Western PA Local News category, Page 2479
Covid-19 surcharges not catching on so far with Pittsburgh area restaurants
Across the nation, some restaurants are tacking on a “covid-19 surcharge,” designed to cover the extra costs of operating safely in the coronavirus pandemic, as well as trying to recoup losses from the nearly three-month lockdown. But few, if any, Pittsburgh-area restaurants are adding the charge. One that tried to...
3 WCCC grads honored with All-Academic Team scholarships
Three Westmoreland County Community College students earned scholarships to attend the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education university of their choice as members of the Pennsylvania 2019-20 All Academic Team. College officials said Zachary Hursh of Irwin, Tyler Recklein of Export and Steven Riley of Greensburg were selected as honorees...
Port Authority tool allows riders to gauge social-distance capacity on buses
A new tool from the Port Authority of Allegheny County will tell riders whether the bus headed for their stop is at a safe social-distancing capacity, officials said Monday. The Room2Ride tool on the Port Authority’s website relies on the past two weeks of ridership data to let people know...
Doctor’s lawsuit claims Westmoreland children’s bureau abused its power
A lawsuit that claims a Ligonier physician and his wife were harassed and threatened by child welfare caseworkers will be litigated in Westmoreland County. Court documents filed this week revealed the six-count lawsuit filed last year in Somerset County was transferred to Westmoreland, where allegations of conspiracy, negligence and abuse...
Official: Multiple employees at Hempfield Buffalo Wild Wings test positive for coronavirus
Buffalo Wild Wings in Hempfield is temporarily closed after multiple employees tested positive for the coronavirus, company spokesman Jack D’Amato said. According to D’Amato, officials learned Sunday of the positive cases at the Hempfield Plaza location along Route 30 and “out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed...
Increase in Westmoreland coronavirus cases not a worry — yet
New coronavirus cases in Westmoreland County have climbed steadily since last week, including 11 reported Sunday and 16 on Monday — the first daily double-digit increases since late April. Officials say the spike is not yet cause for concern. “Obviously, the virus is still out there, and there is still...
Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra hosts series of online classes
The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Academy of Music announced a slate of one-hour online summer courses. Classes will include the academy’s annual exploration of the various periods of classical music, along with technique courses and a “Life in Music” series: • “Classical Chatters” explores the four basic periods of classical music...
Hard-to-recycle collection events scheduled in North Hills
North Hills residents who have hard-to-recycle items piling up can unload them at a series of events scheduled this summer. Organizations such as the Pennsylvania Resource Council were forced to cancel spring collection events to slow the coronavirus pandemic. New guidelines for the collection events will require patrons to place...
Angelo’s Cucina & Catering in Grapeville to hand out 200 free spaghetti dinners
About a month after the owner of Angelo’s Cucina & Catering in Hempfield’s Grapeville neighborhood handed out more than 100 free spaghetti dinners, she plans on doubling that. On June 29, owner Debbie Huey will give away 200 free dinners thanks to two anonymous donations, one from Grapeville and another...
Rising demand continues to push gas prices higher, analyst says
Gas prices in the Pittsburgh area jumped by nearly 8 cents a gallon in the past week, according to the price-tracking service GasBuddy. The average is now $2.42 a gallon, up 7.9 cents in the past week, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 731 stations. That’s 11 cents a gallon more...
Murrysville OKs contract for bridge work
Murrysville council awarded a $78,000 bid last week for maintenance repairs to three bridges in the municipality. Plum-based Pugliano Construction will perform maintenance work on the Heather Highlands, Cal-Ken Court and Logan Ferry Road bridges, which were identified for repairs as part of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s bi-annual inspections....
West Mifflin homicide suspect arrested 400 miles away in Indiana
Indiana State Police on Monday arrested a West Mifflin man wanted for more than a month on homicide charges in Allegheny County, according to county police. Daymond Wiggins, 37, was charged May 20 with the shooting death of Thomas Johnson outside a West Mifflin apartment complex two days earlier. Police...
