Mary Ann Thomas stories, Page 32
Life jacket now required for paddlers, boaters on all Pennsylvania waters
It’s that time of year. Water temperatures plummet and because of the dangers of drowning, all paddlers and boaters must wear a life jacket now until April 30. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) says U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket are required at all times while underway or...
Ambridge Area School District closes Highland Elementary after covid-19 case
The Ambridge Area School District announced Sunday that it was closing its Highland Elementary School to students and staff on Monday. The district received confirmation that a staff member at Highland Elementary School in Harmony Township, Beaver County, tested positive for covid-19. Starting Monday, all classes will be conducted virtually...
Pittsburgh Public Schools closes Obama Academy after second staff covid-19 case
Pittsburgh Public Schools announced Sunday that it will close the Pittsburgh Obama Academy school in the city’s East Liberty neighborhood on Monday after a second staffer tested positive for covid-19. A staff member tested positive at the school last week, prompting the district to deep clean the facility on Friday....
Westmoreland County election employee tests positive for coronavirus
An employee of the Westmoreland County Election Bureau has tested positive for coronavirus, the county announced this weekend. The employee, who last worked in the election bureau office on Wednesday, is under quarantine, according to county officials. The county is using its emergency response plan to deal with the covid-19...
Nonprofit offers free fixings for 100 Thanksgiving dinners in Freeport area
The Feed Freeport effort rolled out during the pandemic will serve up fixings for 100 free Thanksgiving dinners to Freeport-area residents. The Dynamic Community Foundation, an offshoot of NextHome Dynamic Realty in Freeport, and a community activist, are rustling up 100 frozen turkeys (14 to 16 pounds), stuffing, mashed potatoes,...
Police: Carjacker in critical condition after head-on crash near the West End Circle
Details are pending on the condition of a man who police said carjacked a car that hit a dumpster truck head-on on West Carson Street near the West End Circle about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety. Authorities said the sedan was carjacked in Ingram and the carjacker,...
Candidates for president, vice president, their surrogates swarming across Pennsylvania
All four presidential and vice presidential candidates will fan out across Pennsylvania, a decisive battleground state, to make public appearances Monday, the last day of campaigning before Tuesday’s general election. The nominees’ surrogates will be visiting the state, too. The Trump family is swarming Pennsylvania, with President Trump having held...
Burrell gets training to better teach autistic students
Burrell School District has qualified for training from a state Department of Education program to bolster the effectiveness of its program for autistic students. Burrell will receive the free training and consulting from the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network’s Autism Initiative, the training arm of the state Department of...
Incumbent state Senator Brewster faces GOP challenge from Lower Burrell attorney
A Lower Burrell attorney is challenging a Democratic incumbent known for working both sides of the aisle in the 45th State Senate District, which includes parts of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties and stretches from McKeesport to the Alle-Kiski Valley. While both candidates assign importance to similar issues, like the economy,...
Upper Burrell man accused of pointing loaded AR-15 at woman
An Upper Burrell man is accused of pointing a loaded AR-15 rifle at a woman and pulling the trigger, but police said the weapon malfunctioned. Matthew Best, 32, of Upper Burrell, has been charged with aggravated assault, making terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person, loitering and prowling at night, and...
Wild turkey chase around Murrysville tree may look crazy, but it’s normal, expert saysVideo
At first glance, the three wild turkeys chasing one another around a tree in Murrysville look crazy, but what seems like silly play is really a struggle for dominance, according to a state turkey expert. PixCams captured the clip on a webcam trained on a field in Murrysville earlier this...
Burrell lands prestigious arts designation by state group
The Burrell School District was selected as one of 26 in the state as a Visual Arts Outstanding Community. The Pennsylvania Art Education Association bestows the recognition to highlight “exceptional schools that support their visual arts programs,” said Lisbeth M. Bucci, association president. “Burrell’s arts programs demonstrate rigor, using standards-based...
