Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1538
Pandemic claims another retailer: 118-year-old J.C. Penney
NEW YORK — The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the storied but troubled department store chain J.C. Penney into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It is the fourth major retailer to meet that fate. As part of its reorganization, the 118-year-old company said late Friday it will be shuttering some stores. It said...
Authorities search for man who fell into Ohio River from Neville Island dock
Authorities were searching for a man who fell into the Ohio River on Saturday night near Neville Island, according to Ohio Township police. The 23-year-old was fishing with friends on a dock on Neville Island fell into the river late Saturday, police said in a Facebook post. Numerous agencies searched...
Lower Burrell officials want Gov. Tom Wolf to reopen businesses closed because of pandemic
Lower Burrell officials on Monday plan to send a letter to Gov. Tom Wolf asking him to reopen businesses that have been shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. The letter, signed by Mayor John Andrejcik and council members Joe Grillo, Rosina Albanese, Rob Hamilton and Chris Fabry, said the...
Surprise parade helps Hempfield teen mark milestone birthdayVideo
Kolby Liston is fascinated by fire trucks and loves parades. Those two elements came together Sunday afternoon to provide the Hempfield teen a memorable 18th birthday celebration. Arranged by his sister Katelyn Larsen of Youngwood, about 50 vehicles driven by first responders, friends or relatives delivered birthday wishes and gifts...
Coronavirus vaccine within a year is ‘far from a sure thing,’ expert warnsVideo
WASHINGTON — A coronavirus vaccine by year’s end is possible, but not something to “bank on,” a leading public health expert warned Sunday as the Trump administration continued to push for swift business reopenings in a bid to revive the battered U.S. economy. Aides to President Donald Trump have touted...
Ted Danson, other notable Carnegie Mellon alumni offer congrats to new grads
More than 5,400 Carnegie Mellon University graduates received words of encouragement and kudos from notable alumni during an online degree conferral program Sunday. Among them was actor Ted Danson, an alum of the CMU School of Drama. “I’m sorry that we’re not all together in one spot. That would have...
Woman dies after car crashes into Butler County convenience store
A car slammed into a convenience store in Butler County, killing one woman and injuring two others, authorities said. The car was traveling down Dwellington Drive in Middlesex Township when it crashed into a closed store at the CoGo’s at about 12:10 a.m. Sunday, police in Butler County said. One...
4 more covid-19 cases reported in Westmoreland County; no new deaths
Westmoreland County on Sunday continued to report no new deaths from the coronavirus, but did see an increase in positive covid-19 cases. State officials said 427 people have tested positive for the virus as of Sunday, an increase of four from Saturday. Neither the coroner nor state officials reported any...
Pennsylvania reports 15 more coronavirus deaths, 623 additional cases
Pennsylvania on Sunday reported 15 more covid-19 deaths and 623 additional cases, bringing the state’s total number of cases to 62,234, state officials said. A total of 4,418 people have died from the virus, which has been reported in all of the state’s 67 counties. More than 270,600 people have...
Alcosan given OK for $2 billion plan to reduce sewage overflows into waterways
The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority is cleared to proceed with a $2 billion plan for reducing storm water and sewage overflows now that it has court approval of a related consent decree with federal and state environmental officials. Alcosan on Friday announced the U.S. District Court approval of the modified...
U.S. health secretary won’t criticize over crowded bars, beaches
WASHINGTON — Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar is declining to criticize local leaders amid images of crowded bars and boardwalks in areas where coronavirus restrictions are being lifted. Azar told CNN in an interview Sunday that “the president has left it up to states to know their local...
U.S. military’s mystery space plane rockets back toward orbit
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The U.S. military’s mystery space plane rocketed toward orbit again Sunday, this time with an extra load of science experiments. It’s the sixth flight of an X-37B, a solar-powered plane that’s flown by remote control without a crew. Officials aren’t saying how long the spacecraft will...
Law enforcement ties, long delay complicate Ahmaud Arbery case
ATLANTA — There was an abundance of evidence when officers arrived at the scene on a February afternoon in coastal Georgia: A man, apparently unarmed, lying on the street, soaked in blood. The suspected shooter, a shotgun, eyewitnesses. And video of the incident. But no arrests were made in the...
