Western PA Local News category, Page 2407
Allergy season plagues Western Pennsylvania, thanks to grass, ragweed, pollution
Seasonal allergies are plaguing Western Pennsylvania again this year with ragweed pollen on the rise. Dr. Thomas Mertz, an allergist at Allergy and Asthma Associates of Pittsburgh, said this allergy season seems to be severe as mid-August arrives. Mertz blamed poor air quality and lots of pollen for the severe...
Diocese of Pittsburgh to delay elementary school reopening
The first day of elementary school for the Diocese of Pittsburgh will be Tuesday, Sept. 8, school administrators announced . The diocese said the change is in response to some elementary school teachers requesting more time to implement new health and safety protocols. High schools in the diocese will reopen...
Scaled down New Kensington festival to feature display of Alcoa Kensington WareVideo
A New Kensington festival that grew from a one-day event to a three-day affair last year is scaling back to a smaller, one-day occasion because of covid-19 restrictions. Steve Kubrick said face masks will be required and hand sanitizers will be everywhere for the third annual “Arts, Beats & Treats”...
With demand surging, schools wait on Chromebooks
Looking for a Chromebook? You might wait a while. Nationally, there is a backlog of Chromebook orders because of high demand for them during the coronavirus pandemic. At least two local school districts and the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit are still waiting on ones they ordered, and they’re not sure if...
Bill to create Purple Heart coin series gains traction in CongressVideo
Josh Marino suffered a traumatic brain injury when an enemy mortar exploded a few feet away from him during his 2007 deployment to Baghdad. In the moment, he had no idea what had happened. “At the time I thought, ‘Man, those cannons we have on base are really loud. They’re...
Hempfield attacker pleads guilty, begs judge to stay in jailVideo
All Ian Smail knew was he was brutally beaten by his Hempfield neighbor last year, an attack that left him in a coma for 11 days. It wasn’t until later that he realized his injuries were far more severe and included dozens of slash wounds to his face and a...
EPA relaxes greenhouse gas emission limits on oil and gas industry
HARRISBURG — President Trump’s administration is undoing Obama-era rules designed to limit greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas fields and pipelines, formalizing the changes Thursday in the heart of the nation’s most prolific natural gas reservoir and in the premier presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania. Andrew Wheeler, the Environmental...
Large crowds taking toll on Pennsylvania state parks
In the late 1800s, Ohiopyle State Park’s 100-acre Ferncliff Peninsula was home to a boardwalk, bowling alley and hotel along the Youghiogheny River. The small resort eventually closed as automobiles replaced rail transportation to the small Fayette County town, allowing the natural landscape to return. Decades later, Ferncliff Peninsula Natural...
Saltsburg Road in Plum reopens as Turnpike bridge project nears completion
At any other time, a nearly monthlong closure of Saltsburg Road for work on a new bridge over the Pennsylvania Turnpike would have hit American Legion Post 980 in Plum pretty hard. But covid-19, and the shutdowns and restrictions it has wrought, had done a good enough job of that...
Pine-Richland delaying start of school year
The Pine-Richland School District is delaying the start of classes by five days to give staff more time collect the textbooks and technology students used last year and distribute new materials for the upcoming school year. The district initially planned for the first day of school to begin on Wednesday,...
United Airlines to offer more direct flights from Pittsburgh to Florida
United Airlines soon will add more direct flights from Pittsburgh and other cities to four popular Florida destinations. Airline officials said the move is part of a “continuing strategy to aggressively and opportunistically manage the impact of covid-19 by increasing service to destinations where customers most want to fly.” Beginning...
Battle over backyard chickens resumes in North Huntingdon
North Huntingdon officials this week once again clashed over how to regulate backyard chickens in a prelude to a future public hearing on a proposed ordinance that will set parameters on how hens can be raised in a residential neighborhood. Commissioners on Thursday expressed conflicting opinions on what they wanted...
