Regional category, Page 187

At least one Afghan family granted a special U.S. visa to flee their Taliban-toppled homeland is expected to resettle in Western Pennsylvania in the coming weeks. “We are ready for their arrival,” said Ivonne Smith-Tapia, director of refugee and immigrant services for the Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS), a...

Ambassadors and park rangers tell visitors to the Flight 93 National Memorial repeatedly, “It’s all about the heroes of Flight 93.” Those would be the men and women aboard the United jetliner who made America’s first stand in the war on terror in the skies above Somerset County on Sept....

A Fayette County couple died from injuries sustained Monday in a two-vehicle crash on Route 31 in Bullskin Township, according to authorities in Allegheny and Fayette counties. Lee Roy Welker, 70, and his wife, Diane, 69, were killed after the Ford Focus they were in collided with a truck just...

Southwestern Pennsylvania should brace for rain and potential flooding as the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred are anticipated to bring heavy rainfall to the region Wednesday. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for much of the region — including Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington and Westmoreland counties —...

Spirit Airlines said Monday the cancellation of more than 2,800 flights over an 11-day stretch this summer cost the budget airline about $50 million in lost revenue and caused spending to soar. The airline said the service meltdown that started in late July and a rise in covid-19 cases are...

Trib Total Media has received one of the most prestigious honors in the news business — a national Edward R. Murrow Award — for a project chronicling a reporter’s heartwarming journey while quarantined with her 93-year-old mother in a local nursing home in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic....

Nearly 7,000 miles from the chaos embroiling Taliban-controlled Kabul, volunteers at the University of Pittsburgh are working around the clock to assist Afghan civilians who fear they’re in danger because of their work for the United States. Tens to hundreds of thousands of Afghans now are desperately seeking help, from...

Indiana University of Pennsylvania is requiring all students, staff and visitors on campus to wear face coverings indoors in public settings, the school announced Monday. The masking rule is in effect for everybody, regardless of vaccination status, starting Tuesday at 8 a.m., officials said. “IUP is continuing its plan to...

Certain individuals with compromised immune systems are eligible to receive a third dose of the covid-19 vaccine, with UPMC, Allegheny Health Network and Giant Eagle among regional providers offering the shot. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week announced that some people...

Citing growing workforce needs and the popularity of a series of graduate health care and health information programs, the Slippery Rock University council of trustees approved the creation of a new College of Health Professions. The academic unit that will officially begin operating next fall will provide a central home...

Police have found the small alligator that’s been spotted roaming the streets of West Mifflin for nearly a week, officials said. The alligator, which stretches about 3 feet long, could be seen with its mouth duct-taped shut being carried in the arms of a gloved police officer on Saturday in...

The elk are bugling for the start of mating season, and two live webcams are catching the call of the wild and more. Elk watching continues to grow as a tourist attraction in the north-central part of the state. For those who cannot visit, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and PixCams...

Rob Amen, a longtime newsroom leader who has helped shape the Tribune-Review’s thriving digital strategy, has been named the Trib’s new managing editor. Amen has held a wide range of roles since joining the Valley News Dispatch as a sports reporter in 1997. He has worked as an assistant sports...

The body of a 3-year-old boy was found Saturday afternoon by dive teams in the Allegheny River in Armstrong County. Dwight Lee Dinsmore, 3, of Yatesboro was recovered from the water about 2:40 p.m., about a mile south of Lock No. 6 in Bethel, Armstrong County Coroner Brian K. Myers...

Providing — and verifying — proof of covid-19 vaccine status largely comes down to the honor system. And this could prove problematic with calls for proof of vaccination status growing among employers, entertainment venues, restaurants and colleges. There is no national database of vaccine recipients. Record keeping varies from state...

Fans of musician Jason Aldean were evacuated before his concert at The Pavilion At Star Lake near Burgettstown early Friday evening because of severe thunderstorms in the area, according to Star Lake’s Twitter account. Just after 7 p.m., fans were instructed to “calmly proceed to the nearest exit and seek...

Storms swept through Southwestern Pennsylvania counties Friday night with heavy wind gusts, rain and lightning, causing power outages in several areas of Western Pennsylvania. Duquesne Light reported just over 750 customers still impacted by outages in Allegheny and Beaver counties, as of 12:45 p.m. Saturday. As of 12:30 p.m. Saturday,...

The Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) is encouraging people to invite just one person to register to become an organ donor. Through the Just One campaign, CORE, an organ procurement organization, is taking to social media to spread the word about organ donation. Each day, CORE asks people...

This year it’s not just about back-to-school shopping. It’s also a time for most students to go back to the classroom, back to classmates and back to teachers — hopefully. The pandemic shortened the end of the 2019-20 school year and created both distance learning and in-person studies during 2020-21....

As recovery continues from a night of pounding rain, power outages and flash flooding, National Weather Service officials are forecasting the potential for more storms in southwestern Pennsylvania into Friday evening. The National Weather Service’s hazardous weather outlook for the region forecasts isolated severe storms, with the main threat coming...

A relentless line of strong thunderstorms triggered flood warnings, knocked out power to tens of thousands of residents and may have contributed to a partial building collapse on Pittsburgh’s South Side on Thursday evening, the chaotic ending to one of the hottest days of the summer in Western Pennsylvania. A...

The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for southern Butler County that’s in effect until 6:45 p.m. Thursday. The warning area covers the entire southern half of the county, from Butler south to the Allegheny County line. The main threats are winds up to 60 mph and...

Allegheny County’s population has increased for the first time in a census since 1960. The county’s population grew by 27,223 (2.2%) in the 2020 Census, released Thursday. The county’s population is more than 1.25 million. “For decades, it was resigned that when young people grew up they were going to...

People shopping at Giant Eagle or GetGo can now pay using the digital wallets they have on their smartphones. The O’Hara-based chain now allows customers to pay using PayPal or Venmo mobile applications on their smartphones. Giant Eagle worked with Blackhawk Network, a Pleasonton, Calif.-based company to offer the option,...