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Top Stories category, Page 51

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Wilkinsburg rising: Scrappy suburb sports signs of long-sought revival 
One late January morning, Dontae Comans pushed his two youngsters in a shopping cart down the tidy aisles of Wilkinsburg’s new Aldi supermarket, the latest success story in the tattered borough’s ongoing revival. Moments earlier, Comans, Wilkinsburg’s first-term mayor, had presided over a grand-opening ceremony before joining scores of his...
Author of book rejected by Pine-Richland School Board draws large crowds during local visit
During two afternoon talks on Saturday, Alabama-based author Randi Pink spoke to large and inquisitive crowds at Northern Tier Library in Richland. Her visit was arranged after the Pine-Richland School Board last month voted not to include her novel, “Angel of Greenwood,” in its ninth grade language arts classes. The...
Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit encourages attendees to ‘Lean In’
The 27th annual Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit held Saturday focused on mobilizing the community and urging attendees to “lean in” and do something. The theme of this year’s summit was “People, Power and Progress: Community Engagement for Justice and Accountability.” The daylong summit brought out organizers, community advocates and community...
Investigators hope advancements in biometrics, social media could aid in the case of Cherrie Mahan
A 6-year-old California boy was abducted in 1951 and found last year living on the East Coast — 73 years after his disappearance. The discovery was thanks to an AncestryDNA test, the sort sold at drugstores that have people submit saliva samples to create DNA matches that can track family...
After 40 years of searching and praying, Cherrie Mahan’s mother asks for closure
Cherrie Mahan’s favorite color was purple. The 8-year-old loved Cabbage Patch dolls, the movie “E.T.” and tuna fish sandwiches. She sang at church on Sundays with her grandma. It’s the happy details that her mother, Janice McKinney, remembers most about Cherrie. The Winfield Elementary third grader went missing Feb. 22,...
Missing 11-year-old East Allegheny girl found safe
An 11-year-old girl who was reported missing to Pittsburgh police has been found safe, according to authorities. The girl was reported missing Saturday after being last seen the day before at her home in the city’s East Allegheny neighborhood....
Pope Francis in critical condition after long respiratory crisis, requiring oxygen at high flow
ROME — Pope Francis was in critical condition Saturday after he suffered a long asthmatic respiratory crisis that required high flows of oxygen, the Vatican said. The 88-year-old Francis, who has been hospitalized for a week with pneumonia and a complex lung infection, also received blood transfusions after tests showed...
Officer killed after a gunman took hostages at UPMC hospital in York
YORK — A man armed with a pistol and carrying zip ties entered a Pennsylvania hospital’s intensive care unit on Saturday and took staff members hostage before he was killed by police in a shootout that also left an officer dead, authorities said. Three staffers at UPMC Memorial Hospital, including...
Oakmont zoning hearing raises more questions than answers for businesses
Questions remained unanswered and issues unresolved after a public hearing before the Oakmont Zoning Hearing Board was postponed Thursday night and rescheduled for a second time. The hearing was initially scheduled Feb. 8, after an ongoing legal battle involving various Oakmont businesses and the borough was to be brought in...
Recent spate of plane crashes has made some travelers wary to fly
Nancy Philpot lost two of her former Westinghouse co-workers in the 1994 USAir Flight 427 crash near Hopewell, Beaver County, which killed all 132 passengers on board. Though she was initially hesitant to board an airplane once again, she eventually got over her fear. But after the past few weeks,...
Warmup could mean bumpy roads as crews struggle to keep up with potholes
Get ready to dodge more potholes. As temperatures are expected to surge from the mid-20s to above 50 degrees by Monday, it could create more potholes on roads, sidewalks, parking lots and other paved areas, experts say. The freeze-thaw cycle isn’t a secret enemy of pavement, but this winter’s temperature...
Source: White House, Ukraine nearing rare earth elements deal that would tighten relationship
WASHINGTON — The White House and Ukraine have made significant progress toward reaching an agreement that would provide the U.S. with access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and tighten the long-term relationship between Kyiv and Washington, according to a person familiar with the matter. The progress in talks comes after...
