Joe Napsha stories, Page 105
Pa. jobless rate jumps to 6% in March, expected to get much worse in April
Pennsylvania’s jobless rate jumped to 6% in March, up 1.3 percentage points from February, but a local economist believes it is just the tip of an iceberg of bad unemployment news. “It’s going to get a lot worse in April,” said Jake Haulk, an economist and president emeritus of the...
Howard Hanna offers pandemic-impacted agents advance pay on future earnings
Getting paid based on commission rather than salary, whether it is selling cars, insurance, or houses, can be tough — especially when the state closes a worker’s business as part of a sweeping effort to stop the spread of coronavirus. Howard Hanna Real Estate Service, the largest real estate firm...
Penn-Trafford sets new dates, plans for graduation, prom
Penn-Trafford officials have set two alternative dates this summer to hold the commencement ceremonies that were canceled for May 26 because of Gov. Wolf’s order banning large gatherings and the closing of schools in the state. Commencement is now scheduled for June 26. But if that date must be postponed,...
Washington Township man accused of sexual solicitation of Maryland minor
A 59-year-old Washington Township man was accused Thursday of sexually soliciting a minor in Maryland, state police said. Donald Henry Loughner of Washington Township, was detained by Kiski Valley state police on a warrant issued Thursday by Washington Township District Judge Jason Buczak. The warrant was based on information from...
Irwin restaurant delivering meals to seniorsVideo
Caroline Leppert got lunch delivered this week to the North Huntingdon residence where she has been living with her friend for the past month under a self-imposed quarantine to avoid getting sick with covid-19. Leppert and her friend were getting a meal of ready-to-heat pasta with a meatball, courtesy of...
Region’s airports get $46.2 million in coronavirus-related grants
Pittsburgh International Airport will get a $36 million federal grant to help cope with the impact of coronavirus-related shutdowns. The grant represents the lion’s share of the $46.2 million provided to airports in Western Pennsylvania. The Federal Aviation Administration grants to the state’s 63 airports were part of the CARES...
Easter bunny hands out treats in North Huntingdon
With the traditional Easter egg hunts for children canceled because of the restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus, a North Huntingdon couple took it upon themsleves to stage an event to give youngsters treats from the Easter bunny. The Easter bunny, portrayed by a costumed...
Coronavirus clamps down on real estate business
Zach Kocian of Southwest Greensburg might be one of the less lucky homeowners in Western Pennsylvania who is trying to sell his home this spring. Kocian, a behavior specialist at a private school, put the Stanton Street house he bought three years ago up for sale with the hopes of...
Western Pa. companies scramble to make protective equipment in coronavirus fightVideo
On a long table inside a giant complex near New Stanton, where Volkswagen assembled cars and Sony made televisions decades ago, a small crew of workers for a high-tech company is assembling face shields to meet the immediate demand for critical medical supplies. “I heard about the need for shields...
‘Shifting America off its constitutional foundations’: Saint Vincent prof critiques progressivism in new bookVideo
The demise of Democratic presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren does not mean the end of progressivism in the political spectrum, said a Saint Vincent College professor who has written a new book analyzing the movement in the United States. “Even though both (U.S. Senators) Warren and Sanders have...
Pittsburgh region jobless steady at 4.6% before business shutdowns
The seven-county Pittsburgh region posted a jobless rate of 4.6% in February, weeks before Gov. Tom Wolf shut down what the state deemed nonessential business. The 4.6% jobless rate, as adjusted for seasonal hiring factors, was the same as in January but 0.6 percentage points higher than the unemployment rate...
Pittsburgh aerial photo depicts ‘ghost town’
On Saturday afternoon, David Kahley, chief executive of The Progress Fund of Greensburg, flew his plane over Pittsburgh and snapped an aerial view of a nearly deserted Downtown. “It was unnerving,” Kahley said. “The physical center of the town, its parks, roads, museum and stadium parking lots and rivers, were...
