Local category, Page 2550
Franklin Regional school board, Murrysville planning commission meetings canceled
Monday’s Franklin Regional school board voting meeting and Tuesday’s Murrysville Planning Commission meeting have been canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. School district officials will communicate and advertise the date for a make-up meeting. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for April 6. School board meetings are...
DA’s office appeals tossed conviction of Pittsburgh-area priest accused of abuse
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office on Monday appealed a judge’s decision last week to vacate the conviction of a retired priest who was accused of sexually abusing an altar boy two decades ago. The office filed the appeal to the Pennsylvania Superior Court to reconsider a county judge’s decision....
Western Pa. towns declare states of emergency to prevent spread of covid-19
Communities in the Alle-Kiski Valley began declaring states of emergency Monday to prevent the spread of exposure to the coronavirus. New Kensington Mayor Thomas Guzzo said the emergency declaration he signed Monday morning will last for five days unless city council extends it. “The city will remain open to assist...
Westmoreland County to limit courthouse business, close senior centers
A partial shutdown of the Westmoreland County Courthouse operations will start Wednesday, commissioners have ordered. Beginning mid-week only “essential” personnel will report to work to maintain government operations, Commissioners Chairman Sean Kertes said. “We don’t want people coming to the courthouse,” he said. The scaling back was delayed to accommodate...
Allegheny County reports 2 more coronavirus cases, bringing total to 6
The Allegheny County Health Department announced two additional cases of covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the county to six. The department said the new cases are adults — one in their 60s and one in their 50s. They are isolated at home. The department said there...
IUP, Robert Morris go online for rest of spring semester
More area universities have extended online instruction for the rest of the school year, as hopes of returning to normal operation all but fade away during the covid-19 pandemic. Indiana University of Pennsylvania has suspended all face-to-face instruction for the remainder of the spring semester and has asked students living...
Hempfield Sen. Ward postpones human trafficking forum
State Sen. Kim Ward has postponed a human trafficking discussion previously scheduled for March 26 at the Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood. A spokeswoman for Ward said the event — which was to have featured spokesmen for the U.S. Justice Department, the Pennsylvania State Police and domestic and sexual...
Pa. bumping up outreach to workers left unemployed by coronavirus pandemic
Pennsylvania officials are bumping up outreach efforts to workers facing unemployment from the rising coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, state Secretary of Labor & Industry Jerry Oleksiak said workers facing a job loss may be eligible for unemployment and workers’ compensation benefits. That prospect has hit home for millions nationwide as...
Hempfield woman accused of sexually assaulting teen boys
A Hempfield woman is accused by state police of sexually assaulting two teenage boys over the summer, according to court papers. Police say Brandy Lynn Sturtz, 35, provided the boys with alcohol and marijuana. She was arrested Monday on charges of statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors and related offenses....
As coronavirus spreads, 5 important things to know right now
Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Pittsburgh-based infectious disease and critical care physician, fielded a range of questions from the Tribune-Review on Monday morning. Adalja is a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. He works on pandemic preparedness, emerging infectious diseases and hospital preparedness. What are the most...
Western Pa. patients line up for drive-by coronavirus testing
Patients concerned they might have been exposed to covid-19 were able to take advantage of drive-by testing at three locations Monday across Western Pennsylvania, and the testing is expected to be offered Tuesday, as well. Central Outreach Wellness Center, with locations on the North Shore, Aliquippa and Washington, had about...
Police: 2 men shot at South Side gas station
Two men were shot shortly after midnight Monday during an argument at a South Side gas station, Pittsburgh police said. The shooting was reported around 12:30 a.m. in the 3200 block of East Carson Street. Police said when they arrived at the scene, they found a man who had been...
Excela, Western Pa. hospitals tighten visitation rules to slow spread of coronavirus
Allegheny Health Network, Excela Health and UPMC facilities have tightened their visitation policies to help prevent the spread of covid-19. Excela Health announced on Monday that visitors are limited to one adult per patient in the ER and other areas of the hospital. For obstetric patients (new or laboring mothers),...
