Top Stories category, Page 437
A final farewell: Honor guards pay respects at military funerals
Army Maj. Eric Gass finds it difficult to talk about the times he carried a meticulously folded American flag and placed it in the trembling hands of a young widow. Seeing children cling to their mother’s side during the funerals of their killed-in-action fathers is difficult to take — no...
Former host cities gush about NFL Draft as Pittsburgh gears up
The NFL Draft attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, generates millions of dollars for local businesses and thrusts its host cities into a national spotlight. It takes years of meticulous preparation, clear communication and strong partnerships to put on an event of that magnitude — but local leaders in recent...
On patrol: Mounted police officers create a presence
Their steps are choreographed, part of the job training the horses and their riders go through. The majestic animals are stationed in stables across the city, county and state. They perform details throughout the year, but spring is when you begin seeing them more often. Typically January through March there...
‘Gentle giant’ Dylan Tarbi, 13, mourned by family, community
Dylan Tarbi wasn’t the best third-baseman Freeport Area Youth Baseball coaches ever saw. That didn’t matter to the 13-year-old Buffalo Township boy, several people close to Dylan said Saturday. He always just worked to be his best. On Thursday, a day before a single-cab pickup fatally struck Dylan as the...
Communities fear health, environmental harms as they await more info on hydrogen hub projects
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 — The federal government and private developers are collecting public feedback on two major hydrogen production networks that will be partly located in Pennsylvania...
1 person hospitalized after McKnight Road crash; lanes closed
One person was transported to a hospital Saturday afternoon following a vehicle crash on McKnight Road in Ross. The person was driving near the 7800 block of McKnight Road around 12:45 p.m. when they crashed into an electrical pole, according to Brian Kohlhepp, public information officer for the Ross Township...
Blairsville man dead after crashing motorcycle over embankment in Derry Township
A man died when the motorcycle he was driving went over an embankment in Derry Township on Saturday morning, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Joshua M. Haynes, 24, of Blairsville, was traveling south near 216 Derry Lane just before 9 a.m. when his vehicle left the roadway and...
Pittsburgh’s top summer concerts include 3 stadium events, sold-out Star Lake shows
Pittsburgh may have lost what was slated to be a huge music festival when Sudden Little Thrills abruptly announced its cancellation last week, but there are still plenty of big shows in the region. The summer concert season unofficially kicks off Wednesday with Noah Kahan’s sold-out show opening the Pavilion...
Buffalo Township 13-year-old killed while riding bike; 2nd boy injured
A 13-year-old Buffalo Township boy bicycling home from a candy store with a friend died after being struck by a pickup Friday evening, police said. Dylan Tarbi died just before 8:30 p.m. after being flown to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office. Township...
Bird flu virus detected in beef from an ill dairy cow, but USDA says meat remains safe
Bird flu has been detected in beef for the first time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday, but officials said the meat from a single sickened dairy cow was not allowed to enter the nation’s food supply and beef remains safe to eat. The USDA said the virus was...
Rochester man drowns in Donegal Township pond
A Rochester man’s apparent drowning death Friday in Donegal Township is under investigation by state police and Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Carson said it appears that Glenn T. White, 58, was the victim of an accidental drowning when he jumped into a pond to retrieve an injured bird, went...
Pa. House lawmakers could vote remotely during pandemic, but GOP says it’s time to restrict that rule
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 — In April, a firestorm erupted in Harrisburg after Philadelphia police issued an arrest warrant for a sitting state House lawmaker. Less than a...
‘Help me. I’m gonna die.’ McCandless woman mourns granddaughter’s death after asthma attack
Kylee Marie Reiber knew something was wrong. The McCandless sixth-grader had struggled to manage asthma her whole life, family members said. Suffering from a cold on Sunday at her Wittmer Road home, Kylee took two breathing treatments — inhaling the asthma medication Ventolin each time through a nebulizer mask, said...
