Megan Guza stories, Page 18
Half of Pa. school districts with mask mandates are in Allegheny County, officials say
There are 59 school districts in Pennsylvania with mask mandates, officials said Wednesday. About half of those districts exist in Allegheny County. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald praised those 30 Allegheny County school districts and their school boards for instituting the mask mandates, a move meant to protect, among the...
Pittsburgh police eye $52K in grant money for cold case project
City and Public Safety leaders want to use a chunk of grant money to focus on some of Pittsburgh’s unsolved cold cases, officials said Wednesday. Legislation introduced this week to city council would set aside $52,000 from the Department of Justice’s Byrne Justice Assistance Grant to go toward the cost...
Police: Butler police officer fatally shoots man accused of stabbing him
A Butler City Police officer was in surgery Tuesday morning and a Butler man was dead after a violent encounter that lasted about five minutes, authorities said. The incident began with a 911 call around 6:54 a.m. about an “erratic male” on West Jefferson Street who was reportedly jumping in...
Washington County DA Gene Vittone remembered as devoted father who always had a kind word
Gene Vittone, Washington County’s district attorney, a Pitt fan, a choir member and a lover of good Italian dinners, died Saturday after a relatively private battle with lung cancer. He was 61. “He was humble that way,” said Steve Toprani, a friend and predecessor in the district attorney’s office. “He...
Nursing shortage spawns hefty sign-on bonuses in Western Pa.Video
A long-looming nursing shortage — exacerbated by the near-relentless toll of the covid-19 pandemic — means more hospitals and health systems are offering hefty sign-on bonuses and other incentives in an attempt to attract talent and fill in the gaps. Earlier this week, UPMC was advertising nearly 800 open nursing...
Shuman Center employee accused of killing cat with airsoft gun in Carrick
A Shuman Center employee is accused of shooting and killing a cat in his neighborhood with an airsoft gun, authorities said. Michael Andrews, 36, has worked in child care at the Shuman Juvenile Detention Center since mid-2019, according to a county spokeswoman. Andrews was charged earlier this week via summons...
Pittsburgh zoo announces pick to succeed longtime leader
The director of a New England zoo will be the next to lead the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, zoo board officials announced Thursday. Dr. Jeremy Goodman, a veterinarian and executive director of Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, R.I., will take over effective Oct. 1, according to the board....
Allegheny County leaders not considering blanket mask, vaccination mandates
Allegheny County leaders said Wednesday that they are not considering mask or vaccination requirements for indoor restaurants and other businesses like the mandates in New York City and Philadelphia. Earlier this month, New York City became the first city in the country to require proof of at least one dose...
Attorneys for Tree of Life shooting suspect say prosecutors shouldn’t watch them review evidence
Attorneys for accused synagogue shooter Robert Bowers are asking a federal judge to ease some of the restrictions prosecutors have placed on the defense’s ability to review evidence in the case, including their requirement that the evidence review take place in full view of police and prosecutors. According to the...
Police seek help identifying man in relation to Homestead stabbing
Allegheny County Police are asking for help identifying a man who was at the scene of a stabbing last month in Homestead. Investigators did not call the man a suspect. Police want to speak to him in connection with a July 24 stabbing inside the EON Bar and Grill on...
Piece of Kennywood’s Phantom’s Revenge up for auction
For a few thousand dollars, you can own a piece of Kennywood’s Phantom’s Revenge steel roller coaster. A retired lead car from the Phantom’s Revenge is up for auction to benefit Florida-based Give Kids the World nonprofit. “Yesterday, we asked you to tell us your favorite Kennywood coaster,” read a...
CDC: Allegheny, Westmoreland counties now considered to have high spread of covid-19
Allegheny, Westmoreland and several surrounding counties now have a high level of covid-19 transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC defines a “high” covid-19 transmission level as more than 100 cases per 100,000 people or a 10% positivity rate in a particular county over seven...
