Regional category, Page 154
Gas price decline streak hits 40 days; Pittsburgh-area prices among highest in state
Gas prices have been coming down across the country for 40 days in a row, but average prices in Southwestern Pennsylvania remain above the national and state averages and among the highest in the state. According to AAA, the national average on Monday was about $4.36. That’s about 17 cents...
Early-morning storms give way to rising temperatures
Storms rolled through Southwestern Pennsylvania early Monday morning, bringing with them spurts of heavy rainfall but since clearing the region. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Allegheny County and parts of Beaver County as thunderstorms producing heavy rain swept across the region, bringing 1 to 3...
Man dead after police-involved shooting in Washington County
Pennsylvania State Police are investigating after a man was shot and killed by police in Washington County. According to a state police report, officers with the Monongahela City Police Department responded to 1029 Lincoln St. in Monongahela around 9:20 p.m. Sunday for reports of shots fired and an attempted homicide....
Western Pa. food banks squeezed by increased costs, demand for assistance
Rising food costs are driving a renewed demand at food banks in the region that already were serving more people because of the covid pandemic. “The cost of getting a gallon of milk is sometimes a hardship,” Westmoreland Food Bank CEO Jennifer Miller said. After the pandemic hit, the Westmoreland...
Morning storm passes, but more rain on the way for Pittsburgh region
After a severe thunderstorm warning passed on Sunday morning, the National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for additional storms that could reach the region later in the day. NWS officials said the risk remains for additional severe storms Sunday afternoon and evening, with damaging wind being the main...
Power companies rush to restore electricity after Saturday’s storms in Southwest Pennsylvania
The storm that blew through the region Saturday afternoon left tens of thousands of households without power, as one of the region’s two major power companies reported significant progress while the other reported more customers were affected. Trees and power lines were down all across the region after high winds...
Johnstown Inclined Plane work still on schedule for 2023 reopening
JOHNSTOWN — The Johnstown Inclined Plane, which has been closed and under rehabilitation since early this year, is still on schedule to be running by next summer, CamTran officials said Friday. Almost all the ties have been replaced. Vegetation has been put into place and water redirected to help with...
State trooper justified in fatal Mount Pleasant Township shooting, DA says
Washington County’s top prosecutor on Friday said a Pennsylvania State Trooper was justified when he opened fire and killed a passenger during a May traffic stop in Mount Pleasant Township. The trooper, who authorities have not identified, will not face criminal charges. The shooting, which stemmed from the stop of...
‘That was my last day,’ Quecreek miner says of rescue date after 30-year career
Ron Hileman’s last day underground as a coal miner was July 28, 2002. Being trapped 240 feet below the surface in Quecreek Mine for 77 hours with eight other miners was enough to make him retire. “That was my last day,” he said. Hileman, 69, of Gray, had spent almost...
Penn State increases tuition costs for some, not all, students
Penn State University’s board of trustees approved a tuition increase of 5% for in-state University Park undergraduates and 2% for their commonwealth campus counterparts. That’s the university’s largest tuition hike in 12 years, but it comes with a caveat: In-state and out-of-state students who have a household income of $75,000...
Pennsylvania-owned universities hope to increase financial aid, graduation rates
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is starting the final stage of its plan to rethink how it manages state-owned schools. PASSHE’s board of governors approved the third phase during a meeting this week. Among numerous goals, it aims to increase financial aid and graduation rates for students at...
‘A sticky weekend’: Temps in the upper 80s, 90s expected in Pittsburgh region
It’s going to get hot in the Pittsburgh region this weekend. As a heat wave sweeps across the nation, the area will see temperatures upward of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures are expected in the upper 80s on Friday and Saturday and low-to-mid 90s on Sunday, according to Lee Hendricks, meteorologist...
New owner vows to preserve period appeal of Bedford County’s Lincoln Motor Court
A Bedford County native is the new proprietor and steward of a historic landmark along the Lincoln Highway. Lucas Steinbrunner, 41, said the Lincoln Motor Court, which has been in business along Route 30 in Napier Township since 1940, is a perfect fit for him. “I’ve always liked older things,”...
