Western PA Local News category, Page 2591
Employee at McDonald’s in Allegheny Township tests positive for coronavirus
An employee at the McDonald’s restaurant in Allegheny Township has tested positive for covid-19, causing a temporary closure of the restaurant along Hyde Park Road. Owner Dan Delligatti said the site is being sanitized and is expected to reopen when cleaning is complete. “Our highest priority is to protect the...
Highlands considering operating autism classroom at high school
Highlands School District is considering operating its own autism classroom at its high school next school year in a move that would save the district $231,000. The district signed a contract for autism services with the nonprofit Merakey Innovative Care and Education Solutions six years ago. Merakey spokeswoman Trish Pisauro...
Who is tracking your smartphone data during coronavirus pandemic?
Smartphone companies have always gathered data on their users. But in the weeks since the covid-19 pandemic gained traction in the U.S., special attention has been given to data’s role in curbing the spread of the disease. Experts say data can be used to trace individuals’ contact with others who...
Greensburg Diocese to broadcast, stream Divine Mercy service
Bishop Edward C. Malesic of the Greensburg Diocese will lead a Divine Mercy service that will be broadcast and streamed Sunday in response to the coronavirus pandemic. “Faith During Crisis: Lord, Have Mercy!” will be aired at 2 p.m. on WTAE-TV and will be available immediately afterward on the diocese’s...
Pennsylvania coronavirus deaths rise to 647 as total cases top 26,000
Coronavirus deaths in Pennsylvania crested 600 on Wednesday, though the total number of new cases remained below 1,200 for the second straight day. In numbers reported throughout Tuesday, 63 more people died from the virus statewide, bringing the death toll to 647. The Department of Health reported 1,145 new cases....
Allegheny County reports 2 more coronavirus deaths, 11 more cases
Allegheny County health officials reported two more coronavirus-related deaths and added 11 new cases to the countywide tally Wednesday, pushing the total deaths to 26 and cases to 904 since the first case was reported March 14. The 11 new cases are compared to 17 new cases reported Tuesday, 19...
‘Unwritten billboards’: Mt. Pleasant Township residents remember past messages on rock
Down the winding Kecksburg Road in Mt. Pleasant Township sits a rock that for years has been a point of encouraging — and sometimes profane — messages. Protruding next to the road, the gray rock is stained blue, with white letters reading “Stay healthy,” referencing the coronavirus pandemic. Other colors...
Pittsburgh Public Works employee dies from coronavirus complications
A truck driver from Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works Environmental Services Bureau has died from covid-19, officials said Wednesday. He is the first city employee to die from the coronavirus, officials said. “I am praying for his family, friends and co-workers in these tragic times. The pandemic may be global...
College students cope with shortcomings of online learning during coronavirus
Ironic and goofy humor fills this Facebook page. There’s a picture of a tombstone that reads “Here lies my motivation to do online college classes.” There are GIFs and memes repurposing lines from “Parks and Recreation” and “SpongeBob SquarePants.” Each post is a lighthearted joke, and each one has received...
3 more coronavirus deaths reported in Westmoreland County
Two women and a man died from the coronavirus in Westmoreland County, upping the death toll to 18, officials said Wednesday. The deaths were added to a total provided by Coroner Ken Bacha, who is being notified of deaths related to the virus sooner than the state Department of Health....
Mad Mex chills quarantine with frozen ‘Mad Mar-GO-ritas’
Mad Mex is battling low spirits amid coronavirus with its Mad Mar-GO-ritas, the popular restaurant chain announced Wednesday. Available at all open locations, the 32-ounce frozen beverages are available for takeout. Cost is $15. Margaritas-to-go are citrus-flavored beverages that are Pa.-takeout-approved, the company posted on social media, along with the...
Goodwill stores in Pa. open no-contact donation centers
Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania is accepting donations again after closing its 27 stores in the state a month ago amid nonessential business shutdowns because of the coronavirus pandemic. No-contact, self-service donation areas at each of the organization’s store locations in Pennsylvania opened this week to accept donations from 9 a.m....
