However, they are continuing to follow leads into who was behind the shooting.

According to police, the four victims were all in stable condition as of early Wednesday morning. Three men in their 30s and a 54-year-old woman were injured in what witnesses describe as being a barrage of gunfire in the 400-block of Park Avenue around 8 p.m.

“The shooter or shooters hid behind a garage across from the residence and fired at the people who were standing in front of it,” Allegheny County Police Lt. Andrew Schurman said.

Police have now gathered that the people injured last night were not the primary intended targets.

Allegheny County Police also said McKeesport Police found a vehicle that was impounded and will be searched.

“The black Mercedes that was alluded to was seen in the area prior to the shooting. We do not have anything to directly link it to the shooting right now,” Lt. Schurman said.

Other people were detained for an unrelated incident following the discovery of the vehicle, but they have not been charged in the shooting.

Allegheny County homicide detectives said that they have developed some good leads from witnesses.

“We do have some good information. We do have some suspects developed. We’re not releasing their identities. Those are the people we are pursuing at this moment,” Lt. Schurman said.

While police continue to talk with witnesses and gather more information, they’re urging anyone with additional details to contact police.

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He also admits that he has heard the “Stud Brad Lincoln” songs and he and his mom are both huge fans.

Listen to the full interview here:

The pitching has been great but the offense has been awful.

Walk tries to provide some answers for what can be done to fix the issues.

Walk is a featured weekly guest on “Walk On Wednesday” on The Fan Morning Show every Wednesday morning at 8:20 a.m.

Listen to the full interview here:

Pouncey and his teammates are in town for OTA’s this week and next.

He talks about the new faces on the offensive line and learning a new offense.

You can hear the full interview here:

Pasquarelli also tells us about the new changes coming to the NFL this year.

Listen to the full interview here:

However, police had to arrest nearly a dozen of the demonstrators.

The protest centered around Gov. Corbett’s proposed cuts in education and they were looking to confront someone from the Governor’s Office about it.

Roughly 200 union protesters, clergy and supporters left the Steelworkers Building with one thing on their minds.

“In a word, the cuts and now, more proposed cuts in terms of this budget for this year,” Rev. David Thornton said.

The parade of chanting, drum beating and sign holding marchers made their way up the Boulevard of the Allies, through PPG Place rallying against Corbett and what they call an assault on public education.

“The figures he releases – smoke and mirrors. He can’t prove any of them. Look at the budgets of district to district to district,” Butch Santicola said.

By the time they got to 5th Avenue and Wood Street, they made it clear they were heading into the Governor’s Office.

As expected, they were turned away at the door.

“If they don’t want to talk to us, if they’re not going to send somebody out, we’ll just go outside and wait,” one man said.

That included blocking the intersection. Police arrived and moved the protesters out.

“At first it was a peaceful march and they were being orderly. Once they got down here, they obstructed the street. They blocked the traffic,” Pittsburgh Police Cmdr. George Trosky said. “When they were told to leave, 11 refused to leave. They were taken to the station and cited.”

The 11 marchers arrested face obstructing traffic charges meanwhile the majority of the other protesters said they will be back.

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The Rev. Bartley Sorensen was suspended by the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh following his arrest in December of 2011.

He is accused of using his personal computer at the Saint John Fisher Parish in Churchill to view at least 100 images of boys.

In January, investigators said there was no evidence that Sorensen ever had any inappropriate contact with minors.

Stay with KDKA for the latest on this developing story.

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James added 10 rebounds and eight assists. Shane Battier scored 13 and Mario Chalmers had eight points and 11 rebounds.

The Heatlead the best-of-seven East semifinals 3-2, with Game 6 in Indiana on Thursday night.

Paul George scored 11 points for Indiana, with starting forwards Danny Granger and David West adding 10 points apiece. Granger left with a sprained left ankle in the third quarter, and West left with what the Pacers called a left knee sprain at the end of that period.

Miami shot a franchise playoff-record 61 percent.

(© 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

But did you know, he has been with a different team for several years now; and it’s not even related to football?

KDKA AM’s Larry Richert and John Shumway talk to Dawson about his ownership stake with the Washington Wild Things, as well as his Hall of Fame status and the current Steelers.

Click the link below to listen to the full interview:

Penner gathered a bouncing puck and beat Mike Smith between the pads for the game-winner, extending the Kings’ road winning streak to an NHL-record eight straight games. Anze Kopitar scored a short-handed goal, Drew Doughty had a goal and an assist, and Mike Richards also scored for Los Angeles.

“I got a lucky bounce,” Penner said. “I just waited for it to settle down, and I got a chance to get it in the net.”

The first team to go undefeated on the road en route to the Stanley Cup finals, the Kings will play Game 1 on May 30 at either New Jersey or New York.

Los Angeles is in the final round for the first time since 1993, when Wayne Gretzky and the Kings lost to the Montreal Canadiens in their only finals appearance.

Taylor Pyatt had a goal and an assist, Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Keith Yandle also scored for the Coyotes in their first trip to the Western Conference finals.

Game 5 Photo Gallery (Photo by Maxx Wolfson/Getty Images)

Los Angeles blew one chance to put away the pesky Coyotes.

Leading the series 3-0 and playing at home, the Kings couldn’t match Phoenix’s intensity in Game 4 and lost 2-0, giving the Coyotes a glimmer of hope.

What they didn’t want to do is give them momentum.

Phoenix has been as good as any team in the league when the confidence is rolling, using an 11-game winning streak in February to get back into the playoff race and a five-game streak to close out its first NHL division title.

The Kings had come through in this spot once before, beating top-seeded Vancouver on the road after failing to complete the sweep at home in Game 4.

They didn’t appear ready to do it again.