‘Kilowatt Korner’ planned for redesigned space inside Springdale Junior-Senior High School
The Allegheny Valley School District should use a $50,000 grant to redesign part of a conference room at Springdale Junior-Senior High School into a student lounge, according to people working on the project. Brett Slezak, district technology supervisor and the point person for the project, and Daniel Engen, president of...
Grab a seat, have some meat at Verona’s newest BBQ spotVideo
There’s a new meaty eatery in Verona. Off The Rails Barbeque and Drafthouse opened March 14, serving up hearty, slow-roasted barbecue from Ken Shields, the man behind the well-established food truck Oakmont Barbeque Co. “This is a hobby-turned-business, and I always wanted to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant,” says Shields, 52,...
The Stroller, March 16, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Stroller is your go-to place for local meeting notices, charitable events and volunteer opportunities. Information for The Stroller may be dropped off or mailed at least a week in advance to: The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084, email vndnews@tribweb.com or fax 724-226-4677. Seminar for...
Murrysville native helps save ‘Restaurants on the Edge’ in Netflix showVideo
Murrysville native Courtney Hazlett hates to see a restaurant with a great location – and a great view – slipping into obscurity. With that in mind, Hazlett’s production company, OutEast Entertainment, created “Restaurants on the Edge,” which debuted in late February on Netflix. On the show, a team of experts...
Sewickley halts township-related activities; Manor and Penn Township close offices; Jeannette, Hempfield and North Huntingdon declare emergencies
In an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus that causes covid-19, several municipalities in Westmoreland County are closing offices or municipal-related activities, while others are asking that residents interact with office personnel only when necessary. Sewickley Township canceled all activities, gatherings and events affiliated with the township, as...
John Oyler: Merchant Marine casualties in World War II
This week’s column is based on my brother Joe’s latest project, a commemoration of local men who served in the Merchant Marine in World War II. The loss of men from our neighborhood who perished while serving in the military during World War II and the Korean War left a...
Allegheny County ordered to stop dine-in service at restaurants and barsVideo
Gov. Tom Wolf on Sunday ordered Allegheny County bars and restaurants to stop dine-in service for 14 days to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. The order, which goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, came on the same night Allegheny County officials urged all non-essential businesses to close...
Pittsburgh Public Schools activates emergency response plan amid school closures
Pittsburgh Public Schools has activated its emergency response plan because of the state-ordered closure during the covid-19 outbreak, the district announced Sunday. “As a large urban district, we have to be prepared for any public safety crisis. Fortunately, significant planning has been underway in anticipation of the need to close...
Pittsburgh Diocese cancels all Masses to help slow spread of coronavirus
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has canceled all weekday and Sunday Masses starting Monday to prevent the spread of covid-19. “Although in many ways it saddens me to make this decision, given the best advice from health experts on federal, state and local levels, I feel it is a necessary...
PennDOT asks Homeland Security to extend Real ID deadline amid coronavirus pandemic
PennDOT is asking federal officials to extend the Oct. 1 Real ID enforcement deadline in light of the coronavirus outbreak. Acting PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian asked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to extend the Oct. 1 Real ID enforcement deadline as facilities close due to the coronavirus. To control...
Pitt, Duquesne go online only for rest of semester; Duquesne closes dorms
The University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University announced Sunday that they have committed to online-only classes for the remainder of the semester amid the coronavirus pandemic. Duquesne also announced it is closing dorms for the rest of the semester and asked students living on campus to return home. “We have...
Planes on time, few lines, facilities clean at Pittsburgh airport, travelers say
Jackie Whitaker and her husband didn’t have much trouble traveling Sunday afternoon from Phoenix to Pittsburgh, but the Elk County woman said at least one thing was striking: The planes and airports have never looked cleaner. “Even as we were still getting off the plane, they were wiping off the...