Giant Eagle employee in Beaver County tests positive for covid-19
Giant Eagle has confirmed that another one of its employees has tested positive for covid-19. The person works at the store in Rochester, Beaver County, according to a release on the company website. The company said the affected worker was last in the Rochester store on April 6. The store...
Cops: Man shot in chest crashes car near McKees Rocks police station
A man is in critical condition after being shot in the chest and crashing his car near the McKees Rocks police station late Tuesday, Allegheny County police said. Emergency crews responded around 11:30 p.m. after a Ford Taurus crashed in front of the station along Bell Avenue. Inside, they said...
Brian Shaw Foundation grants $15,000 to Allegheny Valley police for new K-9
A foundation honoring New Kensington police officer Brian Shaw, who was shot and killed in 2017, awarded a $15,000 grant for a new police dog to the Allegheny Valley Regional Police. The regional police department was created last year with the merger of the Cheswick and Springdale Township police departments....
5 things to know on what would have been Tax Day
It’s tax day, or at least it would have been. When coronavirus turned the world on its axis, Congress and the Pennsylvania General Assembly reacted quickly to provide temporary relief. So, here are five things you need to know today: 1. The deadline for filing federal income tax returns has...
Region’s airports get $46.2 million in coronavirus-related grants
Pittsburgh International Airport will get a $36 million federal grant to help cope with the impact of coronavirus-related shutdowns. The grant represents the lion’s share of the $46.2 million provided to airports in Western Pennsylvania. The Federal Aviation Administration grants to the state’s 63 airports were part of the CARES...
The Stroller, April 15, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Small Acts of Kindness The Stroller wants to recognize those around us who are performing small acts of kindness for others during this stressful time. Send a short, one-paragraph note highlighting someone and how they helped you, your family or your organization to The Stroller at vndnews@tribweb.com. Read the Stroller...
Easter bunny hands out treats in North Huntingdon
With the traditional Easter egg hunts for children canceled because of the restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus, a North Huntingdon couple took it upon themsleves to stage an event to give youngsters treats from the Easter bunny. The Easter bunny, portrayed by a costumed...
WPXI anchor David Johnson’s in-laws both die of coronavirus
The parents of WPXI-TV news anchor David Johnson’s wife Nancy both died of covid-19 within hours of each other in a Florida hospital, Johnson said in a Facebook post. “My wonderful in-laws, Nancy’s parents Gerald and Arline Polinsky, passed away peacefully last night in a hospital in Florida,” Johnson wrote...
The next big coronavirus challenge: 5 important things to know right now
Have covid-19 cases peaked in Western Pennsylvania? When can we all get back to regular life? There are no definitive answers, but the Tribune-Review reached out to an infectious disease expert to help try to make sense of these questions and others. Pittsburgh-based Dr. Amesh Adalja, a fellow of the...
Repair work begins at New Kensington church damaged by tornadoVideo
Workers started dismantling a damaged steeple at a New Kensington church on Tuesday. The steeple, one of two atop St. Mary of Czestochowa on Kenneth Avenue, was damaged by a tornado that hit the city April 8 and also tore off part of the church’s roof. Roofers took advantage of...
State police: As gun sales increased, so did background checks during coronavirus pandemic
Uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic and business shutdowns ordered to control it appear to be good for the gun business in Pennsylvania. A surge in gun sales that started in mid-March as Pennsylvania’s coronavirus cases began to steadily increase caused a 14.4% year-to-year increase in the number of background...
Fayette, Westmoreland residents support dairy farmer struggling through coronavirus pandemicVideo
Ben Brown said he was nervous Tuesday morning when he answered the telephone call from his wife, Mary Beth, as he was busy in the barn during a 24-hour shift pasteurizing milk on the family’s dairy farm in Fayette County. “The farm store wasn’t supposed to open for another hour...
Mom, son say Aramark fired them after they self-quarantined for possible coronavirus exposure
Two former employees of the Aramark industrial laundry facility in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood are accusing the Aramark Uniform and Career Apparel company of unfair labor practices. Angela Smith, 42, and her son, Kendall Smith, 21, both of Duquesne, said they were fired from their jobs at the facility after...
