http://www.post-gazette.com/ Local/regional news and features, Latest news, Education, Transportation, Mining Safety, Weather, Capitol Notes, Casino News, Casino Journal, News Obituaries, Morning File en-us Copyright 2010, post-gazette.com. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:10:46 -0400 15 http://www.post-gazette.com/includes/2007design/images/150x30pg_now_logo.gif http://www.post-gazette.com/ 144 39 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076439-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml WASHINGTON -- Saying that reforming education is perhaps "the economic issue of our time," President Obama went before a major civil rights organization on Thursday to defend his main education program against criticisms from some minority and teachers groups. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076340-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Julie Rydstrom Hudak was facing a dilemma. She wanted so badly for her three young children to see their father, who was bed-ridden and dying of melanoma, one last time. But he looked so different, so sick. He had grown a beard, and he couldn't speak. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:20:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076342-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Thelma Kane Waldorf, a little Irish woman with bright red hair, raised six children, fought to protect the rights of East End residents who lost their homes due to construction of Interstate 279 and helped save St. Boniface Church, all while wearing 4-inch heels. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:19:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076420-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A 17-year-old boy escaping police flipped his car in Arlington Thursday evening, leaving a 1-year-old baby who was inside the car with minor injuries, Pittsburgh police and a city dispatch supervisor said. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:08:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076290-294.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Took a son down to college orientation the other day. It was rather disorienting. One day you're watching your small child ride a Big Wheel into a wall, the next he's registering for a highfalutin economics course in which the brain material he left splattered on that wall would have come in handy. Time flies. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076297-294.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The humid 80-degree temperature and light drizzle failed to dampen the spirits of the sold-out Pittsburgh Civic Arena crowd that Sunday evening. Nobody cared about the miserable weather. We were all there to see a legend. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076325-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The national First Amendment organization 1 for All announced Thursday that Robert Morris University will receive a $5,000 grant from the McCormick Foundation to raise awareness of First Amendment issues. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076327-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A drum full of a previously unknown substance that shut down a city block in Elliott last month turned out not to be hazardous. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076329-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Charges were withdrawn against a Beaver County man accused in a beating that resulted in the death of his friend, and prosecutors have charged a new suspect. The charges stem from the July 15 beating of Richard Littell, 62, who died of his injuries last Friday at UPMC Presbyterian. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076330-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Visitors can explore the skies and roam the University of Pittsburgh's historic Allegheny Observatory during a free open house from 7 to 10 p.m. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076332-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Art Institute of Pittsburgh has named George W. Sebolt as its new president, effective this week. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076333-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Sean Logan, the state senator who has represented Monroeville and 37 other eastern communities for the past decade, said the seed for his decision to leave the Legislature sprouted this spring, following his instrumental role in securing death benefits for police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076334-147.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The families of four people killed at a Washington County intersection over the past two years are suing the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, claiming that the agency knew that the intersection was dangerous and failed to take action. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076335-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Renovating existing apartments could go a long way toward reducing a statewide shortage of affordable rental units, the executive director of the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania said Thursday. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076338-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A former Upper St. Clair High School student who already claimed she had been raped once was raped again on school property after school officials used her as bait in a failed attempt to catch students they believed were having sex in the building, her attorneys claim. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076346-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Port of Pittsburgh Commission has received a $1.15 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to install less polluting diesel engines and generators in four towboats used on Pittsburgh area rivers. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076351-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml It's rare that closing a bridge improves traffic flow, but that's what happened on Route 28 when the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation shut part of the 31st Street Bridge for a month of construction. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076353-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The family of a former Etna man says he committed suicide after the Diocese of Pittsburgh cut off funds for psychiatric treatment he needed after a priest sexually abused him when he was a child. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076370-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Investigators are trying to determine what killed an employee at the Sewickley sewage treatment plant Thursday and sickened three of his would-be rescuers who rushed into a deep underground shaft where he had fallen 30 feet. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076391-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml St. John Neumann Regional Catholic School in Lawrenceville closed last month, but some parents are still hoping to send their children to a faith-based elementary school in the neighborhood this fall. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076235-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml One worker died and three others were sickened this afternoon at the Sewickley wastewater treatment plant Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:02:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076271-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml West Virginia Democratic Sens. Jay Rockefeller and Carte Goodwin introduced a mine safety bill today in response to April's explosion at the Upper Big Branch coal mine in Montcoal, W.Va. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:54:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076259-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Marine from Williamsport who was based out of North Versailles died in Afghanistan on Tuesday Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:12:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076227-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml State Sen. Sean Logan, D-Monroeville, is resigning Aug. 24 to accept the newly created position of vice president of community relations for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, effective Sept. 1 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:53:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076252-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A drum full of a previously unknown substance that shut down a city block in Elliott last month turned out not to be hazardous Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:48:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076234-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Charges were withdrawn against a Beaver County man accused in a beating that resulted in a man's death, and prosecutors have charged a new suspect. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:28:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076241-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Garden Club of Forest Hills will present "Around the World With Flowers," a free standard flower show, from 1:30 to 7 p.m. July 30 at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:48:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076230-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The family of a former Etna man said today that he committed suicide earlier this year after the Diocese of Pittsburgh reneged on a promise to continue psychiatric treatment he needed to overcome the trauma of sexual abuse by a priest 25 years ago. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:39:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076240-147.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Construction work will close southbound Route 88 in Castle Shannon starting at 7 p.m. Monday, PennDOT announced today Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:19:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076238-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml To ease a potential tax burden, the Hempfield supervisors Monday night combined two township administrative positions and extended the contract of public works director Mike Volpe. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:06:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076218-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Precipitation officially began to fall at 7:50 a.m. on the Greene County seat, where each July 29, the community celebrates Rain Day. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:13:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075861-58.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Many people are wondering: What is this 21st century gold rush -- and how will it affect me? Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:02:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076020-58.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml In the 1780s, southwestern Pennsylvania was part of the frontier, and Washington County contained about 42 forts, according to estimates by the county's historical society. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076037-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml It came as no surprise to organist Jim Berna when the old organ at First United Methodist Church of West Newton won rave reviews. But parishioners at the historic church learned a lesson in history and music. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:58:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075909-58.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml If you're seeking a creative way to reuse the plastic bags used by so many stores, look to the Mat Makers, a group of women crocheting them into sleeping mats for the homeless. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:55:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076189-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Hampton Township council approved adoption of a resolution opposing forced local government mergers and consolidation during its regular meeting Wednesday night. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:41:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076031-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml It all began 80 years ago when John and Katie Jenkins of 188 Shetland Ave., East Liberty, staged the first Jenkins family reunion at Riverview Park on the North Side. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:26:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076029-58.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Mascots aren't just for sports teams. Canonsburg Main Street manager Nadeen Steffey maintains these days no marketing plan is complete without a branding component -- which was how Art N. Canonsburg was born. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:23:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075910-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Carnegie Library of McKeesport has had a Christmas tree in its lobby since December. But the library, like others across the state, is not celebrating. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:22:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076023-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml When Pat Bluett and her staff from the Duquesne-West Mifflin Boys & Girls Club were honored last month by the state board of control overseeing the Duquesne City School District, it was no surprise to anyone in attendance. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:21:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075998-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The thrill of ice skating has not diminished since childhood for Bob Mock, skating director at Center Ice Arena in Delmont and a former national ice dancing bronze medalist. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:19:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075947-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml One of the ideas driving the renovation of the Roxian Theater is the impact it could have on the neighborhood, creating a draw for a young, hip crowd interested in clubs and restaurants and coffee shops. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:17:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076082-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Margaret Hagan knew Broadway Avenue in passing as a regular rider on the T. But when she went door-to-door in Beechview as a volunteer for City Councilman Patrick Dowd's mayoral campaign in 2009, the neighborhood fleshed out, full of attitude and passion. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:15:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076048-294.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml On June 24, our 82-year-old mother suffered a stroke while shopping at the Giant Eagle in Penn Hills. Thankfully, she was with her two sisters, Helen and Katie, who were able to assist her and call for help right away. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:11:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075971-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml While most of us slept in our own beds the night of July 11, a group of seven campers were sleeping out under the stars at North Park. The group was taking part in a Native American survival course. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:45:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075939-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml After 15 years of handing out trophies and prizes to youngsters at the Ross Township Fishing Tournament, organizer Frank Zotter won the biggest prize of all July 17. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:41:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075935-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Jake Rice of Franklin Park knows a lot about monarch butterflies. He comes by his knowledge honestly. His mom, Michele Rice, 33, is a biochemist who graduated with a degree in biology from Bucknell University. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:38:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076222-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Three members of the Mars Area school board have volunteered to serve on the new Mars Planets Foundation. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:29:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076221-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Windber man has been convicted of stealing more than $650,000 from an elderly woman. