Teghan Simonton stories, Page 15
Diocese of Pittsburgh to delay elementary school reopening
The first day of elementary school for the Diocese of Pittsburgh will be Tuesday, Sept. 8, school administrators announced . The diocese said the change is in response to some elementary school teachers requesting more time to implement new health and safety protocols. High schools in the diocese will reopen...
United Airlines to offer more direct flights from Pittsburgh to Florida
United Airlines soon will add more direct flights from Pittsburgh and other cities to four popular Florida destinations. Airline officials said the move is part of a “continuing strategy to aggressively and opportunistically manage the impact of covid-19 by increasing service to destinations where customers most want to fly.” Beginning...
Point Park University implements new safety measures for fall reopeningVideo
Point Park University’s plans for reopening include thorough signage, capacity limits in rooms and elevators and a lot of Plexiglas. As students prepare to return to campus this fall, university leaders have implemented a variety of new measures to promote social distancing, mask-wearing and other safety protocols to prevent the...
Senior Trump campaign legal adviser intentionally misgenders Rachel Levine in tweet
In the latest attack on Dr. Rachel Levine’s gender identity, a senior legal adviser to President Trump’s reelection campaign intentionally misgendered Pennsylvania’s secretary of health. “This guy is making decisions about your health,” Jenna Ellis, an attorney for Trump 2020, tweeted Monday. Ellis shared a May 13 PennLive news article...
Vandergrift woman planning massive Christmas festival
The goal, Denise Lewandowski-George says, is to turn all of Vandergrift into a Christmas town like those seen in Hallmark movies. She pitched the idea to Vandergrift Council during last Monday’s virtual meeting. With the support of the Vandergrift Improvement Program (VIP) and several local businesses, Lewandowski-George has decided to...
Wolf to distribute $10.5 million in grants to career and technology centers
Gov. Tom Wolf announced Thursday that $10.5 million in CTC Equity grants will be dedicated to the state’s Career and Technical Education Centers. The money is to help the centers implement health and safety plans and resume operations. “Our communities depend on having these highly skilled students complete their education...
Steelers and U.S. Steel donate to Mon Valley school districts
Clairton, South Allegheny, West Mifflin and Woodland Hills School Districts will each receive a $3,600 donation from a partnership between U.S. Steel and Pittsburgh Steelers. The donations will go toward funding technology needs for remote learning in each of the Mon Valley districts. “Of the many challenges brought on by...
Union says Port Authority mask message policy violates Free SpeechVideo
A union for transportation workers has accused Port Authority of Allegheny County of violating the Free Speech rights of its employees, after the entity updated its dress code policy to prohibit masks that contain a political or social protest message. The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 85 sent a letter...
Pittsburgh-area bar put on notice for alleged violation of coronavirus restrictions
A Pittsburgh-area bar was among three licensed liquor establishments in Pennsylvania to receive a notice from the state police’s Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement for violation of covid-19 mitigation efforts. It was the first formal notice a Pittsburgh-area establishment has received from state police since July 1. State police would...
Peduto sends letter to Congress, advocates for bills that help entertainment venues stay afloat
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto issued a letter to Congress in support of three bills that would offer financial relief to independent music and entertainment venues during the covid-19 pandemic. “I’m urging Congress to ensure that our local venues are included in and protected by relief packages,” Peduto said in a...
Pittsburgh Promise offering gap year for students during pandemic
The Pittsburgh Promise will offer a gap year for recipients affected by the covid-19 pandemic, the organization announced Thursday. Pittsburgh Public Schools students who graduated high school from 2017 through 2020 will have five years — rather than the usual four — to utilize their scholarship award. “We know that...
Pennsylvania Education Secretary Rivera to step down in October
Pennsylvania’s top education official plans to step down from his position in early October, the state announced Tuesday. Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera’s departure comes during the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing uncertainty for schools making their plans for the fall. According to a news release, Rivera will become president of...
