2017 Pittsburgh News Year In Review
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) – It's hard to believe, but 2017 is nearly over.
Before we turn the calendar to 2018, let's take a look back at some of the biggest stories in Pittsburgh over the past year.
JANUARY:
Photo Credit: KDKA
Pittsburgh Boil Water Advisory
More than 100,000 Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority customers were placed under an emergency Flush and Boil Water Advisory on Jan. 31 when low levels of chlorine were discovered near the Highland Park water filtration plant. No illnesses were ever reported due to the issues, but the advisory inconvenienced many city neighborhoods for days, and was the beginning of a year of issues for the PWSA.
FULL STORY: Boil Water Advisory Issued For Thousands Of PWSA Users
(Jan. 31, 2017)
In other news this month:
FEBRUARY:
Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Police
Dakota James
In February, the desperate search for missing Duquesne University grad student, Dakota James, intensified. The 23-year-old North Side resident disappeared last winter while walking through Downtown Pittsburgh. Search crews combed the area for weeks before his body was found in March in the Ohio River, near Neville Island.
FULL STORY: 'Someone Knows Where My Son Is': Desperate Family Continues Search For Missing Student (Feb. 4, 2017)
In other news this month:
- High Lead Levels Still Present In Butler Co. School's Water (Feb. 3)
- Penn State Student Dies After Sustaining Injuries In Fraternity House Incident (Feb. 5)
- High Winds Topple Hays Bald Eagle Nest (Feb. 12)
- Somali Bantu Community Asking For Public's Help After Cab Driver Nearly Beaten To Death (Feb. 23)
MARCH:
Photo Credit: Facebook
Bentley Miller
On March 27, 20-year-old Keith Jordan Lambing was charged with homicide in the horrific murder of his girlfriend's 4-year-old son, Bentley Miller. The child had been beaten, burned and ultimately bled to death. Lambing's mother was also arrested and charged in the case.
FULL STORY: Butler Co. Officials Investigating 4-Year-Old Boy's Death As 'Suspicious' (March 21, 2017)
In other news this month:
- PETA Files Complaint Against Pitt Research Lab, Set To Release Undercover Video (March 8)
- Medical Examiner Identifies Girl, 3, Killed In Mt. Washington Shooting (March 13)
- Flights Scrapped, Schools Closed As Nor'easter Lashes Region (March 14)
- Mom Found Guilty But Mentally Ill In Child Bathtub Drownings (March 16)
- Moon Twp. Rocked By Explosion, House Leveled (March 23)
- Penn Hills H.S. Student Gunned Down Outside Middle School (March 28)
- Westinghouse Files For Chapter 11, Says Employees Will Be Okay (March 29)
APRIL:
Photo Credit: NewsChopper 2/KDKA
Dan Rooney Dies
On April 13, all of Pittsburgh and Steelers Nation mourned. Beloved Pittsburgh Steelers Chairman and former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney passed away at the age of 84. Steelers' QB Ben Roethlisberger remembered Rooney as a "father figure." The funeral on April 18 was attended by thousands, including former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden.
FULL STORY: Pittsburgh Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney Dies At Age 84 (April 13, 2017)
In other news this month:
- Pittsburgh Businessman, Philanthropist Henry L. Hillman Dies At 98 (April 14)
- Police: Cleveland Facebook Murder Suspect Kills Self In Erie (April 18)
- Survivalist Eric Frein Convicted In Deadly Pa. Trooper Ambush (April 19)
- 'Lowest Thing I've Seen': Mayoral Race Takes Nasty Turn Over Homeless Camp (April 28)
MAY:
Photo Credit: KDKA
Midtown Towers Fire
A 75-year-old woman, Mary Robinson, was killed when a seven-alarm fire broke out around 3 a.m. on May 15 in Midtown Towers, a downtown apartment building. Two other residents and three firefighters were also injured in the massive blaze. It was later determined that Robinson was likely smoking in or near her bed and caused the fire. Fire officials also said they believe the fire would have been contained if the building had a working sprinkler system.
