Former Leechburg Council president remembered for love of community, service
Leechburg Council’s meeting Tuesday began differently than normal — with a moment of silence for former council president and active community member Anthony J. Defilippi. Defilippi died Sunday, May 16 at 79. “He was my mentor when I came on council,” said Tom Foster, the current council president. Defilippi spent...
Pa. health officials celebrate federal pharmacy partnership’s progress in vaccinations
Pennsylvania Health Secretary Alison Beam on Thursday thanked federal pharmacy partners for their help distributing covid vaccine to residents across the state and said the collaboration would continue for the time being. As of May 20, 50% of Pennsylvania’s adult population has been fully vaccinated, and more than 55% of...
Incumbent Jeremy Smail wins GOP nomination for Gilpin supervisors
Incumbent Gilpin Supervisor Jeremy Smail won his Republican primary race Tuesday by a wide margin, unofficial results showed. Smail, 38, was appointed to the board about 18 months ago. On Tuesday, he received 153 votes, according to unofficial Armstrong County election results. That amounted to about 73% of the ballots...
‘Better and better’: Allegheny County officials hopeful as covid numbers dropVideo
Allegheny County officials took an optimistic tone during a virtual news conference Wednesday, as they predicted the county is “near the end of the pandemic.” “We’re seeing better and better results,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. Dr. Debra Bogen, health director, said Allegheny County is now averaging less than 130...
‘Free Shot, Free Beer’ covid vaccine incentive offered in Shadyside
Doses of Pfizer vaccines will be offered during a festival on Walnut Street in Shadyside this weekend, and William Penn Tavern will offer free beer to anyone who gets their shot during the event. The event called “Shadyside … The Other Art Festival on Walnut Street” will take place May...
12 vie for 5 open seats on Pittsburgh Public Schools board
Five out of nine seats on the Pittsburgh Public Schools board are up for grabs this election, and a dozen candidates are competing for them. Tuesday’s primary comes as the district continues grappling with the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic, strives to improve equity among students and confronts daunting budgetary...
3 vying for GOP nomination in Gilpin supervisors race
Three Republican candidates are vying for one nomination in the GOP primary race for the Gilpin Board of Supervisors. Incumbent Jeremy Smail faces challengers Renee E. Hileman and Justin Rishel in the
May 18 primary. Smail, 38, has served on the board since being appointed to fill a vacant seat...
Pittsburgh Public Schools outlines long-term changes supported by federal ESSER funds
Pittsburgh Public Schools will use federal dollars to purchase new technology, air purifiers and other supplies to update the district in myriad ways, leaders said at a news conference Friday. District leaders outlined their plans for the covid-19 Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds last week, while also...
Western Pa. universities weigh covid vaccine requirements for fall
Leaders at colleges and universities in Western Pennsylvania are grappling with how to safely restart classes in the fall — specifically, if requiring covid vaccination should be part of that strategy. Carnegie Mellon University announced last week that it would require students to get a vaccine before returning to campus....
Hamlet: Pittsburgh Public Schools will return for 5 days in person this fall
Pittsburgh Public School leaders said Friday that the district intends to reopen for full in-person learning next school year. “As the number of vaccinated individuals increases and covid-19 restrictions decrease, we are looking forward to the safe return of students for five days a week in-person instruction this fall,” Superintendent...
UPMC study finds tubes have no lasting benefit over antibiotics for kids with ear infections
When a young child has chronic ear infections, a common form of treatment is to surgically place tubes in their ears for two years. But researchers from UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh have found no long-term benefit to the tubes compared with the alternative: giving...
Allegheny County entering ‘new phase’ of the pandemic, officials say
Allegheny County officials on Wednesday said the region soon will move into a new phase of the covid-19 pandemic, as infection levels drop and the state braces for loosened restrictions next week. “We’re going to be following the governor’s guidelines where they are,” Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said at...
Gilpin supervisors appoint Steve Senjan to board vacancy
Gilpin Supervisors appointed resident Steve Senjan to fill a vacant seat on the board Monday evening. “I’d been thinking about it for a while,” Senjan, 40, said Tuesday. “When it came up that they needed someone to fill the position…I decided to step into that position, put my letter in,...
