Megan Guza stories, Page 16
Officials: Breakthrough covid cases increase, but vaccinations remain effective against severe illness, death
State health officials on Friday released new data that sheds some light on the frequency of covid-19 breakthrough cases as well as the related rates of hospitalization and death, though a lack of demographic data means some key questions about such cases remain unanswered. Over the past month, 135,098 people...
Beaver Falls man faces felony charge after TSA says he brought loaded revolver to Pittsburgh airport
Two days after federal and local law enforcement laid out new penalties for those who bring firearms to Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoints, inadvertently or otherwise, a Beaver Falls man was arrested for carrying a firearm without a license after a gun was spotted in his carry-on bag. Randolph Copeland,...
Man suspected of killing mailman in Collier to appear again in court next week
A small memorial of pink flowers stood Friday at the base of the street signs for Suburban and Columbia avenues in Collier, a day after police say the neighborhood’s longtime mailman was gunned down on his route by his disgruntled former neighbor. At the other end of the quiet suburban...
Hearing postponed for man accused of inappropriately touching himself at GetGo in Ross
A Pittsburgh man accused of inappropriately touching himself in a GetGo parking lot in Ross over the summer is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in January. The hearing for Kinsey Basko, 38, on charges of open lewdness and indecent exposure had been scheduled for Wednesday but was postponed,...
Suspect in mail carrier’s fatal shooting in Collier thought victim was poisoning him, feds say
The man suspected of gunning down a mail carrier Thursday in Collier told investigators he believed the carrier had poisoned him, according to charges filed in federal court. Eric Kortz, 53, of Pittsburgh, is charged with murder of an employee of the United States and possession of a firearm, court...
Allegheny County had 90 covid-related deaths in September, officials say
Covid-19 killed 90 people in Allegheny County in September, the highest monthly total since April, said Dr. Debra Bogen, the county’s health director. From Sept. 1 through early October, the death toll is 105. Of those, nine residents in the 25 to 49 age range have died from the virus,...
Feds to crack down on passengers with guns at Pittsburgh airport checkpoints
Travelers who bring guns to security checkpoints at Pittsburgh International Airport — accidentally or otherwise — now face losing their concealed carry permit along with getting fined, authorities said Wednesday. Transportation Security Administration agents have caught 27 guns in carry-on baggage at Pittsburgh International so far this year. “In almost...
Neville Chemical fined, blamed for chemical smell that wafted through McKees Rocks area last month
The Allegheny County Health Department has fined Neville Chemical, alleging a leaky valve caused the strong chemical odor reported in and around McKees Rocks last month. In the hours after residents from McKees Rocks, Pittsburgh and other nearby areas began reporting the strong smell, the health department blamed a weather...
Fire truck, lava lamp, abandoned cars up for auction at Pittsburgh International Airport
Two years’ worth of items — including jewelry, electronics and a lava lamp — left behind at Pittsburgh International Airport will be up for sale later this month, as the annual auction returns in person after a year off. A fire truck, nine abandoned vehicles, runway brooms and plows and...
Study with UPMC researchers, patients finds convalescent plasma ‘futile’ in treating most critically ill covid patients
Early in the covid-19 pandemic calls were put out for anyone who had survived the virus to donate plasma if they were able to do so, as so-called “survivor plasma” had been used successfully to treat other viruses. The National Institutes of Health halted its own convalescent plasma trials for...
Steller’s sea eagle Kody ‘content to be back’ at National Aviary after 9 days on the loose, officials sayVideo
National Aviary officials became emotional Monday as they detailed their exhaustive nine-day effort to recapture a large Steller’s sea eagle that escaped from the specialty bird zoo on Pittsburgh’s North Side last month. Kodiak, or Kody for short, took off through an opening in his outdoor enclosure on the morning...
Homicide suspect dead after standoff with Pittsburgh, county police
A five-hour standoff shut down streets in Pittsburgh’s Hill District on Friday as police tried to get a homicide suspect out of a home near the intersection of Bedford Avenue and Manilla Avenue. The man exchanged gunfire with officers and later was found dead, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety officials....
