Top Stories category, Page 93
Some National Guard units in Washington are now carrying firearms in escalation of Trump deployment
WASHINGTON — Some National Guard units patrolling the nation’s capital at the direction of President Donald Trump have started carrying firearms, an escalation of his military deployment that makes good on a directive issued late last week by his defense secretary. A Defense Department official who was not authorized to...
University of South Carolina issues all clear after unconfirmed reports of active shooter on campus
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina has given the all-clear after issuing an alert Sunday about a possible active shooter near a library on the main Columbia campus, just days after false reports of active shooters at Villanova University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga led to...
UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital nurses vote to unionize
A majority of about 700 nurses at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital have voted to unionize with SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, the union announced Sunday. Ballots were counted late Saturday following voting that day and Tuesday. Nurses voted 402 to 305, or 57% to 43%, in favor of unionizing. Nurses, elected officials, patients...
Southeastern Pa.’s massive transit cuts are here, and it’s ‘bad on so many levels’
SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, warned us for two years. Some people stopped listening because impoverishment has been the perpetual soundtrack of the transit system, and salvation always seemed to arrive at the last minute. Not this time. Massive cuts in SEPTA service began early morning Sunday. For the...
IUP disciplines cheerleaders for hazing involving alcohol
Indiana University of Pennsylvania has remained mum on whether its cheerleading squad will be allowed to perform along the sidelines for the Crimson Hawks this football season. The squad was disciplined over the summer for forcing new members to participate in alcohol-related events, requiring underage members to assist in buying...
2 stabbed in Perry South neighborhood
Two women were hospitalized early Sunday morning as a result of stab wounds in the Pittsburgh Perry South neighborhood, Pittsburgh police said. The victims, who were not identified, were found on the street outside 30 Strauss St., shortly after 1:15 a.m., police said. One woman who was stabbed in her...
State budget stalemate not expected to result in Westmoreland transit authority service cuts
The ongoing budget stalemate in Harrisburg will have little impact on Westmoreland County Transit Authority operations, officials said. Executive Director Alan Blahovec, during the authority’s monthly board meeting Thursday, said the agency has enough funding in place to continue its current schedule of fixed-route bus service and paratransit programs throughout...
Editorial: Power, money and the cost of scrapping our election system
It is no secret that President Donald Trump does not like mail-in voting. “Tremendous potential for voter fraud, and for whatever reason, doesn’t work out well for Republicans,” he said of it on Twitter in 2020. Despite pushback from officials across the country who have maintained the practice is safe...
Hempfield Area drafts 3D designs for high school renovation
Five years after Hempfield Area School District approved a feasibility study for a renovation of its 1956 high school, the district is starting to nail down what the refurbished building will look like. Architect Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates laid out visions for the project in October, and the school board...
Summer Stock: Now’s the time to make the most of the final days of the season
As Labor Day looms, it’s time to take stock of summer. Beyond the big-ticket activities — like trips south to the Outer Banks, Gulf Coast or Disney — are staples of the season that fill the memories of Pittsburghers. They’re things as simple (and sumptuously satisfying) as hot Potato Patch...
Budget busters: Western Pa. schools battle rising costs, strained finances to renovate aging facilities
Superintendent Tammy Andreyko started her tenure at Quaker Valley in August 2018 meeting with district officials to discuss the possibility of building a new high school. Seven years later, dirt has yet to be moved on the 150-acre property the district purchased in May 2017 to replace its nearly century-old...
Pro wrestling fans fired up for Battle in Birdville 5 at Citizens Hose
All the manpower and equipment at Citizens Hose Fire/Rescue EMS in Harrison couldn’t stifle the heat that was emanating right in front of their station Saturday. It was the fiery spirit of a little more than 200 Western Pennsylvania pro wrestling fans in the lot off Burtner Road cheering and...