‘We feel urgency’: Pirates GM Ben Cherington expects improvement but isn’t ready to panic
That the Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t playing up to expectations has been the storyline of the season, one that on Friday afternoon prompted general manager Ben Cherington to give them an “incomplete” grade. Where Cherington touted a starting rotation that has delivered 25 quality starts through the first 51 games, he...
Family sues Norwin over alleged disability rights violation, claims defamation by school director
A North Huntingdon family filed a federal lawsuit this week against Norwin School District, claiming their civil rights were violated. Melissa Karabin; her husband, Matthew Karabin; and children, Samantha and Joseph Karabin, filed the 12-count lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages....
Young missionary couple from U.S. among 3 killed by gunmen in Haiti’s capital, police say
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A U.S. missionary couple was shot and killed by criminal gang members in Haiti’s capital after they were abducted while leaving a youth group activity held at a local church, according to a police official and a religious group. A third person also was killed during the...
Charah makes its case to Superior Court over Springdale boiler house implosion case
Lawyers representing the shuttered power plant in Springdale are making their case to a state appellate court, arguing that a county judge erred in siding with 16 borough residents and temporarily pausing a planned implosion of a boiler house at the site. On Wednesday, attorneys representing remediation firm Charah Solutions...
Somerset County man reunites with kids after being freed from Turks and CaicosVideo
Clad in pajamas, holding handmade signs, Caroline and Palmer Hagerich awaited the arrival of their father Friday night at Pittsburgh International Airport. Then, dad appeared on the escalator, opened his arms and scooped up his kids in an embrace after a 101-day absence. Both the father and children, 6 and...
Casey steers $1M in federal funds to antisemitism fight at Tree of Life synagogue
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey announced Friday that the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill will receive $1 million in federal funding to help combat antisemitism through education. “I’m just so grateful that Tree of Life has embarked on this ambitious and noble project,” Casey said during a press conference...
Jury acquits ex-Pittsburgh Public Schools teacher accused of sexually assaulting student
James Ziegler doesn’t know if he can return to teaching. Even though the 20-year Pittsburgh Public Schools teacher was acquitted on Friday of seven counts accusing him of sexually assaulting a fourth-grade student, Ziegler said what happened to him was “extremely frustrating and disheartening.” “I don’t know if I feel...
From typist to Allegheny County manager, Jennifer Liptak is leaving after 26-year career
Jennifer Liptak spent 26 years working for Allegheny County, moving up the ladder from a typist to chief of staff to manager of a $3 billion budget and 5,000 employees. Now, the longtime hidden hand behind the county’s bureaucracy is moving on. Liptak, 49, of Shaler, will leave the county’s...
Last call: Pagano’s in New Stanton closes doors, items up for auction
When Rhonda Davis began working as a cook at Pagano’s Restaurant & Lounge in 1980, she was missing a relevant skill. “I started here, I didn’t know how to cook anything,” she said. She learned as time went on, eventually turning out batches of Sicilian pasta sauce and homemade raviolis,...
Explosives found in belongings of Pittsburgh man accused of vandalizing synagogue
Nearly three dozen completed explosive devices and materials used to make explosives were found in the possessions of a Pittsburgh man who is accused of inscribing a hate symbol on the doors of a synagogue last month, Pittsburgh police say. Police charged William Edwin Murray, 33, April 10 with ethnic...
Morning Roundup: Gunman robs Shadyside Walgreens; Memorial Day forecast looks wet
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, May 24: Shadyside pharmacy robbed at gunpoint No injuries were reported in the armed robbery of a Shadyside pharmacy Thursday night, Pittsburgh police said. Officers responded to the robbery at a Walgreens in the 5900 block of Centre...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this Memorial Day weekend: May 24-27
The long weekend is here! Need something to fill up that extra day? Here are some happenings to make Memorial Day weekend memorable. Sandcastle opens for the season Starting this Saturday, Sandcastle Water Park will be open for the season. Beat the heat with a variety of water slides and...
