Top Stories category, Page 95
South Fayette man gets 15 years in prison for filming sex with teen
A South Fayette man will serve 15 years in federal prison for filming himself having sex with a 14-year-old girl. Matthew Trax, 25, was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy. In addition to the prison term — which was part of his plea agreement — Trax...
Trib HSSN don’t miss high school football matchups for 2025 Week Zero
Welcome to the kickoff of the 2025 WPIAL football regular season. Ten years ago, the PIAA initiated the idea of Week Zero, giving schools throughout the state the option to have a traditional second scrimmage or schedule a 10th game for an early taste of Friday night lights. While there...
Spartaco Club ex-president released on bond, hearing on theft charges scheduled in New Kensington
The former president of the Spartaco Sporting Club in New Kensington turned himself in to a New Kensington district court Thursday to face charges of theft and illegally taking ownership of the club. Phil DiLucente, an attorney representing Glenn Hofer, 82 of O’Hara, said Hofer turned himself in at District...
The Village at Pittsburgh Mills sues mall owners over road conditions
Owners of The Village at Pittsburgh Mills are suing the owners of the beleaguered Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer, alleging they have failed to maintain the roads there despite being contractually obligated to do so. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, asks the court to...
Judge orders closure of sex assault case against former Pirates pitcher
A Westmoreland County judge has ordered the closure of the criminal case that ended the Major League Baseball career of former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez. Vazquez, 34, was convicted of the sexual assault of a Scottdale teenager and served about four years in prison before he was deported in...
Allegheny County to pay $425K to man charged but never tried in 2016 Wilkinsburg massacre
Allegheny County will pay $425,000 to one of the men accused of killing six people and an unborn child nearly a decade ago in Wilkinsburg to settle a lawsuit alleging malicious prosecution. The figure is included in a copy of the July 23 settlement agreement with Robert J. Thomas obtained...
Westmoreland Food Bank breaks ground on multimillion-dollar expansion
The Westmoreland Food Bank served about 5 million meals in 2024. And while officials are hoping the overall demand will decrease, their ability to fulfill that need will be expanding soon, along with their building on Devonshire Drive in Salem. Work on the planned expansion kicked off Thursday morning. “It’s...
Pittsburgh Mills owners ordered to pay millions more for poor road, sidewalk, building conditions
Legal woes continue to mount for the owners of the Pittsburgh Mills mall after they were found guilty of another 364 code violations Thursday. District Judge Michael Girardi handed down fines of differing amounts depending on the individual violations during a hearing for the four limited liability companies that, together,...
Hopes pinned on ‘unique’ redesign of Wexford I-79 interchange alleviating congestion, reducing crashes
Local officials, business owners and PennDOT are hopeful an investment of nearly $50 million will alleviate congestion and improve safety at the Wexford interchange connecting Interstate 79 with Route 910 in northern Allegheny County. Work is beginning on a $46.5 million, two-year project that will reconfigure the interchange on the...
Punxsutawney Phil, blown glass demo new features at Latrobe’s banana split celebration
Furry weather prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil keeps his strength up by eating corn, kale, carrots — and his favorite, bananas. So, the famous groundhog should be right at home on Saturday when he makes his first ever visit to Latrobe’s Great American Banana Split Celebration. “Before any road trip, we like...
Trump’s crackdown in D.C. leaves residents on edge as federal agents set up checkpoints
WASHINGTON — Federal authorities have set up checkpoints around the nation’s capital, sometimes asking people for their immigration status and detaining them, as President Donald Trump’s crackdown ensnares more residents each day. Trump claimed that a crime crisis required his Republican administration’s intervention in the Democratic-led city this month, brushing...
Highmark operating income hits $121M in 1st half, propelled by covid funds, efficiency gains
Highmark Health, the Pittsburgh-based parent company of Highmark insurance and Allegheny Health Network, posted operating income of $121 million through the first half of the year, with solid performances from its main divisions. That’s a marked decline, though, from the same time in 2024, when Highmark reported a $307 million...