Riding the confidence carryover from Game 4, the Coyotes dominated early, controlling the puck, giving the Kings little room in the neutral zone or anywhere else. Phoenix had some good scoring chances early and Pyatt cashed in on a power play, redirecting Martin Hanzal’s one-timer in the slot 4:20 into the game.

“The first period was tough,” Penner said. “They threw everything at us. (Goaltender Jonathan) Quick hung in there for us, made some big saves, and we battled back. We couldn’t have done it without him.”

The Kings snatched a little momentum back with their fifth short-handed goal of the playoffs. Kopitar got it, redirecting a shot by Doughty past Smith off a faceoff after Phoenix’s goalie was called for icing.

Then it turned into a shootout in the second period.

Pouliot gave Phoenix the lead back by flipping a backhander past Quick on a loose puck in front midway through for his first career playoff goal. Doughty tied it a few minutes later, scoring from just inside the blue line on a shot Smith had trouble seeing through traffic.

Richards scored on rebound to put Los Angeles up 3-2, Yandle tied it again after a pass by Pyatt caromed off his right leg past Quick.

Both teams had numerous scoring chances in a hectic third period, but both goalies made some superb saves.

They went back and forth in the overtime, too, until Penner finally ended it when a shot by Jeff Carter caromed out front to him in the slot.

With it, the Kings, after a 19-year wait and some dicey moments against the Coyotes, are finally headed back to the finals.

“It feels great,” Penner said. “We just had to worry about ourselves. And we were able to battle back.”

Notes: Coyotes RW Radim Vrbata had an assist on Pyatt’s goal for his first point in eight games. … Los Angeles was 2 for 27 in the series on the power play after going 0 for 4 in Game 5. … Yandle has nine points in the playoffs, matching Dave Babych’s team record for a defenseman set in 1985. … Los Angeles has won 10 straight road playoff games over two seasons, an NHL record.

2012 Stanley Cup Final Schedule

Game 1 Wed., May 30 8 p.m. S
Game 2 Sat., June 2 8 p.m.
Game 3 Mon., June 4 8 p.m.
Game 4 Wed., June 6 8 p.m.
*Game 5 Sat., June 9 8 p.m.
*Game 6 Mon., June 11 8 p.m.
*Game 7 Wed., June 13 8 p.m.
* – If necessary
All times listed are Eastern Time

• Welcome To Black River African Dance Conference
• WHIRL Magazine
• Kitchen-Net
• Rania’s Recipes: Bourbon Street Barbecued Ribs & Vegetable Herb Pasta
• Rania To Go

Bourbon Street Barbecued Ribs

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large onions – thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1-cup bourbon
• 2 cups barbecue sauce (see recipe below)
• 4 baby back rib racks – cut into halves

Directions:

For sauce: in the vegetable oil, sauté the onions until they begin to soften add the thyme and the bourbon and simmer until the mixture is reduced to a glaze. Mix in the barbecue sauce and bring to a boil and set aside until ready to grill the ribs. This can be done well in advance.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Place them in large roasting pan and cover them with foil. Roast the ribs for about 3 hours. They will be very tender.

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Put the rib rack halves on the brush them with the barbecue sauce. Grill them until they are well glazed and browned. Serve the remaining sauce along side of the ribs.

Serves: 6 – 8

Jack Carr’s Barbecue Sauce

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 cup chili sauce
• 1 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 4 cloves fresh garlic – chopped
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• Red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:

In a large pot sauté the onions in the vegetable oil until golden brown.

Add in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning, cool and store in glass jar in refrigerator.

This sauce will keep for months and it also freezes well.

Fresh Vegetable and Herb Pasta Salad

• 1 pound package penne pasta, cooked and cooled
• 1-pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ medium red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
• 1-pound fresh English peas, cooked according to package
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets, steamed for just a minute until it turns bright green
• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint or more to taste
• ¼ cup chopped fresh dill, or more to taste
• For the dressing:
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, gently toss the pasta, tomatoes, onion, peas, Broccoli, mint and dill.

In a small bow, whisk the dressing ingredients together, pour over the salad and toss again. Serve immediately, or store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve as a side dish.

According to a report conducted by INRIX, the stretch of road from Green Tree to the Fort Pitt Tunnels is the most congested road in the country outside of New York or Los Angeles.

Overall, the road ranked ninth with the top eight spots all going to roads in New York and Los Angeles.

According to the report, it takes 13 minutes to travel that section of road, which is nine more than it actually should take.

If you take the road as part of your daily commute, you waste 36 hours a year in traffic.

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According to police, the shooting happened in the 400-block of Park Avenue around 8 p.m.

Three men and a woman were injured, but are all stable at two different hospitals.

No one has been arrested in the shooting, but a black Mercedes was pulled over and impounded in McKeesport because it was possibly involved in the shooting.

Police also said the driver of that vehicle is being held on an unrelated matter.

Patty Hammons, who said her nephew is one of the victims, said she heard numerous gunshots, and it took a while before she came out of her house.

She said when she got to the scene, her nephew was on a stretcher and told her he had been shot in the hip.

Police pushed a crowd of people back as they searched for clues along Park Avenue.

Shawn Thomas heard the shots and said it sounded like a machine gun to him.

“It’s very sad,” said Aisha Johnson. She lives in the area and said people can get shot just minding their own business.

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(mpopchock@kdka.com)

Boasting 50-goal scorer and PIHL Class AA scoring champ Justin Sabilla, Chartiers Valley has come oh-so-close to winning its first Penguins Cup in over a quarter-century. If the next class of Colts clear that hurdle anytime soon, the name of the man now leading them might ring a bell.

Head hockey coach Lou Biancaniello has voluntarily left his position, citing a desire to focus more on his duties as head coach of the Division I program at Washington & Jefferson College. His cousin and assistant, Sean Biancaniello, was recently introduced as the new varsity bench boss, and his uncle, Steve Biancaniello, will assist Sean.

