Regional category, Page 132
Toxic wastewater from Ohio train derailment headed to Texas
DEER PARK, Texas — Toxic wastewater used to extinguish a fire following a train derailment in Ohio is headed to a Houston suburb for disposal. “I and my office heard today that ‘firefighting water’ from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment is slated to be disposed of in our county,”...
Buttigieg visits East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment site
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited East Palestine, Ohio, on Thursday to tour the site where a train wrecked nearly three weeks ago as the government faces growing criticism over the federal response to the derailment. The Feb. 3 derailment led to evacuations and fears of air...
Warm weather woes: Mild winter impacts allergy symptoms, agriculture
The allergy appointments are already beginning to build for Dr. Christin Deal, and it’s only February. Is this the new normal in Western Pennsylvania? Deal, an allergy immunologist at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, said allergist appointments are about a month ahead of pace. “Usually, it’s more like mid- to...
Washington County crash kills 1, injures 3
A motorist was killed in a collision with an oncoming vehicle Wednesday afternoon in Washington County, officials said. Edward Michael King, 58, of Avella was pronounced dead at the scene in Independence Township, according to Washington County Coroner Tim Warco. A ruling on the cause of death was pending completion...
Dick’s Sporting Goods to acquire outdoor retailer from Walmart
Dick’s Sporting Goods is acquiring outdoor retailer Moosejaw from Walmart. The deal is designed to expand the Findlay-based retailer’s outdoor portfolio, which includes its specialty retailer, Public Lands. Moosejaw, founded in Michigan in 1992, “operates a highly successful e-commerce platform, has a loyal customer base, strong vendor relationships with leading...
Trump: East Palestine train derailment response a ‘betrayal’
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized the federal response to the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, as a “betrayal” during a visit to the village where residents and local leaders are increasingly frustrated more than two weeks after the disaster. Trump, wearing his...
Giant Eagle pulls water bottled near East Palestine train derailment
Grocery chain Giant Eagle has temporarily stopped selling bottled water produced at a plant near East Palestine, Ohio, in light of concerns about the recent Norfolk Southern train derailment. Spokesperson Dan Donovan said the company was operating “out of an abundance of caution” in its decision to remove all Giant...
EQT donates oil and gas production equipment to Ukraine
Pittsburgh-based EQT Corp. said it has donated oil and gas production equipment to Ukraine’s largest natural gas producer. The equipment donation to JSC Ukrgasvydobuvannya will be used to restore damaged oil and gas production facilities and revive critical production in wartime conditions, EQT said. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year...
How the Ohio train derailment impacted Pa.’s air and water quality
Social media sites have been full of hyperbole and misinformation since a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, early this month. Some viral posts have falsely claimed that the derailment and subsequent controlled burn were part of the deadliest environmental disaster in history — even...
Trump, Brockovich to visit East Palestine as Pa. officials plan derailment hearing in Beaver County
Former President Donald Trump and environmental activist Erin Brockovich plan to visit East Palestine, Ohio, this week as the community continues looking for answers after a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed Feb. 3 and released toxic chemicals. Trump said on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he...
Section of GAP hiking and cycling trail closed for 2 months
A remote section of the Great Allegheny Passage between Ohiopyle and Confluence is closed for the next two months while construction crews replace an aging culvert. The section between mile markers 68 and 69 was closed earlier this month in Ohiopyle State Park and construction vehicle traffic is heavy in...
North Allegheny assistant football coach charged in club basketball game fight
An assistant North Allegheny Senior High School football coach, is accused of strangling a basketball coach and striking a spectator during a fight that broke out last week at a kids’ club basketball game in Washington County. Scott McMullen, 46, of Coraopolis, was charged Feb. 16 with simple assault, harassment,...
EPA orders Norfolk Southern to clean up toxic derailmentVideo
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered Norfolk Southern on Tuesday to pay for the cleanup of the East Palestine, Ohio, train wreck and chemical release as federal regulators took charge of long-term recovery efforts and promised worried residents they won’t be forgotten. Speaking to reporters near...
Twitter and alcohol top list of things given up for Lent
The Lenten season is upon us, which means many Christians are fasting and abstaining from things they enjoy or even from what they consider to be bad habits for the next 40 days. How did this tradition originate? By the fourth century, the 40-day fast was common enough to be...
I-79 changes — speed limit, express lane shutdown — target work zone safety improvements
PennDOT announced it has made changes to an Interstate 79 construction zone to improve safety. The I-79 southbound express lane has been closed and a 45 mph speed limit was enacted in the southbound lanes while engineers work through safety changes. PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said the speed limit was...
Buttigieg urges safety changes after fiery Ohio derailment
OMAHA, Neb. — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wants the nation’s freight railroads to immediately act to improve safety while regulators try to strengthen safety rules in the wake of a fiery derailment in Ohio that forced evacuations when toxic chemicals were released and burned. Buttigieg announced a package of reforms...
Gas prices edge lower in Pittsburgh, across Pa. while national average unchanged
While gas prices in some states moved higher in the past week, Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh area are among those where prices came down slightly. According to AAA, the statewide average price of a gallon of gas Monday was about $3.69. That’s about 4 cents less than last week, about...
As chronic absenteeism rises in schools, officials search for ways to entice students to stay in the classroom
It’s not by the power of the pen or a symbolic sword that Highlands School District administrators are fighting chronic student absenteeism but rather a Golden Spatula. The trinket is awarded each month during the RAMS Roundup rewards party, where behavior expectations are reviewed and student successes are acknowledged. To...
Norfolk Southern CEO visits East Palestine after derailment
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The president of Norfolk Southern made a visit to East Palestine, Ohio, on Saturday following criticism from residents and political leaders about the company’s response to the fiery derailment of a freight train carrying toxic materials earlier this month. Fox Business reports that company president and...
Metalworking apprentices from across Pittsburgh region compete as demand for jobs remains strongVideo
The sound of milling machines filled the air Friday morning at Westmoreland County Community College’s Advanced Technology Center in East Huntingdon, as eight apprentices competed for the title of Best Metalworking Apprentice in the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Tooling and Milling Association. It was music to the ears of...
After treating pain with medical marijuana, Ryan Shazier launches new line of products
When former Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier suffered a terrifying injury during a 2017 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he didn’t know that trying to walk again would lead to even more battles during his recovery. As his journey progressed from paralysis to relearning how to walk, Shazier not only had...
Ohio ex-speaker ill, corruption trial pauses after big week
CINCINNATI — The racketeering trial of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges was cancelled due to illness again Friday, giving jurors a long holiday weekend to mull striking new details revealed this week by players directly involved in an alleged $60 million bribery scheme. It marked...
Here are some online resources for information on Ohio train derailment
In the wake of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and the controlled burn of hazardous chemicals following that, many people are concerned about the health and environmental impact of the incident. The Norfolk Southern train was carrying hazardous chemicals when it derailed on Feb. 3, causing a fire...
White House defends response to Ohio toxic train derailment
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Friday defended its response to a toxic freight train derailment in Ohio two weeks ago, even as local leaders and members of Congress demanded that more be done. The Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, left toxic chemicals spilled or burned off, prompting...
Deluzio calls for congressional action after Ohio train derailment
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall, said after visiting the site of the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment on Thursday that he wants to see Congress and federal agencies take action to make railways safer. A Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed near the Pennsylvania border on Feb. 3, causing...