Pittsburgh-to-Harrisburg passenger rail service out until May
The suspension of the Amtrak train between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, with stops in Greensburg, Latrobe and Johnstown, has been extended until May 4, a PennDOT spokeswoman said. Amtrak suspended passenger rail service between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia on March 19 because of low ticket sales as the spread of the coronavirus...
Irwin, Trafford cancel council meetings
Trafford has canceled its April 7 meeting because of the shutdown restrictions and Irwin has canceled its council meeting on April 8, opting for a virtual meeting on May 13, if Gov. Wolf’s order against public gatherings remains in place. Council members will meet via a social media platform that...
Pa. says food supply safe and sufficient; farmers slammed by coronavirus shutdownsVideo
While the state’s food supply remains safe and secure, the closing of nonessential businesses to prevent the spread of the coronavirus has squeezed farmers. They say they have seen commodity prices drop and their markets close. A growing glut at dairy processing plants has forced some farmers to dump their...
Ross Twp. nurse, a Hempfield native, heading to New York City to help in covid-19 fight
A Ross Township nurse who grew up in Hempfield is collecting health care supplies and non-perishable food for nurses in New York City, where he expects to be working the next eight weeks on the front lines of the coronavirus battlefront. Chad Taylor, 35, who is a staff nurse for...
Unity woman accused of sexually assaulting teenager
A 47-year-old Unity woman is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy last November, state police said. Christine H. Shaw, 47, of McClellan Drive, Unity, allegedly assaulted the boy Nov. 27 , according to the criminal complaint police filed April 1 before Unity District Judge Michael Mahady. Shaw is charged...
Full Pint brewery closing, citing debt and market changes
Full Pint Brewery Co., one of the region’s first craft beer makers, said it is shutting down its operations. Full Pint filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November, seeking protection from creditors while hoping to reorganize the brewery’s debt and possibly attract new investors, according to Barrett Goddard of Ligonier,...
FirstEnergy’s $500,000 donation benefits food banks in Westmoreland, Cranberry, elsewhere
Those picking up food from organizations served by the Westmoreland County Food Bank will have their food placed in prepackaged boxes, thanks in part to a $30,000 donation from The FirstEnergy Foundation, linked to West Penn Power Co.’s parent corporation. The donation allowed the Delmont-based food bank to buy more...
GoFundMe underway for National Guardsman with Mt. Pleasant unit battling cancer
A fundraiser is underway to help a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard based in Mt. Pleasant who is in a Seattle area hospital battling cancer that was diagnosed a year ago. “I’m really thankful for the support I have received,” Johnstown native Andrew Wilcox, 28, said after undergoing...
Nail shop owners donate masks to North Huntingdon first responders
Two owners of a Monroeville nail salon donated 150 surgical masks last week for use by North Huntingdon’s fire, police and emergency medical services personnel, shop. North Huntingdon residents Thu Tran and her sister, Landai Bui, who own T&T Nails of Broadway Boulevard, Monroeville, made the donation last week, said...
State seeks person who illegally shot deer near Boswell
The state Game Commission is looking for information related to the illegal shooting of several deer in the Jenner Township area of Somerset County, between Boswell and Acosta. Based on an investigation into the shootings, the Game Commission said in a statement that it believes the deer were shot last...
North Huntingdon closes park playgrounds
North Huntingdon has closed playgrounds in township parks because of the concern over the spread of the coronavirus that causes covid-19, officials announced Monday. Parks will remain open for non-organized recreation. Dan Miller, director of the township’s parks and recreation department, could not be reached for comment. The township has...
Day care operators confused over state directives; reopening on holdVideo
Concern over changes in state rules and recommendations guiding child care centers amid the coronavirus scare — and worry over their liability if a child in their care becomes ill with covid-19 — have kept some closed after obtaining state waivers to remain open. “They have been confused and frustrated....
Seton Hill Child Care: Coronavirus case discovered after closing
A person associated with Seton Hill Child Services Inc.’s Greensburg Center, which has been closed since March 18, tested positive for the coronavirus, a Child Services official said Friday. Seton Hill Child Care representatives were not notified that the person tested positive for the coronavirus until after the center closed...
