Western PA News

The shuttered J. Edward Hutchinson Parking Garage in Greensburg could be demolished and replaced with a new parking lot by the end of the summer, if the state approves the city’s request to repurpose funding.

Greensburg City Council approved an agreement Monday with Independence Health System Westmoreland Hospital to repurpose $1.5 million in state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funding to demolish the adjacent Hutchinson parking garage.

The 475-space parking garage, built more than 40 years ago as supplemental parking to the hospital, is connected to the hospital by an enclosed walkway over Shearer Street. It has been closed for more than two years because of its deteriorating condition.

Source: Greensburg could demolish shuttered parking garage near Westmoreland Hospital this summer

A federal judge is set to hear arguments on whether to dismiss the classified documents prosecution of Donald Trump.

Source: Judge to hear arguments on whether to dismiss Trump’s classified documents prosecution

Family Dollar, the struggling discount chain that caters to low-income customers predominantly in cities, said Wednesday it will close nearly 1,000 stores.

Source: Family Dollar and Dollar Tree will close 1,000 stores | CNN Business

A powerful March winter storm is rolling through Colorado and could drop a foot or more of snow in Denver. Several winter storm warnings are in effect for Colorado, including Denver.

Source: Denver snowstorm latest: Colorado snow updates, closures and road impacts

Troopers say they found 273 pounds of marijuana — which has a street value of about $400,000 — and two handguns during the traffic stop.

HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Two people are facing charges after troopers in Westmoreland County say they found $400,000 worth of marijuana in their car during a traffic stop

Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said this incident began when troopers stopped a car on eastbound I-76 in Hempfield Township for traffic violations on Monday.

Those troopers reportedly noticed “multiple indicators of criminal activity” and requested a K-9, who alerted to the odor of narcotics.

Source: Troopers find $400,000 worth of marijuana during traffic stop on Turnpike; 2 people charged

Source: Downed wires on Pa. Turnpike near Pittsburgh interchange cause massive rush-hour headache

Moscow is ready to use nuclear weapons if there is a threat to the existence of the Russian state but “there has never been such a need,” President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with state media published Wednesday.

Source: Putin says he’s ready to use nuclear weapons if Russian state at stake, but ‘there has never been such a need’ | CNN

The first flight of privately developed Japanese rocket ended in a catastrophic failure seconds after liftoff March 12.

Source: First Kairos rocket explodes seconds after liftoff

Donald Trump has clinched the Republican nomination for president, CNN projects, setting up a rematch with Joe Biden, the incumbent president who secured the Democratic nomination earlier Tuesday night.

Source: Biden and Trump clinch nominations, heading to another general election rematch | CNN Politics

The judge overseeing the Georgia 2020 election interference case has dismissed some of the charges against ex-President Donald Trump, but others remain. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee wrote Wednesday in an order that six of the charges in the indictment must be quashed, including three against Trump.

Source: Judge dismisses some charges against Trump in the Georgia 2020 election interference case

The US House of Representatives passed a bill to ban TikTok in the US unless its Chinese owner sells the video-sharing app. But the measure faces a less certain future in the Senate. Even if it becomes law, there are sure to be a wave of legal challenges. Alex Barinka reports on “Bloomberg Technology.” (Source: Bloomberg)

Source: House Passes Bill That Could Lead to TikTok Ban

Pens Points has all the details of the whole one (1) goal the Penguins scored last night

Michael Bunting’s first goal as a Penguin was a big one!!!!!

@penguins

| #LetsGoPens

Source: Pens Points: Well, They Scored

Michael Bunting’s first goal as a Penguin was a big one!!!!!@penguins | #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/D3YiZkEj5I

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) March 13, 2024

DRAKE BATHERSON OT WINNER ????#NHL | #GoSensGo | #LetsGoPens
pic.twitter.com/tt8DHGHiqU

— The Cam & Strick Podcast (@CamandStrick) March 13, 2024

PITTSBURGH — The city of Pittsburgh is preparing to clean up a homeless encampment downtown on Wednesday.

A sign posted by the encampment on Fort Pitt Boulevard, near Grant Street, says everyone has until 5 p.m. Wednesday to vacate the tightly packed area currently lined with tents, trash, blankets, and even boxes of Narcan.

This is the second time in a matter of months that the city is clearing a downtown homeless camp.

Source: Downtown Pittsburgh homeless encampment to be cleaned up Wednesday

The Super Bowl-winning quarterback is reportedly joining the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Source: Report: Russell Wilson signing with the Steelers

Emergency responders are on the scene of a reported explosion in Crescent Township, Allegheny County.

Source: Emergency crews called to scene of explosion in Crescent Township

Illinois State Police responded to a traffic crash involving a commercial vehicle and a school bus on Monday.