FULL STORY: 75-Year-Old Woman Killed, Firefighters Injured In Midtown Towers Fire Downtown (May 15, 2017)
In other news this month:
- NWS Confirms EF-0 Tornado In Butler County (May 2)
- Chicken And Egg Rescued From McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge (May 2)
- Police Investigating Alleged Officer-Involved Altercation After Video Surfaces (May 7)
- Woman Dead, One Missing After Ohio River Kayak Accident (May 20)
- Police: 22 People Killed In Blast At Ariana Grande Concert In England (May 22)
- Jury Of 12 Seated For Bill Cosby Sex Assault Case (May 24)
JUNE:
Photo Credit: KDKA
Peduto Vs. Trump Climate Fight
President Donald Trump made headlines on June 1 when he announced the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, but his speech got some special attention in Pittsburgh after he said, "I was elected to represent Pittsburgh, not Paris." Mayor Bill Peduto immediately took to Twitter to criticize the president's decision and later released a statement saying, "I'm appalled that the President used my city to justify his unacceptable decision, as most other Pittsburghers are."
FULL STORY: President Singles Out Pittsburgh In Withdraw Speech, Mayor Says City Will 'Follow Guidelines Of Paris Agreement' (June 1, 2017)
MORE: Pittsburgh Mayor Issues Executive Order In Response To Trump's Paris Climate Decision (June 2, 2017)
In other news this month:
- Jury Deadlocks In Cosby Trial; Mistrial Declared (June 17)
- Man Charged In Missing Woman's Death, Body Not Yet Found (June 11)
- Rifle-Wielding Gunman Wounds Lawmaker, Then Killed By Police (June 14)
- Crews Sent Out For Rescues, Car Fire In Severe Flooding (June 16)
- 3 Western Pa. Businesses Receive Medical Marijuana Permits (June 20)
- Mysterious Footprints On Pa. Property Lead Couple To Call 'Godfather' Of Bigfoot Hunters (June 27)
- Police: Newborn Baby On Life Support After Mother, Just Out Of Prison, Overdoses On Heroin (June 28)
- MLB Umpire Saves Woman On Clemente Bridge: 'I'm Glad I Was In The Right Place At The Right Time' (June 28)
JULY:
Photo Credit: KDKA Viewer Jared Barton
Washington County Building Collapse
Megan Angelone was trapped in a partially collapsed building for nearly ten hours on July 12 before she was finally rescued. A refrigerator was the only thing keeping two floors of the building from crushing her. According to lawyers for the building's owners, the weight of water pooling on the building's roof caused the collapse.
FULL STORY: After Nearly 10 Hours, Woman Rescued From Partial Building Collapse In Washington Co. (July 12, 2017)
In other news this month:
- Woman Sets Boyfriend On Fire, Uses Urine To Put Out Flames (July 10)
- State Police Cruiser Collides With Garbage Truck, Trooper Killed (July 14)
- George A. Romero, Father Of The Zombie Film, Dead At 77 (July 16)
- Trump Holds Campaign Rally In Working-Class Youngstown, Talks Health Care (July 25)
- 1 Dead, 7 Others Hurt In Ride Malfunction At Ohio State Fair (July 26)
AUGUST:
Photo Credit: KDKA
Pittsburgh Zoo's Baby Elephant Dies
Animal lovers followed the Pittsburgh Zoo's updates on the condition of its baby elephant throughout the summer after it was born a month early on May 31. The elephant made its public debut on July 7, but she took a turn for the worse in August when she started teething, lost her appetite and stopped gaining weight. Zoo officials tried to feed her through a feeding tube, but on Aug. 30, they decided euthanizing her was the most humane thing to do.
FULL STORY: 'We Did Everything We Possibly Could': Pittsburgh Zoo's Baby Elephant Dies (Aug. 30, 2017)
In other news this month:
- Pennsylvania Town Evacuated After Train Derails, Catches Fire (Aug. 2)
- Contraptions Fly, Crash At Regatta's First Flugtag Competition (Aug. 5)
- Officials: White Nationalist Rally Linked To 3 Deaths (Aug. 12)
- Woodland Hills School Board Accepts Resignation Of Embattled Principal & Football Coach (Aug. 16)
- 'It's Amazing': Pittsburghers Awed By Rare Solar Eclipse (Aug. 21)
- Ohio Judge Shot In Front Of Courthouse; 1 Suspect Dead, 1 In Custody (Aug. 21)
- PWSA Issues Flush & Boil Advisory For 18,000 Customers (Aug. 28)
- Death Toll Surpasses 30 In Hurricane Harvey's Aftermath (Aug. 30)
SEPTEMBER:
Photo Credit: KDKA
Pittsburgh Pitches To Amazon
Amazon announced on Sept. 7 that they would spend more than $5 billion to build a second headquarters somewhere in North America, and Pittsburgh was one of many cities to quickly jump into the race. The city was buzzing with excitement over the proposal, especially when major publications like GeekWire.com and The Seattle Times listed Pittsburgh as a top choice for HQ2. The official pitch to Amazon was submitted in October, but we'll have to wait until sometime in 2018 to see where Amazon's HQ2 will call home.
