Western PA Local News category, Page 2633
Gyms, day cares among nonessential businesses closing; banks, repair shops, convenience stores stay openVideo
The Legends of Pittsburgh bustled Monday with hand sanitizer-armed gym rats sweating through one more hard workout before the coronavirus pandemic cut off access to their club indefinitely. Monday marked their last chance to do so for at least the next two weeks. The fitness center anchoring a corner of...
Greensburg Diocese suspends Mass, cancels fish fries amid coronavirus spread
The Diocese of Greensburg has suspended public Masses, canceled Lenten fish fries and modified other church events due to the spread of coronavirus in the region. “Tuesday will be our final day of public Masses until further notice,” diocese officials write in a news release Monday. “Where possible, churches will...
‘People rely on us’: Western Pa. restaurant owners adjust to life as takeout-only service
Rich Cupka had to close his two South Side bars, Cupka’s Cafe and Cupka’s Cafe II , but he plans to make good use of the time off. He’s ordered paint and floor stripper and plans to immediately begin sprucing up his establishments. His South Side coffee shop Cup Ka...
PennDOT closes driver, photo license centers, extends expiration dates
All driver license centers and photo license centers in Pennsylvania are closing for two weeks, PennDOT said. Expiration dates for driver licenses, identification cards, vehicle registrations, and safety and emissions inspections will be extended due to the coronavirus outbreak. For driver licenses, photo ID cards and learner’s permits scheduled to...
Pittsburgh region’s foundation community responds to coronavirus pandemic
Pennsylvania’s largest foundations and a group of philanthropic institutions Monday announced the creation of a $4 million Emergency Action Fund and additional pledges of up to $6 million in aligned coordinated efforts to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus. The region’s four largest foundations—the Heinz Endowments, the Richard King Mellon...
Leechburg restaurants step up by offering free meals to students
Some Leechburg area restaurants are getting creative during the coronavirus crisis. Three restaurants—CoCo Coffeehouse, Fox’s Pizza Den and Cicero’s Bar and Grill—are offering free takeout meals beginning Monday and Barefoot Bar and Grill in Gilpin Tuesday for Leechburg area students during the state mandated school closures ordered by Gov. Wolf....
Pennsylvania State System universities suspend off-site internships
College students working on off-site internships are among the latest group facing an interruption in their semester due to coronavirus precautions. On Monday, officials at the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education ordered all graduate and undergraduate students from the 14 state-owned universities working at off campus placements including professional...
Western Pennsylvania food distributions help keep children fed
Kate Heller was grateful Monday that Riverview School District is continuing to provide both breakfast and lunch to its students while schools are closed statewide due to the coronavirus pandemic. Heller walked to Verner Elementary in Verona to pick up breakfast and lunch for her son, Chris, 8, and daughter,...
‘Riding the storm’: Westmoreland shops add delivery to bolster business
Some local businesses are finding ways to stay afloat amid the coronavirus pandemic by venturing into new territory — delivery. Orders have exploded for Greenhouse Winery, based in Sewickley Township, since starting a wine delivery service last week, said general manager Steve Helinski. They saw 12 orders the first day...
Westmoreland County first responders safeguard against coronavirus
The coronavirus may be relatively new, but Penn Township Ambulance’s director of operations believes anyone calling for help will notice very little, if any, change in response from emergency workers. “The term coronavirus is certainly new, but we’ve responded to contagious diseases before … hepatitis, tuberculosis cases to name a...
Norwin students may retrieve items from lockers
Norwin students who were absent from school on Friday will be allowed to get textbooks and personal items from their lockers between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesday, the school district said. The district asked that any student or parent visiting the schools remain at least six feet from others....
Westmoreland County Food Bank desperate for volunteers
Food banks are feeling the pinch from the coronavirus. The Westmoreland County Food Bank put out a call for volunteers Monday. “Some of our food partners are experiencing very low volunteer turnout,” CEO Jennifer Miller said. “We’re really in desperate need of volunteers.” Miller said one primary source of volunteers...