Sean Biancaniello, who played his PIHL hockey at Gateway, where Lou once coached, has been working as a middle school math teacher at Chartiers Valley. Sean also played at W & J, which competes in the ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association) with such teams as Pitt, IUP, and Youngstown State in the CHMA (College Hockey Mid-America) conference.

After serving as an assistant at Upper St. Clair, Lou Biancanello really turned the Char’ Valley program around. Before his debut the Colts won just three games as a Class AA member in 2007-08, but in four seasons, he led them to three straight playoff berths, and they improved their win total each time. With Sabilla as the focal point of Biancaniello’s offense, the Colts reached back-to-back Penguins Cup Semifinals 2011-12, the first time the program did so since 1985-86.

In addition, Lou Biancaniello has served on the coaching staff of Team Pittsburgh, the host team in the annual America’s Showcase tournament for the past few years, and Team Pittsburgh reached the championship game this year. To get there Team Pittsburgh scored an upset in the semifinals against highly skilled Team Illinois–a group ironically consisting of several young men he recruited.

Lou hopes to remain in that role, and he has privately expressed optimism about the future of Chartiers Valley hockey. Loyalties aside, I can see his point.

Losing Sabilla and another former PIHL Player of the Month, defenseman Jake Gudewicz, will be harsh, to say nothing of the four other outgoing seniors. But the Colts still have a lot coming back, including forwards Cullen McMahon and Anthony Franks, and starting goalie Noah Stevenson will be a year wiser.

Furthermore, the Colts have hired another journeyman PIHL coach, Bob Kennedy, to head up their JV squad. Varsity newcomers will learn a lot from Kennedy, one of the most successful coaches in local and state history, who won back-to-back Penguins Cups at Pine-Richland 2006-07 amidst tours of duty with Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair, and Pittsburgh Central Catholic.

Some short-term growing pains may persist in 2012-13, but in the long run, Chartiers Valley should still contend.

(Follow me on Twitter @mpopchock.)

Brenda Kyle says she can’t believe what’s happening. She says she pays her taxes and mortgage and now they’re taking her home away.

It turns out her home was built on top of an abandoned gas well. When she bought it five years ago, this was not mentioned in her deed.

DEP inspectors recently said they found a leak in the well and had to vent the home to alleviate the pressure.

Not only was the well in the basement of her home, but according to Dennis Stivanson, at one point years ago, there’s evidence the well was capped and supplied other homes in the neighborhood with gas.

He says while it’s common to see old wells in the area, it’s unusual to have it inside someone’s home.

Kyle was told by the Charleroi code enforcement officer that her house is condemned and no one is allowed to live there.

She is temporarily staying at her mother’s house in Donora.

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(mpopchock@kdka.com)

The stage is set for the 2012 WPIAL Baseball Championships, but on Wednesday the queens of the diamond will get their turn as the WPIAL Softball Semifinals get underway at venues throughout the greater Pittsburgh area.

Here’s a quick glance at all eight matchups, seven of which take place Wednesday:

CLASS A:

2:00 – Carmichaels vs. Sto-Rox at Fairhaven Park, Kennedy Township

4:00 – Vincentian Academy vs. Chartiers-Houston at Fairhaven Park, Kennedy Township

CLASS AA:

2:00 – Riverside vs. Greensburg Central Catholic at North Allegheny High School

4:00 – Deer Lakes vs. Neshannock at North Allegheny High School

CLASS AAA:

2:00 – Greensburg-Salem vs. Elizabeth Forward at California University

4:00 – Belle Vernon vs. Montour at California University

CLASS AAAA:

6:00 Wed. – Peters Township vs. Hempfield at California University

4:00 Thu. – Canon-McMillan vs. Shaler at Fairhaven Park, Kennedy Township

OUTLOOK:

Canon-McMillan has slammed the door, not allowing more than three runs in a game since Apr. 18. Sydney Smyers led Shaler and finished third in the WPIAL with 16 regular season victories. The Big Macs need to match that quality pitching and take Shaler out of its comfort zone by keeping the game low-scoring. Tara Konopka powered Peters Township with a 14-4 record and 152 strikeouts entering the playoffs. Still, Hempfield is up for the challenge, having posted shutouts in five of the Spartans’ last six. ~ Kaitlyn Kutchmann finished sixth in the WPIAL with 155 regular season K’s, and guided Montour to 14 wins in 19 appearances entering the playoffs. Don’t underestimate the moxy of Belle Vernon, which likes to live dangerously; the Leopards are 5-2 in one-run games, including two postseason wins. The pitching matchup in the other Class AAA game is equally fascinating. Jayne Oberdorf, at one point, helped Greensburg-Salem post eight shutouts in nine games. Elizabeth Forward hurler Portia McBride went 14-5 with 141 K’s in the regular season, though she’s needed some help from her offense in the playoffs. ~ Deer Lakes has one of the deadliest offenses in all of western PA, having won six games by at least ten runs, but these Lancers have their work cut out against Amanda Furst of the undefeated Neshannock Lancers, who ended the regular campaign 17-0. GCC is a surprising bunch after wins over Burrell and Seton-LaSalle, but it’s going to take a Herculean effort to prolong their under-the-radar run. Kirsten Wilson of Riverside finished second in the WPIAL with 204 strikeouts during the regular season. ~ Vincentian has been one of the most consistent programs in the WPIAL over the long haul, though the Royals might have a royal pain getting past the Bucs. Kayla Briggs led Chartiers-Houston and the district with 19 regular season wins and finished fifth overall with 160 K’s. To be fair, VA has scored double-digit runs in seven of its last ten. Expect a real pitchers’ duel in the other Class A contest too. Natayla Smarra is dialed in for undefeated Sto-Rox right now after winning all 15 of her regular season games, and she’ll be opposed by 13-1 Cameron Grimes, who has tossed ten shutouts.

