Teghan Simonton stories, Page 20
Community garden in Vandergrift can be maintained during pandemic
Vandergrift will officially resume tending to community gardens, after a disagreement between council members broke out during Monday’s Zoom meeting. Under the town’s Declaration of Disaster Emergency, which went into effect in March and was extended Monday until Aug. 31, all parks in the town are closed to the public....
Pittsburgh Public Schools staff member tests negative for covid-19
A staff member who works out of Pittsburgh Public School’s Service Center has tested negative for covid-19, the district announced Tuesday. The district closed the Service Center over the weekend for a deep cleaning, as a precaution. The building reopened Tuesday and families in the district were notified in a...
Vandergrift Council moves meetings online via Zoom, cancels Artfest
Vandergrift Council’s meeting Monday began with several council members shouting “Hello?” and a few curse words as they learned to turn on their webcams. The council held a meeting via Zoom on Monday, its first public meeting since the covid-19 pandemic began nearly two months ago. Once things got rolling,...
Pitt and CMU researchers developing low-cost ‘Roboventilator’ for pandemic
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh are teaming up to address the ventilator shortage in the U.S. brought on by the covid-19 pandemic. Ventilators, mechanical devices used to move breathable air into and out of the lungs, are in huge global demand as the coronavirus attacks...
School districts plan summer learning, fearing learning loss from time outside classroom
After spending nearly a month out of class for a pandemic, Pittsburgh Public Schools is hoping the summer might provide an opportunity to make up for lost time – but planning the programs has become a challenge. The district is looking for ways to modify and extend the annual Summer...
7 more deaths, 10 new cases of coronavirus reported in Allegheny County
The Allegheny County Health Department reported 10 additional cases of the coronavirus Tuesday, and seven new deaths. The county has had 109 deaths and 1,375 cases in total. The virus is having a devastating toll on long-term care facilities in Allegheny County. The Department of Health reported that 302 residents...
No new coronavirus deaths reported in Allegheny County for 2nd straight day
The Allegheny County Health Department reported 20 additional cases of the coronavirus Monday, but no new deaths. The county has had 102 deaths and 1,365 cases in total. The health department said 14% — 194 cases — in the county are in health care workers. The county also reported no...
Pitt researchers developing a nasal spray that could prevent covid-19
University of Pittsburgh researchers are beginning to develop a nasal spray aimed toward individuals at high risk of contracting covid-19. The spray could be a preventive measure for the disease. Pitt is partnering with researchers from the University of Louisville to create a molecule called Q-griffithsin, combining an antiviral protein...
Carnegie Mellon’s COVIDcast site displays real-time data on pandemic in the U.S.
Carnegie Mellon University unveiled five interactive maps last week on their COVIDcast site, which provides real-time covid-19 indicators across the United States. The maps display real-time data on symptoms, doctor visits, medical tests and browser searches related to covid-19 in the U.S., including estimated disease activity at the county level....
Niche to expand services with $35 million in funding
The online school search platform, Niche, announced this week that it has raised $35 million with plans to expand its services to fit the needs of students amid the covid-19 pandemic. The Pittsburgh-based company analyzes data from surveys and federal agencies to produce ratings on schools, neighborhoods, colleges and workplaces...
All Pittsburgh students will receive passing grades, as district struggles to meet tech needs
All students in Pittsburgh Public Schools will receive passing grades for the fourth quarter, district leaders announced Thursday in a virtual news conference. “The grading guidelines are designed to hold students harmless,” said David May-Stein, chief of school performance. “Not all kids are going to be able to do this...
Western Pa. high school students struggle to make college plans during pandemic
Lydia Musser had her heart set on attending college outside of Pennsylvania. The Kiski Area senior, 18, had campus visits scheduled throughout March at East Carolina University, the University of Tampa and West Virginia University. Then, all of her visits were canceled. She’s now planning to attend Duquesne University instead,...
