Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1341
Despite smooth election, GOP leaders seek vote restrictions
ATLANTA — Changes to the way millions of Americans voted this year contributed to record turnout, but that’s no guarantee the measures making it easier to cast ballots will stick around for future elections. Republicans in key states that voted for President-elect Joe Biden already are pushing for new restrictions,...
Downtown Nashville explosion knocks communications offline
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A recreational vehicle parked in the deserted streets of downtown Nashville exploded early Christmas morning, causing widespread communications outages that took down police emergency systems and grounded holiday travel at the city’s airport. Police were responding to a report of shots fired Friday when they encountered the...
Fire marshals to investigate cause of fire that destroyed West Deer metals firm
Fire marshals from Allegheny County and West Deer Township will attempt to determine the cause of a fire Saturday morning that destroyed a metal fabricating and recycling plant. West Deer Company 3 fire Chief Josh Wiegand said the fire destroyed the TNT Metals plant at 22 Frontier Drive. It was...
Scottdale man on covid battle: ‘I did not think I was going to make it’
Wayne Grabiak had encouragement coming from all angles. There were the FaceTime calls with his wife and text messages from family, friends and his cardiologist. Plus, the staff at AHN Jefferson Hospital loudly repeating a mantra through a glass window separating his room from the rest of the intensive care...
Lower Burrell woman spent months battling covid long-haul syndrome
When Kristin Giron Stewart was discharged from UPMC St. Margaret hospital after a 13-day battle with covid-19 over the summer, she thought she was well on her way to recovery. The 47-year-old Lower Burrell woman grew frustrated and frightened as the days wore on, and she continued to struggle with...
Santa side gig spreads joy to Leechburg residentsVideo
Steve Kovalchik has a festive side gig. Kovalchik, 65, is a volunteer Santa. He suited up on Christmas Day, complete in his custom embroidered red velvet suit, spreading holiday cheer to residents in Leechburg. Originally from Allegheny Township, Kovalchik resides in Maryland but visits Leechburg annually. “I feel joyous and...
More than 1,000 pounds of food donated to Westmoreland food bank from new casino
As the facility sits dark in compliance with mitigation orders aimed at stopping a surge of covid-19 cases across the state, officials with Live! Casino Pittsburgh took time to donate food, along with volunteer hours, to the Westmoreland County Food Bank. “Just because we’re closed doesn’t mean we can’t help...
Sounding off: Families have right to visit nursing home residents
I am writing to all families who have loved ones residing in nursing facilities in Pennsylvania. If your loved one is terminally ill or emotionally struggling, you have the right to in-person visits. On Sept. 17, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released memorandum QSO-20-39-NH to provide new...
Police: Suspicious blast wounds 3 in Nashville on Christmas
An explosion shook the largely deserted streets of downtown Nashville early Christmas morning, shattering windows, damaging buildings and wounding three people. Authorities said they believed the blast was intentional. Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said police were responding to a report of shots fired when they encountered a recreational...
Pittsburgh region enjoys snowiest Christmas ever
Southwestern Pennsylvania woke up Friday to the whitest Christmas it has ever seen. “This is very Bing Crosby-ish, I guess you could say,” said Shannon Hefferan, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s office in Moon. Between midnight and 1 p.m., 3.9 inches of snow had fallen at the NWS office,...
Greensburg infant’s brief life honored with random acts of kindness
In January, the brief life of a Greensburg infant led to an outpouring of love and support to his bereaved parents. This year on the date of his birth and death, Jan. 6, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region is honoring his memory with Willie’s Random Acts of...
Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle buys Michael Jackson’s Neverland ranch for $22 million
Peter Pan still hasn’t grown up, but Neverland has finally sold. Michael Jackson’s famous 2,700-acre Southern California ranch sold for $22 million to billionaire Ron Burkle, The Wall Street Journal reported. Burkle, who Forbes estimates is worth $1.5 billion, was a friend of Jackson who helped manage his money in...
Trump golfs in Florida as covid relief hangs in the balance
PALM BEACH — After tossing a grenade that threatens to blow up a massive covid relief and government funding bill and force a government shutdown in the midst of a pandemic, President Donald Trump spent his Christmas Eve golfing in Florida. Failure to agree on the bill could deny checks...