(Follow me on Twitter @mpopchock.)

He was reportedly suffering from headaches and was taken to the hospital.

The University of Pittsburgh released a statement, explaining that Burns is in stable condition and is awaiting further evaluation.

–

Chris Gates | Area 4-1-Zoo Blog
Twitter.com/Chris_Gates
Chris.Gates@cbsradio.com

McDonald pitched seven innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out eight batters. However, New York starter R.A. Dickey was just as commanding, allowing one run in seven innings on five hits and striking out 11.

Dickey, a knuckle ball pitcher, provided problems for Pittsburgh’s lineup, which couldn’t seem to connect with Dickey’s unpredictable pitch placement.

“His numbers coming in are real,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Dickey’s 5-1 record and 3.75 ERA. “They were real last year. He competes, and he makes pitches.”

That best for Pittsburgh was right fielder Josh Harrison, who drove his hitting streak to eight games and made solid contact all night. Batting in the two-hole, he went 2 for 4 with a run scored.

“(The) only previous experience I had was facing (knuckle ball pitchers) two times last year, two games,” Harrison said. “I’ve hit pretty well off ‘em, but I don’t really think about it.”

Harrison’s run came in the bottom of the sixth, tying the game, 1-1. After he tripled to the north side notch, Andrew McCutchen hit a sacrifice fly to right field.

The Mets took the lead for good in the eighth inning. With Pirates reliever Juan Cruz on the mound, Lucas Duda singled to right field with runners on first and second, scoring one.

Chris Resop relieved Cruz, and Daniel Murphy grounded to third base where Pedro Alvarez bobbled the ball twice, allowing Kirk Nieuwenhuis to score and give New York a 3-1 lead.

“Cruz hasn’t given up a whole lot this year,” Hurdle said. “…We had three balls go off gloves that inning that scored two runs.”

The Pirates grabbed one of those runs right back in the bottom of the eighth when McCutchen hit an RBI single to score Jose Tabata, but Frank Francisco sent the Buccos down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.

“Tough loss, everybody played hard,” McDonald said. “We played some good defense at times. My team did what I asked of them, and that’s play hard behind me.

“That’s all you can ask for.”

–

Chris Gates | Bucs Blog
Twitter.com/Chris_Gates
Chris.Gates@cbsradio.com

A worker was electrocuted at a construction site. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as 26-year-old Joshua Oswalt from Pittsburgh.

It happened inside Matthews Marking Products on Penn Avenue near the new Bakery Square development.

Initially there were reports of a worker shocked in the basement of the two-story building. Police on scene tell KDKA Oswalt was in cardiac arrest when EMTs transported him to the hospital.

Dozens of people watching a baseball game across the street witnessed the urgent emergency response.

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“Business is down 5 to 10 percent,” Don Bowers, of Superior Petroleum, said. “That’s a lot. You take 5 to 10 percent on the gallons that you sell every month and it can add up.”

Sue Haberlein is making a conscious effort to reduce driving.

“I have a couple times just gone to the Park and Ride and just taken the bus in and done it that way,” she said.

Not even those in the business will predict definitively the next movement in price, but supply does not appear to be an issue.

“Last year this time Pittsburgh was out of gasoline, this year we got enough, we got a lot,” Bowers said.

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(mpopchock@kdka.com)

We know Seneca Valley can pitch, and Georgetown recruit Matt Smith, who has prolonged his fine high school career this postseason, can attest to that. But when the second of the WPIAL Class AAAA Baseball Semifinals resumed, it was Seneca Valley’s hitters who took center stage.

The defending district champs belted out six runs in the fifth inning, and the Raiders (17-4) held on to defeat Pittsburgh Central Catholic, 9-5, at Upper St. Clair’s Boyce-Mayview Complex Tuesday afternoon…and it was an unusual rally, at that.

Only one of Seneca Valley’s 13 hits at that point went for extra bases. Furthermore, those hits equaled the number of runners the Raiders stranded through five.

Nevertheless, that 8-1 lead could not be surmounted by the Vikings (17-5), who were seeking a shot at their first WPIAL baseball championship ever after having outlasted Seneca 8-7 in a non-section game May 10. They will meet North Allegheny, the 2010 WPIAL champion, in a consolation game next week.

Seneca Valley, the No. 3 seed, will face Mount Lebanon (14-8), the No. 9 seed, in the WPIAL Class AAAA Baseball Final at CONSOL Energy Park next week. The Raiders, who also won district gold in Class AAA in 1994, are going for their third WPIAL title all-time, while the Blue Devils are going for their first since 2006.

The game was resumed Tuesday with Seneca Valley ahead, 2-0, in the bottom of the third.

(Follow me on Twitter @mpopchock.)

All of these symptoms set in earlier this year due to the mild winter.

“We had an early onset to the season and the duration should stay the same, so it’s going to be probably the longest tree pollen season that we’ve ever have had in Pittsburgh,” Dr. David Skoner, an allergist, said.

And many are finding out that those meds that used to work for the whole allergy season are letting us down.

“Sometimes medication does lose the effectiveness and we’re not sure why,” he said.

“Frankly, sometimes the reactions on the nasal lining or in the eyes are so strong because there’s been so much allergen exposure that all the drugs in the world won’t be able to cut through that inflammation.”

When this happens, Dr. Skoner suggests perhaps moving away from over the counter drugs to ones prescribed by a doctor.

“The most effective therapy that we have involves sprays,” he said.

Those sprays are for the nasal cavity, but if you prefer to forgo drugs, there are some things you can do as well.

“You can keep all your windows closed to prevent pollen from coming in,” he said. “You can run air conditioning which filters pollen pretty well and perhaps washing very well might help reduce some of our exposure to pollen.”

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Ramal Chisler was sentenced to 70 to 140 months in state prison for shooting death of 17-year-old Tiffany Moody.

