Local category, Page 2356
Specialty Luggage going out of business after 76 years
The year was 1944 and victory in World War II was in sight for the Allies. With the war a year away from winding down, life in the U.S. was changing. The economy was on the upswing and city-dwelling Americans would soon be on the move. And as they traveled,...
Facemask, SUV tie man to 2 robberies in Hempfield, Latrobe, police sayVideo
A collaborative effort between Latrobe Police and state troopers resulted in the arrest Thursday of a Columbia County man for separate holdups of convenience stores. Christopher P. Broadt, 29, of Bloomsburg, was arrested at a Latrobe residence on charges of robbing the BP convenience store at 204 Lloyd Avenue in...
Union probes Port Authority dress policy, barring political statements on masks
Port Authority of Allegheny County updated its staff dress code to prohibit the wearing of masks containing political or social justice messages, including those supporting Black Lives Matter and other movements. The update has reportedly sparked some controversy among drivers. Stephen Palonis, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85, whose...
Retiring Natrona Heights letter carrier lauded for dependability, cheerfulnessVideo
As he puts a cancel stamp on a nearly 40-year career as a letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service, one of Kevin Griffith’s concerns going into retirement is about putting on weight. Walking 25,000 steps a day has had its benefits. “I loved getting paid for getting exercise,” Griffith...
Trump’s handling of coronavirus, economy to sway Pennsylvania voters most, pollster says
President Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has not appeared to change registered voters’ overall perception of him much in Pennsylvania, a new poll shows. A Franklin & Marshall College Poll released Thursday said 29% of registered voters think the Trump administration is doing an excellent or very good job...
Marshall Township tweaks budget to stay on track with annual street paving program
Despite some financial concerns because of the state-mandated shutdown, Marshall Township is proceeding with nearly $869,000 worth of street paving this summer. “We’re making some other adjustments to the budget so that we can do the paving,” said township manager Julie Bastianini. Money saved from things such as staff not...
Cal U to go remote for fall semester
California University of Pennsylvania has joined a growing list of universities that will offer only remote learning for their students this fall because of concerns over the possible spread of covid-19. “Throughout the summer, my leadership team and many others planned for our return to on-campus operations … in the...
Man to face homicide trial in shooting death of Derry Township woman in her home
The man charged with killing a Derry Township woman in her home on July 20 was ordered held for trial Friday in a hearing closed to the public. Even suspect Nathan Joseph Quidetto, 20, of Unity waited outside District Judge Mark Bilik’s tiny Derry Township courtroom during the hearing. Emily...
Plum 12U Cooperstown team earns runner-up finish at Cal Ripken tournament
When one door closed, another opened for the Plum 12U Cooperstown baseball team. When the team found out its spring Cooperstown, N.Y., tournament trip was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, it hoped to find other opportunities to compete. One opportunity came in the form of a tournament at the...
IUP cancels in-person commencement for May, August grads, moves to virtual platform
Indiana University of Pennsylvania announced Friday that an in-person commencement for the class of 2020 has been canceled and replaced with a virtual ceremony. The school had planned an in-person ceremony on Sept. 12 to honor May and August graduates. Citing more restrictive guidelines for indoor gatherings and increased concern...
City of Pittsburgh awarded over $4.6 million in grants in 2020
With a projected deficit of over $115 million looming in 2020 city budgets, the City of Pittsburgh is acknowledging that $4.6 million will come in handy. That’s the amount in grants from federal and state agencies and national and local foundations the city has been awarded so far in 2020....
‘Yoga in the Square’ returns to Downtown Pittsburgh
Strike a pose. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and several area yoga studios are reintroducing “Yoga in the Square.” The one-hour outdoor classes at Market Square will be offered free, Wednesdays and Sundays beginning Aug. 5 and running through September. The Wednesday sessions begin at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday sessions at...
