Crews battled a fire at a vacant house in New Castle early Sunday morning. It happened just after 2:30 a.m. at a vacant house in the 400-block of Epworth Street. The flames were mostly contained inside the house, and it was under control in less than an hour, but the fire broke out again around 5:30 a.m., causing serious damage. According to neighbors, the house had been vacant for a few years, and several other vacant structures in the area had caught fire in the past few years. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

Teen clothing retailer rue21 is closing nearly 400 stores nationwide as it focuses more on its online business. The privately-held company, based in Cranberry, about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh, still has more than 700 stores in 48 states. The company in a Facebook post called the decision to close the stores “difficult but necessary.” The company didn’t say how soon the stores will close. Six are in western Pennsylvania.

The final day to register to vote to participate in Pennsylvania’s May 16 primary election has arrived. Today is the registration deadline and voters have to be registered in one of the major parties to be able to help pick nominees. Numerous contests for school boards and county and municipal government, as well as a handful of appeals court races will be on the ballot next month. Public interest may not be what it was last year, when Pennsylvania was a major presidential battleground and had one of the highest-profile U.S. Senate races in the nation, along with congressional and legislative races. People can register online , by mail or at a county election office.