Teghan Simonton stories, Page 11
Pittsburgh Public Schools extends remote learning for most students until Jan. 4
Some Pittsburgh Public School students will return to face-to-face instruction Monday, Nov. 9 under a phased hybrid approach approved by the school board Wednesday evening. But the majority will stay in remote learning until at least Jan. 4, 2021. Under the school’s new plan, students are broken into four groups,...
Kiski Area School District will remain open, citing low transmission locally
Kiski Area School District will remain open for hybrid in-person instruction, breaking with some other districts in Westmoreland County. The state Department of Education has recommended that Westmoreland County districts move to fully remote instruction to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. For the last two weeks, the county has experienced...
Allegheny County officials: There is ‘no pattern’ in new cases
Covid-19 cases in Allegheny County are tied to a variety of sources, officials said — but most are tied to individuals conducting everyday business. “I’m asking you all to be careful, especially when you’re around people you know well, like family and friends,” said Health Director Debra Bogen at a...
Carnegie Mellon study finds severe polarization in political language
The divide between political parties is not just ideological. Their members are essentially speaking different languages, a study from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found. Using computer translation tools, researchers analyzed 86.6 million YouTube comments from 6.5 million users on more than 200,000 news videos from CNN, Fox News, MSNBC...
Pitt students asked to ‘shelter-in-place’ before Thanksgiving break
University of Pittsburgh students have been asked to shelter in place for 14 days leading up to Thanksgiving break, according to an email sent Monday morning from the school’s Covid-19 Medical Response Office. “There is an increased risk of spreading and contracting the virus when traveling and interacting with people...
Yough moves to virtual learning for all students
Students in Yough School District will move to all-virtual classes Wednesday, scuttling plans announced last week to close one of the school buildings for five days after a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus. All students will have Tuesday off and will start virtual learning on Wednesday as a...
Police: Dog tied to Trump sign in Donegal has not been abused
A dog that was tethered to a campaign sign for Donald Trump was not subjected to animal cruelty, the Pennsylvania State Police said on Sunday. Police first visited Donegal Oct. 17, to check on the welfare a dog reported to be tied to a political sign on private property. Photos...
GOP candidates and Allegheny County Elections officials reach settlement in lawsuit
A legal dispute between two Republican congressional candidates and the Allegheny County Board of Elections reached settlement Sunday, with the two sides agreeing on a process for handling nearly 29,000 erroneous mail-in ballots. The agreed-upon process is the same one that the county laid out last week as the lawsuit...
Student tests positive for covid-19 at Kiski Intermediate School
A student has tested positive for covid-19 at Kiski Intermediate School, a letter from Superintendent Tim Scott said, but the school will remain open. The Department of Health was contacted and the district is following state recommendations, according to the letter, sent Friday. “Last night the Department of Health informed...
Inconsistencies in state covid data cause confusion
Throughout the covid-19 pandemic, journalists, health officials and the public have been inundated with data counting infections, deaths, hospitalizations and more. Often the figures come from multiple sources, including databases maintained by state and local agencies — and often, those numbers do not match. “It’s expected that during the middle...
Renovation plans in the works for Vandergrift Public Library
Repairs are likely to come at Vandergrift Public Library. Library Director Vanessa Groholski said Vandergrift Council members and a structural engineer have visited the building to assess damage caused by longstanding water seepage, which has caused interior paint to bubble and walls to crumble. “It’s going to be a really...
Oct. 23: Here is covid-19 data from Western Pa. colleges
Western Pennsylvania is home community to several colleges and universities, attracting students from around the state and country. During the coronavirus pandemic, many are tracking the number of positive covid-19 cases as they emerge on campus. University of Pittsburgh Enrollment: Approximately 35,000 students Number of new cases: There were 17...
TSA finds gun at airport checkpoint, 18th this year
A Pittsburgh woman was stopped Friday morning by security at Pittsburgh International Airport for having a loaded gun in her carry-on luggage. Officers with the Transportation Security Administration found the .380-caliber gun loaded with six bullets. According to a news release, the gun was spotted through the X-ray machine at...