Westmoreland Manor halts family visits after employee tests positive for coronavirus
Westmoreland officials on Friday reported an employee at the county-owned nursing home tested positive for the coronavirus and, as a result, outdoor visitation of residents, which started earlier this week, are temporarily halted. According a statement issued by county Solicitor Melissa Guiddy, county officials learned the employee had not been...
Pittsburgh’s Jewish Community Center back in operation after receiving $2.5 million JHF grant
Brian Schreiber takes daily morning walks past the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh in Squirrel Hill. “I live less than a mile and a half away, and when we were closed (because of the pandemic), I would walk by and think ‘my baby needs help,’ ” said Schreiber, president...
Highlands settles former teacher’s federal lawsuit for $150K
A former Highlands elementary teacher will get $105,000 as part of an agreement settling his federal lawsuit alleging the district had violated his rights. The Highlands School Board approved the settlement with Jason Smith on June 22. The district released details of the settlement Friday in response to a Right-to-Know...
Local swim club hosts a return to competition with USA Swimming-sanctioned event
USA Swimming in late June released a comprehensive plan for a return to competition for local clubs throughout the country after the national organization halted events in March in the wake of the burgeoning coronavirus pandemic. Racer-X, a member of Allegheny Mountain Swimming, is one of the first clubs in...
Sewickley Mayor Jeffe to resign at year’s end
Sewickley Mayor Brian Jeffe has announced he will resign at the end of the year. In a letter addressed to council members and Sewickley residents dated July 27, Jeffe said the role has been his focus, often at the cost of his family and career. Jeffe is listed as the...
75-year-old South Huntingdon man accused of causing consecutive DUI crashes
A 75-year-old South Huntingdon man had an open bottle of whiskey in the front passenger seat of his SUV in two suspected DUI collisions along Route 31, state police said. Joseph P. Shott is charged with two counts of drunk driving and single counts of fleeing the scene of an...
Westmoreland surpasses 1,400 covid-19 cases
Another 27 cases of covid-19 were added to Westmoreland County on Friday, according to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The state also reported one new death, bringing the county’s total to 46. All of the new cases were confirmed, officials said. To date, 1,409 people have been...
Murrysville library will reopen Aug. 3 by appointment only
March 13 turned out to be quite a “Friday the 13th” for new Murrysville Community Library Executive Director Amy Riegner. Having started in January, Riegner had just arrived home from work when she received the news that all state libraries would be closing due to the covid pandemic, with no...
Allegheny County records 2nd highest new covid-19 case count
Allegheny County saw its second biggest addition of new covid-19 cases Friday, with the county’s Health Department reporting 244 new incidences. The cases come from a batch of tests conducted from over the past month, 30 of which have specimen collection dates from more than two weeks ago. Officials said...
Pa. to hire more coronavirus contact tracers, starting at $18 an hour
The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced Friday it will hire 1,000 additional contact tracing staff in an effort to curb the spread of covid-19. A nearly $23 million, federally funded contract with Insight Global, an Atlanta-based staffing agency, will help pay to recruit, hire, train and support the contact tracers,...
Police arrest man in connection with May 30 protests
Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the May 30 protests in Downtown Pittsburgh. Christopher West, 35, of Pittsburgh, is charged with recklessly endangering another person, robbery, criminal mischief and riot, officials said. He is being held in the Allegheny County Jail. Detectives and a multi-jurisdictional task force analyzed...
Work along Nadine Road in Penn Hills again delayed
The closure of a portion of Nadine Road in Penn Hills has been delayed for the second time in eight days, the Allegheny County Department of Public Works announced Friday. Work along a stretch of Nadine near Lincoln Road will now begin Aug. 10 at 7 a.m. The delay is...
Takeout bingo helping to boost South Fayette restaurant businesses
Many restaurants throughout Allegheny County are struggling to stay afloat during the covid-19 pandemic. State and county officials have limited alcoholic beverage sales and pushed for outdoor dining and takeout due to safety concerns. South Fayette officials have taken to bingo to help give township food purveyors a boost in...