RUSHVILLE, Ill. (WICS) — Two adults and three children are dead after a school bus crashed into commercial vehicle on Monday.

According to the Illinois State Police, the bus was traveling east on U.S. Route 24 at Parkview Road around 11:30 a.m. and for an unknown reason crossed the center line and was hit by a semi-carrying sand.

Both vehicles became engulfed in flames as a result. The bus driver, truck driver, and all three students on the bus were pronounced dead on the scene.

ISP says the accident is still under investigation.

Source: School bus involved in traffic crash on US Route 24

Sky 4, Pittsburgh’s only news helicopter, saw police and medics blocking off the road in response to the crash. Crews could be seen transporting the damaged SUV and pickup truck.

Rescue crews had to extract the woman driving the SUV from the vehicle, a Public Safety spokesperson said. The driver was taken to a hospital, where she later died.

The driver of the truck was taken to the hospital in serious condition.

A third vehicle was hit in the crash but sustained minor damage. The driver of that vehicle reportedly had no injuries.

East Carson Street was closed off around the crash site until about 4 p.m.

It is unclear what caused the vehicles to crash. Pittsburgh police are investigating.

Source: East Carson Street crash leaves 1 dead, 1 injured

A Pennsylvania Lottery Match 6 lottery ticket hit for nearly $900,000 on Sunday night. The ticket matching all six numbers, 5,8,18,23,30 and 37 was sold at the 7-Eleven location on Route 30 in Irwin.

Source: Match 6 ticket worth nearly $900k sold in Pittsburgh area

Cillian Murphy is the first Irish-born winner of the best actor award for his role as J Robert Oppenheimer.

Source: Oscars 2024: Oppenheimer sweeps awards as Cillian Murphy wins best actor

The vehicle was reported stolen Sunday evening from an area on Spring Garden Road.

Police said surveillance video showed it being driven inbound toward the city of Pittsburgh.

Police said the vehicle does not have a license plate on the back, only a temporary plate on the windshield.

Police asking for the public’s help to find the stolen vehicle

Source: Tanker truck stolen in Reserve Township

As the United States continues providing Israel with munitions, the Pentagon will deliver food and other assistance to Gazans by sea and air.

President Biden’s decision to order the U.S. military to build a floating pier off the Gaza Strip that would allow aid to be delivered by sea puts American service members in a new phase of their humanitarian aid history. The same military that is sending the weapons and bombs that Israel is using in Gaza is now also sending food and water into the besieged territory.

The floating pier idea came a week after Mr. Biden authorized humanitarian airdrops for Gaza, which relief experts criticized as inadequate. Even the floating pier, aid experts say, will not do enough to alleviate the suffering in the territory, where residents are on the brink of starvation.

Source: U.S. Military Enters a New Phase With Gaza Aid Operations

Source: Pennsylvania’s path to legalizing cannabis faces numerous hurdles

Crash happened early Friday morning

The crash happened on the line of the city’s Beechview and Brookline neighborhoods.

Allegheny County 911 dispatchers said police, firefighters and paramedics were all called to the scene though no one was taken to the hospital.

Power has since been restored.

Source: Power outages reported after vehicle crashes into pole in Pittsburgh

A 32-year-old man was shot in the chest, according to Allegheny County Police

Police said they received a call for a shooting around 10:30 Thursday night on the 600 block of Long Road.

When first responder got the scene, they found a 32-year-old man shot in the chest.

He was taken to a hospital where he later died.

On Friday morning the victim was identified as Andrew William Miller, of Verona.

Police said after further investigation, the shooting happened after a fight broke out just outside the World Class Tavern.

If you have any information, you are asked to call the County Police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.

Source: Man dead after shooting outside Penn Hills tavern

President Joe Biden will give his State of the Union address, a high-stakes moment as he looks to convince voters to give him a second term in the White House.

Source: CNN

The feeling of relief that drivers experience when their meter expires but there’s no ticket waiting for them on their car windshield may soon be disappearing in Pittsburgh.

That’s because the City Council preliminarily approved legislation Wednesday that would allow the city’s parking authority to mail tickets to parking violators, in addition to placing them on windshields. 

“It’s not going to change what we do today,” Parking Authority Executive Director David Onorato said in an interview. “It’s going to give us another option to give out tickets.”

Source: Pittsburgh parking tickets could soon be issued by mail

An airport spokesperson said the flight landed safely and taxied to a gate, but did not elaborate on what the mechanical issue was.

Source: Delta flight bound for Dallas diverts to Pittsburgh after mechanical issue

The decision swiftly ended the legal fight over whether states can bar Trump from their ballots based on the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

Source: Supreme Court rules states can’t kick Trump off the ballot