FULL STORY: City Officials Will Bid To Bring Second Amazon Headquarters To Pittsburgh (Sept. 7, 2017)
In other news this month:
- United States To Phase Out Program For Young Immigrants (Sept. 5)
- 'It Was Howling, It Sounded Like It Was Alive': Pittsburgh Transplants Frightened By Irma's Fury (Sept. 11)
- Kennywood's Log Jammer Being Retired At End Of Season (Sept. 14)
- Puerto Rico Left Stunned By Hurricane Maria, Seeking To Rebuild (Sept. 21)
- Maine Sen. Collins Announces Opposition To Health Care Bill, Essentially Killing It (Sept. 25)
OCTOBER:
Photo Credit: Facebook
Pitt Student Murdered By Ex-Boyfriend
Alina Sheykhet, a 20-year-old Pitt student, was found dead in her Oakland home on Oct. 9. During the investigation, police found Sheykhet had a PFA against 19-year-old Matt Darby, her ex-boyfriend, and further investigation led them to charge Darby with criminal homicide. Darby was arrested in South Carolina on Oct. 11. He will appear in court for an unrelated rape case in January.
FULL STORY: Ex-Boyfriend Charged With Criminal Homicide In Pitt Student's Murder (Oct. 10, 2017)
In other news this month:
- Sheriff: More Than 50 Killed, 500-Plus Injured In Las Vegas Concert Shooting (Oct. 1)
- Report: Rep. Murphy Urged Mistress To Get Abortion During Pregnancy Scare (Oct. 3)
- Rep. Tim Murphy To Resign From Congress Amid Affair Scandal (Oct. 5)
- Animal Rescue Team Wrangles Wayward Deer Stuck In Highland Park Reservoir (Oct. 12)
- Greenfield Bridge Opens Early After All-Day Celebration (Oct. 14)
- Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Shares Sexual Assault Story As Part Of Growing 'MeToo' Conversation (Oct. 17)
- Police: Teacher Violently Assaulted After School, Hit With Brick To Face (Oct. 18)
- State Police: Suspect In Rape And Murder Of 13-Month-Old Girl Captured In Pittsburgh Area (Oct. 27)
NOVEMBER:
Photo Credit: Steven Matto
New Kensington Officer Killed
All of Pittsburgh joined the New Kensington community in mourning the death of 25-year-old New Kensington Police Officer Brian Shaw, who was fatally shot when a man tried to run after a traffic stop on Nov. 17. Police caught the alleged shooter, 29-year-old Rahmael Sal Holt, in Hazelwood on Nov. 21, just one day before Shaw's funeral.
FULL STORY: Thousands Line Streets To Honor Fallen New Kensington Officer (Nov. 22, 2017)
In other news this month:
DECEMBER:
Photo Source: STK
Women, Child Killed In Homewood South Fire
A fight at a club led to a house fire that killed two women and a 4-year-old girl in Homewood South on Dec. 20. The fire was ruled as arson the next day and Martell Smith, 41, and Tiasia Malloy, 26, were arrested and charged. A relative of the victims who also lived at the Homewood South home allegedly got into a fight with Smith at a club in Penn Hills, and Smith apparently started the fire in retaliation.
FULL STORY: 2 Adults, 1 Child Found Dead After Homewood South Fire (Dec. 20, 2017)
In other news this month:
- Former National Security Adviser Flynn Pleads Guilty To Lying To FBI (Dec. 1)
- Police: Drunk Patriots Fan Taunts Steelers Fans, Throws Rock Through Trolley Window, Lands In Jail (Dec. 19)
- GOP Tax Bill Clears Congress, President Trump Praises Overhaul (Dec. 20)
- Police: Man, Young Boy Killed In Shooting At Swissvale Home (Dec. 26)
- 2 Children Dead, Mother Injured In Armstrong County Fire (Dec. 28)
(TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
