Local category, Page 2208
Leechburg schools report first student covid-19 case
A Leechburg Area School District student in grades 7-12 has tested positive for covid-19, Leechburg Superintendent Tiffany Nix said Monday in an email to district parents. It is the district’s first positive case. The district did not identify the infected or say what grade he or she is in. “Leechburg...
Community partners to broadcast free Wi-Fi for schoolchildren from top of Cathedral of Learning
Students in New Kensington, Coraopolis and Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood will soon have access to free, at-home internet. Four community partners — Meta Mesh Wireless Communities, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and the Keystone Initiative for Network-based Research (KINBER) — have formed Every1online, a program to provide high-speed internet...
Autumn rains help end drought watch in Armstrong and Butler counties
The state Department of Environmental Protection on Tuesday lifted the drought watch for 10 counties including Armstrong and Butler. The drought was also lifted in Blair, Cambria, Clarion, Erie, Fayette, Huntingdon, Indiana, and Mifflin counties. In August, the DEP and the Commonwealth Drought Task Force, declared a drought watch for...
Shoppers stock up on supplies as covid-19 cases climb againVideo
When the coronavirus pandemic hit the area in the spring, there was a mad dash to grocery stores to stockpile on essential supplies — and as cases spike, it may be happening again. In the early days of the pandemic, baking supplies, paper products and cleaning staples were in short...
Deer Lakes to return to hybrid learning amid coronavirus surgeVideo
The Deer Lakes School Board on Tuesday unanimously voted to give Superintendent Janell Logue-Belden the authority to modify the district’s learning model based on current coronavirus-related recommendations and data for the remainder of the school year. Previously, the school board made the decision as to what learning model the district...
Hempfield schools to move forward with constructing additional access road
School board members are hopeful a new access road could help alleviate traffic congestion at Hempfield Area High School during the morning commute. The project, approved unanimously by the board Monday, would provide an additional entrance point exclusively for staff members, leading from Route 136 to the student parking lot...
Judge rules no merit to claims that dead twin brother was Jeannette shooter
The appeal of a Penn Hills man serving life in prison for a murder he claims was committed by his dead twin brother was rejected Tuesday by a Westmoreland County judge. Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio, in an 11-page decision, called the appeal from Darrelle Tolbert-McGhee “without merit” and...
Burrell School District to move to virtual learning after Thanksgiving, Christmas as coronavirus cases rise
Burrell School District will move to fully virtual learning for two weeks after Thanksgiving, and again for two weeks after Christmas, the school board decided Tuesday. The move comes as coronavirus cases in the community continue to climb, including four cases within the district in the last two weeks. The...
Blackburn Center continues student outreach through videos, virtual lessonsVideo
The Blackburn Center is going virtual this year to ensure programs offered at districts across Westmoreland County are still available to students. Over the summer, members of the Greensburg nonprofit began filming videos to teach kids about topics like bullying, dating violence and sexual harassment. The videos are available to...
About 100 Pittsburgh police officers in quarantine over covid-19 concerns
At least 100 Pittsburgh police officers are in quarantine because of possible covid-19 exposures, and one Public Safety employee has been hospitalized, officials said Tuesday. Nine officers, nine firefighters and three EMS employees are currently positive for the virus, spokesman Chris Togneri said in a statement. He said others –...
Penn Hills holds first public hearing on 2021 budget
It looks like no changes are coming to Penn Hills’ proposed spending plan for 2021 after the municipality held its first public hearing Nov. 16. The proposed budget was published on the municipality’s website Oct. 29. Manager Scott Andrejchak kicked off the hearing, which was held virtually, by presenting the...
Kiski Area now allowing 4 days of in-person learning
Schools across the region are shutting their doors, but Kiski Area School District is increasing face-to-face instruction time. The district began offering a hybrid option this week that allows for four days of in-person instruction with one day of remote learning. This option is available in addition to the district’s...
