Judge withdraws from Westmoreland County prison board
Westmoreland County’s jail oversight board for now will operate without representation from the court. Prison Board Chairman Doug Chew said Monday during the board’s monthly meeting that Common Pleas Judge Harry Smail Jr. has withdrawn from the body that includes the three county commissioners, Sheriff James Albert, District Attorney Nicole...
Older, disabled Pennsylvanians bear brunt of home care staffing crisis
Lisa Sprague does what she can on her own, but nerve damage caused by multiple sclerosis means she needs help getting out of bed, bathing and completing other daily tasks. The state pays for 13 hours of care every day at her Harmar home, a bungalow retrofitted with a wheelchair...
Fayette County mom imprisoned in daughter’s starvation death walks free after evidence crumbles
A Fayette County woman who pleaded no contest to murdering her daughter and spent a decade in prison is now free after serious questions were raised about the prosecution’s key evidence. The Fayette County District Attorney’s Office last week withdrew a homicide charge against Andrea Dusha, who was accused of...
Franklin Park teen establishes nonprofit clothing company to help victims of domestic abuse
A North Allegheny senior is putting her heart where her needle is. Patricia Rae Shanahan of Franklin Park is the owner of Heart and Hem, a nonprofit that designs and sells clothes to raise money and awareness for survivors of domestic abuse, with proceeds directly benefiting the Women’s Center &...
Westmoreland commissioners cancel public meetings amid state budget crisis
Because there’s no money to spend, Westmoreland County commissioners say, there is no need to conduct this week’s regularly scheduled public meetings at the courthouse. Commissioners canceled their agenda meeting set for Tuesday morning and Thursday’s public voting session in response to the ongoing state budget impasse that has halted...
Suspect in 2024 Stowe homicide taken into custody in Maryland
A Stowe homicide suspect on the run for nearly a year was taken into custody Monday in Maryland. Dacahary Sampson, 32, is charged with shooting and killing James Nelson Jr., 42, of McKees Rocks, the afternoon of Aug. 12, 2024, along the 400 block of Pleasant Ridge Road. The U.S....
Son charged with killing his father in East Pittsburgh turns himself in
A son charged with killing his father after an argument in East Pittsburgh earlier this month has turned himself in to police. Tayron Reid, 19, was taken into custody Monday, Allegheny County Police reported. He is charged with criminal homicide for the murder of 45-year-old Ta’Ron Reid, who was found...
Carbon monoxide, gas alarms triggered before fatal explosion at U.S. Steel Clairton facility, authorities say
Carbon monoxide and gas alarms were triggered leading up to a fatal explosion at the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works site Aug. 11, according to information released by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. Preliminary investigations into the blast, released Monday by the CSB, indicate the explosion occurred...
Traffic resumes on Pittsburgh’s Herron Avenue Bridge after safety repairs
Pittsburgh officials have reopened the Herron Avenue Bridge to traffic after a four-month closure. In May, an independent consultant and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said there were safety issues with columns supporting the bridge, which connects the city’s Polish Hill and Lawrenceville neighborhoods and spans the Martin Luther King...
Mt. Pleasant Twp. man pleads guilty in December shooting incident
A Mt. Pleasant Township man was sentenced Monday to serve up to five years in prison in connection with a shooting incident in December 2024. Police claimed he and his father chased a motorist and fired multiple rounds during the incident. Paul Anthony Caletri III, 31, pleaded guilty to one...
Penn Township Police chief retires, reflects on 30-year career in department
John Otto’s interest in policing began as an elementary student. “One day walking to school, there was a police car parked outside of Harrison Park Elementary School, and that caught my attention,” the Penn-Trafford graduate said. “I remember looking inside the car from the sidewalk … and I was mesmerized...
Allegheny County steps in to maintain bus stops at Waterfront
Just days after announcing plans to close several Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus stops inside The Waterfront shopping mall in Homestead, county officials have reached a temporary agreement to keep the stops open. Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said Monday that buses will continue to stop directly outside the Giant Eagle...
North Hills gathers on World Peace Day, champions late nun’s mission for social justice
Community members gathered Sept. 21 in North Park for the 21st North Hills International Day of Peace celebration hosted by La Roche University and several local organizations. Sarah White, executive director of inclusion and belonging at La Roche, said the annual event is an important opportunity for friends and neighbors...
