Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1281
California would ban boys and girls sections at big retailers under proposed law
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s large retailers would have to do away with boy and girl signage for toys and child care aisles, under a bill being considered by state lawmakers. Assembly Bill 1084 would require retailers with 500 or more employees “to maintain undivided areas of its sales floor where...
Mask policies are here to stay — for now, Pa. officials sayVideo
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made headlines this week by lifting his state’s mask mandate and declaring Texas “100% open” against advice of federal health agencies. Pennsylvania should not expect any such declarations any time soon. “At this time, mask-wearing is abundantly important,” said acting state Secretary of Health Alison Beam....
Route 30 signal upgrades in Hempfield, Jeannette could take through year’s end
Motorists on a stretch of Route 30 in Hempfield and Jeannette will have to put up with traffic restrictions for the better part of a year as PennDOT updates traffic signals at 11 intersections to assist the flow of vehicles. Work is expected to occur between 9 a.m. and 3...
Dick’s Sporting Goods and AHN team up to give 5,100 covid vaccinesVideo
Dick’s Sporting Goods teamed up Friday with Allegheny Health Network to host a covid-19 vaccine clinic, administering about 5,100 vaccine doses to high-risk patients. Individuals who fall into Phase 1A of Pennsylvania’s covid-19 vaccine distribution plan were able to receive their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the clinic,...
Allegheny County adds 288 covid cases, 9 deaths
Allegheny County on Friday reported 288 additional cases of covid-19, bringing the total to 77,803 since the pandemic began. The county’s seven-day case average, currently at 238, has remained below 300 cases since Feb. 9. Of the new cases, 185 were confirmed via 864 new PCR tests and 103 are...
Help wanted: Wigle Whiskey is filling 99 positions
Looking for a job? Wigle Whiskey posted via social media it is planning to fill 99 positions over the next nine weeks. “We are definitely in rebuilding mode,” said Meredith Meyer Grelli, co-owner of Wigle Distillery and Threadbare Cider & Mead, an award-winning craft distillery. The concept of “99 jobs”...
California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell sues Trump, allies over Capitol riot
WASHINGTON — Rep. Eric Swalwell, who served as a House manager in Donald Trump’s last impeachment, filed a lawsuit Friday against the former president, his son, lawyer and a Republican congressman whose actions he charges led to January’s insurrection. The California Democrat’s suit was filed Friday in federal court in...
Reports: Cuomo aides pushed for N.Y. officials to alter count of nursing home deaths
NEW YORK — Some New York lawmakers are calling for Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s impeachment after reports late Thursday that his top aides altered a state Health Department report to omit the true number of people killed by covid-19 in the state’s nursing homes. The Wall Street Journal and The New...
That old shovel in the shed could be part of a giant pine cone sculpture for Tree Pittsburgh
Tree Pittsburgh is asking for donations of garden-related tools — particularly shovels and wheelbarrows — for a massive pine cone sculpture. The sculpture, expected to be 8 feet high, will commemorate the nonprofit’s 15th anniversary. Tree Pittsburgh is an environmental group dedicated to restoring and protecting urban forests in the...
Capitol Police chief appeals for National Guard to stayVideo
WASHINGTON — Worried about continuing threats, the acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police appealed to congressional leaders Thursday to use their influence to keep National Guard troops at the Capitol, two months after the law enforcement breakdowns of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection. Yogananda Pittman told the leaders in...
Allegheny County Jail administration defends covid-19 testing policy
Allegheny County Jail officials defended their handling of the covid-19 pandemic during Thursday’s oversight board meeting. Chief Deputy Warden Laura Williams told the board that there have been 2,163 inmates tested at the jail since March 2020. Of those, 287 have tested positive. According to Williams, 42 inmates are currently...
Mayor Bill Peduto, challenger Tony Moreno agree to run civil campaign; Ed Gainey silent on issue
Pittsburgh mayoral candidate Tony Moreno took to Facebook with a challenge Thursday, asking his competitors to be civil, during the campaign. Moreno, 51, of Brighton Heights is a retired Pittsburgh police officer. He’s running against incumbent Mayor Bill Peduto, 56, of Point Breeze and five-term state Rep. Ed Gainey, 51,...