Diocese of Greensburg to televise Christmas Masses
The Diocese of Greensburg will televise Christmas Masses this season in addition to holding in-person services, to engage parishioners at home amid concern over a strong resurgence in coronavirus cases throughout the region. “The Diocese and its parishes have consistently had thousands of faithful viewers watch our streaming Masses from...
Grant will create videos to explain Westmoreland Cleanways recycling effortsVideo
Area residents soon will be able to learn more about Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling’s programs by watching videos on the organization’s website. Filming is set for this week at the Westmoreland Cleanways headquarters near Pleasant Unity to produce online videos about the recycling process at the nonprofit. “Our goal is...
East Huntingdon man, accused of assaulting woman, is arrested again 14 hours later
An East Huntingdon man arrested for assaulting and choking his ex-girlfriend is accused of returning to the woman’s apartment after his release from prison and threatening to kill her. Scott A. Bergman, 56, admitted to state troopers he hitchhiked directly from the county prison to his former girlfriend’s apartment in...
New covid-19 cases reported at Hempfield Area School District
Several new coronavirus cases were reported at the Hempfield Area School District this week, Superintendent Tammy Wolicki confirmed. Two students at the high school tested positive, along with a student at Fort Allen Elementary School and a staffer at West Hempfield Elementary, according to the district’s covid-19 tracker, which was...
Shaler ‘Lite Up Night’ canceled for covid-19 concerns
Shaler “Lite Up Night” is canceled, township officials announced Tuesday. A post on the township website said the decision was made after consideration of covid-19 concerns and feedback from residents. According to the announcement, the cancellation was a difficult but necessary decision. “We were hopeful that with extra distancing measures...
Westmoreland County sees highest 7-day total of new covid-19 cases
With Tuesday’s figures, Westmoreland County set new highs for the seven-day covid-19 case total and seven-day case average. Cases from Nov. 11 to Tuesday are 1,128 and average new daily cases are 161 over that time. There were 155 new covid-19 cases and two deaths reported Tuesday. Total cases and...
Allegheny County reports 288 new covid-19 cases
After record-setting case counts over the past week in Allegheny County, new covid-19 cases have come down a bit. The Allegheny County Health Department reported 288 additional cases Tuesday. The new cases are a near split, with 145 confirmed and 143 probable. In November, Allegheny County has seen a 30%...
Allegheny County judge to weigh mail-in ballot issue in Nicole Zicarelli challenge
An Allegheny County judge said that he’ll make a decision on Wednesday whether to count undated mail-in ballots that could impact the race for the 45th state Senate District race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Jim Brewster and Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli. Ziccarelli filed a petition against the county Election Board...
‘Marshall Plan for Middle America’ calls for billions to be spent to help Western Pa. go greenVideo
More than a year ago, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto called for a massive investment in middle America the likes of which hasn’t been seen in recent memory. He testified before the U.S. Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis and called for what he called a “Marshall Plan for...
Etna sewer project will close Kittanning Street for 30 days
A stormwater project off Kittanning Street in Etna is expected to begin Friday – nearly a month after the original start date was postponed. A portion of the road will be shut off to most traffic for about a month. The project targets the stretch between Greismere and Snyder streets....
Research halted at Baker Estates Cemetery due to ownership claimVideo
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have halted field studies at a nearly 200-year-old abandoned cemetery in Richland after receiving a curious letter from a woman in Missouri who claims to own the property. But identifying the owner — whether it’s the Missourian or someone else — may prove as...
Steelers stars distribute holiday meals to area families
Thanksgiving is over a week away but Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward and center Maurkice Pouncey are distributing holiday meals to area families in need this week. On Tuesday and Wednesday, a total of 400 families will receive holiday meals through a partnership between the Steelers and the Greater Pittsburgh...
Mike Gable, Pittsburgh’s director of public works, set to retire
Pittsburgh Public Works Director Mike Gable is retiring. “There comes a time when it’s time to retire and this is it,” Gable, 65, of Morningside, said. The retirement is effective Jan. 8, 2021. Aside from a short stint as an Allegheny County employee about 10 years ago, Gable has worked...
