Regional News category, Page 208
Parents sign petition against mask mandate at Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh schools
More than 2,000 people have signed a petition calling for the Diocese of Pittsburgh diocese to revoke a mask mandate in its Catholic schools. The online petition contends school-age children have “spent the summer enjoying activities with family and friends mask-free” and were “putting the hardships of last school year...
Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations continue slow, steady climb in region
Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations have continued a slow but steady climb in the region and throughout the state over the past two months. This week was no exception. In the past week, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, there were 1,343 additional covid-19 cases in Allegheny County, for a...
Seton Hill program to help teachers handle topic of genocide
Teachers tackling the tough topic of genocide in high school classrooms will be able to take advantage of a two-week institute at Seton Hill University next summer. University officials said the school recently was awarded a $174,426 competitive grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to underwrite the summer...
Amber Alert issued for baby boy abducted in Cleveland
Police are searching for a six-week-old infant who was abducted Tuesday from the Cleveland area, authorities said. An Amber alert was issued after Cannon Tatum McDoodle was taken by a family friend, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The baby weighs about 14 pounds and has...
Suspect captured after stealing police car and leading officers on chase through Beaver area
A man who stole an Ambridge police vehicle and led officers on a chase before eluding capture for hours was taken into custody Tuesday, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. BREAKING: Neighbors say this man is in their backyard and police are narrowing in @WPXI Amy Hudak (@amy_hudak) August...
Western Pa. groups prep for fleeing Afghans seeking to resettle in Pittsburgh
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...
Artists to chalk portraits of passengers, crew of Flight 93 as part of 9/11 20th anniversary events
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....
Fayette couple killed in 2-vehicle crash on Route 31
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...
Tropical Storm Fred to bring steady rainfall to Western Pa.
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 —...
Former Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez sentenced to up to 4 years in prison for sex assaultVideo
Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez was sentenced Tuesday to serve up to four years in prison for the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl. Vazquez, 30, was convicted in May by a Westmoreland County jury of 15 offenses in connection with a sexual relationship he had with a Scottdale...
Spirit Air says canceled flights cost $50M, hurt bookings
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 honored with national Edward R. Murrow Award for journalism excellence
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....
Pitt volunteers slammed with requests from panic-stricken Afghans seeking escape from Taliban rule
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...
IUP requires face masks for indoor public settings
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...
Western Pa. hospitals, pharmacies offer 3rd dose of covid vaccine
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...
Slippery Rock launches new College of Health Professions
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...
Alligator found, unharmed, after days of wandering West Mifflin’s streets
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...
Double the fun: 2 elk webcams go live for bugling season
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...
Trib names Rob Amen as new managing editor
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...
Body of 3-year-old boy recovered from Allegheny River in Armstrong County
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...
Limited options hamstring vaccine status verification, leaving it up to honor system
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...
Storm forces evacuation of Jason Aldean concert at Star Lake
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...
Utilities work to restore power after another round of strong storms
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,...
Social media campaign encourages people to invite ‘Just One’ to register as organ donor
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...
Prepare for both in-person, virtual lessons when back-to-school shopping
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....