Steel Valley School District changes reopening plan
Students at Steel Valley School District can soon attend class in-person most of the week – but only for half the day. The district unveiled an updated reopening plan this week, which will go into effect on Nov. 4. Students will be broken into groups for a hybrid model. One...
Pa. initiative touts success helping nursing homes fight covid-19
As Pennsylvania moves through a fall resurgence of the coronavirus, health experts in a regional collaborative to help long-term care facilities are hoping to maintain their funding. Established in July, the Regional Response Health Collaboratives (RRHC) program is a statewide initiative designed to support long-term care facilities preparing for or...
Allegheny County officials encourage ‘vigilance’ as cases riseVideo
Covid-19 cases are on the rise in Allegheny County, with the number of new cases reaching around 120 each day this week. County Health Director Debra Bogen said the health department is prepared with an increased staff of case investigators and contact tracers, greater availability of testing and continued monitoring...
Kiski Area school board discusses covid transmission in county, preparations for more in-person learning
Kiski Area School District is still preparing to offer four days of in-person instruction, but the district is ready for a return to remote learning if needed, Superintendent Tim Scott said during a virtual school board meeting Monday. Westmoreland County on Monday moved to the highest level of community transmission...
2 staff members at Kiski Area High School test positive for covid-19
Two staff members at Kiski Area High School have tested positive for covid-19, according to a letter sent to district families Monday. The Department of Health has been contacted and quarantine and isolation procedures are in place. The high school will remain open, the letter from Superintendent Tim Scott said....
Kiski Area discusses new option for 4 days of in-person learning
The Kiski Area School District may start allowing students to attend school buildings four days a week for in-person instruction Nov. 2, when the second quarter of the school year begins. Under the district’s current system, students have the option between 100% online learning and a hybrid model that allows...
Pitt relaxing some pandemic restrictions on Monday
Some covid-19 mitigation strategies at the University of Pittsburgh will loosen Monday, as the Pittsburgh campus moves into a “guarded” risk posture. Up to this point, Pitt has been in “elevated” risk posture, which calls for most classes to be held remotely, limits gatherings to 25 people and other restrictions....
Pitt Law School adjunct teacher resigns after using racial slur
An adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law resigned Wednesday afternoon, after using a racial slur during a class discussion. Law students at the University of Pittsburgh were informed via email Wednesday evening. According to the email, the teacher, who was not named, used the N-word while...
Allegheny County officials attribute slowed covid rise to mask cooperation
Allegheny County officials on Wednesday said they are keeping an eye on the local increase in covid-19 cases, but they aren’t panicking. “This slow increase should remind us that things aren’t getting better in Allegheny County,” Health Director Debra Bogen said Wednesday. “But they also aren’t getting substantially worse, as...
3 covid-19 cases identified in Kiski Area schools; no closures planned
Three cases of covid-19 have been identified in the Kiski Area School District in recent days. Superintendent Tim Scott said the district was in the process of consulting with the state Department of Health concerning the next step after a staff member at Kiski Area Upper Elementary tested positive. While...
Pa. health officials ask residents to cooperate with contact tracers
Pennsylvania health officials on Tuesday asked residents to cooperate in contact tracing efforts, as the state experiences a rise in covid-19 infections. In a news release, the Department of Health encouraged residents to download the Covid Alert PA mobile app and participate in case investigations. “As Pennsylvania experiences increases in...
Experts: Rise of covid cases in Western Pennsylvania not surprising
Westmoreland County’s rate of positive coronavirus tests remained high Tuesday, but health experts said the increase is no surprise. “Covid-19, not unlike other previous viral pandemics, came here and will have ebb and flow to it,” said Dr. Don Yealy, UPMC’s chair of emergency medicine. Yealy cited the virus’ trajectory...
