Regional News category, Page 253
Week-in-review: Covid-19 dominates news, meteor lights up Pittsburgh skyVideo
The covid-19 pandemic continued to dominate much of the news in the past week, culminating with President Donald Trump confirming Friday that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the virus. Despite the virus impacting everything from nursing home residents in Westmoreland County to the Pittsburgh Steelers...
Here is what happens if President Trump becomes too ill to serve
If President Donald Trump becomes too ill to serve as he battles covid-19 — either in his own opinion or that of Vice President Mike Pence and the cabinet — the Constitution would come into play. Brian Kalt, a law professor at Michigan State University, is the author of a...
Man arrested in Virginia child sex sting now accused of abusing Westmoreland County teen
A former Fayette County man serving a 20-year prison sentence in Virginia after his 2018 arrest in a child-abuse sting recently was brought to Westmoreland County to face multiple child abuse charges here. Lawrence W. Henry Jr., 48, who most recently lived in Normalville until his Dec. 14, 2018, arrest...
4-H, FFA kids rely on private sales after fairs canceled this springVideo
When Stacy Hayes of Mt. Pleasant decided to put on a livestock show this summer, she knew it would be a small piece of normalcy in a year disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. The August event hosted at Porchview Stables and Riding Arena in Mt. Pleasant allowed kids to show...
Those stinking stink bugs are back in Western Pa.
Well, this stinks. Stink bugs are showing up in homes across Western Pennsylvania. With fall and winter approaching, they’re becoming more prevalent as they seek shelter in homes and buildings. “I would say anecdotally speaking, there was an increase in stink bugs from last summer. Stink bugs tend to have...
Officials react, send well wishes to Trump, first lady after covid diagnosis
Officials from across the county, state and world began reacting early Friday morning to reports that President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for covid-19. Trump revealed their diagnosis in a late-night tweet. Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and...
United Way expands regional volunteer efforts with Week of Caring
Volunteers are needed more than ever while area organizations cope with the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic. The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania has responded by organizing its first Week of Caring, running through Oct. 10. More than 700 volunteers have signed up to participate in 75 in-person and virtual...
National Solar Tour includes several Pittsburgh-area homeownersVideo
For Bill Spohn of Indiana Township, treading lightly when it comes to nature is a way of life he learned from having parents who lived through the Great Depression. “They didn’t have much to go around, and they kind of instilled those values in us: respect nature, pick up after...
Authorities investigate distribution of Ku Klux Klan flyers in Greene County
Authorities in Greene County are investigating after dozens of hateful Ku Klux Klan flyers have appeared in residents’ yards and driveways, according to the District Attorney’s Office. “The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides the right to expression, speech and peaceful assembly,” District Attorney David Russo said in a...
Somerset County man accused in theft of $32K in food from Hempfield firm
The owner of a Somerset County food distribution firm was accused this week of writing fraudulent checks to a Westmoreland County supply company to obtain more than $32,400 in food last spring. Brandon S. Kishlock, 38, of Jenner Township, was arraigned Wednesday on charges of theft by deception and writing...
New overlay code will trigger 10-digit dialing in 814 area
Pennsylvania’s 814 area code, the largest geographically, is getting a second overlay code, to ensure a sufficient supply of phone numbers for residents and businesses there. The new code — 582 — eventually will require dialing a 10-digit number to reach a party in the large area that extends from...
Armstrong, Butler counties added to drought watch
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection expanded its drought watch Wednesday from 13 to 29 counties, including Armstrong and Butler counties. Two counties, Clinton and McKean, were moved to the more severe classification of a drought warning, joining Potter County. The agency is asking residents in those counties with drought...
Joe Biden Express rolls into Western Pennsylvania for whistle-stop train tourVideo
An Amtrak passenger train carrying Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his campaign contingent rolled into Western Pennsylvania from Ohio on Wednesday, a day after a contentious televised debate with President Donald Trump. Campaign organizers said the “Build Back Better” train tour will highlight Biden’s plans to rebuild the economy...