Police: Building partially collapses on East Carson in Pittsburgh’s South Side
Part of a building collapsed on Thursday evening on East Carson Street in Pittsburgh’s South Side, authorities said. The upper floor of a two-story building in the 1600 block fell into the street, according to Public Safety officials. No one was inside when the collapsed occurred, and no patrons on...
Pittsburgh police to monitor accidents involving city’s new scooter fleet
Pittsburgh police have started tracking incidents, accidents and citations involving the new electric scooters popping up throughout the city, officials said. The e-scooters are part of the city’s Move PGH pilot program, which aims to bring a variety of accessible transit options to car-free homes, whether they be car-free by...
AG Shapiro announces 200 tons of drugs collected during 4 years of take-back program
Pennsylvania marked a milestone this year with its Drug Take Back Program, having officially collected more than 200 tons of old or unused prescription and other drugs, Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Thursday. “That’s 200 tons that are no longer sitting in the bottom of medicine cabinets or being pushed...
Stage AE to require proof of vaccination for shows
Stage AE will require proof of covid-19 vaccination for all concertgoers and event staff starting next week with the Modest Mouse show, according to the venue. “For the show to go on, we have updated our vaccination policy to ensure the safety of fans, artists and live event workers,” a...
Allegheny County officials implore adults to get vaccinated as cases among children rise
As covid-19 cases among young children climb, Allegheny County officials again implored the public to get vaccinated — if not for themselves, then for the children who don’t have a choice in the matter. “We know the delta variant, combined with the still significant number of unvaccinated people, is driving...
Man charged in arson damage to D’s Six Pax & Dogz in Swissvale
Wheeling Police arrested a Pittsburgh man on Wednesday wanted on charges he started a fire that damaged a Swissvale bar over the weekend, according to police and West Virginia news reports. Joseph Pepp, 28, is charged with three counts of aggravated arson. Pepp is accused of setting fire to a...
Video of South Side fight sparks investigation of Pittsburgh police officers
An incident involving several Pittsburgh Police officers on the city’s South Side is under investigation, according to a public safety spokesperson. A video circulating on Facebook appears to show a fight Aug. 8 outside of the Cambod-Ican Kitchen at the corner of East Carson and South 17th streets. The footage...
Gov. Wolf mandates vaccination for new hires at state-run health care facilities, prisons
Pennsylvania will mandate covid-19 vaccination for all new hires at state-run health care and congregate care settings, and current employees at those facilities must either get vaccinated or test weekly for the virus, Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday. The mandate will affect around 25,000 employees at state hospitals, state homes...
UPMC expanding covid antibody treatment
UPMC will expand access to monoclonal antibody treatment across all its facilities, including urgent care centers, leaders announced Tuesday as they continue to implore the public to get vaccinated, wear masks and stay distanced. The expansion means the monoclonal antibodies will be used as a preventive measure: they will be...
Pittsburgh man pleads guilty to leaving explosives outside PNC Plaza
A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to leaving a backpack full of combustibles near PNC Plaza in Downtown Pittsburgh last year. Matthew Michanowicz, 53, pleaded guilty to one charge of violating federal firearms laws. Michanowicz, of the city’s Duquesne Heights neighborhood, was arrested by Pittsburgh police in...
5 things to know about lambda and other covid variants
The delta variant of covid-19 is the main focus of health officials right now because it accounts for most new cases across the country, but experts also have an eye on the lambda variant that already swept through South America. The lambda variant was discovered in Peru in December ,...
Experts: Attaining herd immunity for covid might not be realistic
The light at the end of the covid-19 tunnel might be dimming as the more contagious delta variant surges, vaccination rates wane and experts say the long-sought herd immunity might be beyond reach. Herd immunity has been a buzzword and, for many, the end goal, since the pandemic began sweeping...
Pittsburgh officials announce mask requirements for unvaccinated employees
Pittsburgh officials announced that vaccination will be required for any new hires on Friday, a day after Allegheny County leaders announced a similar mandate for new county employees. In addition, any current employees who are not vaccinated will have to wear masks at all times inside city facilities. Officials said...