She was killed on Sept. 16, 2010.

Ramal Chisler previously pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of carrying a gun without a license.

Today, he took the stand, apologizing to Moody’s family and asking for their forgiveness.

“I can just feel myself saying that he’s sorry and I know that he’s sorry and he didn’t mean to shoot her, but I just miss my sister so much it drives me crazy that she’s not here,” Sally Moore, Moody’s sister, said.

Tiffany Moody’s family met Ramal Chisler’s grandmother for the first time outside of the courtroom.
They said they will be praying for Ramal to get his life on track while in prison.

“In order for a gun to go off, you got to pull the trigger and that’s what he done,” Leroy Moody, the victim’s father, said.

Chisler has claimed from the beginning that the shooting at Pershing Court was an accident, but Tiffany Moody’s family doesn’t believe that was the case.

“We were hoping that [the judge] would give the max and that is what she did,” Jennifer Garrison, the victim’s sister, said. “As a family, we chose to go with the plea bargain way and this is what it is.”

Tiffany Moody’s family took stand today saying they don’t hate Ramal Chisler – they just hate what he did and they will spend rest of their lives trying to understand why he did it.

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It’s “Beep Baseball,” with a beeping spongy ball and beeping bases. Athletic organizer Laura Dobrich says players bat and field by sound.

“We have 48 players this year,” she adds. “And it gives the kids an opportunity to play a sport where they wouldn’t necessarily have that.”

The team drafted Pirates pitcher Tony Watson and ex-Pirate now announcer John Wehner who are about to re-learn the game.

Watson, the blindfolded pitcher, fans on five pitches. John Wehner doesn’t have much more luck locating a batted ball, as the beeps compete with sounds of encouragement from the crowd.

“There’s so much noise, it’s hard to hear the ball,” Wehner says. “You can’t hear the beeping. And when you do you don’t really know how close you are to it.”

Watson says the best part is just having fun. “To see the smiles on those kids’ faces, and how excited they are when their names are announced and when it was their turn to go hit and go field.”

Wehner agrees. “They’re all smiles, you know. Pictures, high fives. It’s a pretty neat place.”

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Tuesday, he was in court asking for a new trial after the Innocence Project at Point Park University petitioned the court saying witnesses who testified against him were promised money and were paid by the government.

“We’ve looked at this case for seven years and a lot of things have emerged from it that suggest that justice may not have been done,” Point Park University professor Bill Moushey said.

Key to Brown’s conviction was Ibrahim Abdula who testified at trial he overheard Brown admitting to setting the fire.

On Tuesday, Abdula’s former probation officer testified that an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms told him that Abdula, who was just 15 years old at the time, could get $15,000 for his cooperation.

Lou Topper said he was concerned about the truthfulness of the Abdula’s testimony.

“Dangling $15,000 out in front of a 15-year-old kid is – you make your own suppositions there,” Topper said.

Abdula testified that the word “promise” was never used, but that he was “highly motivated” to testify by the prospect of so much money.

Still, Abdula testified again today that he did, in fact, overhear Brown admit to the arson.

The testimony continues Wednesday, but for now the picture is muddled. It’s unclear if there will be a new trial or whether Brown’s conviction will stand.

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All told, 15 Panthers were selected to one of the four teams.

Offensively, running back Ray Graham, wide receiver Devin Street and guard Chris Jacobson were named to the first-team offense. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald and safety Jarred Holley earned first-team defensive honors.

You can check out the full list here.

Second team Panthers are wide receiver Mike Shanahan and center Ryan Turnley.

Named to the third team were tight end Hubie Graham, offensive tackle Matt Rotheram, linebacker Todd Thomas, cornerback K’Waun Williams, kicker Kevin Harper and punt returner Ronald Jones.

Quarterback Tino Sunseri and defensive tackle Khaynin Mosley-Smith were named to the fourth team.

–

Chris Gates | Area 4-1-Zoo Blog
Twitter.com/Chris_Gates
Chris.Gates@cbsradio.com

Daniel Santia, 82, was bound, gagged and beaten inside his Hopewell Township home in April.

Beau Chermer, Joseph Arlott and Samantha Greno were all charged with the assault.

The Beaver County Coroner ruled that Santia died from severe head trauma.

Hopewell Township Police say that’s the evidence they need to charge Chermer and Arlott with homicide.

Police say the men sprayed Santia in the face with an unknown substance when he answered the door.

They reportedly forced their way in and beat him in the head and body with a miniature baseball bat, pushed him down some stairs and stole his car, jewelry and money.

“All over his body he was bruised and he had some lacerations on his arm and he was left in the basement for, you know, at least 15 hours without any help,” Hopewell Township Police Chief Gene Ungarean said.

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Monroeville Police say that aside from the astonishing video, the Monroeville Mall is a safe place to work and shop.

The video of the robbery and assault shocked everyone who looked at it, including Linda Martin, of Monroeville, who shops there a lot.

“I think it’s awful and they should find her and she should be arrested,” Martin said.

She says she will still shop at the mall.

“I haven’t been unsafe at the mall at all,” she said.

Kim Bowland, of Plum Borough, who came to the mall with her 11-year-old son, may not come back.

“It’s just scary because you hear a lot of this stuff going on at this mall now,” she said. “I’ve seen some things myself when you’re here at the mall. It is pretty scary … maybe some theft and that.”

Police say stores at the mall handle theft cases internally – too many for local police to handle. However, they say overall, crime is down at the mall, citing car theft numbers as an example.

At one time, 400 cars a year were stolen from the mall parking lot. Last year, there was only one.

“I know that the Monroeville Mall does a very good, if not an outstanding job of providing security,” Monroeville Police Chief Doug Cole said.

Meantime, Monroeville police are hoping someone will recognize the suspect in the assault and robbery that happened last Thursday.

