Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1536
As Pa. fairs are canceled, communities miss out on tradition, social engagement
Rural communities across Pennsylvania are feeling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic as local fairs, often social epicenters during the summer, are canceled in accordance with state regulations. So far, 16 of the 108 fairs across the state have been called off, said Sally Nolt, president of the Pennsylvania State...
Tractor-trailer filled with Frito-Lay brand chips and more donated to Feeding Freeport
The Feeding Freeport drive-by meal program got a boost from Frito-Lay with a semi tractor-trailer loaded with Doritos, baked Ruffles potato chips, popcorn and more, much of it in individual servings. Feeding Freeport is a pop-up community effort that’s been at work since March 17 helping area residents impacted by...
Pittsburgh EMS recognized for quality of emergency pediatric care
Pittsburgh’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Services was recognized Tuesday for reaching the highest level of training in pediatric care, based on the state’s Pediatric Voluntary Recognition Program. Duane Spencer, manager for the EMS for Children Program in the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council, presented a certificate to bureau leaders for...
Pennsylvania food distributors receive $50 million for food box program
State and local food distributors in Pennsylvania are receiving a big financial boost to get food boxes to families in need. Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday state distributors will get $50 million of the $1.2 billion in funding for the program. The money will pay for the purchase of surplus...
In the market for a spaceship or jungle? Quirky Plum home for saleVideo
Strange noises are the first thing you notice when walking into Epoc I, the name of a Plum house that has been getting a lot of attention as of late. Not just regular noises, like a creaking door or the shuffling of feet or the pleasantries exchanged between host and...
Religious freedom bill proposed in Pennsylvania as churches navigate reopening
As some churches prepare to open, two Pennsylvania lawmakers want to prevent the state from restricting religious gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic or any future emergency. State Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Westmoreland, said religious leaders have been confused about whether churches are affected by state-mandated coronavirus shutdowns. “Our religious community is...
Robert Levin makes 2nd bid to revive family furniture business
Robert Levin is back in the furniture business. Almost two months to the day after his deal fell through to repurchase the family-owned furniture chain he sold to Art Van Furniture in 2017, Levin has negotiated a deal in bankruptcy court to buy back the Levin brand. His $25.7 million...
Westmoreland County Prison guard charged with assaulting inmate
The alleged assault on an inmate at the Westmoreland County Prison at the hands of a guard last month was reported by Manor Police, who had just delivered the handcuffed prisoner to the jail, according to court records. Borough officers told county detectives they watched as James Mapp “was repeatedly...
Pa. Department of Health report sheds light on coronavirus impact in long-term care facilities
Brighton Rehab officials said early on in the pandemic they would operate under the assumption that all of the care home residents were positive for the coronavirus. That has nearly come to pass, data show: of the approximately 470 residents at the Beaver County facility, more than three-quarters of them...
My ‘decision to make’: Trump defends criticized use of malaria drugVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump emphatically defended himself Tuesday against criticism from medical experts that his announced use of a malaria drug against the coronavirus could spark wide misuse by Americans of the unproven treatment with potentially fatal side effects. Trump’s revelation a day earlier that he was taking hydroxychloroquine...
Elderly couple carried out of their Arnold house as fire rips through vacant house next door
Paramedics carried an elderly couple out of their Arnold home when it was threatened by fire Tuesday. Firefighters stopped the fire from spreading from the empty house it started at, and no one was hurt, officials said. Todd Hutchison said he called 911 to report the fire in the 1300...
Gov. Wolf on law allowing to-go cocktail sales: ‘I will sign it’
Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday he plans to sign legislation that would allow restaurants and bars to sell prepared beverages and mixed drinks and deliver them curbside. The governor noted it was overwhelmingly approved by the state House and Senate. Wolf did not indicate when he will sign the bill...
Coronavirus count in Westmoreland County falls by 1 as state refines data
The coronavirus case count dropped by one in Westmoreland County on Tuesday as the state continues to refine its numbers. The subtraction of one case brings the county total to 431, according to data from the Department of Health. Case and death counts by county have continued to fluctuate as...
