Local category, Page 2609
Mayor Peduto bans gatherings of 250 or more in city; Allegheny County encourages sameVideo
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto declared a state of emergency in the city Friday evening and prohibited all public gatherings of more than 250 people. The ban on gatherings goes into effect at 9 a.m. Monday and is subject to City Council ratification. The emergency declaration is in effect for seven...
Monessen man gets 6-20 years for child sex assault
A Monessen man will serve up to 20 years in prison for the sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy. Michael Christofel, 39, pleaded guilty Friday to charges he had multiple incidents of sexual contact with the boy in October and November 2018 in Monessen. According to court records, the victim’s...
Travelers can now take up to 12 ounces of hand sanitizer through airport security
Transportation Security Administration officials announced travelers can bring larger amounts of liquid hand sanitizer on board with them in response to coronavirus concerns. Passengers can now pass security with 12-ounce containers of hand sanitizer in carry-on bags until further notice. The adjusted policy only applies to hand sanitizer. Limits on...
Washington County hit with 1st Western Pa. coronavirus case
Washington County is the first in Western Pennsylvania to have a presumed positive case of the novel coronavirus, according to state officials. The case was added to the growing list of Pennsylvania cases during a 5 p.m. update by the state Department of Health. Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine...
Bonny Diver’s ‘Recipe for Hope’ expected to go on as scheduled
Most likely one of the few events happening Saturday is “Recipe for Hope.” The coronavirus pandemic has caused most regional events to be canceled or postponed. “I am being completely cautious about it,” said event founder Bonny Diver, traffic reporter for iHeart Radio. “We have taken all of the precautions....
Westmoreland halts most visits to county nursing home
Westmoreland County commissioners on Friday halted visitation for most residents at the county-owned nursing home in Hempfield. Commissioners will conduct a news conference at 9 a.m. Saturday at the courthouse to unveil the county’s full response plan to the coronavirus pandemic. The new restriction at the 400-bed Westmoreland Manor started...
Western Pa. fish fries serve up precaution as coronavirus concern deepens
From fire halls to churches, organizers of the region’s extremely popular Lenten fish fries are employing a variety of precautions as concern over the spread of the coronavirus continues. “We are certainly stepping up our regular cleaning measures, which we take pretty seriously to begin with,” said Heather Dolhi, administrator...
Cops: Man jailed on $100K bond, charged with stalking Jeannette woman
A Jeannette woman told city police an acquaintance broke into her apartment Thursday and began texting her more than 30 photographs of items from inside her home. Steve G. Pierce Jr., 32, of Swissvale, was arrested on charges of burglary, harassment, receiving stolen property, stalking and theft by city police....
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust cancels upcoming events
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has become the latest arts entity in the city to reverse course and cancel events scheduled for this weekend because of the covid-19 situation. Friday afternoon, the Trust announced the cancellation of “The Band’s Visit” which was set to run through this weekend at the Benedum...
Army Corps holds virtual meeting on Lordstown project because of coronavirus concerns
The Army Corps of Engineers scrapped plans to hold a public meeting in Lordstown, Ohio, to discuss a proposed multibillion development project there because of coronavirus concerns. Instead, the corps held a virtual meeting Thursday using a webinar application. People were able to submit public comments electronically. “With everything going...
Pittsburgh police: Deer crashed through door to Oakland bank
A confused deer smashed through a door of a bank early Friday in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood and ran off, according to Pittsburgh police. Officers were called to the Key Bank in the 3700 block of Fifth Avenue around 7:55 a.m. for a report of the deer inside the building, according...
Bouquet Park Pool extends do-or-die membership campaign to March 26
Efforts to keep the Bouquet Park Pool are continuing as the pool board has planned membership drives and a fundraiser to help them reach a goal of 250 members by March 26. The board of the private pool in Springdale Township has said it cannot reopen in 2020 unless they...
Latrobe officials nix attempt to replace fire chief, open to investigation
Discord continues to flare in the Latrobe Fire Department. After several months of strife, city officials agreed to look into an attempt by some firefighters to oust Chief John Brasile. Mayor Rosie Wolford said a council committee would investigate any written documentation firefighters produce that might establish a “just cause”...
