Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1213
CDC data indicate U.S. is on track for July 4 vaccination target
The United States is on track to reach a goal calling for 70% of adults to have received at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine by July 4, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New data released Saturday indicates that more that half of all adults...
A year after George Floyd’s death, protesters reflect on what’s changed in Western Pennsylvania
The year since George Floyd was killed by a former Minneapolis police officer has brought with it protests, anguish and, perhaps louder than anything, calls for change. The year also has been one of realization for some. “A lot of people are aware of something they weren’t aware of before,”...
N.J. brothers traveling cross country by foot to aid restaurant workers step through Pittsburgh
Aiden and Louis Ardine have been walking an average of 25 miles a day. They plan to reach their destination in five months. Yes. Five. Months. The Red Bank, N.J. brothers are on a 3,000-plus mile trek across the U.S. What’s fueling their journey is food — literally and figuratively....
Idlewild & SoakZone’s opening day sees rainy weather, chilly temperatures
Few guests decided to brave the 50-degree temperatures and scattered rain Saturday to attend Idlewild & SoakZone’s opening day for its 144th season. “The weather has kind of put a damper on everything,” said Dominic Urbani, food and beverage manager at the amusement park. Because of the rain, some attractions,...
Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announces 4 new, merged parishes to be created in July
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh on Saturday announced plans to create four new, merged parishes. Fifteen parishes will be part of the mergers, which will take effect July 1, Bishop David Zubik said. “This has not been a simple task,” Zubik wrote in a letter to parishioners. “Jesus never promised...
2 detained after incident at Ross Park Mall, search for others continues
Two people were detained by police after a fight broke out inside Ross Park Park Mall on Saturday. An Allegheny County 911 dispatcher confirmed that police were called to the mall around 4:30 p.m. Ross Township Police Lt. Brian Kohlhepp told Trib news partner WPXI that there was a fight...
Trump looms large in Pennsylvania’s GOP primaries in 2022
HARRISBURG — With Pennsylvania’s wide-open races for governor and U.S. Senate taking shape, Republican candidates with strong ties to Donald Trump are running and considered strong contenders for the party’s nominations — a powerful sign of the former president’s enduring popularity within the GOP. Within a few days of each...
Pennsylvania’s new covid case average drops below 1,000 for 1st time since October
Pennsylvania’s seven-day average of new covid cases on Saturday dropped below 1,000 for the first time since October. The state added 832 additional covid cases to its total Saturday, with its seven-day average falling to 909. It’s the first time the average has been in triple digits since Oct. 1,...
Coroner: 1 dead after shooting in Donora Friday night
A Donora man was killed at his home Friday night, according to the Washington County Coroner’s office. Dakota Johnston, 26, of Donora was shot at his house on 3rd Street in Donora at about 11:45 p.m. Saturday. He was transported to the Monongahela Valley Hospital emergency department, where he was...
Police: Teen killed in Allentown shooting
A 17-year-old man was killed in a shooting in Allentown on Thursday, authorities said. Pittsburgh police responded to a Shotspotter alert for five rounds fired about 9:30 p.m. on Thursday in the 700 block of Allentown’s East Warrington Avenue around . Officers found a man who’d been shot, who was...
Weather curtails Saturday’s Westmoreland airshow; disappointed fans can returnVideo
Mother Nature wasn’t on the side of the Angels, or their fans, Saturday. A low cloud ceiling kept the headlining Navy Blue Angels jet demonstration team from taking to the skies, along with several other aircraft that were slated to appear during the first day of this weekend’s Shop ’n...
Glen’s to expand production of frozen custard in Lower BurrellVideo
Proving that frozen custard might be a form of eternal bliss, the fourth-generation owner of Glen’s Custard is buying a Lower Burrell building to ramp up production of its novel frozen delicacies. Glen’s will close soon on a building along Leechburg Road that will serve as its production and storage...
