Megan Guza stories, Page 5
Covid cases down, deaths rise in Allegheny County
Covid-19 deaths in Allegheny County have predictably ticked upward, trailing behind the increase in cases that started in April, according to the latest data. Sixteen deaths were reported to the Allegheny County Health Department from May 26 to June 1 — up from four the week prior and two in...
Gov. Wolf seeks lawmakers’ approval to send $2,000 checks to households making under $80K
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday called on state legislative leaders to pass a plan that he said would send $2,000 directly to Pennsylvanians to combat the rising cost of gas, groceries and more. “Inflation is making everything that was expensive before even more expensive,” Wolf said in an appearance...
18-month-old’s fatal shooting marked 8th homicide of a child in Pittsburgh region this year
De’Avry Thomas’ death Sunday in Downtown Pittsburgh gave him the tragic demarcation of being the city’s youngest homicide victim this year, which has seen more young people fall victim to gun violence — a grim trend of recent years. The 18-month-old child was buckled into his car seat Sunday afternoon...
TSA catches 2 guns at Pittsburgh International over holiday weekend, 1 carried by employee
An employee at Pittsburgh International Airport is charged with carrying a firearm without a license after security officials found him with a loaded handgun, according to Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein. Court records identified the man as Damien Wright, of Wellsville, Ohio. Farbstein said he is an airplane cabin...
Stowe man accused of firing shots at Pittsburgh sanitation workers
A Stowe man who police said opened fire on two Pittsburgh environmental services workers last week was taken into custody Tuesday, according to police. Henry Rainey, 37, faces two counts of aggravated assault. Police said he fired on two men collecting trash in the city’s Fairywood neighborhood on May 23....
2 charged in shooting that killed infant in Downtown Pittsburgh; 1 at large
One man is in custody and another is on the run, wanted in connection with the drive-by shooting Sunday that killed an 18-month-old infant, authorities said Monday night. Markez Anger, 23, is wanted on charges of homicide and conspiracy. The midday shooting, at the height of the holiday weekend in...
Last of derailed Norfolk Southern cars removed from Guys Run; Freeport Road remains closed
The last of the Norfolk Southern tanker cars that toppled into Guys Run Creek during a derailment last week in Harmar have been removed, officials said Sunday. “The last tank car containing petroleum distillate was removed from the creek this morning, and all rail cars have now been removed from...
Police: 1-year-old victim identified in Downtown Pittsburgh shooting, suspect vehicle found
The sunny holiday weekend was shattered midday Sunday when someone opened fire on a car in Downtown Pittsburgh, killing the 18-month-old baby who was inside with his mother. The infant was pronounced dead at the scene. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the child as De’Avry Thomas. Officials said...
No timetable set for Freeport Road in Harmar to reopen; official tells public to stay away
A section of Freeport Road in Harmar will remain closed while crews work to empty and then remove tankers that toppled into Guys Run when a train derailed Thursday on tracks that run along side the road. And officials gave no timetable in an update Saturday as to when the...
Lower Burrell farmers market kicks off with fun, food — all of it local
The Joseph “Bud” Myers Lower Burrell Farmers Market kicked off Saturday with its expanded slate of vendors and activities, and organizers say there’s more to come as spring rolls into summer. “We crushed it,” said Monte Smith, who was selling goods for Vibo’s Italian Bakery. He said they sold out...
Cub Scout Pack 186 makes sure each Prospect Cemetery veteran has a flag for Memorial Day
Soggy ground and gray skies on Saturday didn’t stop Harrison-area Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts from their solemn commitment to local veterans. At Prospect Cemetery in Brackenridge, there are 745 veterans buried amongst the more than 13,000 occupied plots, which stretch across 13.5 acres. The scouts made sure that each...
DA to seek death penalty against man charged in Pittsburgh triple homicide
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office plans to seek the death penalty against a man charged in the New Year’s Eve killings of three people, including a 12-year-old boy. Ronald Steave, 30, was charged Jan. 6 with three counts of homicide in connection with the shooting deaths of his ex,...