Allegheny County reports no new coronavirus deaths or hospitalizations, just 8 new cases
Allegheny County on Sunday reported no new coronavirus deaths, no new hospitalizations and just eight new cases. The latest figures bring the total number of covid-19 cases in the county to 1,603 since the first case was reported here March 14. Total deaths remained at 143, and total hospitalizations stayed...
Figure in probe of teacher Rachael DelTondo’s homicide charged with killing Aliquippa man
A man linked to the investigation of an Aliquippa teacher’s unsolved homicide is charged with killing a man Friday in that Beaver County city. State police allege Sheldon Devant Jeter Jr., 22, of Aliquippa, is responsible for the shooting death of Tyric Pugh, 30, also of Aliquippa. State police were...
Tropical Storm Arthur crawls closer to North Carolina coast
MIAMI — Tropical Storm Arthur crawled closer to the North Carolina coast on Sunday evening, amid threats of some minor flooding and rough seas as the system moves off the Southeast seaboard. Arthur formed Saturday in waters off Florida, marking the sixth straight year that a named storm has developed...
Allegheny Township personal care home hit with unknown number of covid-19 cases
An outbreak of covid-19 cases has been reported for the Pleasant Ridge Mature Living personal care home in Allegheny Township, although authorities aren’t releasing the number of cases or if there have been any deaths. At least not yet. The Pennsylvania Department of Health plans to start releasing Monday the...
Drive-ins could see renewed interest in coming weeks as some virus restrictions are liftedVideo
Tucked off of side roads in towns across Western Pennsylvania, dots of bygone Americana are alive, operating in the form of drive-in theaters filled with people hoping to reclaim a piece of normalcy stripped away by the coronavirus pandemic. The theaters are some of the first entertainment facilities permitted to...
Fire, explosion in Los Angeles injures 10 firefighters
LOS ANGELES — An explosion in downtown Los Angeles injured 10 firefighters Saturday, and more than 200 others rushed to the scene as the flames spread to several buildings. The condition of the injured was not immediately known. News helicopters showed dozens of fire trucks at the scene. As firefighters...
Pandemic throws campaign challenges in way of candidates looking to win June 2 primaries
When he decided to run for state auditor general, Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb thought he had retail politics down to an art form. After all, the 57-year-old was born into a political family. The affable Democrat had run seven successful campaigns in Allegheny County, made his bona fides as...
In lieu of funeral, Brackenridge mourners line streets to recall founder of Vibo’s Italian Bakery
Friends, neighbors and longtime customers of Mary Lopreiato took to the streets of Brackenridge on Saturday to mourn the woman who founded Vibo’s Italian Bakery more than 30 years ago. Lopreiato — affectionately known as “Mrs. Vibo” to many customers — died at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh on May...
Anti-Semitic incidents reached record high in America last year, report says
A record number of anti-Semitic incidents were documented across the nation last year, according to a report from the Anti-Defamation League. The anti-hate organization recorded 2,107 anti-Semitic incidents, the highest count since it began tracking incidents in 1979. This also marked a 12% increase from the 1,879 incidents recorded in...
Reopening the economy doesn’t necessarily mean people are opening wallets
Suzann Ordile spent her time and money on restaurants and entertainment before the coronavirus disrupted life in the Philadelphia region and across the world. In a typical week, the Newtown lawyer ordered takeout twice, saw a couple shows with her wife and dined near a theater in Princeton. She squeezed...
Fred Willard, comedic improv-style actor, has died at 86
LOS ANGELES — Fred Willard, the comedic actor whose improv style kept him relevant for more than 50 years in films such as “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Best In Show” and “Anchorman,” has died. He was 86. Willard’s daughter, Hope Mulbarger, said in a statement Saturday her father died peacefully...
Unity rally participants want fewer covid-19 restrictions, more open businessesVideo
More than 100 people took part in a rally Saturday in Unity to express frustration with Gov. Tom Wolf’s remaining covid-19-related restrictions on businesses. Many, but not all, of the demonstrators wore face coverings, which are recommended by officials to control the spread of the coronavirus. Receiving honks from many...
