Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 988
Affordable housing still a problem for some in Pittsburgh area despite remedy efforts, experts say
Sarah Murphy said she’s struggled to find decent housing for most of her life. Now, as a mother, Murphy said she’s trying to find housing that is safe for her son, but also affordable. She said that’s a challenge in Allegheny County, particularly as a renter with poor credit who...
1 fatality reported in Butler County home fire
One person has died in a mobile home fire Saturday morning in Butler County, a county 911 supervisor has confirmed. Firefighters were dispatched at about 5:30 a.m. to the blaze in the a mobile home along Rustic Ridge Road in Summit Township, according to Bryan Powell, chief of the Lick...
Whitehall officer struck, dragged by vehicle during traffic stop
A Whitehall Borough police officer was injured after being struck and dragged by a vehicle early Saturday. The officer was conducting a traffic stop at 3:44 a.m. on Clairton Boulevard (Route 51) near Beall Drive, in the vicinity of Baldwin High School. The department posted of the incident on their...
Steelers take Georgia WR George Pickens with 2nd-round pick
The Pittsburgh Steelers have developed a pattern for building their wide receiver corps. They stuck to that script Friday. The Steelers chose Georgia’s George Pickens with their second-round pick, marking the fifth time over the past six drafts the Steelers took a wide receiver between the Nos. 49-66 selections. One...
Consensus among Steelers fans is Kenny Pickett is a good pick
On a sunny Friday afternoon on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, where folks were congregating not far from Heinz Field, it was just about impossible to find a Steelers fan whose disposition didn’t match the weather the day after the first round of the NFL draft. Among those from around the area...
Pittsburgh Marathon, Pitt commencement ceremonies to impact weekend traffic
Staffing shortages mean the extra Port Authority of Allegheny County service that Pittsburgh Marathon runners and spectators have enjoyed in the past might not be available this weekend as the races return for the first time in two years. “In previous years, Port Authority has provided extra service to assist...
Port Authority extends free light-rail service between Pittsburgh’s Downtown, North Shore
Port Authority of Allegheny County board members on Friday approved a funding agreement to extend free fares for light-rail rides between Pittsburgh’s North Shore and Downtown. The free fares have been in place for several years, but used to be subsidized by non-transit groups. From 2015 through 2020, free T...
Corman vows to undo Wolf administration plans to toll bridges to fund repairs
Republican gubernatorial candidate Jake Corman pushed back on the Wolf administration’s plans to toll nine bridges across the state and called on the governor to halt the process, while also promising to undo the process if he is elected. “We have a transportation issue we need to resolve in Pennsylvania,...
Probation ordered for Mt. Pleasant man who said teen bullying led to revenge porn
A Mt. Pleasant man told a judge Friday he posted nude pictures of a former girlfriend to the internet because she and her friends bullied him years earlier while in high school. Frank Sebek II, 25, was ordered to serve three years on probation as part of a plea deal...
A complete guide to the May 17 primary
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. More than a few things have changed since Pennsylvanians last went to the polls. Your congressional and legislative districts might be...
Man accused in 115 mph Hempfield chase didn’t have valid license, police say
A Fayette County man is accused of leading state police on a chase early Friday on Route 119 with speeds that surpassed 100 mph, according to court papers. Clarence Spackman, 33, of Bullskin, is being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on charges of fleeing from police, driving under the...
Pittsburgh in ‘very healthy’ fiscal position, city controller says
Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb said Friday in his annual comprehensive financial report that the city is in a “very healthy” fiscal position as it continues to rebound from the covid-19 pandemic. The report shows that the city ended last year with a surplus, thanks in large part to the...
Closing of Pittsburgh immigration office could result in more deportations, group says
The Executive Office for Immigration Review said it won’t hold hearings at its office on Pittsburgh’s South Side after Friday “due to space and personnel limitations.” This means immigrants from across Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia will have to travel to Philadelphia Immigration Court for in-person hearings. The Pittsburgh office,...
Relatives: Former U.S. Marine killed fighting in Ukraine
WASHINGTON — A former U.S. Marine was killed fighting alongside Ukrainian forces in war with Russia, his relatives told media outlets. He is the first U.S. citizen known to have been killed while fighting in Ukraine. Rebecca Cabrera told CNN her son, 22-year-old Willy Joseph Cancel, was killed Monday while...
2 men beaten with baseball bat in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights
A man was in critical condition Friday morning after being assaulted with a baseball bat in Brighton Heights, according to Pittsburgh police. Officers were dispatched to the 3600 block of California Avenue around 1 a.m. for reports of a violent attack on two men. One of the victims was taken...
Police warn of uptick in catalytic converter thefts across Pittsburgh region
Thefts of catalytic converters are on the rise across the Pittsburgh region, and police are urging residents to stay aware of suspicious activity. Catalytic converters bring in big money on the underground market because they are made of the metals platinum, palladium and rhodium. Often, thieves can easily cut the...
Donations sought for families of East Deer apartment fire
A group is collecting donations to assist at least three tenats left homeless when fire destroyed their apartment building late Thursday. The Western Pennsylvania Search and Rescue Development Center is seeking food, clothes and toiletries, among other items that might help families who lived in the multi-story apartment building along...
Allegheny County algorithm to screen for child neglect raises concerns
Inside a cavernous stone fortress in downtown Pittsburgh, attorney Robin Frank defends parents at one of their lowest points — when they risk losing their children. The job is never easy, but in the past she knew what she was up against when squaring off against child protective services in...
2 excavators stuck in muck pulled from Cheswick construction siteVideo
It’s not every day you witness an excavator — let alone two — being suspended in the air. The rare sight was why about a dozen Cheswick residents gathered Thursday afternoon to watch the excavators being lifted out of a quagmire at a Cheswick construction site. The recovery of the...
Still a pandemic? Endemic? Becoming like the flu? Whatever the term, covid-19 has become more manageable
Experts in the Pittsburgh region generally agree with Dr. Anthony Fauci’s assessment this week that the United States is “out of the pandemic phase” of covid-19, the virus whose death toll is closing in 1 million in the U.S. alone. “ ‘Over’ is a strong term,” said Dr. Donald Whiting,...
Oklahoma House sends Texas-style abortion ban to governor
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma House gave final approval on Thursday to a Texas-style abortion ban that prohibits the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. The bill approved by the GOP-led House on a 68-12 vote without discussion or debate now heads...
Butler County township backtracks on political sign ordinance after 1st Amendment complaint
Residents of Butler County’s Connoquenessing Township can display political signs on their property without restrictions or without having to obtain a permit, thanks to a resident lodging a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. Connoquenessing, like several municipalities in Butler County, has a political sign ordinance that...
Benedum Center marquee to receive ‘much needed’ restoration
From its ornate interior to its classic marquee design, Downtown Pittsburgh’s Benedum Center harkens back to an era when going to a theater for a play, movie or concert was an experience in itself. One look at the marquee over the main entrance — with its white block letters against...
State Supreme Court rejects appeal for man sentenced to die for 2017 fatal shooting of New Kensington cop
The state Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously upheld the death sentence for a man convicted of fatally shooting New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw in 2017. A Westmoreland County jury deliberated for less than 90 minutes on Nov. 12, 2019, to find Rahmael Holt, 33, of Harrison, guilty on all...
Pittsburgh, Western Pa. high schools make U.S. News & World Report best list
U.S. News & World Report has compiled its annual review of more than 24,000 public high schools across the United States, with 718 in Pennsylvania making its best rankings list. The top 3 schools in the Keystone State are:Julia R. Masterman Secondary School (Philadelphia, #10 nationally)Downingtown STEM AcademyRadnor High School...
