TribLive stories, Page 644
Updated covid-19 shot expected to come this fall, CDC director says
WASHINGTON — Americans should expect yet another update of the covid-19 vaccine this fall at about the same time as flu shots are available, the top U.S. public health official said Monday. Researchers are working on selecting a strain for the upcoming version, and will probably wait until May to...
Pitt boosts police patrols after reported rape near Oakland campus
The University of Pittsburgh has stepped up police patrols following a reported rape Sunday near the Oakland campus. Pittsburgh police said the victim reported being sexually assaulted by a man wearing a black ski mask who displayed a knife, hit her in the face and took her cellphone. The incident...
Ex-home health aide pleads guilty to sexually assaulting Pittsburgh client
A former home health aide pleaded guilty Monday to institutional sexual assault for abusing a Pittsburgh woman for whom she worked. Vanessa C. Callender, 31, of Dormont will be sentenced May 29 by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Elliot Howsie. The victim uses a motorized wheelchair and requires in-home care...
Lawsuit challenges Pennsylvania’s use of solitary confinement
A lawsuit filed Monday in federal court seeks to ban Pennsylvania’s prison system from holding inmates in prolonged solitary confinement and to eliminate the practice entirely for those who are mentally ill. Filed Monday in federal court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the complaint alleges violations of the constitutional...
Woman dead, dozen injured in Mississippi club mass shootingVideo
A 20-year-old woman was killed and up to a dozen others injured in a mass shooting Sunday at a Mississippi club, prompting a dire warning. “I think you’re taking a chance on your life right now if you go to these large events,” Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott told WTVA-TV...
Thomas Gilbert: Investing in Pa.’s outdoor economy
As every Pennsylvanian knows, and as those who visit or relocate here quickly discover, our commonwealth is blessed with abundant natural resources and outdoor recreation assets. With more than 86,000 miles of rivers and streams (second only to Alaska), Pennsylvania is one of the best places in the world for...
In brief: Penn Hills and Verona area happenings, week of March 4, 2024
Utility customers report scam calls Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority is warning customers about an uptick in calls and texts from scammers impersonating the utility provider. Scammers are asking customers to call a phone number to pay their bills and avoid delinquency or shut-offs. This false number shares an area code...
Trib Lunch Box: Hot temps, body found, cursive writing, local pharmacies
Here are some noon headlines from TribLive, Monday, March 4, 2024: • Will Pittsburgh break its record high temperature today? Some weather forecasts call for temperatures that could tie the record high of 74 degrees in Pittsburgh. The record for March 4 was set back in 1992 at 74 degrees....
Southmoreland grad Vanessa Abel taking strides toward becoming women’s basketball head coach
When informed that Vanessa Abel was part of a select group of assistant women’s basketball coaches chosen to participate in a nationwide NCAA workshop, Jess Kovatch voiced her reaction immediately. “I’m not surprised,” the former St. Francis (Pa.) standout said. Abel, a Southmoreland graduate, got her first taste of coaching...
Kiski Area grad Logan Bechtold bumps up in weight to help Saint Vincent wrestling win PAC title
By the time the Presidents’ Athletic Conference wrestling championship reached the finals, the outcome was all but decided. Saint Vincent, in the first year of its second incarnation, had seven wrestlers competing for titles, making the result almost anticlimactic. But once their title was made official via public address announcement,...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Deer Lakes’ Zachary Nacey
Last year, Deer Lakes’ hockey team made it all the way to the semifinals in the PIHL’s Division 2, but Ringgold, the eventual champion, got the best of it. This year, Deer Lakes clinched a playoff yet again with high hopes to advance to the title game. Senior center Zachary...
Dan DeBone: Shapiro proposal will fortify Westmoreland County transit system
The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a joint press conference with Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll, held to delve into a groundbreaking development that has the potential to redefine the public transit landscape in Pennsylvania. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2024-25 budget proposal stands out as a pivotal moment, articulating...
