Mike Palm stories, Page 23
Pa. covid hospitalizations decline for 10th straight day
Hospitalizations for covid-19 dropped in Pennsylvania for the 10th straight day, according to data released Saturday by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Saturday’s total of 2,207, is down 76 from Friday. That’s is a decline of almost 23% from the 2,842 who were hospitalized on April 21. In the state,...
NFL Draft Guide 2021: Who Steelers might pick, position breakdowns, mock drafts
This year’s NFL Draft is taking steps to get back to normal but with plenty of precautions because of covid-19. The 2020 draft went entirely virtual because of the covid-19 pandemic that was just starting to gain traction in the U.S. But with more people receiving their vaccines, some fans...
Westmoreland County reaches 100,000 fully vaccinated against covid
Westmoreland County surpassed 100,000 residents fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to information released Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Westmoreland is the 10th county in the state to hit that mark. In total, there are 100,080 fully vaccinated in the county and 49,232 partially vaccinated. Overall in the...
25 years later: Penguins beat Capitals in 4-overtime playoff nail-biterVideo
The Pittsburgh Penguins played in, at the time, the third-longest NHL playoff game 25 years ago today. Well, technically, the game started on April 24, 1996, but it actually ended at 2:15 a.m. April 25. Petr Nedved scored with 44.6 seconds left in the fourth overtime period to give the...
Pittsburgh Steelers 1st-round draft pick history
Editor’s Note: This story was updated April 23, 2025. In the 86 years of the NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers have just as many first-round picks from Duquesne (one) as they do from Penn State and West Virginia. The Steelers selected Duquesne running back Mike Basrak with the fifth overall...
2021 Allegheny County homicide victims
A look at each of the homicides that took place in Allegheny County in 2021: Jan. 5: Gregory Anderson Gregory Anderson, 47, of Penn Hills was shot several times in Penn Hills and died at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. Read more: 47-year-old man dies after being shot in Penn Hills Jan....
Pittsburgh Steelers compensatory draft pick history
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been awarded 36 compensatory draft picks in the 29 years that the NFL has been handing them out. The team’s picks range from players who never saw NFL action (quarterback Spence Fischer and defensive tackle Ryan Olson, to name two) to players just on the cusp...
Allegheny County’s covid case average drops to lowest in month
Allegheny County reported 340 more covid cases on Wednesday, as weekly numbers returned to lower averages. The county’s seven-day average of new cases dropped from 491 on Tuesday to 351 on Wednesday. It’s the lowest seven-day average since 326 on March 25. For the month, the county is averaging 436...
Pa. highway deaths rose in 2020 despite less traffic
Statewide traffic deaths increased in 2020 from the record low set in 2019 despite a 20% decrease in traffic, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. PennDOT reported 1,129 highway fatalities in 2020, up 79 from the 1,059 recorded in 2019. That 6.6% increase is similar to the national estimate...
Sidney Crosby scores goal with assist from Penguins’ equipment staffVideo
It had been more than 25 years since a Taglianetti had an assist for the Pittsburgh Penguins. That is, until Thursday night. As a stickless Sidney Crosby raced up the ice, Jon Taglianetti, the Penguins’ associate head equipment manager, stretched out to hand him a stick as Crosby entered the...
Auction for rare Honus Wagner baseball card already hits $110,000
The 1909 T206 Honus Wagner baseball card is considered to be the Holy Grail by many in the sports collectible world, with only a few dozen known to exist. But another card featuring the Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop that’s considered to be even rarer is now up for...
Lab’s 3-month data delay leads to abnormally high daily covid total in Allegheny County
On paper, Allegheny County on Wednesday recorded its second-highest total of newly reported coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, according to state Department of Health data. In reality, the county’s daily new case total was largely in line with what it has reported since the region emerged from the winter...
Westmoreland County surpasses 30,000 covid cases
Westmoreland County became the 12th county in Pennsylvania to pass 30,000 coronavirus cases. The 119 additional cases — 37 confirmed and 82 probable — reported Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Health put Westmoreland County’s total at 30,005. Westmoreland reached 20,000 cases on Jan. 4; 10,000 cases on Dec. 3;...
