Connect with us

Pittsburg, PA

Missing University of Pittsburgh student was last on beach with people she met on trip, authorities say

Published

on

Missing University of Pittsburgh student was last on beach with people she met on trip, authorities say


As the nearly weeklong search for the University of Pittsburgh student who vanished while on spring break in the Dominican Republic continues, Virginia authorities said she was last seen on the beach with people she met during her trip.

The frantic search for the 20-year-old junior Sudiksha Konanki entered its fifth day Tuesday.

Dominican Republic National Police said late Monday they are expanding the search by re-interviewing the last people who interacted with Konanki, her friends and hotel staff. They are also expanding surveys of surveillance footage.

The biology student had traveled to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, with five friends from college on March 3. 

Advertisement
Sudiksha Konanki.via Instagram

Konanki was last with people not part of her college friend group

The college student disappeared after 4:15 a.m. March 6 after she and her friends were seen on video surveillance entering the beach area of the RIU Republic Resort, where they were staying, Dominican Republic National Police said.

Her friends returned to the hotel, but Konanki didn’t, Loudoun County Sheriff Michael Chapman said.

Konanki stayed on the beach with other people who were not from the University of Pittsburgh that she had met while on the trip, the sheriff told NBC Washington on Monday. Dominican authorities are talking to those people, he said.

Dominican police said Monday that they were also interviewing a man who was at the beach around the same time and were trying to corroborate his story.

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said in a news conference Monday that one of the last people who had contact with Konanki reported “that a wave hit them while they were on the beach and caused some kind of situation,” citing local reports.

Advertisement

“We are investigating to clarify exactly what happened,” Abinder said, expressing sympathy for Konanki’s family.

There were no signs of blood or aggression found at the beach, DR National Police PIO Diego Pesqueira said.

Police had a team on the beach overnight on at least two occasions watching how the water moves to see where a body would drift if someone drowned. They were also looking to see where the waves crash.  

Konanki’s friends went on an excursion March 6 and didn’t realize she was missing until about 4 p.m. that day, Pesqueira said.

The RIU Hotel said there was an electrical issue at the resort where Konanki was staying that started at 1 a.m. March 5 and was resolved by 3 a.m. March 6. The hotel also said access to the beach is always open and security guards are stationed around the hotel and area. 

Advertisement

The investigation: A search by land and sea, and combing through phone records

Konanki is a citizen of India but a permanent resident of the U.S. from Chantilly, Virginia, according to the sheriff’s office. Chapman said she was reported missing to the office early Thursday evening.

The investigation is being led by Dominican police, the Dominican Republic’s Attorney General’s Office, the FBI and U.S. embassy liaison. The search includes search and rescue, the Dominican Navy, helicopters, boats and drones and K-9 officers.  

Chapman said officials are also looking into Konanki’s phone and texts.

“We’re not ruling anything in or ruling anything out just yet,” he said.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said it filed for a yellow notice — a worldwide police alert for a missing person — to be issued by INTERPOL. 

Advertisement

“If she travels to another country or whatever, we’ll be alerted on that. We are going on the presumption that she’s still alive,” Chapman said. “We want to make sure that we’re exhausting every possible lead that we can and we feel we’re doing that.”

‘She was a brilliant student’

Shekar Pendem, a neighbor and family friend of Konanki’s family, described her as a kind and smart woman in the close-knit community. 

“She was a brilliant student. She went to one of the great schools,” Pendem said. He lived next to the Konanki family for more than 10 years, and said she has two younger siblings, who are twins. 

“It’s already going on four days, and the family is so sad,” he said. “They should expand the search beyond just the resort area to the city and town, and hopefully that may give some clue. We are really hoping for her to return.”





Source link

Advertisement

Pittsburg, PA

Written off in Pittsburgh: 5 former Steelers looking for redemption in UFL

Published

on

Written off in Pittsburgh: 5 former Steelers looking for redemption in UFL


Spring football may not carry the same weight as the NFL, but it still offers an opportunity for everyone involved. Fans can satisfy the urge to watch the game they love, while players in the United Football League work to earn another shot at the NFL. No one should expect top-tier play from these teams, but the UFL can still deliver compelling storylines.

Several recognizable names will take the field this spring, including personnel with ties to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

One reason or another, things didn’t work out between the Steelers and these members of the UFL, and that’s why they are attempting a comeback. Pittsburgh either cut them or let them go, and few have heard much from these former members of the Steelers since. The United Football League will see them be thrust back into the spotlight in hopes of landing a shot in an NFL training camp.

Advertisement

Fans will witness several Ex-Pittsburgh Steelers making a comeback in the UFL

Benny Snell Jr., RB, Louisville Kings

The name Benny Snell Jr. has disappeared from football conversations in Pittsburgh since he left the team in 2022. A fourth‑round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Snell never fully found his footing with the Steelers. He was known as a tough, physical runner who could contribute on special teams, but his role in the NFL rarely extended beyond that.

Advertisement

Snell struggled to make a lasting impact in Pittsburgh, and the UFL now offers him a chance to rebuild his reputation and revive his professional prospects.

Todd Haley, OC, Columbus Aviators

It has been nearly a decade since Todd Haley left the Steelers after his stint as offensive coordinator. His last NFL role came in 2018 with the Browns, and since then, his coaching career has taken a winding path that has included high school football and spring league opportunities. Haley’s role with the Aviators could provide him with a chance to re-enter the NFL coaching conversation.

Anthony McFarland Jr., RB, Birmingham Stallions

Advertisement

Many had high expectations for Anthony McFarland Jr. when the Steelers selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. His speed stood out immediately, but he struggled to develop into a complete running back. McFarland now enters his second season in the UFL after a solid stretch of production in 2025. He will need to take the next step and show more consistency this spring.