Fed-up Starbucks baristas stage ‘practice picket’ in Pittsburgh
Unionized Starbucks baristas say sudden store closures last weekend, including three in Pittsburgh, prove they need a contract with the coffeehouse chain. Lack of a contract leaves little legal recourse to hold the company accountable for closings and layoffs, said Cas Borowitz, a Workers United staff organizer and barista at...
Lawyer argues double jeopardy should bar murder retrial for Taco Bell manager in death of Harrison man
A former Taco Bell manager whose first-degree murder conviction of a worker at the restaurant was thrown out last month because of prosecutorial misconduct is arguing he cannot be retried based on the legal theory of double jeopardy. The attorney for Zairyre Simmons filed a motion Friday contending Pennsylvania’s constitution...
Man heads to trial on charge he gave beer to underage Pirates fan who fell at PNC Park
A man charged with buying beer at a Pirates game this year for his underage friend — who then fell more than 20 feet to the field below — waived his preliminary hearing on Monday. Ethan Kirkwood, 21, of Liberty will proceed to court on one of two counts of...
Buffalo Township man accused of sexually assaulting drunk 15-year-old girl
A Buffalo Township man is facing charges, accused of raping an intoxicated 15-year-old girl more than a year ago after supplying her with alcohol. Derrian Alcorn, 27, is charged with seven felony sex crimes, including rape by forcible compulsion, rape of an unconscious victim and corruption of a minor. Police...
Pittsburgh budget guru scrambles to tweak ’26 spending plan after loss of jock tax
Pittsburgh officials scrambled to tweak next year’s budget proposal upon learning the state’s highest court struck down the so-called jock tax — wiping out roughly $4 million in annual revenue. But losing that money is hardly the biggest strain on the city’s proposed 2026 spending plan, which is due to...
October brings more roadwork projects to Oakmont
As October approaches, commuters driving through Oakmont may see some roadwork as PennDOT wraps up a string of evening jobs in the borough. A. Folino Construction has been completing work for PennDOT’s ongoing road reconstruction throughout September. The work will continue into the beginning of October, impacting Allegheny Avenue and...
Say Cheese! Festival returns with wine and cheese pairings at Mazzotta Winery
Everything is better when paired with cheese. For lovers of delicious dairy products, GoodTaste! Pittsburgh is holding its second annual Say Cheese! Festival on Sunday. This year, the event will celebrate one of the best culinary couples: cheese and wine at Mazzotta Winery in Richland. Seven vendors will pair tasty...
$14 million project to bring sidewalk, street upgrades in Hill District
A $14 million initiative is bringing improvements to sidewalks and streets throughout Pittsburgh’s Hill District, aiming to make a neighborhood that has historically suffered from disinvestment safer and more accessible. The New Pathways project — funded largely by a U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE grant the city won under the...
Morning Roundup: Girl shot in Northview Heights; multiple people hurt in Fayette County stabbing
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Sept. 29: Girl shot in Pittsburgh’s Northview Heights A man has been charged with shooting a teen girl in the leg Sunday night in Pittsburgh’s Northview Heights neighborhood. Hassan Said Abdi, 24, of Pittsburgh, was charged with aggravated...
In brief: Plum, Oakmont area news, events for the week of Sept. 29, 2025
Putt Away Cancer Included in the series of events making up the Paint Oakmont Pink fundraiser, a Putt Away Cancer event will be hosted on Oct. 2 in businesses along Allegheny River Boulevard and Allegheny Avenue. Participants are able to register ahead of time for preferred tee times or, starting...
How AI is reshaping education — from teachers to students
When Emily Sanders worked as a high school English teacher, she never imagined being tasked with teaching her colleagues how to incorporate artificial intelligence into lesson plans. “I learned how to teach Shakespeare to kids,” she said. “I didn’t learn how to teach technology to teachers.” Fast forward and Sanders...
Hempfield plans to replace road salt storage building
A new auxiliary road salt storage building will be constructed at the Hempfield municipal building to replace one that was damaged during snow removal season last year. A wooden back wall blew out, leaving the structure in bad shape, said public works director Austin Erhard. “We opted not to refill...
