Allegheny category, Page 61
Face masks required in federal courthouses in Pittsburgh, Erie, Johnstown
Those entering federal courthouses in the Western District of Pennsylvania will have to wear face coverings, according to an order issued Tuesday by Chief Judge Mark R. Hornak. Hornak said the order is meant to protect the health and safety of those doing business in the courthouses. It is in...
Families displaced, 2 dogs killed when fire rips through Lawrenceville housesVideo
A fire ripped through three houses Tuesday night in Pittsburgh’s Upper Lawrenceville neighborhood, displacing multiple families and killing two pet dogs, initial reports indicate. Emergency dispatchers received a report of the residential fire on Wickliff Street, between 54th Street and McCandless Avenue, at about 7 p.m., an Allegheny County 911...
Baldwin man awaiting rape trial arrested in Robinson, faces charges of assaulting teen girl
A Baldwin man awaiting trial on allegations that he sexually assaulted a teenage girl was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Robinson on charges of violating his bond conditions, officials said. Charles Lantzy, 48, is being held at Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh, county Sheriff Chief Deputy Kevin Kraus said. A bench...
Emergency food distribution at Pittsburgh International Airport set for Wednesday
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will host an emergency food distribution at Pittsburgh International Airport on Wednesday afternoon. Organizers plan to serve about 1,500 vehicles 1-3 p.m. in the airport parking lots. “The airport is an ideal location,” said Lisa Scales, food bank president and CEO. “It will be...
Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue to donate dog food Friday at Allegheny County Airport
The economic uncertainty of the covid-19 crisis is not only making it difficult for people to buy necessities for themselves, but also for their pets. But now, the Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team (PAART) and the Allegheny County Airport Authority are teaming up to ease the burden of pet care,...
Wilkinsburg police chief says officers stopped armed robbery of a boy, suspect arrested
A Wilkinsburg man was arrested for allegedly robbing a boy in the borough. Shawn Michael Perry, 23, is charged with robbery and other charges in connection with the incident. Police say the robbery Tuesday occurred around 2:15 p.m. along the 800 block of Walnut Street. “Officers arrived almost immediately and...
Grant will help Pittsburgh Promise students during coronavirus pandemic
The Richard King Mellon Foundation has approved a $1.3 million grant for the Pittsburgh Promise to help high school seniors and college students navigate the coronavirus pandemic. Pittsburgh Promise Executive Director Saleem Ghubril said Tuesday that the money would help Pittsburgh high school seniors complete college applications. It will also...
Pittsburgh Council aiming to turn vacant land into urban gardens
Pittsburgh City Council is considering plans to provide city residents with free fresh produce by ramping up urban farming on vacant land owned by the public. Council on Wednesday will debate three bills designed to facilitate urban agriculture. One would direct the Finance Department to identify vacant properties owned by...
CMU develops contact tracing app using ultrasound technology
A Carnegie Mellon University professor has created a smartphone app to trace people’s exposure to covid-19, using a technology that he says is more accurate than software proposed by tech giants. Known as “contact tracing,” the process has been widely debated in the U.S., especially after tech companies Apple and...
Brentwood cancels July 4 celebrations due to coronavirus
Brentwood Borough announced the cancelation of its three-day Fourth of July Celebration, including the parade and 37th Annual Firecracker 5K, via a Facebook post Monday night. Brentwood Police Chief Adam Zeppuhar, who wrote the post, said that it was a decision made by borough council. “Depending on what kind of...
Group founded by Mt. Lebanon native aims to supply 100,000 masks to people
A Mt. Lebanon college student and three of his friends have a noble goal: To raise enough money to buy and distribute 100,000 disposable masks by June 1 to those who need them. As of Tuesday, the Covid Response Network had distributed 38,000 masks that it was able to get...
Pittsburgh seeking lifeguards if pools open this summer
Pittsburgh is recruiting lifeguards to work at city pools in anticipation of opening this summer if the coronavirus restrictions are lifted. The city needs lifeguards to work at the city’s 18 outdoor pools and is offering two free lifeguard training courses for candidates to become certified or update certifications. Officials...
