Western PA Local News category, Page 2445
Ex-West Penn employee accused of videotaping co-workers in bathroom
A former West Penn Hospital employee spied on co-workers in the bathroom by using a small video camera he taped to a chair and then downloaded the recordings to his personal laptop, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office alleges in charges filed Friday. The camera footage led to the arrest...
Pa. nursing home data used to track covid-19 deaths, cases riddled with errors
Data posted online this week by the Pennsylvania Department of Health show 76,336 residents at an Elk County nursing home have died from covid-19. The home is licensed to house 138 residents. The state listed 133 deaths at an Erie facility that previously reported no cases among residents or staff....
Allegheny County reports 240 new coronavirus cases, 17 additional hospitalizations
The latest new batch of coronavirus cases reported in Allegheny County turned higher Friday, after two days of declines. The county reported 240 new cases, out of 2,118 total tests conducted from June 29 through July 16. That brings the county’s total cases to date to 5,990. Of the total...
Wyano church hoping Elvis impersonator, sweets will help raise the roof
Elvis may have left the building, but he’ll be on the lawn of the Wyano “Coal Patch Town” Fellowship Church come Sunday. Almost a year after the church reopened to public services, work is underway to upgrade the more than 100-year-old building. Church members will host a cake walk fundraiser,...
Washington County man indicted on child exploitation charges
A 49-year-old Washington County man was arraigned this week in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh after he was indicted on charges of sexually exploiting an underage boy. Joey Leroy Barton of Charleroi pleaded not guilty to the five-count indictment that includes charges of production and attempted production of material depicting...
Allegheny County reopens indoor dining at 25% capacity; restaurateurs weigh in
Indoor dining will resume in Allegheny County after an order issued Friday by health officials eased some coronavirus restrictions. It goes into effect at 5 p.m. Friday. The new order rescinds the county’s July 8 order that prohibited indoor dining, and largely follows the statewide order issued Wednesday. Indoor dining...
Here’s the pitch: Pirates set to begin unprecedented season amid coronavirus pandemic
For the first time in 293 days, a game between two Major League Baseball teams will be played at PNC Park. The Pirates host the Cleveland Indians in an exhibition game at 7:05 p.m. Saturday — with the game being carried on radio and television. It’s the first of three...
27-day closure of Saltsburg Road in Plum has lengthy detours
Drivers will have to contend with lengthy detours while a section of Saltsburg Road in Plum is closed for 27 days starting Saturday. While the posted detour for passenger vehicles is about 11 miles, the one for commercial truck traffic is more than twice as long. Saltsburg Road (Route 380)...
Police: Man arrested after allegedly driving through protest in Penn Hills
A Penn Hills man was arrested after allegedly driving through a group of protesters Wednesday afternoon. Police Chief Howard Burton said several people were gathered near the intersection of Saltsburg and Stotler roads when a man drove his vehicle through the crowd. No injuries were reported. Burton said officers spoke...
Bishop Malesic followed ‘servant leadership model’ in Greensburg diocese, headed to Cleveland
Jennifer Miele got a glimpse into the heart and soul of Bishop Edward Malesic soon after he assumed his duties in the Diocese of Greensburg in 2015. “On day one, he gave me his cellphone number and said to use it any time,” said Miele, a former television news reporter...
Mother of Duquesne University student who fell to his death is still seeking answersVideo
On Freedom Corner in the Hill District, Dannielle Brown sits, as she has for days, surrounded by photos of her late son and his bright smile. She’s on a hunger strike as she pushes for answers and changes, both of which she’s been fighting for since her son’s death Oct....
Highlands reopening plan includes 2 days in school, 3 days at home
Highlands School District students would be in schools two days a week and work remotely the other three days under the district’s tentative reopening plan. The district also would offer a full virtual learning option for families with children who cannot return to any in-person schooling in August, according to...
5 more workers test positive for covid-19 at Beaver County ethane cracker site
Five more workers have tested positive for covid-19 at Shell Chemicals’ ethane cracker construction site in Beaver County, a company spokesman said in a statement. That brings the total number of positive tests to 18 since the pandemic began, Shell spokesman Michael Marr said in an update. A covid-19 testing...
