Western PA Local News category, Page 2430
New Kensington-Arnold School Board votes to bring students back to school — but many may learn from home
The New Kensington-Arnold School District will attempt to bring all students back to school this fall, but nearly half of parents might choose remote learning. The district will require all students and staff to wear face masks or shields in schools and on buses, according to the district’s return plan....
Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto joins other mayors asking for federal help during pandemicVideo
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto joined mayors from across the country Tuesday in a call for an infusion of federal cash to help local governments deal with financial shortfalls caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “We are at a critical juncture as we look into the future of an economic recovery,” Peduto...
Protest over Pittsburgh bar’s dress code results in multiple charges
Multiple activists face charges stemming from a protest outside a Downtown Pittsburgh bar last month over a dress code some called racist and transphobic, court records show. The incident that led to the protest happened June 20 after two men at the 941 Saloon on Liberty Avenue were asked to...
Slice on Broadway to close PNC Park locationVideo
Slice on Broadway plans to close its PNC Park location at the end of the month. The Twitter announcement came as the Pirates played their home opener in an empty ballpark Monday, with covid-19 restrictions banning crowds. Owner Rico Lunardi cited the lack of fans and largely empty office buildings...
State, Westmoreland see drop in OD deaths; Allegheny sees increase
Pennsylvania saw a slight decrease in drug overdose deaths in 2019 for what could be the second consecutive year the number has dropped. The state health department on Tuesday released preliminary data that shows 4,348 people died in Pennsylvania from a drug overdose last year, a 1.7% decrease from 2018...
Goal of Etna stormwater project to reduce flooding
A $669,000 stormwater project is underway along Walnut Street in Etna with the aim of reducing flooding in the borough. Walnut Street between Butler and Locust streets remain closed while crews install tanks to capture stormwater from downspouts and sidewalks, borough Manager Mary Ellen Ramage said. The project is part...
Fox Chapel man charged in 2 homicides deemed legally incompetent, hearing delayed
A Fox Chapel man accused of killing another man and leaving his body near the Settlers Ridge Road home he shared with his parents has been deemed “legally incompetent” to stand trial, his attorney said Tuesday. Adam Rosenberg, 22, is charged with homicide and other offenses in connection with the...
Latrobe armed robbery suspect being sought by police
Latrobe Police are looking for a man who robbed a gas station at gunpoint Sunday afternoon. The man went inside the BP on Lloyd Avenue at about 3:45 p.m. “He pointed a handgun at the clerk and demanded money and cigarettes,” said Beth Straka, community service officer. “He forced a...
State: Brighton Rehab nursing home failed to get proper approval to use hydroxychloroquine on residents
Residents of a Beaver County nursing home that is the site of one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the country were given an experimental drug without approval from the state health department, inspection records show. Hydroxychloroquine, typically used to treat malaria, was administered to 205 of the 435 residents...
Hempfield moves forward with proposed zoning changes
Marijuana manufacturing and processing facilities wanting to open up shop in Hempfield are restricted to specific areas of the township. During Monday’s public meeting, supervisors voted to limit where the facilities can open to agricultural, light industrial and heavy industrial zones by special exception. It was one of several changes...
Westmoreland probation office closed in wake of positive coronavirus test
The adult probation office at the Westmoreland County Courthouse was closed Tuesday after a staff member tested positive for coronavirus. Commissioner Doug Chew confirmed the positive test and said the employee had not been at the courthouse since July 21. “It will take 48 hours to sanitize the office and...
Franklin Regional team selected as one of top 18 in country for NASA’s WEAR Challenge
A team of five Franklin Regional Middle School students, led by husband and wife teachers Arthur and Sarah Danny, were selected for phase two of NASA’s WEAR Challenge, in which students must design either a garment or helmet as radiation protection for astronauts on deep space missions. If the team...
Couch, Abjuration breweries, First Sip Brew Box team to create beer, awareness for social injusticesVideo
A few local breweries are crafting a beer for justice. Couch Brewery in East Liberty, Abjuration Brewing in McKees Rocks and Pittsburgh’s First Sip Brew Box are teaming on a brew for the Black is Beautiful campaign. The effort aims to raise awareness for the injustices people of color face,...