Ohio police chief urges officer who shot Black man be fired
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The police chief of Columbus, Ohio, recommended on Thursday that the officer who shot and killed Andre Hill, a 47-year-old Black man, earlier this week be fired. Police Chief Thomas Quinlan said in a statement that he filed two departmental charges alleging critical misconduct against officer Adam...
Jason Mraz to headline Rock, Reggae & Relief benefit concertVideo
There is hope that live music is coming back in 2021. Rock, Reggae & Relief, a festival benefiting hospitality workers and food insecurity, has announced a lineup of artists. It’s scheduled for Aug. 28. “We feel safe that, by then, most people will have taken the (covid) vaccine, and it’s...
U.S. military confirms pandemic won’t sideline Santa Claus
DENVER — The U.S. military is tracking an elderly man with a white beard and a large belly who goes by the name of Saint Nicholas. There’s no reason for alarm though, Air Force Gen. Glen D. VanHerck said. In fact, this is a Christmas tradition going on its 65th...
Dog training, day care continue after Bruce Ringer, ‘dog whisperer of Tarentum,’ dies
Bruce D. Ringer’s love of dogs and his wife were manifest, and not surprisingly intertwined. The longtime, legendary dog trainer, Ringer, 63, of Tarentum, died of colon cancer on Dec. 20. He was a dog trainer for more than 35 years and opened the first doggie day care in Allegheny...
Dark days: Experts fear the holidays will fuel the U.S. crisis
LOS ANGELES — Hard-hit California eclipsed 2 million coronavirus cases on Christmas Eve as the U.S. headed into a holiday season of travel and family gatherings that threaten to fuel the deadly outbreak across the nation. Despite warnings from public health experts to stay home, over 1.19 million travelers passed...
Judge in Pa. rejects restaurants’ challenge of Wolf’s indoor dining ban
HARRISBURG — A federal judge in Pennsylvania has rejected a bid to block one of Gov. Tom Wolf’s latest orders to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus, a three-week shutdown of indoor dining at restaurants through Jan. 4, as Wolf went to court to sue restaurants defying the...
Trading Josh Bell to Nationals is first major move in offseason of rebuilding for Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates once coveted Josh Bell’s bat so much they took the risk of drafting the slugger in the second round and signing him to a record $5 million bonus to convince him to skip college. Bell became the face of the franchise, both for hitting majestic home runs...
For 31st straight year, Hempfield supervisors approve budget with no tax increase
Hempfield supervisors unanimously approved a $13.5 million budget that does not raise real estate taxes for the 31st consecutive year. The approval, which took place at Monday’s meeting, came after months of cutbacks and planning to make up for lost expenses because of the coronavirus pandemic. Revenue streams such as...
Pennsylvania’s covid surge eases a bit as Christmas arrives
When a surge of new cases hit Pennsylvania in early December, it ratcheted up the state’s average daily case count to over 10,000. Over the past week, that surge seems to have eased slightly. The trend continued on the day before Christmas. With 9,230 new covid-19 cases announced by the...
Time almost up for some unemployed workers to apply for extra $300
People who were fully or partially unemployed for six weeks in August and September because of covid-19 are running out of time to apply for extra aid. Eligible individuals could receive up to $300 a week in extra jobless benefits, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency will close the application...
Westmoreland County covid cases continue downward trend
With 368 new cases of covid-19 announced Thursday, Westmoreland County continues to bend the average downward. The Pennsylvania Department of Health’s latest report shows the county is seeing 30% fewer new cases than a week ago. Over the past seven days, Westmoreland has registered 2,229 cases, as opposed to 3,176...
Mt. Lebanon couple donates $1 million to UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Research Institute
Terri Bone remembered calling the neonatal intensive care unit from her hospital room to check on her newborn daughter. “The nurse told me, ‘she stopped breathing last night, but she is OK,’ ” said Bone. “ ‘Premature babies do that sometimes.’ ” After 10 days in the NICU at what...