South Fayette assault victim succumbs to injuries
A 58-year-old man who Allegheny County Police said was severely beaten in South Fayette has died. The victim was identified as Jeffery Harouse of Bridgeville, according to the county Medical Examiner’s office. He died Monday at UPMC Presbyterian after being assaulted the day before, according to police. South Fayette police...
Pittsburgh Zoo welcomes new sea lion pup
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium welcomed a new California sea lion pup. Kelilah gave birth to the pup on Wednesday. Both mom and pup are doing well, zoo officials said. “We are all very excited and happy for Kelilah,” Henry Kacprzyk, curator of the Zoo’s Kids Kingdom, said. The...
McCandless seeking GOP applicants to fill Ward 4 council vacancy
McCandless is seeking applicants from residents in Ward 4 who are interested in serving on town council through 2021. The person appointed to the post will fill the unexpired term of Councilwoman Joan Powers, who resigned earlier this month because she is moving out of the area. The town’s policy...
Downtown Pittsburgh expanding outdoor dining to reconfigured streets
The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership announced plans Monday to allow restaurants and bars to expand their outdoor dining seating into some streets. Some of the Downtown areas include Sixth Street from Liberty Avenue to Fort Duquesne Boulevard, Strawberry Way between Smithfield and Grant streets, Penn Avenue between Ninth and 10th streets,...
Officials report 16 new coronavirus cases, no new deaths in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County has 16 new covid-19 cases and no additional deaths, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Monday. The countywide case total is now 546, with 38 deaths, according to the department. There have been no reported coronavirus deaths in Westmoreland County since May 18. More than 14,500 county residents...
New coronavirus cases in Allegheny County more than double over 24-hour period
Allegheny County reported 45 new coronavirus cases Monday, more than twice as many from the previous day. County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Health Department Director Dr. Debra Bogen plan to hold a news briefing at 3 p.m. to provide information about the jump in new cases and what steps the...
Hampton debuting ‘new look’ farmers market with added safety precautions
Hampton Township’s annual farmers market is scheduled to return July 1 with a new layout that promotes social distancing and other precautions to protect patrons and vendors. The rain-or-shine market is set up in Hampton Community Park from 3 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays through the middle of October. The...
No injuries reported in Polish Hill fire
Two people escaped injury after a house in Pittsburgh’s Polish Hill section caught fire early Monday, police said. Firefighters responded to the incident in the 1000 block of Herron Avenue around 3 a.m., Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews said. The residents were able to exit on their own, Matthews said....
Monroeville senior center to reopen with restrictions
The Monroeville senior center is scheduled to reopen with restricted hours and programming Aug. 6 after being closed since mid-March because of the covid-19 pandemic. Since June 10, the center has been working on a plan that includes new policies and procedures for visiting per recommended guidelines of the Center...
Sweetwater kicks off summer jazz series with free, outdoor concert
Summer Sweet Jazz Music Series returns to Sweetwater Center for the Arts with a free outdoor concert. Pittsburgh drummer Roger Humphries and the RH Factor will play classic jazz from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Sewickley Riverfront Park. The band will perform under the gazebo at Riverfront Park, 300...
Fox Chapel Area School Board holding special meeting to vote on tentative budget
Fox Chapel Area School Board will have a special meeting to vote on the district’s tentative $102 million budget which calls for a 1.5% property tax increase. The remote session will be at 6 p.m. June 29, using Zoom. Anyone who wants to comment during the meeting can access it...
Recreational facilities reopening in O’Hara, Aspinwall
Parks are slowly reopening in the Lower Valley, with O’Hara announcing Friday that all facilities — including playgrounds — are welcoming visitors. Basketball courts, the sand volleyball court at Squaw Valley Park and flex courts are all open in O’Hara, though township officials are still not renting pavilions. In Aspinwall,...
Police: Woman in critical condition after McKeesport shooting
A woman was in critical condition after being shot several times late Sunday in McKeesport, Allegheny County police said. Homicide detectives are investigating the incident which happened just before 10:40 p.m. in the 700 block of Evans Avenue. Emergency crews found the 41-year-old victim suffering gunshot wounds to the back,...