“Our reasons for doing that is to identify the suspect and make an arrest,” Cole said.

Police believe that a small group of criminals are performing a vast number of different criminal offenses – mostly thefts.

They believe most of those criminals are coming to the mall from the city on Port Authority buses. It’s gotten so bad that they’ve even discussed curtailing bus routes.

There are no definitive plans to do that yet.

The men who appeared in the video told KDKA-TV that they did get involved and did break up the assault. They say the suspect left the mall too quickly for them to grab her.

He thought it was his headset or maybe fluid buildup from a cold. His doctor said no.

It was a condition of the hearing nerve suddenly not working for unexplainable reasons.

Paul took steroid pills and injections in the ear, but after several months, he realized it wasn’t going to work. He had to adjust where he sat in meetings and put people on his hearing side when walking alongside them.

But some situations weren’t easily rearranged.

“I coached my daughter’s softball team and I was the first base coach, and there’s no getting around your runner’s going to be on your right side,” says Paul.

Through his work in medical devices, he came across a website by accident for this new kind of hearing device that uses the teeth for hearing.

He immediately called the company and the doctors once the device became FDA approved last fall. He got his in December.

Sound waves are picked up by a microphone in the bad ear. The signals are sent wirelessly to a device in the mouth. The sound vibrations are then sent through the bone and are sensed by the good hearing nerve on the other side.

The vibrations aren’t felt, but the device is.

“I’ve never worn dentures or braces, but I’m sure it’s a very similar type transition,” he says.

And the battery has to be recharged every night.

“So, you have to get very creative in managing your day, so that you can choose the seven hours a day you can hear,” he points out.

Other options involve surgery and a permanent implant into the bone. The advantage to this one is its convenience — it simply snaps on your teeth.

To be a good candidate, you have to be at least 18 and have normal hearing in the other ear and healthy teeth.

AGH has only had three patients take on the $6,800 device. They admit insurance coverage has been inconsistent.

“The company is really sorting out the nuances of the manufacturing process,” says neuro-otologist Dr. Todd Hillman.

All worth it to Paul.

“You have to go into it with an open mind, that it’s not going to be perfect,” he said. “It’s not quite as good as hearing, but it’s pretty close.”

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Are student-athletes switching schools for academic, or athletic, reasons?

Every morning at 6:15, Ryan Skovranko waits at a gas station in Duquesne for a school bus and the hour-long trip to Midland, Beaver County.

He’s a student at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, but he isn’t a dancer, musician or interested in the theater.

Skovranko is pursuing a health and science major with the goal of becoming a sports trainer.

His main extra-curricular activity is starring on the basketball team.

However, his mother is adamant that’s not why he transferred from the West Mifflin School District.

“He liked everything they offered. We decided to apply and luckily he was accepted and he loves it there and it was one of the best decisions we ever made for him,” Christine Skovranko said.

Just five years in existence, the Lincoln Park basketball team has become a powerhouse through transfer students like Skovranko, who critics say are going to the school for non-academic reasons.

So far, 27 student-basketball players have transferred from their home school districts to Lincoln Park, which has caused consternation among athletic directors throughout the region.

Districts have contested eight transfers and the WPIAL review committee denied four, including Skovranko’s.

However, all but one of those decisions were overturned by the Pennsylvania Athletic Board, which allowed the transfers.

In fact, over the past few years, 90 percent of the student-athlete transfers denied by WPIAL have been overturned by the PIAA.

WPIAL Executive Director Tim O’Malley said the state is no longer enforcing its rule against non-academic transfers.

“It’s your rule and if you’re not going to enforce your own rule, then throw it out,” O’Malley said.

After the WPIAL board denied the transfer of star player B.J. Lipke from the Cornell School District to Lincoln Park, the state allowed it, ruling Lipke hadn’t transferred just to play basketball. Cornell Athletic Director Bill Sacco called the state hearing a farce.

“I’m not sure what that hearing does except make you travel halfway across the state for no reason because you already know what the answer is going to be,” Sacco said.

The WPIAL would like rules against non-academic transfers to be tightened, mandating that transfers play at the junior varsity level for their first year at the new school.

Just a few weeks ago, the state board rejected that rule change, saying transfers will be eligible to play varsity ball.

WPIAL vows to keep fighting, even if that fight is an uphill one.

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When it comes to the new offense that Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley is trying to install, Jerricho said Ben Roethlisberger was accurate in saying that it’s about 90 percent different from what they were used to under Bruce Arians.  Jerricho also gave us some insight in what we may see different in this new playbook.

Despite Ben speaking publicly about the playbook, Jerricho told us that Ben is a pro and he’ll be ready to lead the team when it’s time to take the field.

We also got Jerricho to weigh in on the passing of Junior Seau and the Saints bounty situation.

KDKA-TV has learned the barn along Possum Hollow Road in North Huntingdon was hit by lightning just before 5:30 p.m.

Firefighters had trouble finding the building because it is in a remote area.

No word of any injuries at this point.

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If that’s not bad enough, 80 percent of the people who have it don’t know it.

In some cases, that’s because they don’t want to go through one of those awkward, uncomfortable sleep studies in a lab somewhere.

However, there is actually a test you can take at home.

Bob Whittington fixes things for a living, but what really needed to be fixed is his sleeping.

“She would notice I was not breathing at all. And then I was very tired every day, And I’ve been waking up, Something has been making me jump, and I’ve been waking up and night. And that’s been going on for a while,” Whittington said.

He did two sleep studies in a lab. He had to go to the hospital, get hooked up to wires, and sleep overnight under the watchful eye of some technicians and a video camera.

“I knew they’d be watching, I was nervous going in and it’s just not an environment for me. And I never slept. They asked me to leave at 5 a.m. because they had no information they could use,” Whittington said. “I need darkness, I need quiet, I need my own environment.”

