PITTSBURGH — Allegheny County's newly sworn-in chief executive is telling residents to ignore the court-ordered property reassessment values that doubled or even quadrupled the taxable value of some homes, sparking a public outcry.

Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald said Thursday taxing bodies will instead use the old values, which were determined in 2002.

The state Supreme Court ordered the reassessments in response to lawsuits claiming some high-value properties were under taxed, leaving poorer property owners with an unfair tax burden.

PHILADELPHIA — A Western Pennsylvania rapper is suing Wiz Khalifa over allegations the hip hop star stole the hit song “Black and Yellow.”Pittsburgh-based performer Max Warren performs under the stage name Maxamillion. His copyright infringement lawsuit names Khalifa, whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, and several others.Warren is seeking at least $2.3 million in damages. He claims Khalifa's chart-topper “Black and Yellow” was lifted from his own song “Pink N Yellow.”

EBENSBURG — A man had his mouth taped shut by sheriff's deputies after repeatedly disrupting a court hearing by saying his free speech rights were being violated.A Cambria County judge ordered Erik Britt's mouth taped shut Thursday after he repeatedly disrupted jury selection for his trial on charges he assaulted a prison guard.The judge eventually stopped the hearing because Britt continued to be unruly even after being gagged and having his hands cuffed to his waist.

KING OF PRUSSIA — An art gallery owner says the fake grenade that caused a scare at a suburban Philadelphia mall was actually a novelty paperweight stolen from his store.Farahmand Kalayeh said Thursday that mall surveillance video might have recorded the shoplifters at his gallery called Nestology.The Court at King of Prussia was partially evacuated for a few hours Wednesday when a mall security guard noticed a suspicious device in a planter. Police later described the item as a hollowed-out grenade, similar to those used in training exercises.

PITTSBURGH — Western Pennsylvania’s federal prosecutor has set up a hot line where tipsters can report suspected abuse or corruption involving public education funds.U.S. Attorney David Hickton says eliminating school fraud is a Justice Department priority because corruption undermines confidence in public education.Hickton is looking to prosecute the misuse of federal education funds, bidding corruption, embezzlement, and kickbacks or other collusion with outside vendors.People calling the hot line at 412-894-7515 can remain anonymous.