Sewickley man charged in Pittsburgh teen’s homicide
A Sewickley man is charged in connection with the killing of a teenage boy this month in Pittsburgh, according to police, who said the man sent video of the teen’s last moments to at least one other person. In addition to homicide, Joseph Koller, 20, faces charges of aggravated assault...
All but 30 ballots counted in Allegheny County as statewide recount in U.S. Senate race looms
Allegheny County election officials as of Wednesday had counted all but 30 challenged provisional ballots cast in last week’s primary, and hearings will be held Friday to determine whether the remaining ballots should be counted. Nearly 1,750 provisional ballots were scanned and tallied Tuesday and Wednesday, ultimately adding 103 votes...
Homestead man wanted in Greenfield bar shooting that injured 3
Police are searching for a Homestead man who they said was thrown out of a Greenfield bar last month and then opened fire from his car, wounding three and sending others scrambling for cover. Jeremy Banks, 40, faces 21 charges, including 12 counts of aggravated assault in connection with the...
Audit: Marijuana arrests persist among Black Pittsburghers despite decriminalization
An audit of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police meant to address concerns about racial disparities found that Black residents continue to make up a majority of arrests by city police and seem to be disproportionately hit with marijuana-related arrests despite the city’s decriminalization of small amounts years ago. The audit,...
More than 200 undated ballots in Allegheny County to be counted but kept separate, state says
The more than 200 mail-in ballots returned in Allegheny County that do not have a date on the outer declaration envelope should be tallied but kept separate from the overall vote totals, the Department of State has decided. What began as 218 votes was whittled down to 206 as the...
Allegheny County Jail returns to modified lockdown as covid cases rise
Rising covid-19 cases at Allegheny County Jail prompted officials to return to a modified lockdown Friday, with nearly half of the facility’s housing pods in isolation status. There were 91 positive cases among incarcerated people as of Wednesday, officials said. Twelve of 28 housing pods are in isolation, and 29...
Port Authority: Service cuts coming next month will lead to more reliable service
Port Authority of Allegheny County will reduce its weekly service hours by 4% next month to account for a driver shortage and ridership that has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, officials said this week. Seventy-five employees, including 43 bus operators, have been fired for violating the authority’s covid-19 vaccine...
Experts: Just because you’re eligible for a 2nd covid booster doesn’t mean you need it right now
As covid cases continue to tick upward both locally and across the country, medical experts caution that just because you are eligible for a second booster vaccine does not necessarily mean that you should run out and get it if you’re otherwise healthy. “I do not believe that every person...
Fetterman says he’s ready to return to lieutenant governor duties
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman said in a letter to state legislators Wednesday that he is ready to return to his duties in Pennsylvania’s second-highest elected office, a day after undergoing a procedure to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator in his chest. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman will continue...
Fetterman pacemaker surgery successful; Corman serving as temporary Lt. Gov.
Lt. Governor and U.S. Senate primary candidate John Fetterman underwent successful surgery Tuesday to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator, his spokesman said. The procedure came four days after Fetterman’s campaign announced the former Braddock mayor had suffered a stroke. “John Fetterman just completed a successful procedure to implant a...
Team formed to combat intimate partner violence in Allegheny County
A team of Allegheny County leaders from all levels of the justice system, law enforcement and social services met for the first time Monday as a group dedicated to detangling the messy and often fragmented system set up to help victims of intimate partner violence. County officials said that in...
Allegheny County covid cases rise, Pittsburgh schools reinstate mask mandate
Covid-19 cases are on the rise again in Allegheny County, sending the county into “medium” community level as defined by federal guidelines and triggering mandatory masking across Pittsburgh Public Schools. The levels laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — low, medium, and high — take into...
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s transition team delivers recommendations to address key issues
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s transition team released a report Thursday outlining 69 recommendations to address pressing city issues in four key areas, ranging from immediately creating a new process for hiring the next police chief to offering paid internships for Pittsburgh students. “We want this document to be the roadmap...