20-year-old McKeesport man found dead in alley
A 20-year-old man was found shot dead in McKeesport Thursday night, according to Allegheny County police. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the victim as Keith Jones Jr. of McKeesport. According to police, someone called 911 shortly before 10 p.m. and reported finding a man lying on the ground in...
Plum residents show support for, opposition to school director over Facebook post
Plum residents had mixed reactions to a controversial post by a school board member in a private social media page. More than a dozen people came to Thursday night’s special meeting with many calling for the resignation of board member Amy Wetmore for her comments on the Black Lives Matter...
The Stroller, July 17, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your non-profit organization going to have a fundraiser? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@tribweb.com or The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Bus service reinstated in Oakmont and Verona Riverview Community Action...
Quick getaways may offer safer vacation spots during pandemic for Western Pennsylvanians
For many families, summer vacation may look a little different this year. A survey conducted by MyBioSource.com, a biotechnological products distribution company, found that 51% of Pennsylvanians are more likely to vacation locally in their own state this summer to avoid traveling by plane and reduce the risk of contracting...
Giant Eagle defends mask policy in answer to lawsuit
Giant Eagle is defending itself after a lawsuit filed by more than 30 people claims the grocery chain’s face mask policy is discriminatory toward disabled shoppers. In a response to a consolidated federal lawsuit that names 35 plaintiffs but specifically cites plaintiff Josiah Kostek, lawyers for Giant Eagle called for...
Plum School District officials approve reopening plan, options for parents
Plum School District’s reopening plan gives parents a choice to maintain their children’s distance learning or send them back into school next month. The plan, which is available for review at the district’s website, was approved by an 8-1 vote at a special meeting Thursday night. School Director Michelle Stepnick...
Pittsburgh’s LGBTQIA+ commission seeking volunteers to serve as commissioners
Pittsburgh’s new LGBTQIA+ Commission is seeking applicants to serve as commissioners. Commissioners are required to either live or work in the city and will advise city officials on LGBTQIA+ issues in such areas as workforce development, employment, education, educational barriers, health, homelessness, housing barriers, and aging. Click here to apply....
Vandergrift pool to reopen Friday after possible covid-19 exposure
Days after closing due to a possible covid-19 exposure, Vandergrift’s Joseph A. Petrarca Pool is reopening Friday. The reopening was announced Thursday on the Vandergrift Pool Facebook page. Officials closed the pool July 11 after an employee was possibly exposed to the coronavirus. “To be clear, this is not a...
Elliott Group to close Rostraver facility, impacting 40 jobs
Elliott Group is permanently closing its center in Rostraver, which employed about 40 people, the company announced Thursday. “The decision to close our Belle Vernon facility was a difficult but necessary step to sustain Elliott’s auxiliary products portfolio while reducing the fixed costs associated with maintaining a separate, stand-alone operation,”...
Live! Casino Pittsburgh gears up for hiring more than 500 positions in Hempfield
Officials with Live! Casino Pittsburgh at the Westmoreland Mall are starting to fill more than 500 positions needed to open the $150 million facility. Under construction in the former Bon-Ton store, the casino will include 750 slot machines and 30 table games. It is expected to open before Thanksgiving. Job...
Lower Burrell fire company plans food-truck rally to fill fundraising hole
Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3 is looking to fill a pandemic-related hole in its budget by filling people’s stomachs. The department lost an estimated $12,000 to $13,000 when it had to cancel one of its largest annual fundraisers, the weeklong Fireman’s Carnival, because of the coronavirus pandemic, said...
Longtime Pittsburgh City Hall reporter Bob Bauder retires from Trib, capping 31-year career
A former steelworker who became a journalist when the mills closed is retiring from the trade Friday. Tribune-Review reporter Bob Bauder, 66, has covered the Pittsburgh City Hall beat for the Trib for nine years. In all, Bauder has worked 31 years as a reporter. After graduating from Hopewell High...
