Top Stories category, Page 523
Pittsburgh SWAT team nabs fugitive wanted in 3 armed robberies
A man wanted in connection with three armed robberies around the region — including one in Unity in which a man was stabbed — was arrested Thursday in Pittsburgh with a cache of drugs, guns and cash, according to authorities. Authorities from Pittsburgh police SWAT and the fugitive apprehension unit,...
Penn State branch campuses face large share of $94M in proposed budget cuts
Penn State University branch campuses — their enrollments down sharply — face the largest share of $94 million in universitywide spending cuts intended to erase an operating deficit and create what President Neeli Bendapudi calls “a more sustainable future.” The 20 campuses, including those in Western Pennsylvania, would absorb a...
Jury convicts Munhall man in Hazelwood fatal drive-by shooting
A Munhall man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in a drive-by shooting in Hazelwood. Quentin Primus, 24, will be sentenced March 18 to the mandatory prison term by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Anthony M. Mariani. The...
Firearm stolen from New Kensington gun store found during arrest of 4 in Homestead
One of about two dozen guns stolen from a New Kensington gun store was recovered when four young men were arrested Wednesday in Homestead, according to court records. All four men arrested were illegally carrying loaded 9 mm handguns, Homestead police said in criminal complaints. Only one of the guns...
Alabama man shook violently on gurney during first-ever nitrogen gas execution
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A man put to death using nitrogen gas appeared to shake and convulse on the gurney as Alabama carried out the first-of-its-kind execution that once again placed the United States at the forefront of the debate over capital punishment. Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58, was pronounced dead at...
Donald Trump testifies in his defense in E. Jean Carroll defamation suit
NEW YORK — He testified for under three minutes. But former President Donald Trump still broke a judge’s rules on what he could tell a jury about writer E. Jean Carroll’s sexual assault and defamation allegations, and he left the courtroom Thursday bristling to the spectators: “This is not America.”...
Summer Lee’s campaign rakes in $1M in last quarter, her best showing
Preparing for what could be a tough primary election, U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, said she raised $1 million in the last quarter of 2023, putting her on solid financial footing to take on her multiple challengers. It was Lee’s best fundraising quarter to date and one of the highest...
3 Pittsburgh chefs named semifinalists for James Beard Foundation Awards
Three Pittsburgh chefs from two restaurants were named semifinalists in the James Beard Foundation’s 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards. Kate Lasky, Tomasz Skowronski and Bootsaba Tongdee got nods in the best chef category for the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Lasky and...
What does the future hold for Ligonier Beach? Consultant sought to come up with development plan
Ligonier Beach supporters and township officials are poised to figure out what the future of the former Lincoln Highway landmark could be. They are looking for a consultant to help them create a new plan for redeveloping the former resort as a site for public recreation. The township bought the...
Morning Roundup: 1 injured in Brentwood fire; teen unloading groceries shot at in Marshall-Shadeland
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Jan. 25: 1 injured in Brentwood fire One person was taken to the hospital after a fire Wednesday night in Brentwood. The house fire was reported around 10:30 p.m. along Windsor Road, according to TribLive news partner WTAE....
Pittsburgh Public Schools to examine use of buildings amid ‘budget crisis,’ staffing issues
Pittsburgh Public Schools is facing a “budget crisis” and staffing issues, which prompted board President Gene Walker to advocate for developing and presenting recommendations on a facilities utilization plan — a resolution that passed despite criticism. A preliminary plan will give an in-depth understanding of how the district’s buildings are...
Pedestrian killed when struck by vehicle in Pittsburgh’s Strip District
A man has died after being struck by a vehicle on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. Public Safety spokeswoman Emily Bourne said first responders were dispatched to the 2100 block of Liberty Avenue around 8 p.m. Responders found a man in his late 50s in grave condition, Bourne said....
Survivors, activists join Pittsburgh Mayor Gainey for Downtown ceremony that calls to stem gun violence
It took Gina Pelusi’s mother, Ruthanne, a music teacher, at the front door of her home on Feb. 6, 2014. On Aug. 5, 2008, it came for Vaughn Rivers’ brother, Anthony, on a Garfield Street after his basketball team had been crowned Connie Hawkins League champs. In 1993, Geraldine Massey...