New tools are transforming breast cancer treatment in Pittsburgh
Lissa Yanak had been cancer-free for four years when doctors diagnosed her — again — with the same type of cancer. This time around, in early 2019, the triple negative breast cancer, spread to the lymph nodes above the collarbone. Yanak and her husband didn’t know what the future held,...
How a Kevin Bacon video (and other things) helped reporter survive breast cancer
I can’t really have breast cancer. That is the shock every woman goes through when hit with the diagnosis. Then comes the fear, the fight, the treatment, maybe more fear — all of which I knew about — but the post-cancer treatment, not so much. As a breast cancer survivor...
Burrell parents organize homecoming dance for high school students
As coronavirus-related restrictions limit large indoor gatherings, school districts are not offering all of the traditional events they normally would. So parents of Burrell High School students took matters into their own hands, organizing a homecoming dance Saturday evening in the ballroom of the Quality Inn in New Kensington. “When...
National Aviary’s new $4M Garden Room has bird-safe wall of glass overlooking parkVideo
The National Aviary has opened its $4 million Garden Room for special events with features such as fireplaces and a bird-safe glass wall that opens into Allegheny Commons Park. The nonprofit has been fundraising and planning for years to bring the dream of the room, kitchen and large entryway to...
Burrell staying with in-person learning for now as covid-19 cases increase in Westmoreland
Burrell School Board is monitoring Westmoreland County’s recent increase in covid-19 cases, but hasn’t decided whether it will make any changes to the way it’s delivering education to its students. Burrell students now have the option to go to school in-person or attend virtual classes. The percentage of students taking...
Pa. in peak season for number of ticks carrying Lyme disease
While most Lyme disease cases are confirmed in the summer, October and November are when the number of adult ticks carrying Lyme disease is highest and they are most active, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. “The adult ticks are emerging now and they are here to do...
Local projects awarded $2.7 million for coal-impacted towns, creating 272 new jobs and training 1,300 workers
A job training center in Armstrong County, an economic development group and a Pittsburgh health system were awarded $2.7 million in federal grants helping coal-impacted communities. Pennsylvania received $15 million in grants and had the most grant awards of any state, covering 15 projects, for the federal program Appalachian Regional...
Big game hunting: Are there hunters in your park?
It might be only three Sundays a year, but a new state law will kick in Nov. 15 allowing for the first big game Sunday for deer archery. Archery season for big game already is in progress in some parts of the state, among them Allegheny County and parts of...
Bear hunting season opens, emphasis in populated areasVideo
Black bear archery hunting season opens in the state Saturday, although in Allegheny County and small portions of Westmoreland and Washington counties, bear archery season already has started to cull bears living too close to populated areas, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. At least one black bear has been...
Nearly $100K in grants to benefit Buffalo Creek and sweet-singing bird that flocks there in spring
Nearly $100,000 in grant money has been awarded to support the Louisiana waterthrush and Buffalo Creek, which the migratory bird calls home for part of the year. The Louisiana waterthrush is known for being an indicator species for healthy streams and large forest tracks. The Pennsylvania Game Commission classifies the...
Lower Burrell police accuse Arnold man of driving 85 mph in a 35 mph zone, fleeing police
An Arnold man faces felony charges after Lower Burrell police accused him of speeding away from police who tried to pull his truck over early this month. James Dean Chiappetta, 54, is charged with fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, driving under the influence, reckless driving and other charges....
Burrell High School student tests positive for covid-19
A Burrell High School student has tested positive for covid-19 and some students in the district have been asked to quarantine, said Shannon Wagner, superintendent for Burrell School District. Wagner sent a letter to parents Friday, saying, “We are following the Health Department recommendations and have notified families that need...
So far, so good with in-person and virtual instruction at Burrell School District
As school districts throughout the region debated how to open this year as fears of covid-19 continued, the Burrell School Board decided to give parents the choice. And that decision seems to be working so far, according to school officials. Although the district reported one covid-19 case involving a high...