Group accuses Trump of delaying tighter pollution monitoring at steel plants like Clairton Coke Works
An environmental group on Thursday called for stricter pollution monitoring at steelmaking facilities like U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, a longtime polluter and site of an explosion last week that killed two workers. A report from the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project documented potentially dangerous levels of pollutants at steel...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Aug. 22-24
Summer vacation is coming to an end — if it hasn’t already — even if it’s still blazing hot outside. Get some family time in with these events around Pittsburgh this weekend. Pittsburgh Water Lantern Festival This festival is both a fun and a meaningful experience for attendees. Held at...
Appeals court throws out massive civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump
NEW YORK — A New York appeals court on Thursday threw out President Donald Trump’s massive civil fraud penalty while upholding a judge’s finding that he exaggerated his wealth for decades. The ruling spares Trump from a potential half-billion-dollar fine but bans him and his two eldest sons from serving...
Allegheny Valley School Board divided over students’ cellphone use in schools
Allegheny Valley School Board members haven’t come to a consensus on students’ cellphone access and use in district schools. A debate came Tuesday night after Superintendent Patrick Graczyk recommended the district continue its current policy this school year, which allows cellphones to be used in areas like the hallway or...
China races to build world’s largest solar farm, which would be the size of Chicago
TALATAN, China — Chinese government officials last month showed off what they say will be the world’s largest solar farm when completed high on a Tibetan plateau. It will cover 235 square miles, which is the size of Chicago. China has been installing solar panels far faster than anywhere else...
Morning Roundup: Duquesne Light delays storm-response meeting; police warn of sexual assaults in North Side
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Aug. 21: Duquesne Light delays storm-response meeting Duquesne Light representatives backed out of a scheduled appearance Wednesday before Allegheny County Council’s storm response committee, drawing the ire of state Rep. Abigail Salisbury. The utility had a 5 p.m....
Forecasters see ‘taste of fall’ coming next week for Western Pa.
Ready for some heat relief? A “taste of fall” could be on the way, according to the National Weather Service in Moon. A map issued by the agency Tuesday shows Western Pennsylvania is likely to see temperatures cooler than usual, at least into Monday and possibly through next Friday. The...
Hurricane Erin stirs up strong winds and floods part of a N.C. highway as it slowly moves out to sea
RODANTHE, N.C. — Hurricane Erin battered North Carolina’s Outer Banks with strong winds and waves that flooded part of the main highway and surged under beachfront homes as the monster storm slowly began to move away from the East Coast on Thursday. Forecasters predicted the storm would peak Thursday and...
Access improvements underway at Latrobe Amtrak station
Amtrak is renovating its Latrobe station to improve accessibility for all passengers, particularly those with physical limitations. The project will add a new, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramp with a canopy, providing access from the McKinley Avenue parking area to the train platform. The existing concrete steps will be replaced,...
Residents, landowners tell state regulators they oppose 2nd Rustic Ridge mine in Donegal area
A group of about two dozen Donegal area residents pleaded with state environmental regulators Wednesday to reject an application for another coal mine next to an existing one. They cited mine subsidence damage, loss of water supply, coal truck traffic and stream pollution from the mine the Johnstown company already...
Top White House officials turn to public appearances with troops as a tense Washington watches
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s law-enforcement crackdown on Washington expanded Wednesday and top administration officials visited National Guard troops to support a deployment that has left parts of the U.S. capital looking like occupied territory. Anger and frustration dotted the city as the vice president lauded an operation that he...
Texas House approves redrawn maps sought by Trump ahead of 2026 elections
AUSTIN — The Texas House on Wednesday approved redrawn congressional maps that would give Republicans a bigger edge in 2026, muscling through a partisan gerrymander that launched weeks of protests by Democrats and a widening national battle over redistricting. The approval came at the urging of President Donald Trump, who...
Pittsburgh police probe videos of people taping mice to fireworks, then lighting them
Pittsburgh police are looking for individuals who duct-taped mice to fireworks before igniting the devices, then posted videos of the rodents’ deaths to social media. The police bureau announced Wednesday it was aware of the animal cruelty acts and an accompanying social-media post. Detectives said they have recovered a plastic...