Pittsburgh Public Safety promotes firefighters, EMS personnel
Pittsburgh Public Safety officials held ceremonies Thursday to promote and swear in a number of men and women in the bureaus of fire and EMS. The ceremonies were held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, a venue necessary to allow for social distancing. Promotions included four to the rank...
Owner vows to rebuild after losing his Upper Burrell mobile home in a blaze
An Upper Burrell couple was left homeless Thursday when fire raced through their mobile home on Amy Lane. Neither the couple, their pets nor any firefighters were reported to have been injured. Shortly after Larry Sieff turned on his hot water tank, he saw smoke in his kitchen and found...
Bridgeville man pleads guilty to federal child porn charges
A Bridgeville man pleaded guilty in federal court to child pornography charges. Paul Chretien, 66, pleaded guilty to charges of distribution of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced Thursday. He...
Powerful quake hits off New Zealand, prompting evacuations
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A powerful magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck in the ocean off the coast of New Zealand on Friday, prompting thousands of people to evacuate and triggering tsunami warnings across the South Pacific. The quake was the largest in a series of tremors that struck the region over...
Penn Township man jailed after 19-hour standoff
A Penn Township man peacefully surrendered to police Thursday after a state police special response team took action to end a standoff that began a night earlier, authorities said. James Kassimatis, 51, came out of his Center Street house in Harrison City around 2 p.m., township police Chief John Otto...
Appointments filled after Giant Eagle extends Heinz Field covid vaccine clinic
Appointments for the covid vaccine clinic at Heinz Field next week have been filled, only hours after becoming available. Giant Eagle announced it would extend its covid-19 vaccination clinic at Heinz Field “after receiving an overwhelmingly positive response” this week. The chain made more appointments available to eligible individuals for...
Police: Remains found near VA Hospital in Oakland
Pittsburgh police are investigating after remains were found Thursday morning in Oakland, officials said. Officers received a call just before 10 a.m. about possible remains found on Brackenridge Street near the Oakland VA Hospital, said Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz. Detectives arrived and found bone fragments in the street, Cruz...
Senate begins considering Democrats’ $1.9T coronavirus relief billVideo
WASHINGTON — The Senate voted by the slimmest of margins Thursday to begin debating a $1.9 trillion covid-19 relief bill, after Democrats made eleventh-hour changes aimed at ensuring they could pull President Joe Biden’s top legislative priority through the precariously divided chamber. Democrats were hoping for Senate approval of the...
‘Pink hat lady’ indicted on charges stemming from Capitol insurrection
A Mercer County woman charged with breaching the Capitol during riots there on Jan. 6 has been formally indicted. A federal grand jury sitting in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday returned eight counts against Rachel Powell, 40, of Sandy Lake, including obstruction; destruction of government property; entering a restricted building with...
Strip District’s former Produce Terminal welcomes new tenantsVideo
Visitors to Pittsburgh’s Strip District can now buy plants, candles and locally-made crafts, take golf lessons and shop at a liquor store at the landmark former Produce Terminal on Smallman Street. The sprawling, low-slung building is familiar to anyone who’s eaten a fry-filled sandwich at Primanti’s original location on nearby...
Penguins admit to altering Twitter photo showing fans wearing masks
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Twitter account on Thursday was making news for the wrong reasons. A seemingly innocuous tweet from the team’s verified account Wednesday showed a Getty Images photo of fans applauding in the stands, with text saying, “Thanks for the continued support, Penguins fans.” Tuesday night’s game against the...
How vaccine clinics will work for Pa. teachers
At least one vaccination site in each of Pennsylvania’s educational regions will be available to teachers and school staff, state officials said Thursday. The clinics could be up and running as early as next week. Child care workers who are not associated with one of the state’s 29 Intermediate Units...
Pennsylvania reports 50 covid deaths, cases rise, hospitalizations fall
Pennsylvania Department of Health on Thursday reported 50 new coronavirus deaths, 3,028 additional coronavirus cases and 1,628 people hospitalized for the virus. Of the deaths newly reported Thursday, 10 are from this month, 37 are from February, one is from January and two are from December. The total number of...