Vandergrift officer injured trying to subdue domestic abuse suspect
Allegheny Township Police say at least one officer was injured Friday evening during the arrest of a man on suspicion of domestic violence. According to police, officers responded to a domestic violence call along Hancock Avenue around 9 p.m. Friday. There, police say, a woman told them she was assaulted...
Pitt researchers involved in clinical trial for covid-19 treatment option
University of Pittsburgh researchers are collaborating with other universities for a clinical trial testing convalescent plasma in the treatment of covid-19. The group, which includes scientists from Michigan Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina and Stanford Medicine, were awarded more than $7 million from the National Heart, Lung and Blood...
Pittsburgh Public Schools to delay classroom instruction for first quarter
Pittsburgh Public Schools will officially use remote instruction for the first quarter of the school year, the board of directors voted Friday afternoon in a virtual meeting. The vote came in response to a resolution made last week by Board Member Kevin Carter, who proposed the district stay online for...
Union probes Port Authority dress policy, barring political statements on masks
Port Authority of Allegheny County updated its staff dress code to prohibit the wearing of masks containing political or social justice messages, including those supporting Black Lives Matter and other movements. The update has reportedly sparked some controversy among drivers. Stephen Palonis, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85, whose...
Police arrest man in connection with May 30 protests
Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the May 30 protests in Downtown Pittsburgh. Christopher West, 35, of Pittsburgh, is charged with recklessly endangering another person, robbery, criminal mischief and riot, officials said. He is being held in the Allegheny County Jail. Detectives and a multi-jurisdictional task force analyzed...
Allegheny County data shows parties becoming a growing source of coronavirus
While Allegheny County bars and restaurants are still linked to the most covid-19 cases, case investigations show a growing number of infected individuals have reported attending private parties and other large gatherings. Dr. Debra Bogen, director of Allegheny County’s Health Department said Wednesday parties, weddings, funerals, religious services and gyms...
Allegheny County’s covid-19 investigators find most restaurants complying with guidelinesVideo
In its first week, Allegheny County’s new Covid Field Response Team visited around 350 establishments, Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen said in a news conference Wednesday. Of the businesses visited – which included bars, restaurants, convenience stores and others – 87% received a satisfactory report, while 13% had at least...
Point Park University, IUP partner on human resources programs
Two of the region’s universities have partnered to form a path for students to receive a master’s degree in human resources — a business specialization that focuses on the administrative duties and policies in an organization. Point Park University students who receive a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management can...
In meeting with Jill Biden, Pittsburgh schools union leader supports delay for in-person instruction
While school districts in Southwestern Pennsylvania finalize their fall reopening plans, some educational leaders are advocating for stronger safety guidelines and a delay to in-person instruction. On Tuesday, in a virtual campaign stop for the Joe Biden presidential campaign, Biden’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and U.S. Sen Bob Casey, D-Scranton,...
Keeping Pa. private colleges closed will hurt small communities, officials say
The covid-19 pandemic has upended procedures for colleges and universities throughout the country, and many of Pennsylvania’s private institutions are struggling to find the best path forward, officials said Tuesday. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale has hosted Facebook Live conversations with industry leaders semi-regularly during the pandemic. On Tuesday, he met...
Pennsylvania child care facilities struggling under pandemic conditions
Families and facilities across Pennsylvania face a mounting challenge when it comes to child care during the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Monday. “I think we can all agree that we’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Diane Barber, executive director of the Pennsylvania Child Care Association, a nonprofit advocacy...
Here is where Allegheny Health Network is conducting covid-19 tests this week
Allegheny Health Network released dates for covid-19 testing at the network’s mobile clinic and drive-thru locations. Because of increased demand, patients must be experiencing symptoms to receive a test at an AHN site, officials said. AHN recommends that asymptomatic patients — including those who believe they’ve come in contact with...
Trib Total Media hires first class of Jim Borden Memorial scholars
Trib Total Media’s first class of Jim Borden Memorial Scholarship winners has started work at the Tribune-Review amid the coronavirus pandemic and a hectic news environment. The scholarship, named for the Tribune-Review’s late managing editor, offers financial assistance up to $30,000 — paid in $7,500 annual installments — for college...
