Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1416
‘You can’t just flip a switch’ Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto says of police reform
As a Black man who grew up in small-town Alabama, Brandon Davis has been hit with a police night stick. He’s been forced to lie down in the mud by police, and he knows what it’s like to lose trust in law enforcement. Still, Davis, now an assistant professor at...
Appeals court allows Gov. Tom Wolf, state to restore covid crowd restrictions
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday granted a request from Gov. Tom Wolf to reinstate crowd gathering restrictions designed to prevent the spread of covid-19. In a two-page order filed just after noon, Judges D. Brooks Smith, Michael Chagares and Patty Shwartz granted the request to stay...
Pa. lawmaker’s positive covid-19 test cancels voting session
HARRISBURG — A Republican lawmaker’s positive test for COVID-19 on Thursday prompted legislative leaders to immediately cancel the day’s Pennsylvania House voting session, and human resources workers were deployed to trace his personal contacts to see if others should be quarantined. Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Franklin, issued a statement saying he...
Mt. Pleasant Township man accused of impersonating officer, threatening relative, troopers
A former U.S. Forestry Service employee was jailed Wednesday on $100,000 bond after he was charged with falsely identifying himself as a federal law officer and threatening to arrest state troopers responding to a domestic incident in Mt. Pleasant Township. George L. Fusco, 52, was arrested by state police on...
Pennsylvania reports 1,156 new coronavirus cases, 18 new deaths
Pennsylvania on Thursday reported a second day of more than 1,000 new covid-19 cases, along with 18 new deaths attributed to the coronavirus. The state Department of Health reported 1,156 cases, bringing the total number of cases to 160,123 since March. On Wednesday, the state logged 1,153 cases. The state...
Allegheny County posts 106 new coronavirus cases, no new deaths
Allegheny County on Thursday reported 106 new coronavirus cases with no new deaths. The county’s total number of cases stands at 12,454 with 9,003 recoveries. According to the Allegheny County Health Department’s covid-19 dashboard, 178,796 individuals have tested for the virus. The county has an overall 7% positive test result...
Biden visit stirs pro, con sentiments among Westmoreland residentsVideo
Former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign swing through Westmoreland County this week elicited strong opinions from local residents — both those who want to see a change in the White House and others who want President Donald Trump to get four more years. Jeff Leonard came to Biden’s last stop...
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin ‘disappointed’ NFL postponed game against Titans
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans won’t play a football game in Week 4 after all. The NFL announced Thursday that the two teams will play at Nissan Stadium in Nashville later in season after another Titans player and staff member each tested positive for covid-19. The Titans have had...
Pittsburgh-area restaurant owners get creative to extend patio season as temps drop
When chef and restaurateur Brian Pekarcik contemplated how his two BRGR restaurants should approach this fall and winter, he thought of the restaurants’ perennial favorites: the Gobble Gobble turkey burger, a spiked pumpkin milkshake and a warmly spiced rum cocktail, among others. He also thought about covid-19 dining restrictions, many...
New overlay code will trigger 10-digit dialing in 814 area
Pennsylvania’s 814 area code, the largest geographically, is getting a second overlay code, to ensure a sufficient supply of phone numbers for residents and businesses there. The new code — 582 — eventually will require dialing a 10-digit number to reach a party in the large area that extends from...
Biden scores big union wins on train trek through Western PennsylvaniaVideo
It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood Wednesday for former Vice President Joe Biden as he ventured deep into what was the heart of Trump country in Westmoreland County in 2016 to pick up endorsements from two unions that represent 950,000 working people. Fresh from the spectacle of Tuesday...
Pivik Elementary in Plum to close for 2 weeks after a staffer tests positive for covid-19
Plum School District’s Pivik Elementary students will be learning remotely for at least two weeks after a staffer tested positive for covid-19. District officials sent a letter to families Wednesday informing them of the discovery and subsequent changes. The letter from Pivik Principal Kristen Gestrich states the staffer was in...