More than 2 million covid vaccines discarded across Pa. as doses expire
A year and a half ago, as the demand for the newly released covid-19 vaccines far and away outstripped the minute supply, shot-seekers rushed clinics and fought desperate battles to snag short-lived appointment openings online. Now, however, as demand for the vaccines falls to its lowest point, thousands of vaccines...
Pa. casinos post record $5B in revenue in 2021-22 fiscal year
Pennsylvania casinos saw substantial growth during the last fiscal year, with the industry posting a record $5 billion in revenue, state regulators said. In all, the state’s 16 casinos generated $5.04 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2021-22, which runs from July 1 through June 30, according to the Pennsylvania...
Pittsburgh airport ranked 6th in U.S. for canceled flights, study says
New analysis from shows the Pittsburgh International Airport has some of the highest percentages of canceled flights in the country. The analysis by FlightAware was first conducted for CNN, and Pittsburgh ranks sixth worst in the nation for canceled flights for the start of this summer. Between May 28 through...
Gas prices continue to fall on drop in demand, declining oil prices
The national average price of gasoline has fallen for 34 straight days, and — barring major hurricanes, outages or unexpected disruptions — could fall under $4 by mid-August, an industry analyst says. “We’ve seen the national average price of gasoline decline for a fifth straight week, with the pace of...
Boost in K-12 state funding to impact Allegheny, Westmoreland districts
Allegheny and Westmoreland school districts anticipate a boost in funding this year after legislators gave their stamp of approval to $8.5 billion for K-12 public education. The Keystone State will provide more than $7.3 billion in basic education and level-up funds — a roughly 11.4% increase from the 2021-22 allocation....
4 counties under flood watch as storms approach Pittsburgh area
A flood watch is in effect for parts of the Pittsburgh area until Monday morning as excessive rainfall may cause flooding, the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh said Sunday. The watch for Allegheny, Beaver, Greene and Washington counties began at 11 a.m. Sunday and was scheduled to last until 8...
State police charge woman with attempted homicide after man found shot in Aliquippa
State police charged an Aliquippa woman with attempted homicide after a man was found shot in the city early Saturday morning. According to state police, officers determined Katrina Mills, 40, shot the victim from interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance camera footage. Aliquippa officers responded to a report of a shot...
Despite popularity, aging trails subject to all manner of abuse
The people involved in overseeing and maintaining Western Pennsylvania’s trail systems nearly all said that cooperation is key in keeping the trails clean, welcoming and open. Along the Five Star Trail that runs from Youngwood to Greensburg, chapter President Vaughn Neill is working with a few dozen volunteers on fence...
Stepping up: Volunteers donate thousands of hours of time maintaining the region’s myriad hiking, biking trails
As walkers, hikers and bikers make their way onto the crushed limestone gravel of one of Western Pennsylvania’s many trail systems, it might not seem as though they are merging onto an economic highway. But if they’re stepping onto the Great Allegheny Passage — the trail between Pittsburgh’s Point State...
Armstrong County man killed in dirt bike accident
A 26-year-old man from Templeton, Armstrong County, was killed Friday evening when the dirt bike he was riding went off a road and struck a tree, officials said. Brandon Weaver was killed in neighboring Pine Township when the mishap occurred at around 7:50 p.m., according to a release from Armstrong...
New mental health hotline strives to make care more accessible nationwide
A new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has launched nationwide, with the intent to strengthen and transform crisis care in America, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials. The 988 system will build on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is an existing network of over 200...
Allegheny County Police seek arsonist suspected of setting 14 fires in Munhall, West Homestead and Homestead
An as-yet unidentified man is considered to a suspect in connection with a string of 14 arsons in Munhall, West Homestead and Homestead since April 23, Allegheny County Police said late Friday night. Police have identified a man as the suspect from a July 2 fire in Homestead. Most of...
