Local category, Page 2377
Allegheny County Council rejects certain coronavirus testing, ‘less-lethal’ weapons ban
Allegheny County Council voted down two bills Tuesday — one intended to expand coronavirus testing at county facilities, and the other banning the use of “less-lethal” weapons by law enforcement. Both bills were sponsored by council members Liv Bennett, D-Northview Heights, and at-large representative Bethany Hallam, D-Ross. The coronavirus testing...
Man charged with Pittsburgh vandalism now charged with encouraging rioting in Butler
A Butler man charged last month for his alleged role in Downtown Pittsburgh vandalism during a protest now faces charges in his home county alleging he encouraged others on social media to rob, loot and riot at a Diamond Park protest. Jordan Erdos, 20, allegedly used social media in the...
Young Men’s Republican Club of Allegheny County shut down for covid-19 violations
The county health department has ordered the closure of the Young Men’s Republican Club of Allegheny County for violating covid-19 restrictions on serving food and beverages indoors. The club, located on Suismon Street on the North Side, was cited by health officials for patrons consuming beverages while seated at the...
About 50% of Pa. nursing homes still have not completed universal testing of residents, staff
With nine days to go before a July 24 deadline, about half of the state’s nursing homes have completed mandated testing of all residents and staff, according to data released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health on Wednesday. Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine on June 8, about five...
Greensburg man pleads in child endangerment, assault cases
A Greensburg man pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges that he endangered three children when he left them alone for a week in a bug-infested home with little to eat and no heat. Ryan Mason, 40, was charged in three separate cases including two in which he was accused of leaving...
North Huntingdon woman accused of struggling with police, biting paramedic
A 41-year-old North Huntingdon woman who became combative with paramedics and police as they carried her to an ambulance early Wednesday was charged with aggravated assault and making terroristic threats. Tara S. Nehas was arraigned after her release from UPMC East Hospital in Monroeville, where she was treated for an...
Gov. Wolf tightens restrictions on bars, restaurants as covid-19 surge continues
More restrictions on Pennsylvania bars and restaurants become effective Thursday in response to what Gov. Tom Wolf characterized as an “unsettling climb” of covid-19 cases in the state. “We’re already at a tipping point where we have to act now,” Wolf said, later adding, “This virus is saying, ‘I’m back.’...
Westmoreland planning department leader shifts to redevelopment authority, land bank
Brian Lawrence won’t move his belongings far when he assumes his new role as executive director of Westmoreland County’s redevelopment authority and land bank. The 37-year-old Greensburg resident, a 10-year veteran of the county’s planning department, will run the agencies that oversee community revitalization, programs to remove blight and improve...
Sheetz in Creighton closed after employee tested positive for covid-19
The Sheetz in Creighton closed Wednesday after an employee tested positive for covid-19. The employee was at the Sheetz location on Freeport Road, in the Creighton section of East Deer, on Wednesday morning. Because of the positive test, the store closed immediately. The location is being professionally deep cleaned, sanitized,...
Judge pushes Excela, doctors to resolve pending stent lawsuits
A Westmoreland County judge on Wednesday ordered Excela Health and two of its former cardiac doctors to engage in settlement talks and mediation to resolve 35 outstanding lawsuits filed by patients who contended they received unnecessary stents. Common Pleas Judge Rita Hathaway during a conference with lawyers for patients, the...
UPMC sponsored fitness court in McCandless nears completion
North Hills residents who want to improve their health no longer need to shell out money for a gym membership. Work on a new fitness court in McCandless is complete, with only minor details remaining, said town manager Bob Grimm during the July 13 council meeting. “We’re waiting for the...
Whitehall man accused of making homemade explosives facing federal charges
A Whitehall man accused of making online threats and homemade bombs now faces federal weapons charges after a grand jury returned a five-count indictment against him. Kurt Cofano, 32, originally was wanted by Whitehall police last week in connection with a mental health warrant, according to police. Cofano said online...
University of Pittsburgh freezes tuition for 2020-21
The University of Pittsburgh Wednesday froze tuition for the coming academic year at 2019-20 rates. That means the lowest base undergraduate tuition for Pennsylvania residents at the school’s Oakland campus will remain $18,628 for the 2020-21 year. Tuition at Pitt’s three branch campuses will be held at $13,198. Graduate and...