Pennsylvania to send property tax/rent rebate checks sooner because of pandemic
About 500,000 Pennsylvanians who benefit from the state’s property tax and rent rebate program will be receiving their checks six weeks earlier than usual, state officials announced Tuesday. The move will help some of the state’s most vulnerable residents during the coronavirus pandemic, state Treasurer Joe Torsella said. The rebates,...
610 new coronavirus cases, 119 additional deaths reported in Pa.
State health officials on Tuesday reported more than 100 new coronavirus deaths across Pennsylvania along with 610 new cases of the virus. The 119 newly reported deaths bring the statewide death toll to 4,624. The total number of cases across the state since March 6 now stands at 63,666. Those...
Pier 1 Imports to close down all stores
Pier 1 Imports, the home decor retailer, announced Tuesday that it will begin closing all of its company’s 540 stores once they are able to reopen following mandated shutdowns. The company, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February, said it was forced to shutter stores because it was...
Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Weezer postpone Pittsburgh show, Hella Mega tour dates
One of the big U.S. rock tours of the summer will now happen in 2021. Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer were set to head out on the Hella Mega tour this summer, but the bands have postponed the North American dates of the summer trek until next year....
Allegheny County reports 1 new coronavirus death, 17 new cases
Allegheny County on Tuesday reported one new covid-19 death and 17 new cases. The latest figures bring the total number of deaths to 144 and total cases to 1,658. The total cases include 1,569 confirmed cases and 89 probable cases. Total hospitalizations rose by 10 since Monday, from 294 to...
Cops: Man jailed after being cited for drug possession, later breaking into Hempfield car wash
A Philadelphia man found in Westmoreland County passed out inside a vehicle reeking of marijuana and subsequently charged with drug possession over the weekend was arrested about 12 hours later following an alleged burglary at a local business, state police reported. Troopers first encountered Naasir N. Boyd, 19, around 9...
2 more state prison inmates, 1 staffer die of covid-19
Two more Pennsylvania state prison inmates and one prison employee have died from the coronavirus, according to data from the state Department of Corrections. The latest inmates to die from covid-19 were incarcerated at SCI-Huntingdon in Huntington County. The facility has seen 62 inmates test positive for the virus along...
Who’s the baby daddy? Love triangle drama at Pitt peregrine falcon nest
With two male suitors for one female, and two eggs to tend, uncertainties abound at the top of the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning, the region’s most popular nesting site for the peregrine falcon. The drama of peregrine falcon couples in Oakland, Downtown Pittsburgh, Tarentum and elsewhere is closely...
4 employees at Giant Eagle distribution center in Freedom test positive for coronavirus
Four employees at a manufacturing and distribution facility in Freedom, Beaver County, have tested positive for coronavirus, Giant Eagle officials announced Monday. Company spokesman Richard Roberts said workers have had their temperatures taken when they arrive at the facility since the first case was confirmed on May 8. About 400...
Western Pa. task force intent on training dogs to sniff out covid-19Video
More than 100 dogs and handlers from throughout the region were put through their paces this month as they vied for the opportunity to join in the battle against the covid-19 pandemic. During sessions in Youngwood and Imperial, a panel of trainers evaluated the dogs’ ability to sniff out hidden...
Search continues for boy who reportedly fell into the Ohio River
Ambridge police, fire and other emergency responders will resume searching Tuesday for a 10-year-old boy they said fell into the Ohio River on Monday. The boy was with his brother and a group of friends who were playing near the Ambridge Sewer Treatment Plant and the Leetsdale Boat Ramp, Tribune-Review...
Trump says he’s taking hydroxychloroquine in case he gets coronavirusVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he is taking a malaria drug to protect against the coronavirus, despite warnings from his own government that it should only be administered for covid-19 in a hospital or research setting due to potentially fatal side effects. Trump told reporters Monday he has been...
