Local category, Page 2050
Plum’s Oblock Junior High on remote learning Wednesday due to covid cases
Plum School District’s Oblock Junior High School students will be remote learning Wednesday due to covid cases. District officials said six students tested positive for the virus, and 48 people will need to quarantine. Contact tracing is underway to determine who may have been in close contact with the staff...
Adaptive bikes presented to Westmoreland’s young ridersVideo
Amiyr Mack couldn’t contain his excitement as he crossed the finish line, pedaling away on his new bike, one that for the first time will allow him to enjoy the same fun as most other 11-year-old boys. Mack of New Kensington whooped and waved his arms as he crossed the...
State Rep. Jeff Pyle retires for health reasons, says hardest part is ‘I didn’t think I was done yet’
Nine-term state Rep. Jeff Pyle, R-Ford City, retired Tuesday because of health issues. Pyle, 56, is in his second round of battling cancer. He first was diagnosed with kidney cancer less than two months into his first term as a state representative in early 2005. Pyle beat the disease then,...
Police: Beaver County man killed by son in connection with alleged Publishers Clearing House scam
A Massachusetts man accused of killing his father in Beaver County’s New Sewickley Township told authorities he did so to spare his father humiliation over being duped in a Publishers Clearing House scam, court records show. Michael Miklaucic, 57, of Plymouth, Mass., is charged with homicide in the death of...
Dollar General to open store in Freeport
A new Dollar General store is set to open in Freeport this spring, filling a need in the community. “It’s a big win for our town,” said Freeport Mayor James Swartz. Freeport doesn’t have a grocery store, Swartz explained. The closest thing it has to one is a gas station...
Pa. health official says all Phase 1A appointments should be scheduled by March 31
Vaccine providers across the state should have all appointments for people in Phase 1A scheduled by the end of the month, Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said in a new order Monday. The order amends a previous one from February, adding a subsection requiring providers to “use best efforts”...
Many Pa. indoor venue owners say Wolf’s easing of restrictions isn’t enough
While many in the hospitality industry cautiously celebrated the coming return of bar service and 2 a.m. last calls, others in the entertainment industry expressed dismay at the comparatively low capacity levels covid-19 restrictions keep them at. Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday announced he would roll back a slew of...
Greensburg man convicted of BB gun shooting in Jeannette
A Greensburg man was found guilty Tuesday of two counts of simple assault in connection with a BB gun battle among teens in Jeannette nearly four years ago that ended when a 13-year boy was shot in the eye. After an hour of deliberations a Westmoreland County jury convicted Darnell...
Get out your green for in-person return of Pittsburgh Irish Festival
Irish eyes will be smiling at this news. The 30th annual Pittsburgh Irish Festival is being planned as an in-person event. Its return was announced Tuesday, the day before St. Patrick’s Day. “We are trying to be creative,” said Mairin Petrone, the festival’s executive director. “Our slogan is ‘Irish eyes...
Commissioners to declare Westmoreland a ‘Second Amendment County’ in favor of gun rights
Westmoreland County commissioners will approve a resolution to support gun rights this week. Republican commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew, along with Democrat Gina Cerilli Thrasher, said they will declare Westmoreland a “Second Amendment County,” a move they concede has no teeth but shows support for gun owners. “There are...
Registration open for 1st of 3 hazardous waste collection events in Westmoreland
Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection was so popular in 2020 the agency has scheduled three this year, with the first slated April 17. Ellen Keefe, executive director of the nonprofit environmental organization, said the first collection will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the recycling center...
Unity man charged with sexually assaulting girl
A Unity man was ordered held in the county prison on $10,000 bond after a girl told state troopers she was sexually assaulted by the man multiple times over two years, according to court records. Tracy Higdon, 47, is charged with aggravated indecent assault on a person less than 13...
Fewer students expected to return to Hempfield’s cyber program next year, survey shows
Fewer students expressed interest in attending Hempfield’s cyber program next school year compared to those currently enrolled. Initial results from a survey sent to parents last month show 130 students across the district are interested in attending the Hempfield Area Cyber Academy or Edgenuity, which allows students to complete courses...