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:16:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076028-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Session set with new superintendent: Chartiers Valley parents are invited to meet incoming superintendent Brian J. White Jr. at a reception set for 7-9 p.m. Aug. 18 in the high school Internet cafe, located near the gym lobby. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:15:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076220-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Woodville Plantation, 1375 Washington Pike, will host Games of the New Republic from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:11:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076008-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Irwin: Ex-councilman interested in vacancy John P. Fonzo, an Irwin council member from 2006 to 2009, is a candidate to fill the remaining 41 months of Virginia DiPrimio's term on council. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:07:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076219-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Police news from the West suburban area: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:02:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075995-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml For many students in the northern suburbs, the 2009-10 school year was one of added achievement. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:16:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075937-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Allegheny Valley school board will meet in an agenda session at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Acmetonia Primary School, where board members plan to provide an update on negotiations, said board President Scott Redman. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:14:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075975-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml People in need will benefit from the programs developed or expanded upon by six AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers who are ending a year of service at North Hills Community Outreach this summer. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:13:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075952-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Mars Area school board approved an addition to the elementary school and change orders for the high school renovation, got an update on baseball field renovations and reviewed plans for a second driveway to the elementary school when it met July 20. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:12:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075969-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A variety of resolutions and development applications related to the McCandless Crossing retail and office development on McKnight Road were approved by McCandless town council during its meeting Monday night. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:11:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075941-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Residents who are bothered by the delivery of unsolicited materials to their yards, doors and driveways may soon get a measure of relief as the township solicitor looks into ways to limit the practice. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:10:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075976-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Tap water may seem to have a slightly different taste for some North residents, and those who have noticed need not question their taste buds. Or the water. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:10:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075970-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml McCandless -- North Suburban Big Band will hold its annual summer jazz concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at St. John's Lutheran Church of Highland, 311 Cumberland Road. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:09:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075933-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Tickets are on sale for the Golfer's Dream Package raffle, with all proceeds benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The raffle is sponsored by the employees of Elliott Co. in Jeannette. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:06:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075973-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml It might not be the World Cup or the Stanley Cup, but the Cranberry Cup is coveted enough that one neighborhood took it on a tour around the country. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:06:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075992-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml An outside attorney has concluded Franklin Park's former planning commission chairman, engineer and solicitor did nothing illegal when they had private meetings to go over the borough's zoning and land-use ordinances, the president of council said last week. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:05:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075940-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml New educational software eventually will lead to online scheduling and a variety of other Web-based changes in the North Allegheny School District. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:04:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076216-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Moon - The parks and recreation department will conduct driver's education classes by the Kennedy School of Driving starting Monday to Aug. 13 at the Robin Hill Center, 949 Thorn Run Road. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:01:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076025-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml After years of debate, the South Fayette school board has taken action to build an intermediate school for grades three to five. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:59:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075946-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Aliquippa police say they have some leads in a July 20 bank robbery in which the robber fired a shot into the ceiling of the building, but a spokesman said Tuesday that an arrest "could be tomorrow, or could be two weeks." Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:58:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075958-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Opponents of deer culling urged Scott commissioners Tuesday to abandon a plan to employ Whitetail Management Associates of Greater Pittsburgh to reduce the deer population in the township with the use of experienced bowhunters. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:58:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075944-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml When Andrew Hieber saw a "for sale" sign on the Roxian Theater in McKees Rocks, he had an instant vision. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:56:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076214-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Churchill - Beulah Presbyterian Church, 2500 McCrady Road, will sponsor a sports camp for ages 6-12 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 9-13. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:50:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076212-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Murrysville Council has unanimously voted to support a request that state Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park, made to the Senate for a yearlong moratorium on new Marcellus Shale drilling in Pennsylvania. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:48:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076213-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Developer Robert W. Shuster's plan to construct a business park adjacent to his Lincoln Hills housing development and the proposed Mills Pointe shopping center hit an unanticipated snag last week. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:47:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076010-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Eight months ago, when Westmoreland County officials heralded a nearly $2.2 million federal initiative to rescue residents on the brink of eviction, they did not know what to expect. How great was the need? They were nearly bowled over. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:46:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075994-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A textbook proposed for the new environmental science curriculum at Pine-Richland High School was pulled from consideration after parents complained the book was biased in its approach to global warming, population control and other issues. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:45:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075997-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml If you are looking for local stories that include a witch trial on Twelve Mile Island and a baby who put more miles on his cradle than Moses on the Nile, you'll find them in Gary Rogers' "Tales from Our Towns, Volume II." Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:44:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076005-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Dawn Arendas, 37, of North Huntingdon is one of 4,500 students taking classes this summer at Westmoreland County Community College -- from home. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:42:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076002-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Robert Carter drives past it every day. He sees the blemish on the city landscape and questions the fate of the old Jeannette Glass plant. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:41:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076001-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml When Woodland Hills Academy was proposed in 2008, questions surrounding an extended school year and the allocation of extra resources for academy students threatened to keep the idea from coming to fruition. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:40:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076038-58.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Peters Township Park and Recreation Department will offer "Abrakadoodle 'Art Rocks' Summer Camp" for kids ages 3 through kindergarten from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 9-12, and 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. for kids ages 6 through 12. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:38:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076036-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Bethel Park Chief of Police John Mackey was awarded the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime Prevention Award from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:36:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076021-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml I have been using the Right-to-Know law to obtain financial information about Clairton council, manager and mayor. At a recent council meeting, I told council how appalled I was to learn of the amount of delinquent taxes owed. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:35:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076032-58.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml North Strabane supervisors on Tuesday night approved the purchase of a brand new $448,000 fire engine that manager Frank Siffrinn said would be paid in full upon delivery next year. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:33:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076033-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Over the course of a few weeks, Ellie Shaul, a 2010 Mt. Lebanon High School graduate, will participate in a training camp in Amherst, Mass.; represent the United States in an international tournament in Germany; and compete in a national tournament in Minnesota. The name of the game? Ultimate Frisbee. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:30:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076014-147.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Senior citizens in Washington County will get a free bus service in the fall, thanks to a partnership between Washington Rides and the state Department of Transportation. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:29:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076018-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml McKeesport Mayor James Brewster has been named Mayor of the Year by his peers. The Pennsylvania State Mayors' Association announced its 2010 selection July 17 during its annual dinner at the Nittany Lion Inn in State College. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:27:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076207-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Applying new, tougher standards, state education officials said Wednesday that more than half of public school students in New York City failed their English exams this year, and 54 percent of them passed in math. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075859-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Though most property owners in Pennsylvania don't own mineral rights for coal, the vast majority still own their underground oil and gas rights. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075860-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The mounting wave of Marcellus Shale gas drilling is creating a substantial challenge for local municipalities. What can they regulate? What do they want to regulate? How can they regulate it? Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1075911-58.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Canonsburg Public Library director Lyn Crouse keeps telling her co-workers that come this time next year, they could be in the plush new facility just a few blocks away. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076065-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Reedes Hurt, former executive director of Pittsburgh's Veterans Affairs Medical Center, died July 18 of advanced aphasia. He was 72. Born Aug. 11, 1937, in Hindman, Ky., Mr. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076068-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A new long-range Transportation Improvement Program for southwestern Pennsylvania slashes spending on roads and bridges by 32 percent over the coming four years because of funding shortages and uncertainty. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076069-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Horsehead Corp. will continue to pay all workers at its zinc plant in Beaver County, even though part of the facility has been shut down while investigators try to figure out what caused an explosion last week that killed two men. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076070-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml It would've been nice if municipal officials had advance warning that water mains on 25th Street in the South Side and Bower Hill Road in Mt. Lebanon were going to rupture on Wednesday. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076071-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml For the first time in the history of the Duquesne City School District, bus transportation will be offered to students who live beyond a half-mile circumference of the Duquesne Education Center. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076072-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml If the state Legislature passes a severance tax on natural gas siphoned from the deep Marcellus Shale, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission should get a cut to cover its growing role in policing streams affected by water pollution, according to John Arway, the commission's executive director. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076074-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Demolition experts will use explosives Friday morning to bring down the last two sections of the old Pennsylvania Turnpike bridge over the Allegheny River. The blasts are scheduled for 10 a.m., according to the turnpike commission. Most of the old bridge had been imploded on July 13. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076079-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The city of Pittsburgh said it canceled a summer employment program at the Hazelwood YMCA and reassigned 19 youth workers after the Y failed to provide clearances for program staffers. One of the staffers, Lutual Love Sr., has a record for drug possession. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076083-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml State police announced Tuesday that a fire that destroyed a landmark Indiana County furniture store was arson. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076087-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A state parole agent was injured Wednesday afternoon while trying to capture a fugitive on the North Side. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076088-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml After three separate juries failed to convict Jerry Gaines on homicide charges, he pleaded guilty Tuesday to voluntary manslaughter. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076089-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Craig Cozza, a developer for whom Mount Washington has become a recurring battleground, was fined in housing court Wednesday for violations at a property that District Magistrate Jim Motznik said he believed "has become a public nuisance." Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076090-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- A defendant acquitted in the Bonusgate government corruption case is demanding his state job back and suing for more than $2 million in punitive damages and back pay from state officials, attorneys and former colleagues. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076091-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml In giving final approval Tuesday to an overhaul of the capital-budget process, Pittsburgh City Council said it's aiming for tighter financial controls and more public input. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076093-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml UPMC Sports Medicine will hold a session of preseason physical examinations for high school athletes on Saturday. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076094-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Centaur LLC, the embattled Indiana-based casino operator, is sending out confusing signals about a long-stalled racetrack and casino project in Lawrence County, but there may be method in its madness. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076125-114.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The candidates for governor are divided on calls for a three-year extension of a program, chiefly funded by the state's Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurers, that provides subsidized health insurance for roughly 45,000 low-income Pennsylvanians. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076158-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml In the final of three public meetings hosted by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, residents and business owners gathered at the Greenfield Senior Center Wednesday night to talk about the mayor's plan to lease the city's parking garages and meters for 50 years to boost a troubled pension fund. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075966-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A public meeting on Marcellus Shale drilling in the city is planned for Thursday in Lawrenceville. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:50:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075965-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml District Judge Jim Motznik today fined developer Craig Cozza $8,000, the maximum for eight property violations at a site on Grandview Avenue that he has failed to develop since excavating for a condo project in 2003 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:47:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075942-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A state parole agent was injured this afternoon while trying to capture a fugitive on the North Side. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:22:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075925-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml An 11-year-old girl said she ran from two men who asked her to get into their car this afternoon in Mt. Lebanon Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:29:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075888-34.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Pittsburgh Public Market, the indoor market in the old Produce Terminal on Smallman Street in the Strip District, has set its opening dates. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:52:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075886-113.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Port of Pittsburgh Commission has received a $1.15 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to install less-polluting diesel engines and generators in four towboats used on Pittsburgh area rivers. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:38:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075885-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- Valley View Downs, a proposed $425 million racetrack/casino to be built in Lawrence County, is already three years behind schedule, and now it is facing another lengthy delay. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:34:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075879-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Two remaining structures of the old Allegheny River Bridge on the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be imploded at 10 a.m. Friday, the turnpike announced this morning. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:41:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075850-147.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Verona man was killed early Wednesday morning when he was thrown from his car in a one-vehicle accident on Route 28 near the Pittsburgh Mills mall. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:37:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075862-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Art Institute of Pittsburgh has named George W. Sebolt as its new president, effective this week Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:57:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075858-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Penn Hills man was critically wounded in a shooting early today outside his residence Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:12:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075856-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml ERIE, Pa. -- A man will spend up to 45 years in prison for repeatedly raping a girl, then 11, who later gave birth to his son Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:48:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075855-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Natural gas service was restored this morning to a Harmar motel after a 20-inch service line was ruptured overnight on Freeport Road Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:45:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075662-42.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Meticulous is perhaps the word that best describes Diane Samuels' artwork and process, the latter being integral to the finished product. We filmed her in her studio working on a phase of her ongoing Sampsonia Way project, an examination of the lane she has lived on since 1980 in Pittsburgh's North Side Mexican War Streets neighborhood. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:43:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075853-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml For the first time in the district's history, the Duquesne City School District will provide bus transportation to all students who live beyond a one-half mile circumference of the Duquesne Education Center. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:35:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075806-85.