Regional category, Page 195
‘I wasn’t getting better’: Fox Chapel woman endures battle with long haul covid
More than a year and a half after she contracted covid-19, Andrea Berlin almost feels completely normal. The Fox Chapel native-turned-Londoner said she fell ill with the virus in March 2020 — early in the pandemic by most standards — and she thinks she probably picked it up on the...
Schools prepare for a mixed bag as kindergarten enrollment numbers bounce back
Nicole Roberts Bitar was encouraged to see the numbers ramping up for kindergarten registration in the New Kensington-Arnold School District this summer. Last year, the district was among many across the U.S. that saw kindergarten enrollment decline unexpectedly as families weighed their options: Should they send their 5- and 6-year-olds...
911th Airlift Wing joins Afghanistan evacuation
The 911th Airlift Wing based at the Pittsburgh Air Force Reserve Station has joined in the evacuation of refugees in Afghanistan. It’s an airlift operation that senior government officials are calling one of the largest in history. The region’s Airlift Wing was one of at least eight Air Force Reserve...
The dangerous life of young bald eagles: McKeesport bird electrocuted, Harmar bird injury healsVideo
Young bald eagles live dangerously with different outcomes — a Harmar bald eagle’s leg healed recently while a young eagle was electrocuted on a power pole near McKeesport. Although bald eagles continue to thrive in the region, young eagles throughout the state lead perilous lives. Only about 50% of them...
Butler officer who shot and killed man who stabbed him remains in critical condition
A Butler police officer remained in stable but critical condition Friday, days after a violent confrontation that left the officer injured and the suspect dead, authorities said. Butler City Police Chief Bob O’Neill identified the injured officer as 27-year-old Michael Sulerud. Sulerud was responding to a call just before 7...
Former soccer association treasurer gets probation for $100K theft
The former treasurer of a Beaver County youth soccer association who pleaded guilty to embezzling $100,000 from the organization will serve probation rather than prison time, a judge ruled Friday. Jenessa Tolejko, 35, must serve five years of probation and repay $100,000 in restitution, according to the sentence imposed by...
Deputy coroner: Indiana County man died in crash
JOHNSTOWN — An Indiana County man died Wednesday from injuries he sustained following a two-vehicle crash in Indiana County, Cambria County Chief Deputy Coroner Joseph Hribar said Thursday. Ronald W. Shearer, 82, of Indiana was driving a Toyota Tacoma southbound on Old Route 119 Highway North in White Township at...
Dig deeper: Extend growing season with these fall gardening tips
One thing that distinguishes fall gardening from spring gardening is the pace, said Elizabeth Pesci of Greensburg. “In the spring, there are so many things that have to be done on a schedule; but in the fall, you can take your time and go a little slower,” said Pesci, who...
Police: New Castle man survives suicide attempt as officers go to make arrest
Police said a New Castle man tried to kill himself with a shotgun after they surrounded his house to arrest him for allegedly sexually assaulting a child. City police went to a home in the 200 block of Park Avenue shortly before 3 a.m. Aug. 25 to arrest Stephen Karenbaur...
Allegheny County, RIDC ink deal to develop Carrie Furnace site in Rankin
Part of the former Carrie Furnace steelmaking site along the Monongahela River near Braddock is to be redeveloped for contemporary commercial use. It’s intended to include flexible technology space, research and development, workforce education, light manufacturing and assembly, and even a place for film production. The redevelopment plan that targets...
KISS concert in Burgettstown canceled after front man Paul Stanley tests positive for covid
Thursday night’s KISS concert the Pavilion at Star Lake was canceled after front man Paul Stanley tested positive for covid, according to a post on the band’s website. “Everyone on the entire tour, both band and crew, are fully vaccinated,” the post read. “The band and their crew have operated...
Reporter David Kaplan leaving WTAE after 6 years
Reporter David Kaplan is leaving WTAE after six years as a journalist in Pittsburgh. Kaplan made the announcement on his verified Twitter account. “This town cares deeply about the neighborhood, (and) it was always a priority for me to capture that,” Kaplan wrote Wednesday evening. “Not quite ready to say...