Export’s Ethnic Food & Music Fest a go; Delmont’s Apple’n Arts Festival, Pilgrimage canceled
In a season of cancellations, Export’s annual Ethnic Food & Music Festival is sticking to its guns and will go on this weekend. The event is set for noon to 9 p.m. Saturday along Washington Avenue. Councilwoman Melanie Litz said the relatively small size of both the borough and festival...
New cafe and learning space proposed for Hill District
A vacant plaza may be the site of a new café and learning space in the Hill District. The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh is ready to begin lease negotiations with the Cares CommuniTEA Café for a space in the vacant Centre Heldman plaza on Centre Avenue. The beginning phase...
Dollar General proposal not well received in Upper Burrell
In a township that protects its rural character and quietness, some Upper Burrell residents are railing against a proposal for the development of a Dollar General store along Route 780 near Dewey Drive. A discussion of the proposal came up during a township supervisors meeting earlier this month. “We live...
Man wanted in Millvale baseball bat attack surrenders to police
A man wanted for allegedly beating his cousin to the brink of death earlier this month has turned himself in to Millvale police on Thursday, authorities said. Julio Armondo Jenaro, 37, has been wanted by Millvale police since the Aug. 1 fight that left Jenaro’s cousin in critical condition. In...
Westmoreland County adds 13 new covid-19 cases
Westmoreland County added 13 new covid-19 cases Thursday, according to the state Department of Health. Twelve of the new coronavirus cases are confirmed and one is probable. The county’s coronavirus case total is now 1,586. Of those cases, 1,542 are confirmed and 44 probable. Westmoreland County coronavirus by dayInfogram No...
Temperatures in Pittsburgh region could drop this weekend, bringing chance of rain
Temperatures will hover close to 90 degrees over the next few days, but a front could bring some relief to the Pittsburgh region this weekend. According to National Weather Service, highs will remain in the upper 80s Thursday and Friday with the potential for isolated showers. “Today and tomorrow will...
Answering The Call: Meet the expert helping UPMC employees work remotelyVideo
During the covid-19 pandemic, many people are working remotely, including tens of thousands of UPMC employees. The person largely responsible for making this happen is UPMC systems engineer Crystal Morgan, an online security expert and former songwriter from Los Angeles. In this edition of Answering the Call, Morgan discusses working...
Temporary changes made to Hempfield’s administration office
Hempfield’s central administration office is receiving help in the weeks leading up to the first day of school. Gregory Saraceni, an assistant principal at Hempfield Area High School, will temporarily provide support to the central administration office, Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said. Board members voted this week to approve the changes,...
State departments warn of scams related to contact tracing
Two state agencies issued warnings about contact tracing scams amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Pennsylvania departments of Health and Aging, scams include a caller asking for Social Security numbers or payment for services. Contact tracing is used to identify people who have come in close contact with someone...
Fayette County jail, court employees arrested in drug dealing investigationsVideo
Two guards at the Fayette County Prison, four inmates and two women on the outside are charged in connection with a drug smuggling scheme at the Uniontown jail, according to court papers. The scheme started to unravel in April when guard Angela Rae Powell, 37, of East Uniontown was seen...
Allegheny County reports over 100 new covid-19 cases, 17 new hospitalizations
Allegheny County reported 114 new coronavirus cases Thursday, the second highest new case total of the month. There were also 17 new covid-19 hospitalizations and five new deaths reported. New cases came from 1,799 test results with 110 being confirmed and four probable. The age range for the cases are...
News briefs: Pop-up clothing sale on tap at Sharpsburg thrift store
The nonprofit Second Harvest Community Thrift Store will host a pop-up clothing sale on Aug. 15 in Sharpsburg to help families with back-to-school shopping by offering low prices on essentials such as shoes, jeans and tops. The event will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot at...
Barry Henck takes over as new pastor at Roots of Faith church in Sharpsburg
When Barry Henck landed in Pittsburgh four years ago this winter, he attended a small Bible study at Roots of Faith in Sharpsburg and unknowingly found his calling. “It was freezing cold and I’m standing in a packed room listening to Bible study and loving it,” said Henck, a native...
