Local category, Page 2512
How Western Pa. religious leaders are altering Easter sermons during coronavirus pandemic
Father Tom Gramc used to spend entire days surrounded by people and parishioners. He went from preaching morning Mass to hearing afternoon confessions to visiting grade schools in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Yet as Easter approaches, he spends his days in Zoom meetings or fielding calls and emails from parishioners,...
Outside PPG Paints Arena and Rivers Casino, groups rally to feed the hungryVideo
Hundreds of people waited in long lines Friday in Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood as part of a food distribution event to address those in need during the coronavirus pandemic. Across town, outside Rivers Casino, members of the Iota Phi chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity collected food donated by the casino...
Residents rally to help New Kensington grocery worker whose car was smashed by tree
Friends and strangers alike have rallied to raise more than $3,400 in a GoFundMe account benefiting a New Kensington man whose 32-year-old car was crushed by a huge oak tree during Wednesday’s high winds and tornado. “Thanks to everyone for all of their support,” said Tom Athey Jr., 63, of...
‘Drive-thru’ funeral visitation to be held in Scottdale for local pastor
Despite being stricken by cancer, the Rev. Kimberly M. King stood in the parking lot of Owensdale United Methodist Church last Sunday passing out palms to members of two congregations in Fayette and Westmoreland counties where she preached for more than a decade. “Kim felt so strong about the Christian...
After school closures, Gateway cancels musical
Gateway High School’s musical has officially been canceled, according to an announcement written by the superintendent and posted to the district’s website Thursday. Gov. Tom Wolf directed Wednesday that all school buildings must stay closed through the end of the school year, meaning 1.7 million students in K-12 public and...
‘Shifting America off its constitutional foundations’: Saint Vincent prof critiques progressivism in new bookVideo
The demise of Democratic presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren does not mean the end of progressivism in the political spectrum, said a Saint Vincent College professor who has written a new book analyzing the movement in the United States. “Even though both (U.S. Senators) Warren and Sanders have...
Jefferson Hills launches Neighbors Helping Neighbors initiative to help shut-ins during covid-19
Jefferson Hills borough officials, led by council president pro tempore Nicole Ruscitto and president Karen Bucy, have designed and implemented a new program dubbed Neighbors Helping Neighbors to assist the borough’s senior citizens during the covid-19 pandemic, according to a news release. Volunteers are delivering donated non-perishable food and household...
Gov. Wolf approves release of up to 1,800 inmates amid coronavirus concerns
Up to 1,800 Pennsylvania prison inmates scheduled for release in the next year could be temporarily released as part of a plan to reduce the spread of coronavirus, Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday. Eligible inmates could start being released to home confinement or community facilities as early as Tuesday, according...
U.S. Customs in Pittsburgh seizes counterfeit items potentially worth $200K
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently seized multiple “Express Delivery” parcels headed for Western Pennsylvania destinations, including Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, containing counterfeit brand name merchandise that would have fetched more than $200,000 on the market if authentic. The largest seizure was March 25 when officers confiscated a...
Answering the Call: Pittsburgh nurse volunteered to work in coronavirus spaceVideo
Jessi Showalter is a nurse at Allegheny Health Network’s West Penn Hospital who volunteered to work in the covid-19 space there. What compelled her to volunteer in the space and take on the risks that go with it? That’s one of the questions Showalter addressed in a video interview with...
Pennsylvania reports 78 more coronavirus deaths as total case count nears 20,000Video
Seventy-eight new coronavirus-related deaths were reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Health throughout the day Thursday to bring the state’s death toll to 416, according to state health officials. The total coronavirus case count is approaching 20,000, the data show. The state saw three days this week where new deaths...
Franklin Regional senior earns 4 digital media awardsVideo
When Ryan Lucht and fellow Franklin Regional media student Tim Quinn made a short horror film, they never expected that it would lead to meeting horror industry icons such as Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero. Then again, given the success that the school’s media students have had in recent years...
