Local category, Page 2423

Connectivity is a top priority for students, as many school districts began official distance learning on Monday. Amid the transition, one learning management system, Schoology, experienced server issues, kicking students out of online classrooms and producing load errors. “We are aware some users are experiencing degraded service when accessing Schoology....

The debate over who should wear a face mask is continuing as some health experts and lawmakers urge the public to wear a mask when they go out to run an errand or visit a communal space. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends that anyone who is...

When fear of the coronavirus separated K-12 students from school buildings, the need to continue teaching brought school officials in Westmoreland County’s far-flung school districts closer than ever. For the last two weeks, every morning at 8 a.m., top administrators from the county’s 17 school districts, three career and technical...

Mt. Pleasant Borough, like all of the small towns across the region, has seen a marked decrease in activity since Gov. Tom Wolf issued stay-at-home orders for Westmoreland County as part of the state’s efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The order mandates that people may leave their...

Two residents of Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center who tested positive for covid-19 have died, its medical director confirmed Monday. Dr. David Thimons said the two residents had advanced dementia and were in hospice care when they died. They were in a unit that was converted specifically to treat the...

The state Game Commission is looking for information related to the illegal shooting of several deer in the Jenner Township area of Somerset County, between Boswell and Acosta. Based on an investigation into the shootings, the Game Commission said in a statement that it believes the deer were shot last...

Westmoreland County’s first responders could run out of personal protective equipment by next week, public safety officials said Monday. Public Safety Director Roland Mertz said the county’s stockpile of masks, gloves, medical gowns and other equipment used by first responders is quickly drying up, a situation made worse by the...

The Port Authority of Allegheny County’s two new electric buses were on the road for a first time Monday, hauling passengers from Pittsburgh’s Downtown to Point Breeze and back, an authority official said. Port Authority spokesman Adam Brandolph said officials chose the 88 Route to test performance on a fairly...

Pennsylvania has seen 844,684 new unemployment claims since March 15, state Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Jerry Oleksiak said Monday. “That eclipses anything we’ve experienced for a weekly total, and maybe even a yearly total,” Oleksiak said. That number is up from about 650,000 claims reported Thursday for a...

UPMC employees will be paid at their current rate for their normally scheduled hours even if they are assigned to a different job during the covid-19 pandemic, officials said Monday. UPMC said it is implementing a staffing and pay protection program so that staff who may be assigned to do...

Gov. Tom Wolf extended school and business closures indefinitely and also extended the stay-at-home order in place for some Pennsylvania counties until at least April 30. “Until now, I’ve been saying ‘another two weeks, another two weeks,’ ” Wolf said during a virtual news conference Monday. “Now I’m going to...

Pittsburgh’s usual spring pothole patching blitz is on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a city official. The Department of Public Works is operating with skeleton crews, but will respond to emergencies and fix large damage-causing potholes when notified, according to Tim McNulty, spokesman for Mayor Bill Peduto....

Pittsburgh police said they need help finding a missing 12-year-old girl who was last seen in the city’s Hazelwood neighborhood on March 29. Police described Davicia Thomas-Wright as being 5 feet tall, 155 pounds with black eyes and black hair worn in a ponytail/bun. She was last seen wearing a...

Jeannette police tried to avoid arresting a group of girls who were yelling about a fight in the street Sunday, but took one into custody after several residents started exiting their homes, according to court papers. Four to five females were walking in and out of traffic at the intersection...

Westmoreland County reported eight new coronavirus cases between Sunday and Monday, according to state health officials. The total number of cases rose to 55, up from from 47. The state recorded 693 new cases of covid-19 and now has 4,087. Eleven more people have died from the virus, bringing that...

North Huntingdon has closed playgrounds in township parks because of the concern over the spread of the coronavirus that causes covid-19, officials announced Monday. Parks will remain open for non-organized recreation. Dan Miller, director of the township’s parks and recreation department, could not be reached for comment. The township has...

Ten more people have died from the coronavirus in Pennsylvania, and the state added nearly 700 new cases of the virus between Sunday and Monday, state health officials said. Deaths in the state now total 48, and 693 new cases bring the statewide total to 4,087. It’s the largest one-day...

Pittsburgh is closing outdoor basketball courts in parks and city overlooks and suspending its street sweeping program to further guard against the spread of covid-19. The city on Monday reported that groups of people failed to follow social distancing guidelines to remain at least six feet apart while enjoying warm...

A landslide forced the closure of a section of Route 906 between Rostraver and Monessen on Monday. The road, which runs along the Monongahela River, will be closed until Thursday, weather permitting, while debris is cleared, according to a PennDOT spokeswoman. The road was closed at 2 a.m. Monday between...

As covid-19 spreads to Allegheny County’s suburbs, officials in those areas are encouraging residents to adhere to the governor’s stay-at-home order and practice social distancing. A map that displays where the virus has spread shows cases now have touched Penn Hills, Monroeville, Plum, Oakmont, Churchill and Wilkinsburg, among others. Of...

Allegheny County reported 25 new cases of the coronavirus Monday, bringing the countywide total to 290. That total does not include two Allegheny County residents who have died from complications from covid-19. More than 37,000 people across Pennsylvania have been tested for covid-19, according to figures released by the state...

Scottdale extended its normal 9 p.m. curfew for children during the school year to include anyone under 18, according to borough manager Angelo Pallone. The altered curfew will remain in effect as long as the coronavirus pandemic continues, he said. “It’s going to be enforced as long as the emergency...