PITTSBURGH —
If you are heading to the East side of Pittsburgh, be reminded that returning on westbound (inbound) I-376 (Parkway East) in Pittsburgh you will run into a full closure of the inbound Parkway East between the Boulevard of the Allies/Liberty Bridge (Exit 72B) off-ramp and the Grant Street on-ramp from 6 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26 continuously through 10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 30. All inbound Parkway East traffic must exit at the Boulevard of the Allies off-ramp.

All traffic will be detoured.

Cars

From westbound (inbound) I-376, take the Boulevard of the Allies/Liberty Bridge (Exit 72B) off-ramp
Take the ramp toward the Veterans Bridge (North 579 to 279)
Take the left-hand exit to Convention Center/7th Avenue
From 7th Avenue, turn left onto Grant Street
Follow Grant Street back to the westbound I-376 on-ramp toward the Fort Pitt Bridge/Airport
End detour

Trucks

From westbound (inbound) I-376, take the Boulevard of the Allies/Liberty Bridge (Exit 72B) off-ramp
Take the ramp toward the Liberty Bridge (to Routes 19/51)
Continue across the Liberty Bridge and through the Liberty Tunnel
Turn right onto North 51/Truck 19 toward the West End
Take the left-hand exit to Carnegie/Airport (West 376 and South 19)
For motorists continuing westbound on I-376, take the ramp to Carnegie/Airport (West 376)
For motorists heading back into downtown Pittsburgh, bear left towards Uniontown (South Truck 19/51)
Merge onto eastbound (inbound) I-376 Parkway West and follow through the Fort Pitt Tunnel
End detour
Additionally, the following ramps will close to traffic:

The Boulevard of the Allies on-ramp to westbound (inbound) I-376
The westbound (inbound) I-376 Second Avenue (Exit 71B) off-ramp
The westbound (inbound) I-376 Grant Street (Exit 71A) off-ramp
PennDOT will work with the City of Pittsburgh Police to assist motorists at key intersections on the detour route.

To avoid potential lengthy delays on the posted detour routes, PennDOT also suggests taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Monroeville to the Allegheny Valley (Exit 48 – New Kensington/Pittsburgh) interchange and following southbound Route 28 to downtown Pittsburgh.

Travelers may also consider taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Monroeville to the Cranberry (Exit 28 – Pittsburgh/Erie) interchange. Motorists heading into Pittsburgh can follow southbound I-79 to southbound I-279 (Parkway North). Motorists heading to the Pittsburgh International Airport or points west of Pittsburgh can follow southbound I-79 to I-376 (Parkway West).

Motorists familiar with the area should consider exiting at the Wilkinsburg (Exit 78B), Edgewood/Swissvale (Exit 77), Squirrel Hill/Homestead (Exit 74), or the Oakland/Glenwood (Exits 73A-B) interchanges to avoid the detour route.

No work will occur in the outbound direction of the Parkway East.

Crews will conduct roadway reconstruction work between the Allegheny County Jail and the Grant Street interchange. Bridge dam replacement work will occur on the I-376 structures near the jail and the Birmingham Bridge. Additionally, concrete patch work may occur in the bathtub area of inbound I-376.

Motorists should use caution when traveling through the area.

When the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department opened a suitcase in a Rostraver home, they didn’t find any clothes. Instead, they say they found a wanted fugitive.
Terri Downs-Hayes is a woman with a significant criminal rap sheet who has been on the run since October. The sheriff deputies got a tip she was hiding out in this home Westmoreland Co.

Doors were barricaded with heavy timber, but once inside deputies found three occupants all saying they didn’t know where Terri Downs-Hayes was.
The deputies had two pit bulls, strategically positioned in front of a closet door, removed. Inside was a heavy, awkward suitcase…..soon, Terri Downs-Hayes emerged. The 43-year-old woman was wanted by authorities after she failed to show up for several hearings related to serious drug charges she was facing. Downs-Hayes is being held on multiple felony counts, and the individuals who were inside the house who police say were not cooperative, could be facing charges as well.

Have you noticed how rarely we see the sun in the beautiful city of Pittsburgh?

“What you’re feeling isn’t just the blues.” according to WPXI Meteorologist Scott Harbaugh.

Especially from November through March, Pittsburgh is one of the grayest places in the US, ranking fourth among major cities for the number of cloudy days a year. We are seriously lacking vitamin D more than half the year as clouds cover 75 percent or more of our sky 203 days a year. If we include days with 25 percent cloud cover, that number jumps to 306 days.
Well, at least it’s not Seattle, Portland or Buffalo.

This is the fifth year that Police officers in Monaca played “Santa Cops” delivering more than 500 presents to some very deserving kids.
More than making a child happy on a holiday, the police are hoping to build long lasting relationships.

“The kids get to see the police aren’t always coming to their house for a bad situation. They get to see us in a different light,” Officer James Ball, of the Monaca Police Department, said.

“I want to tell them all, ‘Thank you all very much. You’ve made a little boy very happy. You’ve made his parents very happy seeing him happy,'” Jaime Koser said.

Monaca police said it would not be possible without donations from the community.

Dominique E. Jones, 27, admitted to stabbing 25-year-old Tre Montel McCargo at Holiday Inn Express in South Union Township, according to state police.

McCargo ran from a room into the hotel lobby bleeding from a stab wound to his neck. State police and EMS rushed to the scene , but McCargo succumbed to his injuries.

Jones was cooperating with the investigation, state police said.

A 12-year-old boy was holding a .22-caliber rifle when it discharged and struck his 17-year-old brother in the back Tuesday evening in Pine, according to Northern Regional police Chief Robert Amann.

The teenager was conscious and spoke to officers before being taken to Allegheny General Hospital. His condition was not immediately available.

Police did not say whether they believe the shooting was intentional or not and they continue to investigate.

WEATHER:WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018

TODAY: Partly cloudy. High 44F.

TONIGHT: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 29F.

TOMORROW: Partly cloudy. High 49F.

Police have released a photo of K-9 Kato of the Aliquippa Police Department. Special thanks to Aliquippa’s K-9 Officer, Jim Brown, who released the picture to Beaver County Radio News.

IF YOU HAPPEN TO SPOT A HELICOPTER IN THE AIR IN ALIQUIPPA TODAY OR THURSDAY, THERE’S A GOOD REASON FOR IT. SANDY GIORDANO EXPLAINS WHY….

ROUTE 68 IS BACK OPEN TO TRAFFIC FOLLOWING NOT ONE BUT TWO ACCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED IN NEW SEWICKLEY TOWNSHIP OVERNIGHT. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO HAS DETAILS. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…