Regional category, Page 164
Bidding war for Spirit Airlines heats up ahead of vote
The bidding war over Spirit Airlines is ramping up again with JetBlue boosting its offer for the discount carrier just days after rival Frontier upped its own bid for Spirit. Spirit shareholders are also scheduled to vote Friday on Frontier’s offer. JetBlue said Monday that it will now provide a...
West Mifflin man killed in ATV crash in Somerset County, troopers say
A 21-year-old West Mifflin man died early Saturday after he crashed his all-terrain vehicle into a tree in Somerset County, state police said. Ethan Leskovitz was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash in rural Elk Lick Township at 12:11 a.m. Saturday, according to Trooper Ryan Platt of Somerset....
Excela Health’s proposed merger with Butler likely a bulwark against competitors, experts say
The landscape of health care in Westmoreland, Butler and Clarion counties could soon be changing in the wake of last week’s announcement that Excela Health and Butler Health System have inked an intent-to-merge agreement. It is likely an effort by both systems to better position themselves as a player in...
Police say anger over a relationship led to murder-suicide in Fayette
Two men died Friday afternoon in an apparent murder-suicide, according to state police at Uniontown. The victims were identified as Brian Coll, 55, who was found about 3 p.m. with multiple gunshot wounds at the scene of the shooting along Atlas Road, and Craig Rishel, who was found later in...
2 dead in Fayette shooting
Two people died as a result of shootings Friday afternoon near Uniontown, Fayette County Coroner Dr. Phillip Reilly said Saturday. He said that autopsies are scheduled to be performed on the victims on Saturday. Reilly said the families of the victims have been notified, but he declined to reveal the...
‘We came so close’: McCormick concedes GOP race for U.S. Senate; Oz to face Fetterman
Former hedge fund CEO David McCormick on Friday dropped out of the close Republican primary race for the U.S. Senate against celebrity heart surgeon Mehmet Oz. The concession means Oz will face Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democrat, in the fall. “We came so close,” McCormick, 56, said at the...
89 Republican congressmen urge U.S. inspector general to evaluate Pitt’s fetal tissue research
Nearly 90 Republican congressmen are asking U.S. Health and Human Services Inspector General Christi Grimm to conduct an audit into the University of Pittsburgh’s fetal tissue research that some legislators allege included illegal and unethical activities. In a May 24 letter, the Republicans address why they believe Pitt’s research, published...
Bridge replacement to affect I-70 traffic overnight in Speers, North Belle Vernon
A section of Interstate 70 in Washington County will be closed overnight Monday in both directions, and eastbound traffic will be reduced to a single lane nearby, in North Belle Vernon. Those traffic pattern changes, each related to a bridge replacement project, will be in place between 8 p.m. Monday...
Homer City man charged with raping child in Indiana County
A Homer City man is charged with rape of a child and more than a dozen related offenses in Indiana County. David Gene Crawford, Jr., 46, was arraigned Friday on 10 felony counts and four misdemeanor counts after he was taken into custody by state police. The charges in the...
Second chance: Unwanted tattoos can be lasered off or covered up
Kimberly Corrigan was never religious growing up and had only been to church twice. But when she was 18, she had a little too much to drink — and got a tattoo of the Virgin Mary on her left forearm. The tattoo would become an eyesore for the now 35-year-old...
Hempfield lawmaker’s bill targets Pitt, Penn State funding
Tuition funding for Pennsylvania students could be turned on its head in the coming years. On Wednesday, State Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield, introduced a bill that aims to redirect funds from Pitt, Penn State and Temple University to in-state students at all universities, private colleges, community colleges and technical schools...
Pittsburgh International resumes, launches new service to several destinations this week
Flights from Pittsburgh International Airport to several destinations are getting off the ground this week. British Airways will resume flights between Pittsburgh and London Heathrow Airport on Friday. This will be the first time since early 2020 that British Airways will serve Pittsburgh with direct flights to London. The year-round...