Pittsburgh City Council to conduct meetings via conference call
Pittsburgh City Council is closing its meetings to the public but is permitting residents to comment through email and will continue to broadcast live over City Channel Pittsburgh, according to council President Theresa Kail-Smith. Kail-Smith said she would chair weekly meetings Tuesdays and Wednesdays from City Council Chambers in the...
Here are some tips to healing your hands from excessive handwashing
Frequent handwashing, while necessary as protection from the coronavirus that causes covid-19, can lead to dry skin and irritation. “I’ve been noticing it myself,” said Dr. Laura Ferris, a UPMC dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh. It’s especially a problem for people who work in...
Pittsburgh college student recounts ‘bizarre experience’ getting screened for covid-19 at Detroit airport
Leah DeFlitch wasn’t sure what to expect when she boarded a plane in Amsterdam bound for her family’s Pittsburgh home early Sunday. She soon learned her pilot wasn’t sure what was in store for the passengers, either. It was only days after President Trump mandated health screenings for the novel...
Gun and ammunition sales soar; permits issued more than double in Western Pa.
In 100 years, the Army Navy & Indoor Pistol Range in Latrobe has seen just about everything, said owner Mark Boerio. But nothing like coronavirus. Boerio is not planning to close the store as the virus spreads across Western Pennsylvania. As of Tuesday, Allegheny County reported seven confirmed cases while...
Coronavirus, social distancing can’t slow down Zumba enthusiasts
If you thought coronavirus gives you an excuse to pull the covers over your head and dump your exercise ritual, Krista Bremer won’t let it happen. Bremer, owner of Regent Square Zumba, is aware that many of her members are practicing social distancing. Especially this week, with six confirmed cases...
Gateway School District staff, volunteers ensure students eat during closure
Unprecedented. That’s the word food workers and volunteers at Gateway School District kept using Monday, the first day of closing the schools following Gov. Tom Wolf’s directive to shut down Pennsylvania education for 10 days starting March 16 amid worldwide covid-19 uncertainty. “This has never been done before,” said Martin...
Westmoreland County special election for House 58th District still scheduled Tuesday
Tuesday’s special election to fill the vacant 58th District state House seat is expected to be held as scheduled, despite widespread cancellations and shutdowns because of the coronavirus pandemic. The health scare has resulted in two polling locations, one in Rostraver and another in South Huntingdon, being moved at the...
Gas drops below $2 per gallon at nearly 40,000 stations across the country
Gasoline prices are continuing to fall in the Pittsburgh area and even more sharply across the nation, an industry analyst says. “The root cause continues to be coronavirus related,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for the price-tracking firm GasBuddy. “Such a large decline at this time of year...
City of Pittsburgh halts nonessential operations
Non-emergency city offices and buildings in the City of Pittsburgh closed at noon Monday in response to the covid-19 pandemic, which has already shuttered other public places in Allegheny County. The closures will bring to a halt all non-essential business in the city, according to a news release. Buildings including...
Sen. Williams to hold tele-town hall on covid-19
Faced with increasing questions about the covid-19, state Sen. Lindsey Williams announced Monday that she will host a tele-town hall at 7 p.m. Tuesday featuring Dr. Arvind Venkat, president of the Pennsylvania College of Emergency Physicians. “The covid-19 outbreak here in Allegheny County and across the country has raised many...
Franklin Regional working through plans for meal service, ‘voluntary learning opportunities’
As parents of school-age children scrambled to figure out how to handle two weeks of closed schools, administrators are trying to determine how to handle instruction in the near future. “At this time, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and schools across Pennsylvania are working through many legal and procedural barriers regarding...
Car crashes into Motor Mart in Cheswick, 2 injured
Two men were severely injured Monday after a car crashed into a building in the 1400 block of Pittsburgh Street in Cheswick. Allegheny Valley police received a call about a reckless driver on Pittsburgh Street, said Sgt. Craig Cummings. Around 8:30 a.m., police went looking for the car and found...
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...