Pittsburgh contractor accused of stealing more than $270,000 from couple
A Pittsburgh contractor arrested Tuesday is accused of stealing more than $270,000 from a couple who hired him to design a home more than three years ago. Page F. Thomas, 55, was hired in September 2020 by Douglas and Traci Borsch to design a home in Pittsburgh, according to a...
Frustration sets in as hiring struggles continue at juvenile detention center
Westmoreland commissioners said there is growing frustration over delays to fully reopen the county’s juvenile detention center program. The 16-bed detention center at the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield was closed in June following a series of state inspections that cited the facility for staffing and training issues. It...
Greensburg YMCA to be overseen by Pittsburgh branch during leadership transition
A leadership team from the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh will evaluate and oversee the YMCA of Greensburg for the next four months while it seeks a new CEO, leaders said Wednesday. Following the departure of Suzanne Printz, the Greensburg YMCA’s outgoing CEO, the Pittsburgh location will “provide executive leadership for...
Evidence linking Unity woman’s death to Thomas Stanko revealed in court filing
A Unity man prosecutors contend killed his girlfriend, although her body hasn’t been found, was suspected of prior abuse against her and former wives, according to court filings. Thomas G. Stanko, 53, was charged in late 2022 with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence and abuse of corpse in connection with...
Arrests reported in New Kensington gun store smash and grab
Federal investigators say they’ve arrested four men who may be connected to the theft of about two dozen firearms from a New Kensington gun shop. TribLive news partner WTAE first reported the suspects in the burglary were taken into custody Wednesday after police stopped an Audi at the intersection of...
Former Bullskin pain clinic physician accused of improper preparation of medication
A physician who operated a pain clinic near the Fayette-Westmoreland border has been indicted on accusations that he sold and administered injections to patients that were prepared in unsanitary conditions at his Monroeville home, according to court papers. John I. Park, 67, is charged with adulteration of a drug shipped...
Ohio bans gender-affirming care and restricts transgender athletes despite GOP governor’s veto
COLUMBUS — Ohio has banned gender-affirming care for minors and restricted transgender women’s and girls’ participation on sports teams, a move that has families of transgender children scrambling over how best to care for them. The Republican-dominated Senate voted Wednesday to override GOP Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto. The new law...
State university workers reach tentative contract with Pa. university system
The union representing 700 state university employees who work in admissions and financial aid, residence life, career services and other student support has reached a tentative contract agreement with the State System of Higher Education. The pact involving members of the State College and University Professional Association (SCUPA) would span...
West Deer man accused of recording secret videos of nude girl
A West Deer man was arrested Tuesday after, police said, he secretly video recorded a girl nude in Derry Borough, according to court papers. Coby C. Jones, 51, is facing charges of child pornography, invasion of privacy and sexual abuse of children filed by Westmoreland County detectives. Jones is formerly...
New Kensington shooting investigated; suspects in custody
Traffic was stalled briefly on the New Kensington Bridge Wednesday afternoon while police stopped a vehicle suspected of being involved in a shooting in the morning. According to Westmoreland 911, a shooting was reported around 10:30 a.m. along Haser Drive in the city at a Westmoreland County Housing Authority apartment...
Special Olympics North America brings softball championship to Pittsburgh
The Special Olympics North America softball championship, featuring more than 30 teams from across the U.S. and Canada, is coming to Pittsburgh and the A-K Valley in September. The No Offseason Sports facility on Little Deer Creek Valley Road near Russellton will host the event Sept. 6-8. Officials from the...
Frequent GOP candidate Shaffer launches bid for North Hills House seat
A frequent Republican political candidate in Pittsburgh’s North Hills is taking another shot at elected office, this time for a state House seat being vacated. Jeremy Shaffer, a former Ross commissioner, announced his candidacy Tuesday for Pennsylvania’s 28th state House District, which includes Bradford Woods, Marshall, Pine, Richland, West Deer...