Covid cases, hospitalizations continue to rise in Allegheny, Westmoreland
The latest reports of coronavirus cases show new cases are being found at increasingly higher numbers. Hospitalizations are also rising, although not as rapidly. Over the past week, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has reported 24,875 new covid cases. Of that number, 21% (5,227) are old test results dating back...
Arts on the Allegheny presents free Blues Traveler concert Saturday in Kittanning
Arts on the Allegheny will present Blues Traveler for a free concert at the Kittanning Riverfront Park on Saturday. The free concert is final show for the Arts on the Allegheny summer series. The nonprofit offers arts and entertainment at the John P. Murtha Amphitheater in Kittanning’s Riverfront Park. A...
Lawsuit challenges lack of PIAA track and field championships for para-athletes
Two students on Tuesday filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association alleging that the sporting organization discriminates against disabled athletes who want to participate in track and field by failing to offer a statewide championship opportunity. The plaintiffs include Alex Brown, 15, who is a sophomore...
Hot week ahead for Western Pa. with possible record highs
The dog days of August are going out in a blaze of hot temperatures that could threaten record highs for this time of year. The National Weather Service in Moon was predicting a high temperature of 92 degrees for Tuesday. The record for Aug. 24, set in 1918, is 94....
Police: Butler police officer fatally shoots man accused of stabbing him
A Butler City Police officer was in surgery Tuesday morning and a Butler man was dead after a violent encounter that lasted about five minutes, authorities said. The incident began with a 911 call around 6:54 a.m. about an “erratic male” on West Jefferson Street who was reportedly jumping in...
101 animals living in squalor rescued from Uniontown home
Representatives from a no-kill animal shelter rescued 99 dogs and two cats living in squalor at a home in Uniontown on Monday, according to authorities. Uniontown police were called to the house in the 100 block of East Coffee Street shortly before noon on Aug. 23 after receiving a report...
5 things to know about the Pfizer covid vaccine approvalVideo
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued its full approval of the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine Monday. The move comes eight months after the Pfizer vaccine was authorized for emergency use in the United States. Infectious disease experts hope the full approval will inspire those wary of the vaccine to now...
Washington County DA Gene Vittone remembered as devoted father who always had a kind word
Gene Vittone, Washington County’s district attorney, a Pitt fan, a choir member and a lover of good Italian dinners, died Saturday after a relatively private battle with lung cancer. He was 61. “He was humble that way,” said Steve Toprani, a friend and predecessor in the district attorney’s office. “He...
Nursing shortage spawns hefty sign-on bonuses in Western Pa.Video
A long-looming nursing shortage — exacerbated by the near-relentless toll of the covid-19 pandemic — means more hospitals and health systems are offering hefty sign-on bonuses and other incentives in an attempt to attract talent and fill in the gaps. Earlier this week, UPMC was advertising nearly 800 open nursing...
As covid-19 vaccination mandates gain momentum, Pa. health care workers remain largely free to decide
Only one major Pennsylvania health care employer, Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine, has required employees to get vaccinated against covid-19. But mandates are under consideration at others. “We haven’t gotten to the mandate yet. We think about it and we assess where we’re at, but we haven’t made that decision yet,” said...
What to expect if you want a covid-19 booster shot
Western Pennsylvanians who want a covid-19 vaccine booster likely will have the chance to get one in the coming months. The Biden administration earlier this week recommended the extra protection for all Americans, starting as soon as Sept. 20 for those who were fully vaccinated by late January. In Pennsylvania,...
Police investigate fatal Aliquippa shooting
Police are investigating after a man was shot and killed early Friday at an Aliquippa apartment building, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. Officers responded at about 12:30 a.m. to the Valley Terrace apartments on Superior Avenue. State police were on the scene, in addition to Aliquippa officers. #BREAKING State...
Casey calls for calm in the wake of the withdrawal from Afghanistan
Calling the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan a painful spectacle, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, is calling on Americans to turn down the blame game and concentrate on assisting those trying to escape the Taliban. Casey said his office alone logged 280 calls about the collapse of Afghanistan as of Wednesday...