86-mile stretch of Pa. Turnpike to close this weekend for bridge project
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is scheduled to close in both directions for several hours this weekend between New Stanton and Breezewood. Turnpike officials said the closure will begin at 11 p.m. Saturday and reopen to traffic by 6 a.m. Sunday as part of a bridge removal project. The closure is necessary...
Free cancer screening planned at AHN’s Hempfield hospital
Editor’s note: This story was amended March 19, 2021 to change the minimum age at which someone could be screened for lung cancer. Free cancer screenings are set for April 24 at AHN Cancer Institute - Hempfield after the coronavirus pandemic disrupted non-emergency health care needs. The neighborhood hospital on...
Book it: Pittsburgh artists create Carnegie Library cards to open the pages for all
Andrew Carnegie’s words “Free to the People” are inscribed above the entrance to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in Oakland. To celebrate the library’s 125th anniversary, four Pittsburgh artists were commissioned to design library cards based on their interpretation of what “Free to the People” means. The commemorative cards are...
Hempfield man arrested after police said he brought gun into Westmoreland courthouse annex
A Hempfield man who visited the Westmoreland County courthouse annex building Monday to get a concealed carry permit instead was arrested after police said they found a gun in his backpack, according to court papers. Shawn William Vanhorn, 23, is charged with a weapons violation and possession of a firearm...
Sharpsburg garden benefits from Sisters of St. Joseph grant
The Sharpsburg Market Garden is among several groups to receive a grant from the Sisters of St. Joseph to help provide fresh produce and stave off hunger in local communities. Garden director Ruth Ann McGarry said her group will use the money to purchase supplements for the soil and also...
Irwin sponsors Easter Egg hunt
Irwin will hold an Easter Egg hunt from March 22 to 26 that will give children ages two to 12 from Irwin, North Huntingdon and North Irwin the opportunity to win prizes. Borough office employees will hide the plastic eggs along Main, Third, Fourth and Fifth streets and Irwin Park...
New contract for Jeannette police could help city attract job candidates
A new four-year contract with Jeannette police officers calls for 2.5% annual pay increases for current employees and additional yearly hikes for new hires, said solicitor Tim Witt. City officials hope the adjustment for new officers will be an incentive after the department struggled in recent months to get enough...
McKees Rocks sues Alcosan, saying construction will ruin boroughVideo
McKees Rocks borough officials believe that a tunnel project being proposed by Allegheny County Sanitary Authority will result in economic, environmental and social injustice in their community. They filed a lawsuit Tuesday to stop it. The complaint, filed against Alcosan, includes multiple claims for public nuisance, alleging that the construction...
Allegheny County’s covid hospitalization number drops to October level
Allegheny County has its fewest number of covid-19 patients hospitalized since October, according to the latest state Department of Health data. On Tuesday, there were 135 covid patients hospitalized, down from 153 on Monday. That number has decreased since 172 were hospitalized on Thursday. Tuesday’s number was the lowest since...
Ohio lowers age limit for vaccine to 16 years old and up
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The coronavirus vaccine will be available to anyone in Ohio 16 years and older by the end of the month, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday. A significant increase in vaccine supplies expected in the state warrants the eligibility expansion, the governor said. Currently, Ohioans 50 and older...
Hempfield Area to get more Chromebooks for next school year
Hempfield Area School District will buy 500 new Chromebook laptops for use by next year’s high school students. During Monday’s school board meeting, board members unanimously voted to authorize the business office to advertise and seek proposals for the purchase of the Chromebooks. Board member Sonya Brajdic was absent from...
Fitzgerald vetoes Allegheny County paid sick leave bill
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald on Tuesday vetoed the paid sick leave legislation passed last week by county council, saying it did not follow the correct process laid out by county law. Council on March 10 voted 10 to 4 to approve the legislation, which orders businesses in the county...