Tre Norwood, S, Birmingham Stallions

Another United Football League veteran with ties to Pittsburgh is Tre Norwood.

Advertisement

A seventh-round pick by the Steelers in the 2021 NFL Draft, Norwood used his positional flexibility to carve out a role early in his career. He now enters his second season with the Stallions after posting modest production last year. If the versatile defensive back hopes to earn another opportunity in the NFL, he will need to make a stronger impact in 2026, particularly by creating turnovers.

Roc Taylor, WR, Columbus Aviators

Fans were hopeful for Roc Taylor after he signed with the Steelers last year as an undrafted free agent. The wide receiver group on the roster lacked depth at the time, but Taylor was unable to make it through training camp. Despite that setback, his talent remains evident, and the UFL may represent his best path forward. Taylor has a valuable opportunity in front of him to take advantage of.



Source link

Continue Reading

Pittsburg, PA

Get PFL Pittsburgh results for the Eblen vs. Battle event Saturday night.

Published

on

Get PFL Pittsburgh results for the Eblen vs. Battle event Saturday night.


MMA Fighting has PFL Pittsburgh results for the Eblen vs. Battle fight card and more from UPMC Events Center in Pittsburgh on Saturday night.

In the main event, former Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen tries to earn another title shot with a win over Bryan Battle, who makes his PFL debut. Eblen (16-1) suffered his first career loss against Costello van Steenis in a PFL title bout in his most recent outing.

Dalton Rosta and Impa Kasanganay clash in a middleweight contest in the co-main event.

Check out PFL Pittsburgh results below.

Advertisement

Main Card (ESPN2 at 10 p.m. ET)

Johnny Eblen vs. Bryan Battle

Dalton Rosta vs. Impa Kasanganay

Ariane Lipski da Silva vs. Sumiko Inaba

Alexei Pergande vs. Julio Arce

Advertisement

Lazaro Dayron vs. Jacob Thrall

Prelims (ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET)

Allan Begosso vs. Jack Cartwright

Natan Schulte vs. Jakub Kaszuba

Robert Watley vs. Dakota Bush

Advertisement

Ernesto Rodriguez vs. Masayuki Kikuiri

Tatiana Postarnakova vs. Elora Dana

Josh Fremd vs. Jarrah Al Salawi

Ethan Goss vs. Fred Dupras



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Pittsburg, PA

Pittsburgh has rainiest March in nearly 60 years as flooding causes issues across area

Published

on

Pittsburgh has rainiest March in nearly 60 years as flooding causes issues across area


Several areas across western Pennsylvania were hit by flooding as overnight rainfall pushed Pittsburgh past a nearly 60-year-old record.

Pittsburgh has recorded 6.18 inches of rain in March, breaking the record of 6.10 inches, which was set in 1967. The rain caused issues in several communities on Friday, including some in Washington and Westmoreland counties. 

Major road flooded in Washington County 

Communities across Washington County spent Friday cleaning up after flooding from Thursday night’s storms. 

Roads were closed, and ballfields were wrecked because of the rain. Ponds that aren’t supposed to be there could be found all over the county.

Advertisement

“As long as it rains and the creek is flooded, then the road is flooded,” Ruth Mahoney, the owner of The Glass Place in Cecil Township, said.

Georgetown Road in Cecil Township turned into a lake at the bottom of a hill and underpass. Dispatchers said the driver of a car stuck in the water didn’t have to be rescued or taken to the hospital. The flooding ties up the area as the road connects Interstate 79 to Route 19.

“It’s a main artery,” Mahoney said. “Tons of cars come down here every day.”

North Strabane Township saw more of the same. The Lindenwood Golf Club had some new water hazards on the course on Friday. As the water receded into the Linden Creek, a mess was left behind. 

It was the same story in Houston.

Advertisement

“When I looked out the window, I was like, ‘woah.’ It’s just rising fast,” said Rogelio Esteris. “My daughter was here playing baseball yesterday because she’s on the softball team and now the field is ruined.”

South Strabane Township had a landslide on Locust Road as well. Mother Nature didn’t take it easy on Washington County. Mahoney said it’s affecting her business. 

“When people call, they want to know how to get here,” she said. “You have to tell them, you can’t come because it’s closed today or there’s a backroad, but they don’t understand how to come on the backroad.”

Mahoney said the water should take about a day to recede. Officers told KDKA the car would have to wait to be towed until the water goes down.

Loyalhanna Creek rises, flooding yards 

As dawn broke on Friday morning and the rain from the previous night began to cease, some residents of Westmoreland County who live close to the Loyalhanna Creek saw flooding around their homes and along their local roads. 

Advertisement

Paul Faust, who lives in the Darlington area of Ligonier Township, has a small tributary to the Loyalhanna Creek in his backyard, but on Friday, that run was acting less like a stream and more like a moat.

“I was up probably about 5 a.m., and it was high,” Faust said. “But it wasn’t over the bank like this and then the next following two hours it started going up. But that is always how it is after it rains.”

Faust says that he and his wife have a system for when their area floods, including tying down outdoor furniture and moving their cars to the top of their driveway.

Many people that KDKA spoke with in Ligonier Township on Friday who live in low-lying areas said they are used to this type of thing and while this flash flood was unexpected, it was not out of the ordinary.

Some water had already begun to recede by Friday afternoon, but Ligonier Valley Police Chief Michael Matrunics still wanted to urge caution, especially for people driving on side roads that may still be flooded around the township.

Advertisement

“It might not look it, but it could be deeper than you expect,” Matrunics said. “And keep in mind, if you go past signs that are posted here, you could be cited for that. Also, if emergency services have to come out and rescue you or tow companies, you’re responsible for the cost. And your safety. Let’s put that at number one. So don’t drive through standing water on these bad weather dates.”



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending