Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1601
Cops: Unity man charged with locking 9-year-old in closet now accused of hitting child
A Unity man awaiting trial with his wife for allegedly locking their 9-year-old son in a closet and nailing it shut was charged Tuesday with simple assault for allegedly striking the child in a separate incident. Shawn Waulk, 32, was charged by state police with simple assault after the youth...
Westmoreland 911 quizzes callers about coronavirus as county prepares outbreak plan
Callers to Westmoreland County 911 are being asked if they have potentially been exposed to the coronavirus or are experiencing any symptoms of the illness. Operators on Tuesday started questioning callers seeking assistance for breathing issues or other respiratory symptoms if they’ve been to the countries hit hardest by the...
Dow surges 4.9% in another wild day on hopes for coronavirus aidVideo
NEW YORK — Stocks on Tuesday recouped most of their historic losses from the prior day as hopes rose, faded and then bloomed again on Wall Street that the U.S. government will try to cushion the economic pain from the coronavirus. The S&P 500 surged as much as 3.7% in...
Special Olympics Pennsylvania cancels events over coronavirus concerns
Special Olympics Pennsylvania canceled all practices and competitions for the month as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. A Special Olympics of Allegheny County basketball tournament at the University of Pittsburgh scheduled for Sunday is canceled. Almost 300 athletes were expected to attend, according to the...
Pittsburgh Council to consider legislation aimed at eliminating racial inequalitiesVideo
Pittsburgh’s two black councilmen Tuesday continued efforts to combat racism in the city by introducing legislation that would create an equity commission and commit the city to a 10-point plan for erasing inequalities. Councilmen Ricky Burgess of North Point Breeze and R. Daniel Lavelle of the Hill District said the...
5 important things to know about coronavirus
1. How is the coronavirus different from the flu? Flu and the coronavirus are both respiratory viruses with similar signs and symptoms, according to Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Pittsburgh-based infectious disease and critical care physician. Coronavirus symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. A stuffy nose is not common...
Arnold Palmer airport to introduce paid ‘premium’ parking option
Travelers driving to the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport soon will be able to park closer to the terminal — for a fee. Airport officials plan to offer “preferred overnight parking” in the day parking lot directly in front of the terminal, charging $10 per day for the prime spots. They’re...
Cops: Man charged with Greensburg burglary is suspect in 20 others
Greensburg Police canvassed pawn shops and precious metal stores between Unity and Monroeville, leading to the arrest Monday of a 30-year-old man who may be responsible for 20 daylight burglaries since last fall, according to court records. James E. Dickant Jr. of Greensburg was arrested at the Rodeway Inn in...
Elections officials take steps to limit the spread of coronavirus
Call this one voting in a pandemic. All three states with big delegate prizes in today’s Democratic primary — Michigan with 125 delegates, Missouri with 68 and Washington with 89 — are taking steps to limit the spread of coronavirus among voters and election workers. The top candidates are former...
Nearly 10K Pa. government workers are paid at least $100K
HARRISBURG — The number of Pennsylvania state government employees who make at least six figures currently includes nearly 10,000 workers, according to a Pennlive.com report published Tuesday. There were 9,751 state employees who surpassed $100,000 in earnings in 2019, the news organization found. That number increased by 7.5% from the...
Pittsburgh’s St. Patrick’s Day parade to go on despite coronavirus fearsVideo
Organizers of Pittsburgh’s St. Patrick’s Day parade said Tuesday the parade will go on as usual Saturday, despite the worldwide coronavirus outbreak that’s prompted similar events in other cities to be canceled. “We’re a hardy group,” said Jeffrey “Mac” McCafferty, the chairman of the Pittsburgh parade. “We want people to...
Coronavirus spreads in Pennsylvania as cancellations grow
Pennsylvania confirmed more cases of the coronavirus Tuesday, as more schools canceled classes and the city of Philadelphia discourages gatherings of more than 5,000, including professional sporting events and the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. The state Department of Health reported another positive test for the virus, in a resident...
Pittsburgh International Airport makes Fast Company’s top 10 in travel
Sensory-friendly spaces and innovative technology to help the blind landed Pittsburgh International Airport on Fast Company’s list of the 10 most innovative companies in travel. Fast Company, a monthly business magazine focusing on innovation, called the airport “an ideas lab for concepts that make flying easier for people with disabilities.”...
Airlines slash flights, freeze hiring as virus cuts travel
Airlines are slashing flights and freezing hiring as they experience a sharp drop in bookings and a rise in cancellations in the face of the spreading coronavirus. Delta Air Lines said Tuesday that travel demand has fallen so badly in the past week that it expects one-third of seats to...
Westmoreland prison stepping up actions to prevent coronavirus
Would-be visitors to the Westmoreland County Prison are being asked to stay home if they’re not feeling well amid concerns of the spread of coronavirus, according to Warden John Walton. Anyone trying to visit an inmate at the Hempfield jail who is coughing or sneezing in the lobby will be...
Michigan primary could make or break Sanders’ campaign
DETROIT — Bernie Sanders proved his 2016 presidential bid was serious with an upset victory in Michigan powered by his opposition to free trade and appeal among working-class voters. Four years later, the state could either revive the Vermont senator’s campaign or relegate him to the role of protest candidate....
Little Sheetz fan gets big surprise as ‘youngest employee,’ free slushies through childhoodVideo
A little Sheetz fan in Virginia got the surprise of his young life last week when the founders of his favorite store paid him a visit. At 8 years old, Dylan LaMotte is an honorary Sheetz employee at his local store in Lynchburg, Va., according to a release from Planit,...
1 freed after 2-vehicle crash in Murrysville
One person was freed Tuesday morning from the wreckage of a two-vehicle crash on Route 380 in Murrysville, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. Traffic was affected on the highway near Greensburg Road after the 7:48 a.m. crash. The two vehicles were traveling in opposite directions, a dispatcher said. Firefighters...
Heart to heart: West View man embraces a 2nd chance at life
Bob Lancia has felt heartache twice. One time the hurt was healed — with a heart transplant last year at UPMC Presbyterian in Oakland. But the other pain will ache for the rest his life — grieving the loss of his oldest son, Zach, 30, in 2017. Lancia of West...
McKeesport man charged with DUI after crashing into Pittsburgh police cruiser
A McKeesport man was charged with reckless driving and other offenses after allegedly crashing into a police cruiser in the Strip District. Pittsburgh police said Dontel Sayles, 29, was driving under the influence when he rear-ended an officer’s marked car near the intersection of Railroad and 23rd streets early Monday...
Greensburg Salem teams sweep pasta bridge competition at Saint VincentVideo
Greensburg Salem School District swept the top three spots in Monday’s 14th annual Pasta Bridge Engineering Competition at Saint Vincent College. Juniors Adam Nichols, 16, and Kevin Burkhardt, 17, both of Salem Township, took first-place honors when their model bridge, crafted from various types of pasta and glue, stood up...
See eagle, osprey, red-tailed hawk nests on a 13-mile-plus bike ride in Pittsburgh
So many predatory bird nests, so little time. The fourth annual Raptor Row Ride will feature viewing stops for cyclists for bald eagle, osprey, hawk and American Kestrel nests on April 25 starting in West Homestead. The Raptor Row Ride traverses the Steel Valley Trail section of the Great Allegheny...
Trump wants payroll tax relief to calm virus-spooked marketsVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday his administration will ask Congress to pass payroll tax relief and other quick measures as a public health and economic maelstrom brought on by the coronavirus drew closer to him personally. Intending to calm the fears of financial markets over the impact of...
SouthSide Works new owners to close cinema, add office space, apartments in renovationVideo
After operating as a movie theater for nearly 20 years in the heart of the former of J&L Steel works, the SouthSide Works Cinema will soon be office space. SouthSide Works’ new owners, Somera Road Inc., a New York-based commercial real estate investment and development firm, announced plans Monday to...
Italy imposes nationwide restrictions to contain new virusVideo
MILAN — Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte says travel restrictions and other strict public health measures will be imposed nationwide starting Tuesday to try to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Conte said Monday night that a new government decree will require people throughout the country of 60 million people...