1 dead, 2 injured in shooting in Allentown
A man died in a shooting Sunday night in Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood Pittsburgh police responded to a 10-round ShotSpotter alert just before 7 p.m. in the 700 block of East Warrington Avenue. On the scene, police said they found a male victim inside 707 E. Warrington Ave. with a gunshot...
6 warning signs you’re falling for a travel scam
Planning a vacation can be an exhilarating experience, but amid the excitement lies the lurking threat of scams that are just waiting to prey on unsuspecting travelers. To help travelers navigate these treacherous waters, Byrd Bergeron, founder and CEO of The Travel Byrds agency, shared some conspicuous warning signs that...
Fans trekking to Zoo Atlanta for a glimpse of last pandas in U.S.
ATLANTA — Kim Chambliss drove six hours from Lexington, Kentucky, to take a last look at Atlanta’s pandas. “I knew they were leaving, and I couldn’t get to D.C. before they left there,” said Chambliss, a registered nurse. She stood peering through the glass at one of Zoo Atlanta’s indoor...
Letter to the editor: Incmikoski’s absence a loss for Pirates fans
I was watching a recent Pirates spring training game against Baltimore, and the broadcast was not the same without sideline reporter Robby Incmikoski. I’m not in the broadcasting business but I know what I like. SportsNet Pittsburgh terminated one of the best interviewers Pittsburgh sports has seen in a long...
Arnold man dead after crash in O’Hara
O’Hara police are investigating the death of an Arnold man who died Sunday after a vehicle crash in O’Hara, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. Thomas Harrity, 67, was traveling in a vehicle at 3 p.m. in the area of Powers Run and Freeport roads, when it apparently left...
Letter to the editor: Some ‘settlements’ are OK with Biden
Israel recently announced it plans to build thousands of houses for Jewish settlers in the West Bank. According to Joe Biden’s mouthpiece, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the proposal will face “firm opposition” from the United States. He went on to say, “In our judgment, this weakens, it doesn’t strengthen,...
Morning Roundup: Vehicle slams into Braddock building
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, March 4: Vehicle slams into urgent care building in Braddock A vehicle struck an urgent care building Sunday night in Braddock, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. Emergency responders were called to the scene around 11:30 p.m. at...
In brief: Plum, Oakmont area events, week of March 4, 2024
Assistant principal resigns from post at Plum High School The Plum School Board accepted the resignation of Melanie Manes, an assistant principal at the district’s high school. The North Allegheny School Board voted Feb. 21 to hire Manes as an assistant principal at that district’s intermediate high school, with a...
In brief: Tree planting, upcoming meetings and more in Quaker Valley area
Tree planting Volunteers are needed for a tree planting in Leetsdale, 9 a.m. to noon March 23. Participants will meet at the VFW community room at 515 Beaver St. and be sent to planting sites at various public right-of-ways and in Kohlmeyer Park. The event is in partnership with TreeVitalize...
In brief: Seedling sale, club meetings, other North Allegheny area news, week of March 4, 2024
Environmental council seedling sale North Area Environmental Council is holding its annual seedling sale, offering a variety of non-invasive plants, trees and wildflower seed mixes to add to the beauty and natural habitat of yards and the ecological health of the region. The council also is partnering with North Park’s...
In brief: Pine-Richland area happenings, week of March 4, 2024
Environmental council seedling sale North Area Environmental Council is holding its annual seedling sale, offering a variety of non-invasive plants, trees and wildflower seed mixes to add to the beauty and natural habitat of yards and the ecological health of the region. The council also is partnering with North Park’s...
Letter to the editor: How is immigration inaction Dems’ fault?
On the radio, I heard a report of interviews with potential voters who listed border security/immigration as a major concern. They blamed the Democrats for not dealing with the problems and so felt led to support Republican candidates. On the other hand, Joseph Sabino Mistick’s column ”Mike Johnson won’t be...
Editorial: Only Congress can (and must) tap the brakes on AI
You could almost hear palms smacking onto foreheads all over the techier corners of the internet this week, after a Google artificial intelligence program began generating pictures of Black founding fathers, a female Pope and other notions that would exist only in the most fringe-progressive alternate reality. No, the culprit...
