Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1540
Pittsburgh cancels Fourth of July fireworks, other summer activities
Pittsburgh’s Fourth of July fireworks are among the summer activities canceled because of the covid-19 pandemic. The annual fireworks display was listed among other large group events that were canceled because the event could not safely comply with social distancing guidelines, a city spokesman said. The event attracts thousands of...
Coronavirus pandemic causes shift in environmental, sustainability efforts
With its economic and health impacts unmistakable, the coronavirus pandemic is revealing environmental tradeoffs as it lingers on. From a spike in hand-sanitizing wipes to paper towels to personal protective equipment (PPE), sustainability has been moved to the back burner. “In the middle of a global health pandemic, you want...
Allegheny County adds 31 coronavirus cases, 2 deaths
Allegheny County reported 31 more covid-19 cases and two deaths Friday, increasing the countywide total of confirmed or probable cases to 1,582 and the death toll to 141. The jump in new cases reflected information reported to the county health department in the past 24 hours and includes testing conducted...
Allegheny County-run pools, spray parks to remain closed for summer
Allegheny County announced Friday that its pools and spray parks will be closed this summer. The Allegheny County Parks Department blamed ongoing restrictions regarding mass gatherings under the covid-19 pandemic for the closures. The following sites will be closed through the summer: • Boyce Park Wave Pool • Deer Lakes...
Leaders warn that coronavirus in care facilities presents wide-reaching public health concern
As coronavirus cases in nursing and personal care homes continue to rise, a growing chorus is calling for those numbers to be recorded separately from the overall number of cases and deaths. Those cries are getting particularly loud in Pennsylvania, where one of the metrics for easing pandemic-related restrictions focuses...
Pittsburgh pediatricians say it’s too early to link Kawasaki-like disease to coronavirus
Parents and doctors around the world have expressed fears over a severe inflammatory syndrome in children that some have tied to the covid-19 pandemic. But doctors in Pittsburgh stress there is not enough information to be alarmed. The condition, called multisystem inflammatory syndrome, is comparable to Kawasaki Syndrome, a rare...
Leechburg woman whose husband recently died wins $1M from scratch-off lottery ticket
Charity Stivason has to wonder if her late husband pulled some strings. The 48-year-old from Leechburg recently won $1 million off a $20 scratch-off lottery ticket she got at a local grocery store. “I still can’t feel like it’s real,” Stivason told the Tribune-Review. “I’ve always thought, ‘Do these even...
Small businesses in Western Pa. eager to reopen, but not sure how public will respondVideo
Like thousands of other business owners, Kevin Miscik, owner of a Greensburg clothing store, has waited a long time to reopen in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. “We lost all of Easter and part of the spring buying season and missed the beginning of the summer (buying) season,” said...
Lawmaker: Beaver County to begin reopening May 22
After not being included in a list of counties set to reopen today, Beaver County will move to the yellow phase next week, according to state Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-Beaver. According to a post on Bernstine’s Facebook page, the county will begin reopening next Friday. The move comes almost a...
Police: 3 suspects caught, 2 at large for attempted robbery
Pittsburgh police have arrested three juveniles and are looking for two more in connection with an attempted robbery of a business Thursday. Officers responded to a call for the crime along the 5900 block of Centre Avenue shortly before 9 p.m. . Police said an employee had been assaulted, but...
Buildings, vehicles struck by gunfire in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh police are investigating a shooting incident Thursday night that resulted in several buildings and cars struck by gunfire. Officers responded to a ShotSpotter notification of multiple gunshots on the 5000 block of Second Avenue around 8:50 p.m. Police said buildings and vehicles were struck, but no injuries were reported....
Restaurant owners take issue with covid-19 rules, but aren’t ready to break them
Area restaurant owners have seen their sales slashed while restricted to takeout or delivery service during the covid-19 pandemic. But several say they don’t intend to go beyond guidelines of the governor’s phased plan for restarting the economy, because of the risk of penalties and out of consideration for their...
Pittsburgh Penguins pull out of Lower Hill development plans
The Penguins on Thursday announced they are stopping development in Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District after the Urban Redevelopment Authority delayed a vote on a proposed First National Bank office tower. URA board members were scheduled to vote on preliminary development plans and approval of Buccini/Pollin Group as master developer on...
Diocese of Pittsburgh to begin reopening Friday, hopes to resume public Masses in June
Churches within the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh will begin gradually reopening Friday as Southwestern Pennsylvania moves to ease restrictions in place for the covid-19 pandemic. In order to adhere to social distancing regulations, facilities will reopened based on a strategic plan put in place by Bishop David Zubik, with the...
2 more Kane Glen Hazel residents die of coronavirus; total now at 18
Two more residents have died from the coronavirus at Kane Community Living’s Glen Hazel location, according to information from Allegheny County and Kane officials. Eighteen residents have died at the county-run facility since the outbreak began in late March. Of the 174 residents who live in the Glen Hazel facility,...
Pleasant Unity man accused of threatening Gov. Wolf is free on bail
The Pleasant Unity man accused of threatening Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf by allegedly saying he and his buddies “have a bullet waiting” for him remains free on bail. Rocco Anthony Naples, 28, of was taken into custody by state troopers Tuesday on a York County arrest warrant, police said. He...
Trump says he’ll restock stockpile for future pandemics
ALLENTOWN — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he intends to prepare the country for future pandemics by restocking the national stockpile and bringing critical manufacturing back to the U.S. His comments came the same day a whistleblower testified that the Trump administration had failed to properly prepare for the...
Police: New Kensington mother left son, 3, in care of abusive boyfriend charged with killing him
A New Kensington 3-year-old who died after suffering alleged abuse at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend had been treated for a broken bone in January, according to a criminal complaint supporting charges against the boy’s mother. Mikel Fettermanwas in cardiac arrest when paramedics found him early March...
$2.5 million Route 30 improvement project near Westmoreland Mall set to begin
A busy, four-mile section of Route 30 in Hempfield will become even more congested Monday night when a $2.5 million improvement project along the highway begins, PennDOT District 12 has announced. Allison Park Contractors of Gibsonia will begin work 8 p.m. Monday on bridge and guiderail improvements on the highway...
Governor: Ohio child care, camps, pools to reopen this month
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio day care centers and gyms, along with activities ranging from low-impact sports leagues to horse racing to swimming in public pools, will resume this month, the state’s top leaders said Thursday. State campgrounds will open May 21 and motor vehicle bureaus on May 26, although Lt....
Western Pa. builders sue Gov. Wolf over covid-19 construction guidance
The Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh is suing Gov. Tom Wolf in Commonwealth Court because it said it sees an unfair double standard in construction rules. The move is part of an effort to convince Wolf to revise rules for construction that make it harder to build homes than offices,...
Kenny Chesney postpones Heinz Field concert, 2020 tour
Kenny Chesney’s May 30 concert at Heinz Field will have to wait. The popular country music star officially announced Thursday that his 2020 “Chillaxification Tour” is postponed until next year because of the coronavirus pandemic. “With so many tours needing to move and wanting to make sure we are in...
Police: NYC men had fentanyl, stolen handgun when stopped on turnpike in Mt. Pleasant Township
Two New York City men were arrested Wednesday on charges of possessing a large amount of fentanyl and a stolen .45-caliber handgun after their car was stopped for speeding on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, state police said. Carlos M. Garcia Evans, 42, and Secundino Mercedes Nunez, 29, both of the Bronx,...
Most inmates eligible for coronavirus-related reprieve remain in state prisons, data show
With more than 1,500 Pennsylvania prison inmates eligible for temporary reprieve, records show only about 10% have been granted it despite concerns over prisons becoming coronavirus hot spots because of their close quarters and the highly infectious nature of the virus. Gov. Tom Wolf in early April said 1,500 to...
3 more coronavirus cases, no new deaths reported in Westmoreland County
Health officials reported three new coronavirus cases in Westmoreland County on Thursday, a day before the county is set to ease restrictions and open up some shuttered parts of the economy. The new cases bring the county’s running total to 422 since the first positive test on April 5. Thirty-two...