Cops: 2 more suspects arrested in Greensburg residential burglaries
As Greensburg Police continue to probe dozens of daylight residential burglaries , two more suspects were arrested Thursday for allegedly selling some of the stolen items. James E. Dickant Jr. was arrested Monday at the Rodeway Inn in Hempfield Monday on multiple charges of forgery, possessing instruments of crime, theft,...
Monroeville area reacts to coronavirus
As confirmed and presumed positive coronavirus cases continue to rise in Pennsylvania, organizations in Monroeville are taking precautions to keep residents safe. The number of positive cases in the state rose to 33 by Friday morning, up from 28 earlier that day. There are no positive cases in Allegheny County....
South Buffalo just starting plans for updated sewage treatment
South Buffalo is in the “absolute infancy” of updating the township’s sewage treatment plant, municipal authority members say. The township had at one time considered collaborating on an updated sewage treatment plant with neighboring Freeport. In recent weeks, though, Freeport Council decided to move forward with the borough’s project independently....
Work nearly complete on replica of 19th-century Murrysville schoolhouseVideo
A crew of Amish carpenters may have been brought in to build a replica of the 1836 schoolhouse off of West Pike Street in Murrysville, but Murrysville Historical Preservation Society members didn’t need to venture far to find other period-appropriate trappings. “Lou Geiger from Murrysville, who owns (Caleb Atlantic fuel...
PWSA, Duquesne Light pause shut-offs
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is extending a winter moratorium on water shut-offs by two months to ensure customers have water during the coronavirus pandemic. PWSA on Friday announced it was waiving the winter moratorium’s income eligibility requirement and would not shut off water to any customer through May...
Pittsburgh police seeking hit-and-run driver
A 47-year-old man was in stable condition at a Pittsburgh hospital after a vehicle struck him Wednesday evening and fled, according to city police. Police spokesman Chris Togneri reported that the man was struck around 8:35 p.m. in the 7300 block of Frankstown Avenue in the city’s Homewood neighborhood. The...
Irwin still to hold St. Patrick’s Day events on Saturday
The city of Pittsburgh may have canceled its annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, but Irwin plans to carry on Saturday with its festival that features traditional Irish food, libations and music. Several restaurants in downtown Irwin from noon to 5 p.m. will sell Irish food, according to the Irwin Business...
PennDOT warns of month-long lane, shoulder restrictions on I-579 through Pittsburgh
Lane and shoulder restrictions on I-579 in Pittsburgh will begin Monday night as part of the construction of a “cap” over the highway linking Downtown to the Lower Hill District, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reported on Friday. Drivers should expect restrictions in both directions, but not simultaneously, from 8...
It’s a double dill win for Picklesburgh
Picklesburgh did it again. For the second year in a row, Pittsburgh’s pickle-everything festival was voted America’s No. 1 Specialty Food Festival in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Poll. This will be the sixth year for the championship event, scheduled for July. Picklesburgh has been so popular that it expanded last...
Pittsburgh Symphony postpones performances over coronavirus
The Pittsburgh Symphony announced Friday morning it is postponing concerts scheduled for the next two weekends, including this weekend’s BNY Mellon Grand Classics concerts, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra CEO Melia Tourangeau had said the symphony was going ahead with this weekend’s scheduled performances...
Indiana County father jailed on multiple charges for accidentally shooting infant son
A 21-year-old Indiana County man was arraigned Friday on multiple criminal charges after police say he accidentally fired a round from a 9 mm handgun which struck and seriously injured his 4-month-0ld son. James M. Williamson Sr., 21, of White Township was charged with aggravated assault, discharge of a firearm...
Delmont native works as Navy SeaBee electrician
With two generations of military men in his family, Derek Hughes of Delmont felt a strong duty to make a contribution of his own as the third. “My grandfather served in the Marine Corps as an infantryman during the Korean War and my uncle served in the Navy in the...