AHN starts 2021 with $23 million loss; patient visits rebound as covid vaccinations climb
The Allegheny Health Network reported an operating loss of $23.4 million for the first three months of 2021, financial documents released Friday show. Despite starting the year in the red, AHN Chief Financial Officer James Rohrbaugh said the 14-hospital system remains on solid financial footing. He points to patient visits...
Mail, passenger routes, flight instruction helped spur growth at Unity airportVideo
One thing was sure to lure young Bob Downs away from the dinner table. It was when he heard a Stinson mail plane passing above his childhood home on Latrobe’s Irving Avenue, en route to the Latrobe Airport. “I would jump up from the table, dash to the door and...
4-year-old Oklahoma Borough girl uses Make-A-Wish request to support her preschoolVideo
A little girl with a big heart is giving back to her preschool. Oklahoma Borough’s Nora Caporali, 4, presented her Explorers program at the West Vandergrift Early Learning Center with a new play area called “Nora’s Nook” and much-needed classroom supplies and furniture in a ceremony Thursday. The gifts were...
Pressure for Senate rules change after GOP blocks Jan. 6 probe
WASHINGTON — As Republicans blocked a bill Friday to establish a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, pressure mounted on Democrats to end the practice of requiring 60 votes to move legislation through the Senate if they have any hope of advancing their priorities and President Joe Biden’s...
Police: Failed DoorDash delivery in Bethel Park results in couple’s arrest
An Ohio couple has been charged with drug possession and other crimes after a DoorDash delivery didn’t make it to its Bethel Park destination. Borough police said they responded to a welfare check for a driver who did not make her delivery shortly after midnight Monday. Officers found the car...
State issues park overcrowding alert for Ohiopyle, Keystone, Presque Isle and more
The state has issued an “overcrowding alert” this holiday weekend for 14 of its 121 state parks including regional favorites such as Ohiopyle, Keystone and Presque Isle. A large number of park users on good weather weekends is causing some state parks to turn away visitors, according to a report...
5 new concerts announced at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg
Tickets sales for shows at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg are ramping up, officials said, and five more live concerts are set to go on sale next week. According to an announcement from the Westmoreland Cultural Trust, the shows on sale next week include: • Gypsy: Celebrating the music of...
MSA Safety acquires Alle-Kiski Valley-based Bacharach in $337M deal
Global safety equipment maker MSA Safety is expanding its gas detection business with the $337 million acquisition of Alle-Kiski Valley-based Bacharach, the companies announced. MSA, headquartered in Cranberry, plans to complete the acquisition of Bacharach and its affiliated companies from FFL Partners, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, in early...
Pennsylvania’s flu season among mildest ever
Pennsylvania had one of its mildest flu seasons on record, with high flu vaccine rates and mitigation measures aimed to slow the spread of covid-19 keeping influenza cases low, officials said Friday. This year’s flu season, which officially ended May 22, saw 3,664 lab-confirmed cases statewide, according to Deputy Secretary...
Ross police considering charges against man seen on video beating dogVideo
Ross police said charges are being considered against a man who they say was recorded on security video repeatedly beating a dog at a motel along McKnight Road. The suspect remains at large. Detective Brian Kohlhepp said the man, who has not been publicly identified, came to the station Friday...
How it started, how it’s going: Entertainment professionals share pandemic stories
From Broadway performers to local theater groups, Hollywood stars to indie filmmakers, national touring acts to bar bands, the pandemic had a devastating effect on the entertainment industry. The sudden shuttering of bars, concert halls, movie theaters and other venues — some permanently — led to widespread loss of revenue...
GOP blocks probe of deadly Jan. 6 riot at Capitol; Toomey misses vote
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Friday blocked creation of a bipartisan panel to investigate the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, displaying continuing party loyalty to former President Donald Trump and firm determination to shift the political focus away from the violent insurrection by his GOP supporters. The Senate...
As vaccinations inch upward, Pennsylvania’s covid cases continue lower
Pennsylvania continues to see a steady drop in cases of covid-19, with resulting deaths and hospitalizations following that downward trend. As vaccinations continue, the coronavirus appears to be spreading at a slower rate even as more people gather in public without protective masks or social distancing. The state on Friday...