Pet memorial service: helping victims of alleged widespread fraud deal with loss
Mark Petros of Herminie thought it was odd the way Harrison funeral director Patrick Vereb handled his dog, Bear, in late December after Vereb was contacted to cremate the family’s pet, with the understanding they would receive the remains. “I carried the dog out and placed it in his van,”...
Westmoreland County’s ag challenge: keeping the next generation on the farm
How do you keep the next generation of farmers interested in staying on the farm, when that life offers them the guarantee of hard work seven days a week with compensation far below other occupations? That’s a challenge for Westmoreland County farm families, as farmers are getting older, with the...
14-year-old boy in critical condition after falling into Kiski River near Roaring Run trailhead
A 14-year-old boy was in critical condition after having a medical emergency and falling into the Kiski River Saturday, a Kiski Township police officer said Sunday. The boy, whose name was not released, was being treated at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Patrolman Colton Howard said. First responders were called...
After conclusion of preseason, Steelers remain mystery team in many ways
Aaron Rodgers offered a one-word wish for the final preseason game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. “Health.” Rodgers didn’t have to worry about the risk of injury because he didn’t play a snap against the Carolina Panthers. Or in the entire preseason, for that matter. Same goes for Cameron Heyward, T.J....
Railroad companies fail to join safety program after toxic Ohio derailment
Two and a half years after a derailed train spewed toxic gases across eastern Ohio, none of the nation’s largest freight railroads have fulfilled promises to join a voluntary federal close call program designed to reduce rail hazards and prevent accidents. Two railroads — BNSF and Norfolk Southern — launched...
European postal services suspend shipment of packages to U.S. over import tariffs
ATHENS, Greece — The end of an exemption on tariff duties for low-value packages coming into the United States is causing multiple international postal services to pause shipping as they await more clarity on the rule. The exemption, known as the “de minimis” exemption, allows packages worth less than $800...
Nearly 30 people sent to hospital — 1 critical — after Aliquippa junior high football team bus crash
A bus carrying Aliquippa junior high football players crashed Saturday morning near Ambridge en route to a game, sending nearly 30 people, including 25 players, to area hospitals for medical treatment, authorities said. One student was in critical condition and was undergoing surgery, according to a letter from Aliquippa Superintendent...
Motorcyclist killed in Clairton crash
A motorcyclist was killed late Friday night when his vehicle hit a telephone pole in Clairton, Allegheny County Police said. The man, who was not identified, struck the pole in the 500 block of State Street. The accident was reported at 9:50 p.m. He was dead at the scene, county...
Trump was once a Republican Party outsider. Now it’s his GOP and the MAGA faithful are in the lead
ATLANTA — Amy Kremer was an early tea party leader who supported Donald Trump for president in 2016. She ran for Congress from Georgia in 2017 and got less than 1% of the Republican primary vote. In 2021, she organized the rally near the White House that took place hours...
First Erik, then Lyle Menendez denied parole; California board says they pose safety risk
LOS ANGELES — Lyle Menendez was denied parole Friday by the same board that a day earlier rejected his brother Erik’s appeal for freedom after serving decades in prison for killing their parents in 1989 at their Beverly Hills mansion. The reason was the same: misbehavior behind bars. A panel...
Valley High School football player released from hospital after sustaining concussion Friday
A Valley High School football player was released from a Pittsburgh hospital Saturday morning after being treated for a severe concussion he suffered in the team’s game Friday night, the player’s mother said. Josh Dunlap, a senior defensive back, was sore but not experiencing any concussion symptoms Saturday morning, said...
Judge blocks Trump from cutting funding from 34 cities and counties over ‘sanctuary’ policies
A judge ruled late Friday the Trump administration cannot deny funding to Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and 30 other cities and counties because of policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration efforts. U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco extended a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from cutting...
Stock up, stock down for Steelers after final preseason game
The NFL’s 2021 addition of an annual preseason “bye” over Labor Day weekend leaves some ambiguity as to when, exactly, training camp ends and the regular season begins. For the sake of argument, let’s say training camp ended Thursday night for the Pittsburgh Steelers with their 19-10 preseason victory at...