New owners thrilled to purchase quirky Plum homeVideo
The couple that bought a unique house on Rainier Drive in Plum won’t change much about their new home. “It’s right up our alley,” said Nick Sarver, just days after he and his wife, Katelyn, moved into John Cope’s getaway house he rebuilt as Epoc I. The castle-starship-beach-hippie house in...
O’Hara awards smaller-than-usual road paving project because of covid-19 impacts
O’Hara residents will see about $275,000 in road paving but it won’t be until fall, council said during its meeting July 14. Council approved the 2020 road improvement contract to Tresco Paving, with township Manager Julie Jakubec saying it is a scaled back program because of covid-19 impacts. “There’s no...
Pittsburgh closes firefighter training facility over coronavirus concerns
Pittsburgh on Tuesday temporarily closed its firefighter training academy after one of the instructors reported covid-19 symptoms, the city reported Wednesday. Thirty-six recruits and instructors are now in quarantine, according to the city and Ralph Sicuro, president of International Association of Firefighters Local 1. “This decision was made out of...
6 more Port Authority employees test positive for covid-19
Six Port Authority of Allegheny County employees have tested positive for covid-19 since last week’s update, bringing the total number of employee cases to 27, officials said Wednesday. Fifteen of these employees have been cleared to return to work. Eleven are at home recovering and one remains hospitalized. The six...
Game warden saves bald eagle mired in Lancaster County manure pit
The Pennsylvania Game Commission rescued a bald eagle stuck in a manure pit in Lancaster. The Game Commission said it received a report Saturday that a bald eagle was unable to fly out of a manure pit at a private farm in southern Lancaster County. The large mature male eagle...
West Jeannette will get spruced up, thanks to canceled mission trip
When a New York City mission trip for 30 area middle schoolers had to be canceled earlier this year, Cornerstone Ministries Pastor Joel Guinen looked closer to home to make a difference. The group will be embarking on a week-long “Mission Home” cleanup project in West Jeannette, targeting a playground,...
‘Friendly Fire’ rye whiskey on sale this weekend at Fort LigonierVideo
When Fort Ligonier Museum supporters were naming a special-edition rye whiskey to debut at a 2019 fundraiser, they looked no farther than the Ligonier museum’s own Washington Gallery. A painting there depicts a 26-year-old George Washington’s “friendly fire” incident in 1758 that nearly claimed the life of the then-Virginia colonel....
Western Pennsylvanians sought to take part in coronavirus vaccine trials
Researchers are seeking at least 750 people in Western Pennsylvania to take part in trials for vaccines against the novel coronavirus that causes covid-19, UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh announced Wednesday. The trials are part of what is called Operation Warp Speed, a national push to rapidly develop a...
Former Penn Hills municipal building set to be sold after 2 years on market
Penn Hills Council is in the process of selling the municipality’s old headquarters along Frankstown Road. According to a sale agreement, Narinder Singh and Kulwant Kaur will buy the building in a cash deal for $175,000. The prospective owners were not available for comment. Michael Pirollo, the property’s real estate...
21 new covid-19 cases reported in Westmoreland County
There are 21 new coronavirus cases and no new deaths in Westmoreland County, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Wednesday. The new cases come from 527 tests, representing a 3.98% positivity rate for those cases. All of the new cases are confirmed. The county case total now stands at 1,054,...
Greensburg lifts limits on food trucks, hopes more business rolls into city
Speal’s on Wheels was one of the first food trucks to operate in Greensburg, with owner Terry Speal serving late-night grub to college crowds in the city since 2016. High registration fees and limited hours kept most food truck operators out, but that just meant less competition for Speal. “The...
Residents file opposing petitions for potential name change of Squaw Valley Park in O’Hara
Dueling petitions to keep or change the name of Squaw Valley Park in O’Hara are heating up online and will likely be debated during the township’s parks and recreation committee meeting on July 22. Council heard Tuesday night from several people advocating for a name change to the 31-acre park...