Federal appeals court must now decide whether to stay court order regarding state’s covid-19 shutdown
It is now up to the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to decide if a lower court decision ruling Gov. Tom Wolf’s covid-19 shutdown orders unconstitutional ought to be stayed. The plaintiffs in the underlying case — seven business owners who challenged orders to stay-at-home, close non-essential businesses and...
Jill Biden meets with small business leaders at Rizzo’s Malabar Inn in CrabtreeVideo
During a campaign stop Wednesday in Crabtree, Jill Biden told a small group of local Democrats and business leaders that areas such as Westmoreland County are an important part of her husband’s quest to win the presidency. As she and former Vice President Joe Biden traveled by train from Cleveland...
Allegheny County officials update residents on sports, testing and mail-in ballotsVideo
Allegheny County officials said Wednesday that state leaders will make the final call on whether to open major sporting events to spectators. “It won’t be a decision that’s made here at the local level or in Philadelphia,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. As college and professional football seasons get started,...
Port Authority employees sue over Black Lives Matter masks
Three Port Authority employees filed a federal lawsuit against the organization Wednesday contending that the uniform prohibition of “Black Lives Matter” masks is a violation of their First Amendment right to free speech. The complaint, filed by the Amalgamated Transit Union and Local No. 85 members James Hanna, Sasha Craig...
Armstrong, Butler counties added to drought watch
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection expanded its drought watch Wednesday from 13 to 29 counties, including Armstrong and Butler counties. Two counties, Clinton and McKean, were moved to the more severe classification of a drought warning, joining Potter County. The agency is asking residents in those counties with drought...
‘Trying to survive’: Claridge tavern faces fine, complaints, state probe over outdoor concerts
Weekend concerts that draw large crowds outside a Claridge tavern have spawned a series of complaints to Penn Township police, a local citation and sparked an investigation by the state liquor control enforcement agency. Concerts at SchoolHouse Tavern on Main Street are “totally out of hand,” with an estimated crowd...
Debate commission will make changes after 1st meeting between Trump, Biden
NEW YORK — The presidential debate commission says it will soon adopt changes to its format to avoid a repeat of the disjointed first meeting between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. The commission said Wednesday the debate “made clear that additional structure should be added to the format...
Joe Biden Express rolls into Western Pennsylvania for whistle-stop train tourVideo
An Amtrak passenger train carrying Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his campaign contingent rolled into Western Pennsylvania from Ohio on Wednesday, a day after a contentious televised debate with President Donald Trump. Campaign organizers said the “Build Back Better” train tour will highlight Biden’s plans to rebuild the economy...
Fireball streaks across the sky over PittsburghVideo
A comet-like object streaked quickly across the early morning sky of Pittsburgh on Wednesday, a burst of bluish-white light before disappearing into the darkness. While there were reports of a giant meteor being visible on the East Coast, this particular object was actually something much smaller. “A tiny piece of...
Pa. health secretary concerned about lingering effects of covid-19 on ‘recovered’ patients
A person is generally considered recovered from covid-19 about 30 days after they test positive or exhibit symptoms, according to state health officials. But that doesn’t mean the virus-stricken person has returned to normal health, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine said Wednesday. She called people who have lingering effects...
Pennsylvania reports 1,153 new coronavirus cases, 19 new deaths
Pennsylvania had its fifth day in September with more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 1,153 new cases, its third-highest day of the month, bringing the total to 158,967. The state also reported 19 new deaths on Wednesday, with one from July and...
NFL postpones Steelers-Titans game until Monday or Tuesday
A Week 4 matchup between division leaders and unbeaten AFC teams could take place Monday night. Tuesday is a possibility, too. What is certain is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game at the Tennessee Titans won’t happen Sunday afternoon as scheduled. The NFL announced Wednesday the game was postponed “to allow additional...
5 takeaways from the presidential debate
So what did we learn from Tuesday night’s televised presidential debate? Not a whole lot. In a debate that figures to be remembered mostly for how much President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden insulted and talked over each other, what the candidates didn’t say and the opportunities...
