Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 526
Trump’s NYC hush money, fraud cases could reach boiling point
Donald Trump’s New York legal troubles are expected to reach a boiling point Monday in Manhattan, where he’s poised to make a last-ditch attempt to dodge legal jeopardy in the Stormy Daniels hush money saga — and faces the end of a grace period in his separate civil fraud case...
Indiana community avoids major trouble during IUPatty’s as university curtails frat parties
The 2024 IUPatty’s weekend made it to Sunday morning without any major tumult or serious injuries being reported. While the annual event is not sanctioned by Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the university told its fraternities and sororities this year to pull the plug on any parties they were hosting by...
Worm moon to include extra special feature early Monday morning
It might be a little later in the evening for some folks, but the full worm moon will be putting on a show early Monday morning. March’s full moon, referred to as the worm moon by the Farmers’ Almanac because of its proximity to the spring equinox, will be at...
Man’s body recovered in Allegheny River
Pittsburgh River Rescue recovered the body of an adult male from the Allegheny River on Sunday afternoon. According to Pittsburgh police, River Rescue was dispatched to the 9th Street/Rachel Carson Bridge around 2:30 p.m. for reports of a male seen going into the water. Witnesses said the male entered from...
Police investigating death of 9-month-old in Homewood
Pittsburgh police on Sunday were investigating the death of a 9-month-old in Homewood. According to Pittsburgh police, emergency responders were dispatched to the 500 block of North Homewood Avenue just before 9 a.m. for the report of an infant in distress. When they arrived, they found a 9-month-old female unresponsive....
New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy suspends her Senate campaign to replace indicted Sen. Menendez
WASHINGTON — New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy has suspended her U.S. Senate campaign to replace Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez as he faces federal corruption charges. Murphy announced her decision in a video posted to her social media on Sunday. “New Jersey’s next senator must focus on the issues of...
Palestinians describe heavy destruction, forced marches in ongoing Israeli raid around Gaza hospital
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinians who fled during an ongoing Israeli raid in and around the Gaza Strip’s main hospital described days of heavy fighting, mass arrests, forced marches past dead bodies and flattened buildings in interviews Sunday. The Israeli military says it has killed over 170 militants and detained...
Shapiro’s proposed energy policy needs GOP support
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. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — As part of what his administration is calling a “new era” of energy policy, Gov. Josh Shapiro...
Divers to inspect Tarentum Water Plant for algae, corrosion
Divers will make their way through the Tarentum water treatment plant in the coming weeks, vacuuming sediment and other debris from well walls and floors. Crews will inspect for algae and corrosion in the clear well, which is part of the drinking water purification system. “It’s a small chamber, and...
Hotter, quicker, more toxic: Varied construction methods, modern materials change the rules of firefighting
Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tom Bell can remember watching an informational film early in his training that emphasized the importance of escaping a fire in the first five minutes. Now, he says, people have closer to three minutes to get out of a burning home safely. “It’s a new...
Illini too much as Duquesne’s magical postseason run comes to an end
Lightning-fast layups. NBA-range 3s. Illinois’ calling card this season has been a relentless approach, and it continued with a vengeance Saturday night against Cinderella hopeful Duquesne. The Dukes were run out of the gym. Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 30 points and No. 3 seed Illinois opened the throttle to its...
Pysanky crafters’ colorful eggs help preserve Eastern European tradition
They’re not your ordinary dyed Easter eggs. About a dozen crafters, many of them novices, came to Greensburg on Saturday to try their hands at turning white eggshells into intricately designed, multi-colored orbs of art by practicing the Eastern European tradition of pysanky. “For me, it’s a way of connecting...
Members of ’09 Dukes who let NCAA bid slip away enjoying ride with current team
Pittsburgh’s namesake school is usually the big man on campus during March Madness, but this year, the Duquesne Dukes are stealing the show, appearing in their first NCAA Tournament in nearly a half-century. While it hasn’t happened often, it might have 15 years ago had the Dukes gotten the right...
Man killed in Monroeville crash
A Monroeville man died early Saturday after crashing into construction equipment on William Penn Highway. Michael M. Berkley, 37, died at Forbes Hospital just before 1 a.m. According to Allegheny County officials, witnesses said Berkley was driving at a high rate of speed in the 4200 block of William Penn...
IUP says social media report of stabbing false as IUPatty’s begins
Officials at Indiana University of Pennsylvania issued an email to students and employees early Saturday indicating that reports on social media of violence involving students were false. Officials said they sent the email to counteract a comment that “some student got stabbed” that was part of a spike in traffic...
Police say man high on meth led troopers on high-speed chase in Indiana Borough
A Florida man who police said was high on meth and hadn’t slept for five days led state troopers on a brief chase Friday night in Indiana County. Brandon Michael Rosenberger, 34, of St. Petersburg, Fla., is charged with fleeing, evading arrest, and driving under the influence of a controlled...
Historic church bell tower restored in Leechburg, set to ring again on Easter Sunday
Church bells will ring out over Leechburg again this Easter. After more than a year and $30,000 in fundraising, the bells of First Evangelical Lutheran Church are fixed and set to ring again for the first time to welcome worshipers to Easter Sunday services. In addition, the church is planning...
Police chiefs tell state agency that DA found cops ‘justified’ in killing Upper St. Clair man
Three South Hills police chiefs whose officers fatally shot a mentally ill Upper St. Clair man in January have told a state agency that the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office determined their use of force was justified. District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. has made no public statements about the...
Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland reopens after $9 million renovation
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct earlier information provided by museum officials regarding the renovation cost. After eight months of renovations, the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland will be reopening its doors, the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh announced Friday. The renovated space boasts the addition of air...
Slippery Rock University board seeks $98 million for building renovations
Trustees at Slippery Rock University voted Friday to pursue $98 million for renovations to three prominent but aging campus buildings, including the Morrow Field House, built in 1959. They also approved student fee increases totaling about $270 for the 2024-25 academic year. Both actions were among those taken as the...
State police: Woman shot in ‘road rage incident’ on Parkway East
A woman was shot in the hand in a road rage incident on Parkway East on Friday evening, according to state police. The woman pulled her vehicle onto the side of the parkway, near Greensburg Pike, and called 911. State and local police dispatched to the scene, said state Trooper...
Casey, McCormick to appear alone on Senate ballots in Pennsylvania after courts boot off challengers
HARRISBURG — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick will be the only eligible names on ballots for the office in Pennsylvania’s April primary after a ruling Friday by the state’s highest court. The ruling completed the third of three successful court challenges to the paperwork of three...
Pennsylvania lawmakers push to find out causes of death for older adults in abuse or neglect cases
HARRISBURG — Republican state lawmakers are pushing Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration to do more to investigate the deaths of older adults who are the subject of an abuse or neglect complaint after Pennsylvania recorded a steep increase in such deaths starting in 2019. Shapiro’s Department of Aging has balked at...
Duquesne online searches soar after March Madness win
Call it a wave of social madness. While Duquesne Dukes basketball fans have been riding the high of an NCAA Tournament first round win against Brigham Young University, Duquesne itself also has been riding a high — in terms of online reach. Web activity has “skyrocketed” in the wake of...
‘Complex and intensive investigation’ underway into deadly Jeannette fire, investigator says
An investigation into the cause of the deadly fire this week in Jeannette could take weeks, the fire investigator said. Four children and their father were killed in the blaze early Wednesday that destroyed their two-story Guy Street home and badly damaged a neighbor’s house. “It’s a complex and intensive...