Fireball streaks across the sky over PittsburghVideo
A comet-like object streaked quickly across the early morning sky of Pittsburgh on Wednesday, a burst of bluish-white light before disappearing into the darkness. While there were reports of a giant meteor being visible on the East Coast, this particular object was actually something much smaller. “A tiny piece of...
Greene County woman says in lawsuit she lost EMT job for being pregnant
A Greene County woman this week sued the Murrysville-based EMS Southwest, contending she was fired from her EMT job because she was pregnant. Bayley Colvin, of Rice’s Landing, said in the federal lawsuit that she began her job with the emergency medical service in Waynesburg in September 2019. A little...
Hopewell, Freedom students test positive for covid-19, superintendents say
Two Beaver County school districts have confirmed positive cases of covid-19 among students. A senior at Hopewell High School has tested positive for covid-19, according to a letter from the district to parents. At Freedom Area, the district announced on its website that a few students on the girl’s volleyball...
Ethane cracker plant in Beaver County about 70% complete, Shell executive says
Construction of a multibillion-dollar ethane cracker plant in Beaver County is about 70% complete, a Shell Global executive said Tuesday during the Shale Insight conference. Hilary Mercer, Shell Global’s vice president of Pennsylvania Chemicals, spent about a half-hour during the virtual conference describing the development of the facility, work on...
Shale Insight conference focuses on fossil fuels’ impact on economy, tech and election
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Lehigh Valley, on Tuesday lauded President Trump’s support of the fossil fuel industry during the opening day of the annual Shale Insight conference, being held virtually this year because of the covid-19 pandemic. “Everyone in the room knows that President Trump, Vice President Pence and Republicans...
Pittsburgh’s economic development leaders launch ‘Next is Now’ campaign
As part of the contingent that worked on the 2017 proposal to land an Amazon headquarters, Stefani Pashman saw that the Pittsburgh region lacked a cohesive marketing plan. Pashman, CEO of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, was among those who spent Tuesday afternoon on a virtual kickoff of a...
Pittsburgh area jobless rates drops to 10.2%
The seven-county Pittsburgh area unemployment rate continued to fall in August, dropping 2.3 percentage points to 10.5%. But the decrease is deceiving because almost 13,000 people dropped out of the labor force last month, the state said Tuesday. The jobless rate for the region — Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette,...
Trooper hurt in Armstrong pursuit, 1 arrested
A state trooper was hurt and a Michigan man arrested Monday after a police chase in Armstrong County. State police said a trooper on patrol on Route 422 in Kittanning Township conducted a traffic stop on a Jeep Liberty after witnessing multiple traffic violations just after 6:15 p.m. The driver...
Police: Woman stabs husband after he chokes her during argument at Belle Vernon home
A woman allegedly stabbed her husband during a fight at their Fayette County home on Saturday, according to state police. Troopers went to the 100 block of Johnston Avenue in Belle Vernon just before 6 p.m. in response to a reported stabbing. According to police, Gregory Scott Roddy, 52, had...
Businesses that sued Wolf over shutdown orders now seek more than $135K in legal fees
The business owners who filed a federal lawsuit against Gov. Tom Wolf over his covid-19 shutdown orders are asking the court to award them attorney fees. In a motion filed Monday before U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV, the plaintiffs ask for $135,790 in attorneys fees and costs. That amount,...
Biden to visit Pittsburgh, Westmoreland County on Wednesday as part of train whistle-stop tour
Former Vice President Joe Biden will visit Western Pennsylvania by train Wednesday, fresh off his first in-person 2020 election debate against President Trump. Locally, the Democratic nominee and his wife, Jill, will stop in Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Latrobe and New Alexandria. The tour is scheduled to culminate in a 7:30 p.m....
West Virginia University students return to in-person classes
Students at West Virginia University returned to in-person classes Monday, after a three-week hiatus. The university had halted in-person learning Sept. 7 when the campus encountered a significant spike in covid-19 cases. In late August and early September, there were several days the percent of covid-19 tests with positive results...