Wilkinsburg author Deesha Philyaw wins PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
Wilkinsburg author Deesha Philyaw’s debut short story collection, “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies,” continues to rack up awards. On Tuesday, her book was announced as the winner of the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, which honors the best published works of fiction by American permanent residents in a calendar...
With Matt Murray struggling, Senators change their goalie coach
Trading for former Penguins goaltender Matt Murray hasn’t worked out as expected for the Ottawa Senators. And it cost Pierre Groulx his job as the Senators’ goaltending coach on Tuesday. Murray, who won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins, was dealt to Ottawa on Oct. 6, 2020, for a second-round...
Sheetz in running for USA Today’s best regional fast food chain
The battle of the best convenience store food in Pennsylvania usually comes down to Sheetz vs. Wawa, with the results generally split based on geography. Now the food at Sheetz is in the running for national recognition. Altoona-based Sheetz is one of 19 finalists for USA Today’s best regional fast...
Blue Streak, Tumble Bug won’t run at Conneaut Lake Park this year
Conneaut Lake Park is scheduled to reopen over Memorial Day weekend, but some of its iconic rides will be out of operation this season. The Blue Streak and Tumble Bug won’t run this year, according to the Meadville Tribune. “(The Tumble Bug) will not be in use this year, as...
Pittsburgh punk rockers Anti-Flag launch Patreon accountVideo
With most live music venues shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, bands have had to get creative to survive. Shows at drive-in movie theaters, concerts on livestreams and expanded merchandise lines have helped some musicians. Pittsburgh-based Anti-Flag launched its “No Borders. No Nation” Patreon account with different membership tiers...
Allegheny, Westmoreland report highest new covid case totals since January
Allegheny and Westmoreland counties on Saturday each saw their highest new number of covid cases since mid-January. Allegheny County added 653 cases, the highest since 670 were added on Jan. 13, while Westmoreland’s 214 additional cases were the most since 277 on that same day in January. Pennsylvania’s 5,343 new...
Former Blue Jackets player fans flames on social media in Crosby vs. Ovechkin debateVideo
It seems as if NHL media and fans have been debating whether Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin is the better player since they entered the NHL in the 2005-06 season. Now Brandon Dubinsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets has joined the argument. In a tweet posted Friday morning, Dubinsky seems...
Allegheny County surpasses 1,000 covid deaths linked to nursing homes
Allegheny County surpassed 1,000 covid deaths associated with long-term care facilities, according to data updated Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Data shows three additional deaths in nursing homes or personal care homes, bringing the county’s total to 1,002 since the pandemic began last March. Allegheny County has the...
Pennsylvania reports 4,000+ covid cases for 4th time in a week
Pennsylvania on Wednesday reported its fourth day in the past week with covid-19 case totals above 4,000. The state health department reported 4,557 cases, bringing the state’s total to 1,024,857. Allegheny County added 418 newly reported cases to climb to 85,680, while Westmoreland’s 126 additional cases bumped its total to...
New mock NFL draft predicts 2 Penn State players going in top 10
The latest mock draft from NFL Draft Bible founder Ric Serritella includes two Penn State players being selected in the top 10 — something that hasn’t happened in more than 20 years. The new draft, posted Monday on Sports Illustrated’s web site, puts linebacker Micah Parsons and defensive end Jayson...
Allegheny County adds 498 covid cases, highest total since mid-January
Allegheny County on Wednesday added its most coronavirus cases since mid-January. The Allegheny County Health Department reported 498 additional cases, the highest since 516 were reported Jan. 17. It was also only the third time since the beginning of February that the county has surpassed 400 cases. Allegheny County had...
Kenny Chesney postpones 2021 tour, including Pittsburgh stop
Country music star Kenny Chesney has postponed his entire 2021 tour — including a stop at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field — for the second time because of the coronavirus pandemic. Chesney announced Tuesday on social media that the tour would be pushed back to 2022. The Chillaxifacation tour was originally supposed...