‘He was larger than life’: Friends, family pay tribute to Dr. Freddie Fu in Pittsburgh
Family, friends and colleagues gathered on Friday at Heinz Memorial Chapel in Oakland to memorialize renowned orthopedist and sports medicine pioneer Dr. Freddie Fu. His daughter, Joyce Lok-See Fu, called the days leading up to her father’s Sept. 24 death surreal as she watched so many people share their stories...
Homicide suspect dead after standoff with Pittsburgh, county police
A five-hour standoff shut down streets in Pittsburgh’s Hill District on Friday as police tried to get a homicide suspect out of the home near the intersection of Bedford Avenue and Manilla Avenue. The man exchanged gunfire with officers, and Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV reported the man, identified as Khalil...
‘They are literally taking our future away from us’: Family seeks leads in North Versailles hayride killing
Shantel Pizaro wonders how her daughter will be able to get through a birthday without her twin brother by her side. After 15 years of birthdays together, 16 will be bittersweet. “How can she have a birthday every year with her twin, and now one of the biggest birthdays they...
Pittsburgh man wanted in connection with shooting of pregnant girlfriend arrested in Allegheny Township
A Pittsburgh man already awaiting a preliminary hearing on domestic violence charges was arrested Thursday and charged with shooting the same woman earlier this month in a Wilkinsburg apartment complex, according to police. Andrai Russell, 20, of Pittsburgh’s Windgap neighborhood, was arrested after two weeks on the run at the...
2-way traffic to return, parking prohibition to remain on South Side’s East Carson
East Carson Street on Pittsburgh’s South Side will be open to two-way traffic on weekend nights again, public safety officials said Thursday. The switch comes after weeks of new traffic patterns and stepped-up safety measures meant to address a spate of violence on the busy thoroughfare. Public Safety Director Wendell...
Pa. officials calling thousands in effort to address bus driver shortage
Pennsylvania officials are searching statewide for school bus drivers as the driver shortage plaguing the nation continues to hit close to home. PennDOT is reaching out to about 375,000 people across the state who have commercial driver’s licenses to highlight the need for bus drivers and the process for obtaining...
Covid cases, deaths rising among younger Allegheny County residents
As covid-19 cases have continued to rise, particularly among younger people, so too have deaths, said Allegheny Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen. Five people in the 25- to 49-year-old age group have died so far in September, Bogen said. “If you’re young and healthy and you get covid, there’s a...
Saturday service set for Pittsburgh police officer who was killed by covid
Officials on Wednesday confirmed that covid-19 was the cause of death for a Pittsburgh police officer who died earlier this week. Brian Rowland, 47, died Sunday at St. Clair Hospital. Officials did not immediately release Rowland’s cause of death in their Monday announcement, saying only that it came after “a...
Allegheny County: All executive branch employees must be vaccinated by December
All employees working for Allegheny County’s executive branch must be vaccinated against covid-19 by Dec. 1, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said Wednesday. “As we continue to see cases of covid in our county, and different populations being affected than were previously, it is even more important that our workforce be...
Mt. Lebanon High School steps up police presence in light of violence rumors
Mt. Lebanon Police have stepped up the police presence at the high school in light of rumors circulating regarding possible gun violence, school officials said Tuesday. High school principal Joel Thompson wrote in a letter to families that multiple tips have been received through Safe2Say, an online and app-based system...
Pittsburgh police announce death of officer following illness
A Pittsburgh police officer died Sunday night after what officials called “a brief illness.” Brian Rowland, 47, served 21 years with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. He was assigned to Zone 6 in the West End section of the city. Chief Scott Schubert called Rowland a dedicated officer and loyal...
4 guns caught in 4 days ‘an epidemic’ at Pittsburgh International Airport
Security agents caught four guns over four days in carry-on baggage at Pittsburgh International Airport, two of which were loaded, according to Transportation Security Administration officials. Firearms cannot be brought to the checkpoint or transported in carry-on baggage. They must be packed, unloaded, in a hard-sided case and declared at...
Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center still preserving heritage, educating public after more than 40 years
Hundreds turned out Sunday for the second day of the annual powwow held by the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center. “We’re getting together to greet, meet and have fun and respect each other’s way of life,” said Russell Simms, founder and executive director of the center. It is...