A new sleep doctor offered Whittington another option in the form of a sleep study he could do at home.

“They’re going to get a night of sleep pretty much like they would at home. They’re lightweight and they have a little less anxiety about undergoing the study,” Allegheny General Hospital Sleep Specialist Dr. Daniel Shade said.

“There [were] just three self-adhesive tabs, we just pulled the backing off, and it stuck to your forehead,” Whittington said.

The home sleep tests measure the level of oxygen in your bloodstream, air flow through your nose, snoring levels and head movement. Some versions also measure brain waves and muscle movement.

Even though the setting was more comfortable, Whittington still had concerns.

“I was worried I would knock it off. I’m a very restless sleeper,” Whittington said. “I was nervous, but I was willing to try it because I know I can’t sleep in the hospitals. I can’t do it.”

As it turns out, it was quite simple.

“I fell asleep. I slept with it with no problem,” Whittington said.

When the nose piece got knocked out of place, an alarm sounded.

“I got up, I fixed it and I went right back to sleep,” Whittington said.

He was able to complete a night’s recording and he drove back to the hospital to drop off the gear.

“They said they got good information from it,” Whittington said.

However, is it really as good as a study in the lab?

“It’s close. It’s not as good,” Dr. Shade said. “There is some data loss to these units, because you don’t have a technician there at night, so if it does fall off, or doesn’t record, you’ve lost a night of data.”

Whittington’s home test showed he does have sleep apnea and now he has to go in to be fitted for CPAP, which is a type of mask with pressurized air to be worn at night

Whatever the result, Whittington said doing the study at home was far better than going to the lab.

“It was one of the most comfortable things I’ve done,” Whittington said.

The test is designed for someone who has all the signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, which is a problem where too much tissue blocks the airway.

That causes the person to snores, or even stops breathing.

It’s not for someone with other medical problems, such as heart failure, or issues with the nerves and muscles.

Also, it’s not meant to diagnose other kinds of sleep problems like narcolepsy or certain types of movement disorders that interfere with sleep.

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It happened near the intersection of Fifth Street and 12th Avenue in New Brighton Monday night.

Jamison Ahmed was riding his friend, Xavier Reynolds down a steep hill. Reynolds was standing on two blue pegs attached to the rear wheel of the bike.

They couldn’t stop.

“We didn’t have [any] brakes,” Ahmed said.

A sedan pulled out in front of them. Xavier went flying past Jameson and was catapulted over the car, landing on pavement, suffering a concussion.

Jamison had a scrape on his back.

“And I know that God had his angels protecting both of them because we could have been burying two 9-year-olds,” April Ahmed, Jamison’s mother, said.

Xavier remains in critical condition at Children’s Hospital.

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A rat was spotted scurrying across the floor of the sheriff’s office a couple of weeks ago. More have frequently been spotted in other basement offices.

A county judge reportedly saw one on a staircase.

Employees also say they’ve seen snakes outside of the public defender’s office.

The pests are believed to be due to a window replacement project currently underway.

Fayette county commissioners did not return calls seeking comment.

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Oxford Development, the owner of that building, has promised a major announcement on Thursday.

It’s good news, say local officials.

“We’ve really been fighting this exodus, if you will, from downtown Pittsburgh and from the region, and now that’s reversing,” Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald told KDKA Money Editor Jon Delano.

Oxford won’t talk about their plans, but downtown real estate experts like Ed Lawrence from Colliers International say Pittsburgh needs more top-of-the-line Class A office space.

“The market, as far as office space particularly Class A, is as tight as it’s been in 20 years. It’s very difficult to find large contiguous blocks in downtown.”

Part of the shortage is because some office buildings, like the old State Office Building, are being converted to residential, another sign of downtown growth.

Oxford Development seems poised to take advantage of this.

Real estate experts say that for Oxford to replace this building on Smithfield with a 600,000 square foot building you really need a major tenant.

And in this era of Marcellus shale, that tenant could be someone like Chevron, Shell or another energy producer.

From Market Square to Fifth and Forbes, the perception is changing, says Lawrence.

“It’s amazing the turnaround and renovation that is taking place in that part of town.”

There certainly is an excitement about all this downtown development, and most of this is driven by private sector demand – not the government.

The biggest barrier for locating downtown is parking — and bus service cuts won’t help that — but the new T to North Shore garages has compensated somewhat.

While a major tenant would allow Oxford Development to build a new skyscraper, it’s also possible it will simply renovate the current building.

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(mpopchock@kdka.com)

Because of rain in the area, Seneca Valley, which led Pittsburgh Central Catholic 2-0 in the bottom of the third Monday night, was forced to resume its WPIAL Class AAAA Semifinal game against the Vikings at Upper St. Clair High School Tuesday at 4:00 P.M.

We’ll let you know later which of those teams will face Mount Lebanon in the Quad-A final next week, as the Blue Devils edged North Allegheny 3-2 in the other semifinal last night.

Meanwhile, the other WPIAL Baseball Finals have been set. Here’s who you’ll see at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington next week:

In Class AAA, the pitchers’ duel we expected between Thomas Jefferson and Blackhawk lived up to, and maybe even surpassed, expectations. Pitt recruit Greg Schneider matched Brendan McKay’s nine innings of work, but it was McKay’s top-seeded Cougars who scratched out a 1-0 win in extras at North Allegheny High School, despite 15 strikeouts apiece from both starters. They’ll take on Belle Vernon, which held off Hopewell, 9-8, at Washington & Jefferson College.

In Class AA, style points didn’t matter for Ellwood City, which out-slugged South Fayette 14-11 at North Allegheny Monday. The Wolverines, who also earned a No. 1 seed this year, will play defending WPIAL champion Riverside for their first district title since 2003. The Panthers got more clutch pitching, this time from Rob Hardy, in a 2-1 decision over Shady Side Academy at the Burkett Complex in Robinson Township.