Study finds 8 of 10 hospitalized covid patients have neurological symptoms
Neurological symptoms are frighteningly common among hospitalized covid-19 patients, and the symptoms are associated with a greater risk of death, a new study shows. A paper published Tuesday in the medical journal JAMA Network Open outlines a project studying patients from around the globe. Scientists, including several at the University...
Pittsburgh and Wilkinsburg school boards to discuss renewing partnership agreement
The school boards for Pittsburgh Public Schools and Wilkinsburg School District will hold a joint board meeting Tuesday to discuss possible renewal of a 5-year-old partnership that allows Wilkinsburg students to take advantage of several PPS programs. Officials from both districts gathered for a virtual news conference last week, touting...
Leechburg man raises $6,500 for a new flagpole for Little League
A fundraiser has raised more than $6,500 for the Leechburg Area Little League to buy a new flagpole, after community members noticed a massive, donated flag was too large for the current pole. The flag — measuring 12 feet by 18 feet — was donated two weeks ago and installed...
Alle-Kiski Valley superintendents earn combined $1.85M
When it comes to determining a superintendent’s salary and benefits packages, school board members consider a variety of factors, including the size of the district, the number of students, the economics of district communities, the administrator’s years of experience and expertise offered by a candidate. “We try to check the...
Allegheny County paid sick leave bill presented to board of health
The Allegheny County Health Department on Wednesday presented a proposal to the board of health for countywide paid sick leave. The bill had started in Allegheny County Council, but was vetoed by County Executive Rich Fitzgerald in March, after he said he believed it should go through the board of...
Holy Spirit Academy in New Castle to close
Holy Spirit Academy, the Catholic school serving students in pre-K through eighth grade in New Castle, will close at the end of the academic year, the Diocese of Pittsburgh said Thursday. The Rev. Joseph McCaffrey, pastor at Holy Spirit Parish, submitted his request to close the school to Bishop David...
Allegheny County officials cite equity and hesitancy as barriers to vaccinations
Vaccine hesitancy, equity and general access remain barriers to getting Allegheny County residents inoculated against covid-19, Dr. Debra Bogen, health director, said at a Board of Health meeting Wednesday. State data shows that 445,578 people in Allegheny County are fully vaccinated, but with around 1.2 million residents, Bogen said there...
Allegheny County officials support lifting of restrictions, tackle covid vaccine mythsVideo
A day after Gov. Tom Wolf announced the imminent removal of covid restrictions in Pennsylvania, Allegheny County officials said it was right move. “That’s really good news as we start to get back to normal,” County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said at a virtual news conference. “Everybody has been eligible for...
Leechburg Memorial Day Parade is back on
Leechburg’s Memorial Day Parade will happen after all. The borough had announced it was canceling the annual parade for the second year in a row because of the covid-19 pandemic. But following Tuesday’s announcement that Gov. Tom Wolf plans to ease gathering restrictions in time for the federal holiday, borough...
Local bookstore White Whale and Strip District Terminal developer dispute failed deal for lease
A small crowd rallied outside White Whale Bookstore in Bloomfield on Tuesday, supporting the Pittsburgh shop’s dispute with a developer over a failed plan for a second location. In a series of tweets Monday afternoon, the independent, family-owned bookstore said that until recently, it had been planning to expand with...
‘Getting Pittsburgh Vaccinated’ and other Facebook groups offer neighborly resources
Leighann Bacher started the Facebook page “Getting Pittsburgh Vaccinated” with a few other women, thinking she might share some resources with other residents of Hampton. Four months later, the page has nearly 40,000 members. After making her own vaccine appointment and helping members of her family do the same, she...
Western Pa. venues weigh pros, cons of vaccinated-only spectator sections
Pittsburgh entertainment venues soon might join others across the country in separating fans into vaccinated sections — another trend in efforts to encourage mass vaccination against covid-19, while growing audiences back to pre-pandemic levels. The Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday proposed the idea in a petition to the state. Fans in...
