January 15, 2023 3:53 am
A Monongahela man charged with homicide in the killing of his wife in March of 2022 pleaded guilty on Friday. Dennis Vaccaro, 65 pleaded guilty to third degree homicide in the killing of his 47 year old wife Mecca. The two were witnessed arguing outside and inside their home. When inside the home, Vaccarro shot his wife twice. The witness said that when he arrived in the home, Mecca said he shot me! Dennis Vaccaro said I shot her twice. A self defense argument did not work and a negotiated plea ended the case. Vacarro will now spend the next nine to twenty years in state prison.
January 15, 2023 3:52 am
SHALER TOWNSHIP (WPXI) – A two-year old was killed and eight people were hurt in a blaze in Shaler last night. Our news partners at WPXI report that the fire was called in around 9:45 p.m. Friday night to a home on Fall Run Road, off Route 8. Reports from emergency radio transmissions indicated that a child, two adults, and a firefighter were transported to the hospital. Police Chief Sean Frank said firefighters found 2-year-old Danika Deramo on the first floor of the home; she was taken to the hospital where she later died. Among the injured were four firefighters who suffered non-life threatening injuries.
January 15, 2023 3:38 am
PennDOT has a traffic advisory for motorists traveling I-79 around the Neville Island Bridge. Starting Wednesday, January 18, the ramps from Route 65 to I-79 South will be closed through mid-February for continuing paint containment removal. Detours will be posted, using the Mt. Nebo Road exit (Exit 68), and uniformed off-duty police officers will also be present along the detour route to assist motorists.
January 14, 2023 4:01 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Questioned for a lawsuit, former President Donald Trump hurled insults and threatened to sue the columnist who accused him of raping her in a department store in the 1990s. Excerpts of Trump’s October deposition were released publicly Friday. They reveal a contentious battle between Trump and a lawyer for columnist E. Jean Carroll who questioned him. Also Friday, a federal judge refused a request by Trump’s lawyers to toss out two lawsuits by Carroll alleging defamation and rape. An April trial is planned. Trump says the encounter with Carroll at an upscale Manhattan department store never happened.
January 14, 2023 3:59 am
ATLANTA (AP) – During the 2022 midterm campaign, President Joe Biden steered clear of Georgia as Sen. Raphael Warnock, like other battleground-state Democrats, sought to distance himself from the White House amid an inflationary economy and the president’s lagging approval ratings. Now, with Warnock having secured his first full term and Biden buoyed by Democrats’ better-than-expected election results, the senator is welcoming the president back to Georgia and to America’s most famous Black church. The president is set to speak Sunday at Ebenezer Baptist Church as part of Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
January 14, 2023 3:57 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – A series of explosions has rocked Kyiv and minutes later air raid sirens started to wail as an apparent missile attack on the Ukrainian capital was underway. The deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office said on Telegram that a missile attack on critical infrastructure in the capital was taking place on Saturday morning. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said that “explosions were heard in Dniprovskyi district, left bank of Kyiv.” It wasn’t immediately clear whether the explosions were caused by the strikes or by air defense systems operating. The Ukrainian capital hasn’t been attacked since New Year’s night.
January 14, 2023 3:56 am
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) – Palestinian medics say Israeli troops have shot and killed two Palestinian men during a military raid in the occupied West Bank, while a third man has died from wounds sustained in an earlier raid. The bloodshed raised the number of Palestinians killed this year in fighting with Israel to 11. The military says the troops opened fire after gunmen fired at them from a passing vehicle and that an automatic rifle was confiscated from the car. The bloodshed signals no slowdown in fighting that made 2022 the deadliest year in the West Bank and east Jerusalem since 2004. Israel says most of the dead have been militants, but stone-throwers and people not involved in violence have also died.
January 14, 2023 3:55 am
(AP) – As Russian troops wage a ferocious fight for control of strongholds in eastern Ukraine, a parallel battle is unfolding in the top echelons of military power in Moscow. President Vladimir Putin has reshuffled his generals while rival camps try to win his favor. Fighting for the Ukrainian town of Soledar and the nearby city of Bakhmut has highlighted a rift between the Russian Defense Ministry leadership and a millionaire whose private military force known as the Wagner Group has played an increasingly visible role in Ukraine. Putin’s shakeup of the military brass was seen as a bid to show that the Defense Ministry still has his support as the troubled conflict nears the 11-month mark.
January 14, 2023 3:53 am
(WPXI) – Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh was temporarily closed Friday after water began leaking onto the gaming floor. Casino officials say the water was coming from a cracked refrigeration pipe. The water began to spray inside the building Friday afternoon. Repairs were made and crews worked to clean up to allow for reopening at 8pm Friday night.
January 14, 2023 3:48 am
Incoming Governor Josh Shapiro and Lt. Governor Austin Davis announced the talent lineup for their Inaugural Celebration. The event will be held at Rock Lititz, an entertainment complex in Lancaster County, and will feature Motown artist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Smokey Robinson, Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa, and Philadelphia natives Mt. Joy. Although a Detroit native, Robinson has strong business and personal ties to Pittsburgh, where he does business, owns property, and spends time. “We are honored and excited to have such top level talent, representing our Commonwealth’s great diversity, performing at the Inaugural Celebration,” said Shapiro-Davis Inaugural Committee Executive Director Amanda Warren. “As we seek to create a dynamic, interactive, and accessible event for all Pennsylvanians, we have chosen artists who provide something for everyone and we are honored they’ll join us. We look forward to showcasing the very best of Pennsylvania and celebrating the inauguration of our 48th Governor on Tuesday evening.” (Photo: AP)