Duquesne Light drops late fees, expands payment assistance
More than 152,000 Duquesne Light customers will receive payment assistance on their electricity bills, the company announced Tuesday. Duquesne Light is extending its discontinuation of shutoffs and is waiving late fees until at least June 1. The company also is expanding eligibility for its Hardship Fund, a payment assistance program,...
Allegheny County reports 12 more coronavirus deaths, including 42-year-old
Allegheny County reported 12 new deaths from the coronavirus Tuesday, including one person who was 42 years old, the youngest person to have died from the virus in the county so far. This brings the countywide total to 67 deaths. Of that total, 55 people were confirmed to have covid-19...
Former Latrobe shelter dog nominated for national Hero Dog awardVideo
When Grace Coleman began bringing her dog Penny to her office, she hoped it would help brighten her co-workers’ days. She never expected the spaniel mix, adopted from Action for Animals in Latrobe, to become one of the most effective employees at Crisis Center North, which works with domestic violence...
First Pittsburgh patients treated with plasma from coronavirus survivors at UPMC
UPMC doctors have started treating covid-19 patients with blood plasma from survivors — a technique not proven for coronavirus but successfully used to fight off outbreaks of measles and influenza. “The patients and the families of infected individuals who are in ICUs are really desperate for a therapy, and that’s...
More than $7,000 worth of personal protective equipment donated in West Mifflin
When West Mifflin #3 Fire Chief Joe Hlasnick received a donation of more than $7,000 worth of personal protective equipment, he knew the community was behind first responders. “It opened my eyes to a lot of things,” he said. “The idea this is a severe situation and the fact there...
Report: Pittsburgh region among worst in nation for air quality
The Pittsburgh region was again ranked among the worst regions in the nation for air quality by the American Lung Association. Allegheny County received straight “F” grades for air quality. The association’s yearly State of the Air report, released Tuesday, evaluated air quality data from the three-year period from 2016...
Pittsburgh police investigating 2 overnight robberies
Pittsburgh police are investigating two robberies that happened early Tuesday, one in Brookline and the other in Squirrel Hill, spokesman Maurice Matthews said. Officers from Zone 6 responded to reports of a robbery in the 1100 block of Brookline Boulevard around 2:30 a.m. Police said they were told two men...
Parkway East outbound reopened after vehicle fire
Parkway East outbound lanes that were closed early Tuesday morning because of a vehicle fire have reopened, according to an Allegheny 911 dispatcher. UPDATE: Fire department activity on I-376 eastbound between Exit 74 - Beechwood Blvd and Exit 77 - Edgewood/Swissvale. All lanes closed.— 511PA Pittsburgh (@511PAPittsburgh) April 21, 2020...
CMU to launch website tracking covid-19 activity based on Google, Facebook surveys
Carnegie Mellon University is launching a website this week that uses data from Facebook and Google surveys to try to pinpoint covid-19 activity nationwide. Data from the Facebook surveys alone, broken down to a county level, show that Beaver County has the highest percentage of residents with covid-19 symptoms, compared...
Police: Body found in Plum identified as Whitehall woman missing for a year
Nearly a year after she was reported missing, Elizabeth Wiesenfeld’s remains were found Sunday, Allegheny County police said. Wiesenfeld, 67, of Whitehall, had been missing since April 30, 2019. In September, Douglas Berry, 48, was charged with homicide in connection with her death, but authorities had been proceeding with the...
Pittsburgh-area restaurants sue Erie Insurance over coronavirus losses
Two local restaurant owners are suing their insurance provider, claiming the company has refused to honor claims for damages to their businesses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Joseph Tambellini and HTR Restaurants Inc. filed separate lawsuits Friday in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas against Erie Insurance Exchange. Both...
Masked masses face reality of Gov. Wolf’s order to enter businesses
The masks — in a variety of styles and colors — were plentiful Monday. Only the eyes and hair of customers and employees were visible at the Shop ’n Save store on North Main Street in Greensburg. It was the first full day of a bizarre, government-mandated scene officials hope...
Port Authority reports 7th covid-19 case; 3rd at West Mifflin garage
Another Port Authority employee who worked at the agency’s West Mifflin garage has been diagnosed with covid-19, authority spokesman Adam Brandolph said Monday. This is the seventh Port Authority of Allegheny County employee to test positive for covid-19 and the third maintenance employee who worked at the West Mifflin garage....