In Class A, the table is set for a WPIAL championship affair that should be as fun to watch as any of the four. Top seed Neshannock will get a chance to go back-to-back against California, which may be the only team capable of ending the Lancers’ 18-game win streak. Neshannock pounded Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 6-1, at Chippewa Park, thanks to three RBI from district batting champion John Sansone. The Trojans pitched their way into the final round, though they needed nine innings to slip past Bentworth, 2-1, at Washington & Jefferson College Monday evening.

Once again, check back later for more on the Seneca Valley-Central Catholic contest, and an update on the WPIAL Softball Semifinals as well.

(Follow me on Twitter @mpopchock.)

(mpopchock@kdka.com)

Before you watch KDKA-TV investigative reporter Andy Sheehan further scrutinize the dominance of the basketball program at Lincoln Park more closely, there are a few things you need to know.

You need to know that the Leopards are coming off a WPIAL championship and PIAA Class A Final berth, and they’ve been one of the most consistent programs in western Pennsylvania thanks to some key players who have transferred, such as Temple recruit and outgoing senior Devontae Watson.

You need to know that some other athletic directors speculate Lincoln Park has pirated top basketball players from their school districts, and that transferring for athletic intent normally flies in the face of WPIAL and PIAA by-laws.

You need to know that more athletes plan to transfer to Lincoln Park in the foreseeable future even as some non-athletes have unsuccessfully tried to gain acceptance to the performing arts charter school.

But there’s something else you need to know:

There’s no proof Lincoln Park has done anything wrong.

Here is the initial report filed by Sheehan during Monday evening’s newscast:

“Well you can only conjecture that some of them aren’t down there just to dance. That’s for sure,” Cornell head basketball coach and athletic director Bill Sacco said.

On the other hand, some of them are, among other things.

To underscore one of the points Sheehan made, the school offers courses of study in theatre, medicine, music, liberal arts, and more. It offers pre-K, special ed, and many of the things your own school district might offer. These kids put on elaborate plays, and some of them have even gone of to perform elsewhere in Pittsburgh. They win scholarships to prestigious schools like the Berklee College of Music. They sent a girl to try out for “American Idol.” It’s not as though the school was created purely for athletic intent.

It’s not as though the school is hoarding college basketball prospects, either. That is not to say that some of Lincoln Park’s recent players, including the transfer students, couldn’t play ball at the next level, but Watson was the first Division I scholarship awardee in school history.

The Lipke case is unique. Yes, it’s been a sensitive issue among players for Cornell and Lincoln Park, and yes, he was a factor in helping the Leopards defeat the Raiders twice in the regular season to help Lincoln Park win the A-Sec. 1 title. However, in the WPIAL Class A Final rematch, he played sparingly off the bench and scored two points, so to imply he was integral to that victory is to simply ignore the facts.

Lipke, another outgoing senior, lives in the Cornell School District and was permitted to play for its now-defunct football program because Lincoln Park does not have one. His decision to shoot hoops for the Leopards instead took advantage of the WPIAL’s admittedly loose rules governing charter schools. Still, his decision was within those rules.

Quoting Monday’s story, it’s one of eight transfer cases that has been challenged by rival districts in the past five years. Sacco, a great basketball coach who’s been around long enough to have mentored future NCAA champion John Callipari, should know by now there are reasons for that.

Number one, the WPIAL and PIAA are rarely on the same page when it comes to these cases.

Number two…everybody say it with me…

There’s no proof.

Why would there be? Again, Lipke didn’t break any rules.

Ron Sofo of Freedom, as you know, unsuccessfully challenged the case of Lipke’s teammate, freshman guard Antonio Kellem, who became an impact player for Lincoln Park after transferring from Sofo’s district. Sofo, in his own defense, probably knows a great deal about how charter schools operate, since he’s leaving Freedom to join the board of directors for one next month.

Anyway, as a coach, why would you want to hang onto a player who openly expresses a desire to play somewhere else? Commitment and chemistry are necessary ingredients for championships, just as necessary as raw skill. Give me a two- or three-star recruit who wants to play for me over a four- or five-star recruit who doesn’t any day of the week.

Freedom hasn’t found much recent success in the gym, but it’s not like Cornell’s varsity squad has been gloriously absent of skill without Lipke. The Raiders did reach the Palumbo Center, after all, which entered them into the PIAA tournament regardless of their loss to Lincoln Park, and they made the playoffs the previous season, losing their opener to Clairton.

In addition, the Leopards don’t go 30-0 every year. Rochester won their section in 2010-11, and in 2011-12 the highest-scoring team in WPIAL Class A during the regular season was Vincentian Academy–a team that, like Sewickley Academy, previously beat Lincoln Park for WPIAL gold, despite facing some of the same matchup problems Cornell faced this past season. Lincoln Park’s championship this year was its first.

I don’t deny that a number of high schools surreptitiously cheat on some level. But these transfer cases are not open to the media, and the WPIAL tends to remain mum on the facts of each one. We don’t know every single piece of evidence presented.

Besides, in these parts, Lincoln Park, a tuition-free charter school that has excelled in basketball, is the exception, not the norm. The suspicion harbored by some of these athletic directors should perhaps be redirected east.

I don’t know everything there is to know about the vast difference in population density and how it affects where certain kids play, but I do know the charter school system has expanded at a rapid rate in the greater Philadelphia area, and I know those schools have dominated WPIAL participants in the state basketball championships the past few years.

Hmm…

In the meantime, do the right thing, WPIAL basketball program officials. Promote the existing skills of existing players. Point your finger at them, not at everyone else. Make the best of your own gifts as an educator, and coach them up until they get better.

It’s an art, not a science.

(Follow me on Twitter @mpopchock.)