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml WASHINGTON -- When PennEnvironment organizer Adam Garber got the news, he was sitting in a café in the Hart Senate Office Building with four energetic Pennsylvanians in town to lobby for a comprehensive climate bill. "I almost don't want to check," he said Thursday afternoon, reaching for his BlackBerry. The news alert confirmed Mr. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:50:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075737-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Long-delayed exterior work at the Hilton Pittsburgh will resume next week and could be finished by Thanksgiving, according to the Miami-based construction management company supervising the project. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:55:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075849-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml North Strabane supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday night to authorize the township solicitor to finalize an ordinance that permits oil and gas drilling as a conditional use. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:52:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075732-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Many Decembers ago, Ken Wagner Sr. brought home a special gift for Christmas. The gift was a young boy from the nearby Toner Institute, who didn't have anywhere to go for the holiday, welcomed with open arms into the Wagner residence to celebrate with the family of six. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:40:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075842-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Eighteen states and the District of Columbia were named as finalists on Tuesday in the second round of a national competition for $3.4 billion in federal financing to support an overhaul of education policies. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075804-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml They called first for divine intervention. Then they called for the intervention of local officials. At an outdoor prayer vigil and community meeting at the senior center in Sheraden Tuesday evening, around 175 people gathered to lament a laundry list of community ills -- violence, blight, parking, dangerous roads -- and to discuss with city officials how to fix them. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:28:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075735-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Growing up in Monroeville, Drew Martin occasionally ventured into Pittsburgh to spend time socializing in the East End, Downtown or the South Side. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:06:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075729-294.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Running was never my thing. I didn't run track or cross-country in high school or college. In fact, once free from high school phys. ed. class, 10 years elapsed before I ever ran close to a mile. That all changed when I started running in neighborhood 5K races. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075734-96.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml What do a simulation of swimming fish, a video of a brown-haired girl, alternating layers of solid colors and a multilayer version of the classic puzzle video game of Tetris have in common? Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075738-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The legislation no longer bears Jordan Miles' name, but Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved a package of bills designed to improve police accountability following the teenager's bloody confrontation with undercover officers in Homewood. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075742-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Federal agents say a Brookline woman masterminded a scheme to defraud hundreds of wedding-industry exhibitors into signing up for a bogus Boston bridal show that never took place, spending their money instead on herself. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075750-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Pittsburgh City Council and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's office appear ready to resolve a month-long dispute over the makeup of the Citizen Police Review Board, but it won't make everyone happy. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075751-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Two Westmoreland County teens received summary citations after they confessed to stealing electronic items from parked vehicles in North Belle Vernon and Belle Vernon, police said. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075753-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Mt. Lebanon man was arrested early Tuesday on charges that he used an ax to damage several vehicles and garage windows in the municipality overnight. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075754-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The state Superior Court has agreed to hear an appeal in the case of a 12-year-old boy charged with killing his father's pregnant fiance, the boy's attorney said Tuesday. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075755-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml An Indiana County man was killed and his passenger critically injured when his motorcycle veered into the path of a minivan early Saturday in White Township, state police said. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075756-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A 94-year-old woman said a handyman she trusted like a son had her write checks to him personally. She said she was told that would let him get a contractor's discount for supplies. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075757-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Westmoreland County motorcyclist was killed Monday night when another struck him from behind, the county coroner's office said. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075767-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml In its second attempt to win as much as $400 million for education, Pennsylvania again has been named a finalist in the federal Race to the Top competition. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10209/1075775-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A former faculty member Tuesday filed suit in federal court charging Duquesne University and its law school with sexual harassment, gender discrimination, retaliation and breach of contract. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075658-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Mt. Lebanon man was arrested early today on charges that he used an ax to damage several vehicles and garage windows in the municipality overnight Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:11:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075673-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml PHILADELPHIA -- A US Airways pilot who took inappropriate cell phone photos of a teenager at Philadelphia International Airport has pleaded guilty to invasion of privacy Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:56:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075563-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- The state Supreme Court is expected to have a visiting angel today, but it's not carrying a friendly message. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:40:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075655-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml An Indiana County man was killed and his passenger critically injured when his motorcycle veered into the path of a minivan early Saturday in White Township, state police said. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:55:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075670-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml After three separate juries failed to convict Jerry Gaines on homicide charges, he pleaded guilty this morning to voluntary manslaughter. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:37:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075667-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml EBENSBURG, Pa. -- A 94-year-old woman says a handyman she trusted like a son had her write checks to him personally, saying she was told that would let him get a contractor's discount for supplies Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:44:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075671-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Pennsylvania today was named one of 19 finalists in the competition for federal Race to the Top money aimed at certain education reforms. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:44:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075666-84.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Pittsburgh woman has been arrested on allegations she defrauded advertisers and exhibitors out of thousands of dollars for a fake bridal show in Boston Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:40:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075664-147.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A power interruption planned by Duquesne Light will force closure of the Parkway North HOV lanes on Wednesday, PennDOT announced this morning Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:39:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075661-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Two Westmoreland County teens received summary citations after they confessed to stealing electronic items from parked vehicles in North Belle Vernon and Belle Vernon, police said Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:11:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075487-294.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml My oldest brother, Vince, opened his government-issue "Pocket Guide to North Africa." It read: "You are to do duty in North Africa as a soldier of the United States." Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:56:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075626-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Westmoreland County motorcyclist was killed Monday night when another struck him from behind, the county coroner's office said. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:31:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075627-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Plans for the new McCandless Crossing retail and office development on McKnight Road were approved by McCandless council during its regular business meeting Monday night. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:31:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075638-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml NEWARK -- New Jersey's largest school district will create a special enterprise zone for education in September, bringing together seven low-performing schools for an ambitious program of education and social services provided through a coalition of colleges and community groups led by New York University. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 02:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075579-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Penguins fans are sure to take with them the sights and sounds of Mellon (nee Civic) Arena, which is just about to be shuttered. That, no doubt, includes the velvety voice of longtime public address announcer John Barbero. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 01:37:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075575-66.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The dozen or so gang members who have called a Pittsburgh hotline seeking help turning their lives around now have another option available to them -- jobs subsidized by businessman and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Chuck Sanders. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:42:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075532-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's plan to lease the city's parking garages and meters took a pounding Monday from speakers who called it a sure way to drive businesses, shoppers and residents from the city. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:39:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075546-147.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The board of a 10-county regional planning commission has urged the Legislature to act on the state's transportation funding crisis and signaled its opposition to using federal highway money to provide emergency aid to the Port Authority. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:38:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075614-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Come next month, a bicycle might be the fastest way to get from the North Side to Millvale, and the ride soon will be a whole lot smoother. Relocation of a section of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail near the 31st Street Bridge, including construction of a trail bridge along the edge of the Allegheny River, is expected to be completed sometime in August, said Thomas E. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:36:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075604-178.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- State Rep. Bill DeWeese told a grand jury in December that his state-paid aides regularly campaigned during business hours from their desks in state offices. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:13:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075570-178.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- Lawyers for former House Democratic Whip Mike Veon claim he and a former aide deserve a new trial because one juror in their corruption trial became ill during jury deliberations and had to be replaced by an alternate. Attorney Joel Sansone, representing Mr. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:12:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075507-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Jarvis Cotton was more than just a successful businessman who sold nuclear power plants. He also was dedicated to his family and his many hobbies. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075527-59.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A 21-year-old man died late Sunday after he lost control of his vehicle and crashed in Derry Township. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075528-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml State police in Somerset County seized more than 2,000 marijuana plants last week after a private landowner found what he believed to be a sizeable growing operation. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075529-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Pittsburgh police officer was injured when his police car collided with an ambulance while responding to a call Sunday afternoon. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075533-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Beginning Aug. 1, the property management company that is overseeing the Leland Point apartment complex in Baldwin Borough will begin collecting rent. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075534-147.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The long-term closure of Streets Run Road and Prospect Road in Baldwin Borough was delayed a second time but was expected to occur at noon today, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075550-258.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Consumers striving to keep cool are helping to raise the price of coal. Lee Hendricks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Pittsburgh's average temperature for June was 2.4 degrees above normal, and that July so far has brought six days in which the temperature was 90 degrees or higher. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075556-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml While the investigation into what caused Friday's fatal explosion at an Indiana Township gas and oil well continues, the second man killed in that accident was identified Monday. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10208/1075573-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml As James Short lay dying in a hospital bed, he asked a social worker if she would call his mother. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400