Unity lawyer is new Westmoreland Bar Association president
Unity lawyer Scott Avolio is the new president of the Westmoreland Bar Association. More than 70 lawyers convened via a virtual gathering earlier this week as part of the association’s annual meeting to select its new leadership. The bar association includes about 500 practicing lawyers in the county, many of...
6 more coronavirus deaths reported in Allegheny County
Six more people in Allegheny County died from the coronavirus, county health officials said Friday, bringing the countywide total to 18. Allegheny County Health Department initially reported a total of 20 deaths Friday morning but later corrected an error in the data. All of those people were over the age...
Westmoreland coroner says county has 11 coronavirus deaths
Westmoreland County has 11 deaths related to coronavirus, according to Coroner Ken Bacha. Pennsylvania’s Department of Health reported one death in the county through Thursday, with that number rising to five in its Friday update. But Bacha said Friday morning that 10 additional fatalities are attributed to covid-19, all of...
April snow showers dust Pittsburgh region
Western Pennsylvanians woke up to April snow showers Friday morning. The National Weather Service station at the Pittsburgh International Airport measured one-tenth of an inch of snow. Some areas, like Saxonburg and Butler County, reported more than an inch, NWS meteorologist Lee Hendricks said. Though it might be spring on...
Coronavirus highlights inequities among Western Pa. school districts
In the McKeesport Area School District, Superintendent Mark Holtzman estimates more than a thousand families either don’t have reliable internet access or the necessary technological devices to complete online schoolwork. Lessons are being made available via paper handouts, social media and the district website, he said. Completing material is strongly...
Excela ER doctor takes precautions; donations sought for protective equipment
After 15 years of practicing in Excela Health emergency rooms, Dr. Greg Harbaugh has added a new twist to his daily routine. Every day when he arrives home, Harbaugh strips down in the garage, places his clothing in a plastic bag, dumps the contents in the washing machine and heads...
The Stroller, April 10, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Send information of charitable events to The Stroller Is your company or organization making or collecting equipment for health professionals? Is your club or church going to sponsor a community blood drive? The Stroller will publish information about community drives and collections at Triblive.com. Send information to vndnews@tribweb.com. Small Acts...
Carnegie Ukranian Orthodox church to host Easter in June
Sts. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church will hold Easter in June at the 53rd Annual Ukranian Easter Egg Sale from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 6. The sale will feature more than 1,200 Ukranian pysanky, Easter eggs, and more than 300 specialty eggs, including goose, ostrich, wooden and...
Now hiring: Get a job helping Pennsylvania’s jobless, expediting unemployment payments
Pennsylvanians looking for work during the pandemic-spurred shutdown now have the option to get a job helping the jobless. The state Department of Labor and Industry is hiring a slew of workers to respond to an unprecedented surge in unemployment claims in recent weeks. Applications can be submitted starting Monday...
Medical examiner IDs man fatally shot in Pittsburgh
A man was fatally shot Thursday afternoon in Pittsburgh’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim as David Craig Smith, 38, of Pittsburgh. Officers responded to a 911 call for a man shot along the 2600 block of Stayton Street around 5 p.m. Police said they...
About 1,000 Duquesne Light customers still without power, Westmoreland power restored
About 1,000 Duquesne Light customers remained without power Friday morning as crews continue to restore service disrupted by Wednesday’s storms. Nearly all West Penn Power customers in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties have had their power restored, with about 100 scattered outages as of 6:30 a.m. Friday, according to West Penn...
Officials ID North Huntingdon man killed in 2-vehicle collision in White Oak
A 59-year-old man died Thursday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash in White Oak, Allegheny County Police said. The county Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim as Donald Pivirotto, 59, of North Huntingdon. Police responded to the crash shortly before 4 p.m. in the 3000 block of Jacks Run Road. Medics...
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh plans to furlough most employees
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh will start furloughing most of its employees beginning next week amid the coronavirus pandemic. “This was an extremely difficult decision and one we desperately hoped to avoid,” Rivers CEO Greg Carlin said in a statement issued Thursday. The casino has been closed since March 15 to help...
