Top Stories category, Page 96
‘Evil’: Ohio man goes to prison for sex trafficking girl at Monroeville hotel
A federal judge has sentenced an Ohio man to 12½ years in prison for renting Monroeville hotel rooms and prostituting a girl and two women he brought across state lines. Donte L. Cole, 40, of Euclid, Ohio transported the girl from Cleveland to the Rodeway Inn & Suites hotel in...
Pa. high court keeps status quo on open-records access to officials’ personal social media posts
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of a Crawford County school district in finding posts made by its board members — including those about district issues — on their personal social media pages are not automatically subject to the state’s open-records laws. Had the decision gone the...
Hurricane Erin picking up steam as it edges along the East Coast
RODANTHE, N.C. — Hurricane Erin began strengthening again Wednesday while creeping toward the mid-Atlantic coast and churning up menacing waves that have closed beaches from the Carolinas to New York City. Forecasters expect the storm to peak going into Thursday and say it could re-intensify into a major hurricane. While...
Monroeville officials, residents await more details on mall redevelopment plans
Monroeville residents who want more information on the future of the Monroeville Mall property will have to wait a bit longer, municipal officials said this month. “Nothing has been submitted to the municipality whatsoever, no plans, no drafts,” said Mayor Nick Gresock of Walmart’s proposal to redevelop the 186-acre mall...
Movie producer pleads guilty to stabbing, stalking wife in South Fayette
An actor and movie producer pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to stabbing his wife nearly three years ago at her South Fayette home. John Mowod, 61, will be sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Thomas E. Flaherty on Nov. 19 on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment....
Carnegie Mellon president discusses finances ahead of town halls
Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian announced Wednesday that he will hold two town halls next month as he detailed the university’s financial status in a letter to students and faculty. “These forums will allow me and our leadership team to share more about the university’s short-term plans and long-term...
New name, new vibe on tap for Harrison’s Anchor Inn
A pair of well-known restaurateurs are setting their sights on Harrison, seeking to revive the popular Anchor Inn that closed in May. Corey Pistininzi and Sean Watson, owners of BotL in New Kensington and National Public House in Leechburg, purchased the building and are wading through details for a new...
Pirates to promote top pitching prospect Bubba Chandler for bulk relief role
It’s almost Bubba time in the ’Burgh. The Pittsburgh Pirates are promoting Bubba Chandler, ranked the top right-handed pitching prospect in the minors, a source told TribLive on Wednesday morning. The 22-year-old right-hander is expected to be selected to the active roster before Friday’s game against the Colorado Rockies. “Really...
Texas can’t put the Ten Commandments in certain school districts’ classrooms, judge says
Texas cannot require public schools in Houston, Austin and other select districts to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom, a judge said Wednesday in a temporary ruling against the state’s new requirement. Texas is the third state where courts have blocked recent laws about putting the Ten Commandments in...
Shaler fire company suspends 3 of 5 members accused of answering call while drunk
Three members of a Shaler volunteer fire department are suspended following allegations they were part of a crew that responded to a call under the influence of alcohol earlier this month. A total of five members of the Undercliff Volunteer Fire Company were involved in the Aug. 2 incident. Of...
Former head of New Kensington’s Spartaco club charged with stealing cash, property deed
The former president of the Spartaco Sporting Club is facing charges after, New Kensington police say, he stole assets from the organization to settle a debt he believes he’s owed. Glenn Hofer, 82, of New Kensington was charged Tuesday with theft, burglary, forgery and tampering with a public record. Hofer...
Woman identified who died after a fire at Brighton Heights senior apartment complex
The woman who died following a fire Tuesday night at a senior apartment complex in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood has been identified. The victim was Linda M. McCallister, 70, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. Firefighters responded to the blaze at 8:15 p.m. at Riverview Manor along Letort...
Pittsburgh Mills citations appealed, headed to court in September
Frazer will be waiting a bit longer to see if it gets any of the $1.8 million in fines levied against the owners of the Pittsburgh Mills mall. The Mills’ owner, Namdar Realty Group, is appealing the citations. District Judge Michael Girardi handed down the penalties during a July 17...