Pittsburgh International Airport gets $3M in federal funding for runway rehab
Pittsburgh International Airport will receive more than $3 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve taxiways and buy new snow removal equipment, federal officials announced Tuesday. The grant is part of more than $273 million awarded to 184 airports across the country for safety and infrastructure improvements by...
Westmoreland County adds 1 new covid-19 death, 14 new cases
Westmoreland County has 14 new coronavirus cases and one new death Tuesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. New reported cases all are confirmed, bringing the county’s covid-19 case total to 1,327. The county started the month with 38 deaths from coronavirus and has not seen more than one...
Police: Convicted killer from Mt. Oliver area jailed on rape charges
A maintenance worker at a hotel on Pittsburgh’s North Shore is being held without bond on rape and other charges for an assault at the hotel on Sunday. Michael Cooper, 48, who lives on the border of Pittsburgh’s Knoxville and Mt. Oliver neighborhoods, turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday,...
Allegheny County reports 20 new covid-19 hospitalizations, 7 new deaths
Allegheny County Health Department reported 20 new hospitalizations and seven new deaths from the coronavirus Tuesday. The county added 119 new covid-19 cases to the running total, which now stands at 7,593. There have been only three other times in July that new cases have been lower. Tuesday’s near-record number...
News briefs: Fox Chapel Area High School conducting summer blood drive Aug. 3
Fox Chapel Area High School is having a summer community blood drive on Aug. 3 at the Vitalant Harmar/Fox Chapel Donor Center. It is from 1 to 7 p.m. and aimed at people ages 16 and older. Vitalant is offering several scholarships to area high school students. To qualify, Fox...
Moon teen’s debut record will be released FridayVideo
After winning a national songwriting competition for a Colorado nonprofit, Moon singer-songwriter Maleena Dominick is preparing to release her first record, “Bruises to Prove It,” on July 31. Dominick, 18, a Moon Area High School graduate this year, said writing the album was an emotional process, and a conversation with...
Shady Side Academy sophomore sets sights on helping others with eyeglasses fundraiser
A Shady Side Academy sophomore is spearheading a no-contact fundraiser aimed at assisting vision care in poor regions across the globe. Morgan Golden, 15, is collecting used glasses to help the nonprofit Project Theia, which provides surgical care, education and other assistance in underserved communities. “During such a difficult time...
The Herald-Area student news for July 28
Recent Shady Side Academy graduate Giri Viswanathan is one of 16 national recipients of the 2020 National Latin Exam (NLE) Scholarship worth $2,000. The scholarships go to high school seniors who won gold medals on the intermediate to advanced NLE during their senior year. Viswanathan has received a gold medal...
Loitering definition debated as Latrobe considers amending rules governing parks
Latrobe Council is considering changing the city’s parks ordinance to prohibit feeding of wildlife in recreational areas. But city officials aren’t so sure about language for addressing loitering. At the city’s agenda meeting Monday , councilman Jim Kelley questioned whether a prohibition against loitering might be interpreted to prevent a...
Sustainability grant helps Derry Area students revive Giving Garden
Recycled scraps from student meals will help grow fresh produce for local food bank recipients in a garden project at Derry Area High School. Spearheaded by members of the school’s Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, the project received a $10,000 sustainability innovation grant sponsored by Coca-Cola. Among close to 2,000 Chick-fil-A academies...
Latrobe eyes plaza update, fee reduction at parking garage
Officials in Latrobe are hoping for a funding assist so they can update aging, patched infrastructure in a small business plaza tucked away next to the municipal parking garage. City manager Michael Gray mentioned the need for renovation at the Courtyard Plaza more than a year ago. Now, he’s recommending...
The Stroller, July 28, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Follow @VNDStroller on Twitter for a daily link to The Stroller. Festa Italiana planned at Mount St. Peter Church The annual Mount St. Peter Church Festa Italiana has been changed due to the covid-19 pandemic. Takeout Festa platters will be sold from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in a...
