Regional category, Page 133
Indiana County officials round up drug trafficking suspects; others at large
Law enforcement officials in Indiana County arrested several people Thursday in a roundup of drug trafficking suspects. Six additional suspects remain at large, according to Indiana County District Attorney Robert Manzi. The seven Indiana residents charged with possession with intent to deliver various drugs and related offenses include: • Michael...
Pa. hits Beaver County’s Shell cracker plant with another emissions violation notice
The state Department of Environmental Protection has slapped Beaver County’s Shell ethylene cracker plant with a third violation notice because the agency said Shell again surpassed pollution emission limits. The sprawling, multibillion-dollar plant along the Ohio River opened in November. In an email to Shell dated Monday, DEP officials said...
UPMC Children’s Hospital to open new rehab facility
For some kids who suffer from brain trauma or spinal injury, one of the goals they may set for rehabilitation is being able to sit on the floor to play with their pet dog. The Zero G robot, a new supportive harness system for patients to practice walking, balance and...
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman checks into hospital for depression treatment
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman has checked himself into the hospital to receive treatment for clinical depression, his office announced Thursday. Fetterman’s Chief of Staff Adam Jentleson said in a statement that Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Wednesday night. “While John has experienced...
West Virginia drinking water still clear of derailment toxin
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia officials have reiterated that the state’s drinking water remains safe following an Ohio train derailment that led to a toxic plume of chemicals being released. Chemicals that leaked from the derailment are being monitored as they move down the Ohio River, but they are not...
Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania names new leader
Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania has named a new executive director. Amber Farr will take the reins of the Downtown-based professional membership association. The organization, founded in 1985, includes about 90 foundations, grantmaking public charities and corporate giving programs that offer educational programs, professional development and networking opportunities. “Amber Farr brings...
EPA head sees Ohio train spill site as residents demand infoVideo
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency got a first-hand look Thursday at a creek contaminated by a freight train derailment in Ohio that spilled toxic chemicals and burned in a huge plume over homes and businesses. The visit by EPA Administrator Michael Regan, who...
Native weasel reintroduction in Pa. under consideration, Monroeville presentation planned
Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are considering a plan to reintroduce a native species of weasel to the state’s woodlands after its disappearance more than 100 years ago. The American marten, or pine marten, and its potential habitats are being studied to determine if the proposal is feasible. Tom Keller, the...
Shapiro criticizes Norfolk Southern’s emergency response to Ohio train derailment
Gov. Josh Shapiro condemned train company Norfolk Southern in a letter this week, alleging the company failed to immediately contact the state after a train derailment near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border on Feb. 3. Shapiro said his office plans to take direct action against the company, and added the state legislature...
Medical examiner identifies victim of Sunday shooting in Wilkinsburg
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office on Wednesday afternoon identified the victim of Sunday’s fatal shooting in Wilkinsburg. Daniel Richard Hurley, 40, address unknown, was shot in the 100 block of East Bryn Mawr Court, according to the medical examiner. No cause or manner of death has been released yet....
Charges dropped against reporter arrested at Ohio train derailment news conference
A cable news reporter pushed to the ground and handcuffed while covering a news conference about a train derailment in Ohio will no longer face charges, the state’s attorney general said Wednesday. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost dismissed trespassing and resisting arrest charges against NewsNation correspondent Evan Lambert, saying he...
Lawsuit: Thousands of Western Pa. residents at risk after Ohio train derailment
A class-action lawsuit alleges the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment and subsequent controlled burn of hazardous chemicals could have an adverse effect on the health of thousands of Western Pennsylvanians. In the suit, two Beaver County men say they want Norfolk Southern Railway to pay for the medical monitoring of...
Standbys, understudies, swings ensure that the show will go on
Ready to go on at a moment’s notice, some actors and actresses wait in the wings. They are in the theater in case one of their colleagues can’t take the stage because of illness, a family emergency or a scheduled day off. They often are referred to as “unsung heroes”...
Armstrong County billboard with message of inclusivity taken down
A Worthington-area billboard meant to welcome people of all faiths, genders and sexual orientations was up for six days before opponents forced its removal. Erected by the Armstrong County Democratic Committee and paid for by donations, the sign was meant to combat a nearby billboard along Route 422 that has...
PennWest president announces departure
Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, founding president of Pennsylvania Western University, also known as PennWest, is leaving her position. She announced Tuesday she is transitioning to a new role with the State System of Higher Education as President-in-Residence and CEO for PennWest Investment. She is to begin the transition immediately and will assume...
Sunshine, warm temps expected in Western Pa. this week
Western Pennsylvanians can break out the sun hats for the next couple of days. Today’s high is expected to reach 56 degrees by 3:30 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Moon, and tomorrow should be sunny with a high of 68 degrees by 2:30 p.m., missing the record...
Do hybrid schedules create the perfect work environment?
Balancing working from the dining room table with reporting to the office likely will be sticking around for many employees, their bosses say. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro recently announced that about 2,300 state government employees, many of whom had been working remotely, will be reporting to the office at least...
Procession for slain McKeesport officer to close roads in South Hills, Mon Valley
A procession for slain McKeesport police Officer Sean Sluganski will close several roads as it winds from the South Hills and the Mon Valley on Tuesday. The procession will start at the funeral in Baldwin borough, travel through McKeesport, and finish at a cemetery in Pleasant Hills, Allegheny County spokesperson...
Police: Cranberry woman says she shot boyfriend in self-defense
A Butler County woman claims she shot and killed her boyfriend over the weekend in self-defense, police said. Amanda Hughes, 26, of Cranberry, was charged Sunday with one count of criminal homicide, Cranberry police Lt. Chuck Mascellino told the Tribune-Review. Hughes was arraigned and now is being held in the...
Seasonal increase nearing as gas prices continue to fall
Gas prices continued to fall over the past week, but a seasonal increase is not far away. According to AAA, the national average Monday was about $3.42 per gallon. That’s about 5 cents less than a week ago but 13 cents more than a month ago. Price-tracking service GasBuddy says...
Western Pa. public works crews make sure to have sufficient salt on hand each winter
Whether it’s 300 miles of roads in Hempfield or just one square mile in Export, the responsibility for public works crews in winter is the same — keep the roads safe and passable in bad weather. That also means finding a place to store thousands of tons of salt, especially...
Dogs could help state game commission track chronic wasting disease
The Pennsylvania Game Commission could soon be using specially trained dogs to help sniff out deer infected with chronic wasting disease as part of a new effort to learn more about the fatal, contagious ailment that continues to spread among the state’s herd. Studies from the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn...
Local districts await fallout from Pa. court ruling on school funding
Funding Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts was never going to be an easy equation to solve. The diverse nature of the state — rural and urban, wealthy and poor — coupled with funding decisions enacted by Pennsylvania lawmakers resulted in a lawsuit being filed eight years ago, claiming bias in the...
Food pantries brace for influx of need as extra SNAP benefits end
Food banks and pantries across the Pittsburgh area are bracing for an influx of people in need when enhanced covid-era food benefits that have been in place for three years come to an end after this month. Beginning in March, households getting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits — commonly known...
State approves first Black-owned pre-apprenticeship program in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute has been approved as the city’s first Black-owned, state-certified pre-apprentice program for the skilled trades. The APRI’s “Breaking the Chains of Poverty” program is designed to help people build the skills necessary to earn a career in the building and construction...