Pittsburgh area added jobs in April, but still below pre-pandemic levels
The Pittsburgh area economy added about 19,000 nonfarm jobs in April, a bright spot in a seven-county marketplace that has added 173,000 jobs during the past two years, but remains about 52,000 jobs shy of its pre-pandemic levels , according to state data. “This shows weakness in the market,” said...
Excela, Butler health systems announce merger, creating region’s 3rd hospital giant
A third Southwestern Pennsylvania health care conglomerate is in the works, as Excela Health and Butler Health System on Wednesday announced an intent to merge. “We believe strongly that our new partnership will extend our intellectual and financial capital,” John Sphon, Excela Health chief executive officer, said in a prepared...
Supreme Court order could affect Pennsylvania Senate count
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily blocked the counting of some mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania, an order that could affect the tight Republican Senate primary between former hedge fund CEO David McCormick and celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz. An order from Justice Samuel Alito paused a lower-court...
Monessen superintendent charged with indecent exposure, open lewdness
The superintendent for the Monessen School District was charged with indecent exposure and open lewdness after police say she was discovered in a state of undress with a man in the parking lot of a county-owned apartment complex. Charleroi Regional Police were called to the Nathan Goff Jr. Apartments on...
Western Pennsylvania population continues to trickle downward
Municipalities across Southwestern Pennsylvania continued to lose populations between 2020 and 2021, estimates show, a continuation of a decadeslong slide felt across the region. Those trends were largely visible in Allegheny County, where Pittsburgh saw one of the biggest population declines across the state between July 2020 and July 2021,...
Police: Driver who crashed into Indiana County school bus suspected of DUI
A man behind the wheel of a sedan that crashed into a school bus Friday in Indiana County was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of a controlled substance. State police said no injuries were reported among the driver and 13 students who were aboard the bus when...
State police: Mercer County cold case closed after 4 decades
Pennsylvania state police say modern DNA testing and genealogy methods allowed them to close a 42-year-old Mercer County cold case and provide closure to the victim’s family. The remains of Edwin Rodriguez, of Chicago, Ill., discovered in 1980 in Wolf Creek Township, were positively identified and returned to his family,...
‘Every day is Memorial Day’ at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies
The white marble headstones stand in perfect alignment. They create the impression of being in formation. Names of those buried here, along with the wars in which they served, their military branch and their rank, are etched on the headstones. A large American flag waves gently atop an 80-foot flagpole,...
Pitt, Penn State restarting mask requirements because of covid transmission levels
The University of Pittsburgh and Penn State are requiring people on campus to wear masks when they are indoors at campuses in certain counties. The move comes as a result of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designating those counties as having a high level of covid-19 transmission. The...
Hot weather on way, record high temps possible
Don’t let the current cool temperatures fool you. It’s time to dust off the air-conditioning unit in the garage, because we’ll soon be having a heat wave. The National Weather Service in Moon Township is forecasting a major warmup during the latter half of Memorial Day weekend, leading into several...
Increased covid-19, labor costs eat into UPMC’s 1st-quarter income
UPMC reported a sharp decline in operating and investment income during the year’s first quarter, with the health care giant pointing to continued financial challenges from covid-19 and increased labor costs, according to an earnings report released Thursday. The report showed that UPMC had nearly $6.1 billion in total operating...
Here are 10 sites to make the July 4 holiday weekend a memorable one
Grab the fishing pole, pump up the bicycle tires, and knock the mud off your hiking boots. Hearty cyclists and hikers easily mix with novice trail walkers on hundreds of miles of trails and shorelines to be found across the region. Here are 10 of our favorites, worthy of a...
More Western Pa. counties return to high covid levels; CDC suggests indoor masking
Westmoreland County has returned to a high covid-19 risk level, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s one of four counties in Western Pennsylvania with that designation. Beaver and Butler counties were also recently returned to that level, along with Allegheny County, which has been in a...