Pittsburgh Public School Board leaves grading guidelines up to the superintendent
The Pittsburgh Public Schools Board refrained from establishing new grading guidelines for the district Wednesday afternoon, leaving the decision up to Superintendent Anthony Hamlet. In a legislative session Wednesday that was livestreamed, board member Cynthia Falls, of District 7, moved to uphold a long-standing policy that leaves all grading guidelines...
How cool has Pittsburgh been in April? January had a warmer day
Everything about April 2020 has been unusual, including the temperature. It’s been cold out there. So far, no day in Pittsburgh has risen above 70 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. If the pattern holds, it would be the first time in weather service annual records the highest recorded...
Volunteer at Pittsburgh Public Schools tests negative for covid-19
Pittsburgh Public Schools announced Tuesday that a staff volunteer who had been ill has tested negative for covid-19. The district alerted staff and families of a potential exposure to covid-19 over the weekend. A staff volunteer who had distributed laptops and instructional packets at Pittsburgh Milliones in the Hill District...
Community fundraisers support families displaced by Lawrenceville fire
Bryn Young had left her mother’s house in Lawrenceville only 30 minutes earlier when she got a call from her sister. The house is on fire, she said, and panic immediately set in. Young, 20, heard what sounded like an explosion over the receiver. The fire destroyed three homes in...
Community colleges expect an enrollment spike because of pandemic
Community colleges may become a more viable option for students this fall, as the covid-19 pandemic continues to alter various aspects of higher education. In Western Pennsylvania, schools are preparing for a myriad of possibilities but remain uncertain exactly how the pandemic will affect them, said Stuart Blacklaw, provost at...
Pitt to celebrate virtual commencement Sunday
The University of Pittsburgh on Sunday will host a virtual celebration to honor nearly 8,000 undergraduate, master’s, professional and doctorate candidates. Pitt’s in-person commencement ceremony was postponed last month because of the covid-19 pandemic. The virtual ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m. and last approximately 30 minutes. The university will...
Pittsburgh food bank drive-up distribution set for next week
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will host another drive-up food distribution on Monday. The distribution will take place from noon to 3 p.m. at the food bank in Duquesne. Each vehicle will receive two boxes of food. The food bank will be able to serve up to 1,000 vehicles...
Wolf administration to use Carnegie Mellon-developed data dashboard in reopening Pennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University is working with Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration to develop a data dashboard, compiling information from agencies to determine what areas of Pennsylvania can safely reopen. The dashboard will help the state take a “regional and sector-based approach” to easing stay-at-home restrictions, according to CMU. Wolf announced Wednesday...
Here are the ZIP codes in Allegheny County with the most coronavirus cases
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus is now being released by ZIP code in Pennsylvania. The state Department of Health map includes information for all 67 counties. Allegheny County has also reported positive cases at the municipal level using an online map since late March. In Allegheny County,...
Town hall focuses on lack of resources for Pittsburgh black communities during coronavirus pandemic
The covid-19 pandemic has put a “glaring spotlight” on the inequities in social systems that hurt black families, community leaders said during a virtual town hall Tuesday. “All of these things make a perfect storm for the African American community,” said Trisha Gadson, CEO of Macedonia Family and Community Enrichment....
CMU develops contact tracing app using ultrasound technology
A Carnegie Mellon University professor has created a smartphone app to trace people’s exposure to covid-19, using a technology that he says is more accurate than software proposed by tech giants. Known as “contact tracing,” the process has been widely debated in the U.S., especially after tech companies Apple and...
Duquesne Light drops late fees, expands payment assistance
More than 152,000 Duquesne Light customers will receive payment assistance on their electricity bills, the company announced Tuesday. Duquesne Light is extending its discontinuation of shutoffs and is waiving late fees until at least June 1. The company also is expanding eligibility for its Hardship Fund, a payment assistance program,...
High schools plan graduation ceremonies through uncertainty of a pandemic
It’s a challenge to stay optimistic, but Lauren Michaels, 18, is doing her best. The Kiski Area High School senior was disappointed when she learned schools would not reopen this academic school year. She doesn’t mind finishing her courses online, but the prospect of missing out on certain year-end rites...