10 years after landmark ruling, same-sex marriage faces a new challenge
When Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, local constitution experts told TribLive it signaled the U.S. Supreme Court’s willingness to roll back other privacy rights, including contraception, same-sex relationships and gay marriage. Now, three years later, local constitutional law scholars say just four votes are needed for the justices...
Fox Chapel Area School District’s Hartwood Elementary students’ 1st day of school delayed
Fox Chapel Area School District students were expected to report to their first day of school Thursday. However, district officials said an HVAC project has delayed opening day at Hartwood Elementary School. Its first day of classes is now Aug. 26. No remote learning will occur at Hartwood this week....
Body of woman found in Monongahela River earlier this month identified
The body of a woman recovered from the Monongahela River on Aug. 12 has been identified. Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said the deceased person was 24-year-old Amelie Umurerwa from Forest Hills. The report released Tuesday evening does not state cause or manner of death. First responders were River Rescue...
$8M Burrell High School heating and cooling project awarded; Bon Air work on hold
Burrell School District officials are moving forward with a roughly $8 million heating and cooling project for Burrell High School but will go back to the drawing board for a similar project at Bon Air Elementary. The contract for the HVAC improvements at Burrell High School, awarded Tuesday by the...
Las Vegas tourism is down. Some blame Trump’s tariffs, immigration crackdownVideo
LAS VEGAS — Tourism in Las Vegas is slumping this summer, with resorts and convention centers reporting fewer visitors compared to last year, especially from abroad, and some officials are blaming the Trump administration’s tariffs and immigration policies for the decline. The city known for lavish shows, endless buffets and...
Years after abuse reports, ex-coach at renowned U.S. gymnastics academy arrested by FBI
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The U.S. gymnastics world was only just recovering from a devastating sexual abuse scandal when a promising young coach moved from Mississippi to Iowa to take a job in 2018 at an elite academy known for training Olympic champions. Liang “Chow” Qiao, the owner of Chow’s...
Hurricane Erin forecast to churn up dangerous swells, wind from Florida to New EnglandVideo
RODANTHE, N.C. — Hurricane Erin chugged slowly Tuesday toward the eastern U.S., stirring up treacherous waves that already have led to dozens of water rescues and shut down beaches along the coast in the midst of summer’s last hurrah. While forecasters remain confident the center of the monster storm will...
Oklahoma to screen would-be teachers from N.Y., Calif. to keep ‘leftist propaganda’ out of schools
For now, Pennsylvanians looking to land a teaching job in Oklahoma won’t have to take a test designed to weed out “woke indoctrinators” seeking classroom work in the conservative Sooner State. Oklahoma soon will begin administering what Ryan Walters, the state’s elected superintendent of public instruction, calls the “America First”...
6 taken to hospitals after 2-vehicle crash in Youngwood
Six people were transported to local hospitals Tuesday afternoon following a two-car crash in Youngwood, according to emergency officials. First responders were called for a crash near the intersection of Burton Avenue and South Third Street (Route 119) in Youngwood. Mutual Aid Ambulance took the two adult drivers and one...
Riverhounds announce planned expansion to stadium on Pittsburgh’s South ShoreVideo
Paul Heisley had a vision in 1999. It was not only to bring professional soccer to Pittsburgh but give it a home that would be a center for the sport in the city. He had blueprints. Even a place on the Monongahela River in Homestead to make his vision a...
Ragweed near full bloom in Western Pa. as fall approaches
Blessings to each and every one with allergies. And tissues. And nasal spray. And eye drops. And neti pots. And Claritin or Zyrtec or Allegra. Or if sleep is desired, Benadryl. “‘Tis the season,” said Dr. Thomas Mertz of Allergy and Asthma Associates of Pittsburgh, a practice based in Harmar....
Allegheny County Jail guard union seeks to overturn ban on use of leg shackles for medical visits
When Allegheny County voters approved a referendum in 2021 eliminating the use of solitary confinement at the county jail, they also barred use of leg shackles by corrections officers there. As a result, jail staff cannot restrain the legs of incarcerated people being transported to the hospital for medical appointments...
