailey Sabot plans to open the new...
Schools starting to feel the pinch of state budget impasse
Art students at St. Joseph High School in Harrison spent a recent class learning the techniques of charcoal drawing — again. They were scheduled to be learning to use paints, but with government funding largely cut off because of the state’s ongoing budget impasse, the school doesn’t have money to...
High school football roundup for Nov. 7, 2025: Khalil Taylor’s 4 TDs guide Pine-Richland past Shaler
Khalil Taylor scored four touchdowns as No. 1 Pine-Richland earned a convincing 42-10 victory over No. 8 Shaler (4-8) in the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals Friday night. Taylor, a Division I recruit, scored on a 90-yard kickoff return, a 30-yard pass from Aaron Strader, a 9-yard interception return and an...
Coroner: Both drivers die in Interstate 70 crash in Washington County
Both drivers died who were involved in a crash Friday afternoon on Interstate 70 in Washington County. Both people, a man and a woman, were from West Virginia; they were traveling by themselves. Washington County Coroner Timothy Warco identified woman as Donna K. Havens, 59, of Wheeling. Warco said Havens...
‘I heard some kind of crack’: Woman admits in police interrogation video to killing best friend’s baby
For 12 hours on June 16, 2024, Nicole Virzi sat in an interrogation room at Pittsburgh police headquarters, repeatedly denying she hurt her best friend’s 6-week-old son who she’d been watching the night before. Over the course of the day, the Ph.D. student in clinical psychology consistently told detectives she...
Fire damages New Stanton motel
Fire destroyed or extensively damaged three rooms at Budget Inn on East Byers Avenue in New Stanton on Friday afternoon. Multiple fire departments responded to the fire, which was reported at noon, according to the Westmoreland County Public Safety department. Several people were moving out of the motel Friday afternoon...