Kwik Fill in Oakmont burglarized
Oakmont and Allegheny County Police are investigating a burglary at the Kwik Fill gas station along Allegheny River Boulevard. A cashier at the convenience store said someone broke through a door, stole a register and attempted to access the safe around 4 a.m. Friday. Both the door and the register...
Luigi Mangione draws crowd to court for first hearing since arraignment in UnitedHealthcare killing
NEW YORK — The defendant wore a bulletproof vest and shackles. A woman in the crowd wore a “Free Luigi” scarf. Outside, throngs of people cheered and chanted his name. So it went Friday at a pretrial hearing for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian...
Vandergrift man apprehended after standoff facing multiple charges
A Vandergrift man is facing a slew of charges after being involved in a standoff with several police agencies Friday afternoon after he allegedly ran from police the day before. Westmoreland County Chief Deputy Sheriff Jen Shipley said 44-year-old Luis Brackman refused to surrender to deputies Friday when authorities attempted...
Westmoreland prosecutors defend conviction of Jeannette man in 1993 fire that killed wife, 2 children
Westmoreland County prosecutors claim overwhelming circumstantial evidence led to the conviction of a Jeannette man who is serving three life sentences for the murders of his wife and two young children three decades ago. But a judge is now weighing whether to overturn James Young’s conviction. Following a jury trial...
Bloser Mansion sold; will remain restaurant, bed-and-breakfast with new name
New Kensington’s historic Bloser Mansion has a new name but will remain a restaurant and a bed-and-breakfast under new owners. Lost Dreams Awakening, founded in 2014 by the husband and wife team of VonZell Wade and Laurie Johnson-Wade, bought the mansion on Sixth Avenue in the Parnassus section of the...
AP sues 3 Trump administration officials, citing freedom of speech
The Associated Press sued three Trump administration officials Friday over access to presidential events, citing freedom of speech in asking a federal judge to stop the 10-day blocking of its journalists. The lawsuit was filed Friday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The AP says its case is...
Westmoreland veterans health clinic will expand with move to Greensburg
An expanded outpatient clinic for Westmoreland County veterans is expected to open in two years at a new location in Greensburg. VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System announced Friday that its Westmoreland clinic will be moving about one mile west, from its space behind Westmoreland Mall to a site that will be...
New Jersey man convicted of attempted murder in stabbing of Salman Rushdie
MAYVILLE, N.Y. — A New Jersey man was convicted Friday of attempted murder for stabbing author Salman Rushdie multiple times on a New York lecture stage in 2022. Jurors, who deliberated for less than two hours, also found Hadi Matar, 27, guilty of assault for wounding a man who was...
Mark Madden: 4 Nations Face-Off generated buzz that NHL cannot maintain
The afterglow of witnessing such hotly contested action duly noted, the 4 Nations Face-Off (and international hockey in general) is oddly counterproductive to the NHL. The league sabotages its own product via epic confrontations like both U.S.-Canada games. The resumption of the NHL regular season will seem lackluster. Even the...
Crow is not the only thing they eat at a wild game dinner in rural Pennsylvania
PINE GROVE — The buffet line inside the fire hall in rural Northeast Pennsylvania was a familiar sight last weekend as a crowd of about 150 people heaped dinner onto their plates before sitting down to eat, hear a little live music and wait for the raffle. Aside from a...
National Aviary to take over Shady Side Academy middle school
A Shady Side Academy alumnus is helping the National Aviary find a nest for its next breeding and conservation center, teaching hospital and educational space. S. Kent Rockwell, a Fox Chapel resident and 1962 academy graduate, is in the process of acquiring his alma mater’s 35-acre middle school campus. The...
Morning Roundup: Another pedestrian hit in Pittsburgh; fire damages East Huntington home
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025: Another pedestrian hit in Pittsburgh For the second day in a row, a pedestrian has been hit by a vehicle in Pittsburgh. Police, firefighters and paramedics responded early Friday to a report of a pedestrian...
Iconic Ligonier Beach pool no longer part of long-term township plan
The latest plan for returning the former Ligonier Beach resort to recreational use won’t include reviving the Ligonier Township site’s iconic swimming pool. A locally appointed study committee has accepted a recommendation from consultant Mackin Engineers & Consultants to exclude the swimming attraction from ideas that are being considered for...


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