December 4, 2022 8:10 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — A 20-year-old was killed in a car crash that happened on I-376 overnight. According to Pennsylvania State Police, the crash happened on I-376 East off of 2nd Avenue in the City of Pittsburgh at around 3:18 a.m. The driver, identified by police as Jaquawn Walton, from McKeesport, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said just before the Oakland exit, the car went off the roadway and crossed the north fog line, entering the north shoulder. The car then hit the north concrete barrier and went around 100 feet east into a PennDOT pole.
December 4, 2022 8:07 am
GERMAN TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WPXI) — One person was flown to a hospital after a vehicle and pedestrian accident in Fayette County, investigators said. Fayette County dispatchers say police, firefighters and medics were called to Sixth Street in German Township at around 5:42 pm. Saturday. A member of the Adah Volunteer Fire Department said the victim was a juvenile girl. The girl’s status is unknown at this time. State police are also helping with the investigation.
December 4, 2022 8:05 am
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — The parents of a gunman who killed a Pennsylvania state trooper and permanently disabled another eight years ago in an ambush of a police barracks have settled a lawsuit accusing them of partial responsibility. Tiffany Dickson, widow of Cpl. Bryon Dickson II, and Trooper Alex Douglass had alleged that Eugene and Deborah Frein knew their son Eric was mentally unstable and dangerous before the September 2014 attack outside the Blooming Grove state police barracks. The Freins had vehemently denied responsibility. The Citizens’ Voice of Wilkes-Barre reports that Douglass’s attorney declined to reveal details of the confidential settlement but says his client is relieved it is over. (Photo: AP)
December 4, 2022 3:27 am
BETHEL PARK-(WPXI) — Police said an organized group of thieves stole thousands of dollars worth of electronics at the Best Buy in Bethel Park along Alicia Drive Thursday afternoon. The police chief said four men stole more than $10,000 worth of laptops and a car system. Larry Jackson, Jordan Shine, Emmitt Bell-Young and Dion Crawford were arrested. “We believe the same people we arrested yesterday are the same people that have been hitting stores around the area,” said Chief Timothy O’Connor with Bethel Park Police. The chief said the men might be connected to a spree of thefts. “Our detectives are working with other detectives in jurisdictions in the North Hills and around Allegheny County,” said O’Connor. “We understand there were other high-value thefts from additional Best Buy stores around the county and even beyond.” Police said thieves target stores this time of year because they know the workers are busier. “These shoplifters, especially the organized ones, will blend in, so it’s up to the managers and loss prevention personnel to be on the lookout,” said O’Connor. Right now, the men face felony retail theft charges.
December 3, 2022 9:17 am
HILO, Hawaii (AP) – Many people on the Big Island of Hawaii are bracing for major upheaval if lava from Mauna Loa volcano blocks the quickest route connecting two sides of the island. The molten rock could make the road impassable and force drivers to find alternate coastal routes in the north and south. That could add hours to commute times, doctor’s visits and freight truck deliveries. The lava is oozing slowly at a rate that could reach the road next week. But its path is unpredictable and could change course, or the flow could stop completely and spare the highway.
December 3, 2022 9:16 am
BEIJING (AP) – Chinese authorities have announced a further easing of COVID-19 curbs with major cities such as Shenzhen and Beijing no longer requiring negative tests to take public transport. The slight relaxation of testing requirements comes even as daily virus infections reach near-record highs and follows weekend protests across the country by residents frustrated by the rigid enforcement of anti-virus restrictions. Along with the relaxation in the capital Beijing, the southern city of Shenzhen said Saturday that commuters no longer need to show a negative COVID-19 test result to use public transport or when entering pharmacies, parks and tourist attractions.
December 3, 2022 9:13 am
A surge of anti-Jewish vitriol spread by celebrities is stoking fears that public figures are normalizing hate and ramping up the risk of violence. Former President Donald Trump hosted a Holocaust-denying white supremacist at Mar-a-Lago. The rapper Ye expressed love for Adolf Hitler in an interview. Basketball star Kyrie Irving appeared to promote an antisemitic film on social media. Those are just a few recent examples of influential people abusing their platforms to amplify antisemitism in a way that has been taboo for decades in the U.S. Some people say the incidents harken back to a darker time in America when powerful people routinely spread conspiracy theories about Jews with impunity.
December 3, 2022 9:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court is being warned about the potentially dire consequences of a case next week involving a Christian graphic artist who objects to designing wedding websites for same-sex couples. Liberal groups say ruling for the designer will expose not only same-sex couples but also Black people, immigrants, Jews, Muslims and others to discrimination. Conservative groups argue that ruling against her will force artists to do work that is against their faith. Both sides have described for the court what lawyers sometimes call “a parade of horribles” that could result if the ruling doesn’t go their way. The case marks the second time in five years that the Supreme Court has confronted a similar issue.
December 3, 2022 6:25 am
PITTSBURGH —(WPXI)-Two University of Pittsburgh students have been charged with abuse of a corpse for an alleged incident that took place during a class in November. Classmates of Amay Gupta and Sonel Jimenez, both 19 years old, reported inappropriate behavior regarding medical cadavers to Pitt police. The human cadavers were being used in a university anatomy lab class in Victoria Hall on Nov. 4. During a class about muscle groups, Gupta allegedly inappropriately touched and made inappropriate comments about a male cadaver. Jimenez allegedly inappropriately touched a female cadaver and made inappropriate comments. Gupta and Jimenez are scheduled to appear for preliminary hearings in Allegheny County Court in January. A University of Pittsburgh spokesperson issued the following response: “The University of Pittsburgh is committed to upholding the dignity of, and respect for, all donors whose selfless acts of giving enhance and enrich education. As soon as the University became aware of the incident, the appropriate offices, including Pitt Police, the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, and Compliance, Investigations and Ethics, were notified. It was determined that the alleged acts were criminal in nature, and the suspects have been charged. Members of the class who witnessed the incidents received information about resources available to them, including counseling services and Title IX programs. The University is working with the relevant organizations regarding family notifications.”
December 3, 2022 2:36 am
Greene County District Attorney David Russo says a county attorney has been accused of stealing a large sum of money. Russo says Kimberly Pratt, who works for the Greene County Commissioners as the county courts juvenile dependency and delinquency officer, is facing multiple theft charges. Russo said his office started investigating Pratt after another attorney who had previously worked in her firm filed a complaint saying some $22,000 worth of client retainers was missing. Russo says the investigation revealed Pratt took the money from an Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Account and used client account money for her own benefit.
