Regional category, Page 256
Analyst: Drivers enjoying lowest gas prices in 16 years as markets hang on covid-19
Gasoline prices fell slightly over the past week as markets await the next chapter in the coronavirus situation, an industry analyst said. “As cases continue to rise, the likelihood rises that gas prices will stabilize and demand may continue to see small decreases, which is the name of the game...
How to see comet NEOWISE in Pittsburgh area
It’s a sight you won’t get a chance to see again. Not unless you live another 6,800 years. It’s the ball of ice, rock and dust that everyone is talking about: a fuzzy-looking star with a tail otherwise known as comet NEOWISE. To see it, start to look below the...
As schools’ reopening plans balance safety with education, officials left feeling they’re picking ‘the best bad option’
Some school officials say their districts are in a no-win situation as they draw up reopening plans meant to balance health and education amid a pandemic that closed schools in the spring and upends any hope of normalcy in the fall. Those plans, required by state health and education officials...
Blaze causes extensive damage to steel manufacturer in Ambridge
A Beaver County manufacturing plant was extensively damaged in a Saturday morning fire, while the workers inside were safely evacuated. The five-alarm fire was reported at about 5 a.m. at Sukup Steel Structures in the 300 block of 14th Street in Ambridge, according to a county 911 dispatcher. Ambridge Fire...
Week-in-review: Covid-19 dominates headlines, Maz’s house sold, top creameriesVideo
The covid-19 pandemic continues to dominate daily life and news, with state leaders imposing restrictions on bars and restaurants and asking more travelers to self-quarantine as the number of cases continues to increase. Giant Eagle is defending itself in court against a lawsuit that calls its policy requiring shoppers to...
DEP issues code orange air pollution alert for Southwestern Pa.
Children, the elderly and those with respiratory issues should be careful and limit outdoor activity on Saturday, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. Most of Southwestern Pennsylvania will be under a code orange designation for ozone, the DEP said. Orange is the third level of a four-tier air...
Indiana County man arrested after troopers find ATV buried in yard
An Indiana County man attempted to hide the theft of an all-terrain vehicle this month by burying it in his backyard, state police said. Stephen P. McCloskey, 23, of Homer City, is charged with receiving stolen property, alteration of a vehicle identification number and theft after troopers dug up the...
License plate shortage affects auto industry as PennDOT works to catch up after pandemic shutdowns
Car dealerships and notaries throughout Pennsylvania are experiencing a hiccup in the supply chain for license plates — often leaving management at those retailers scrambling to continue doing business during the coronavirus pandemic. The problem, according to dealerships, notaries and state officials, is twofold: License plate stockpiles at car dealerships...
State Police Liquor Control issues 44 warnings for pandemic compliance
Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement officers issued 44 warnings this week for licensed liquor establishments failing to follow covid-19 requirements, officials said Friday. Liquor Control Enforcement officers visited 3,904 businesses from Monday through Thursday. These compliance checks were unannounced and focused on areas with high covid-19 transmission rates. Officials...
Pa. nursing home data used to track covid-19 deaths, cases riddled with errors
Data posted online this week by the Pennsylvania Department of Health show 76,336 residents at an Elk County nursing home have died from covid-19. The home is licensed to house 138 residents. The state listed 133 deaths at an Erie facility that previously reported no cases among residents or staff....
Washington County man indicted on child exploitation charges
A 49-year-old Washington County man was arraigned this week in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh after he was indicted on charges of sexually exploiting an underage boy. Joey Leroy Barton of Charleroi pleaded not guilty to the five-count indictment that includes charges of production and attempted production of material depicting...
5 more workers test positive for covid-19 at Beaver County ethane cracker site
Five more workers have tested positive for covid-19 at Shell Chemicals’ ethane cracker construction site in Beaver County, a company spokesman said in a statement. That brings the total number of positive tests to 18 since the pandemic began, Shell spokesman Michael Marr said in an update. A covid-19 testing...
Quick getaways may offer safer vacation spots during pandemic for Western Pennsylvanians
For many families, summer vacation may look a little different this year. A survey conducted by MyBioSource.com, a biotechnological products distribution company, found that 51% of Pennsylvanians are more likely to vacation locally in their own state this summer to avoid traveling by plane and reduce the risk of contracting...
Giant Eagle defends mask policy in answer to lawsuit
Giant Eagle is defending itself after a lawsuit filed by more than 30 people claims the grocery chain’s face mask policy is discriminatory toward disabled shoppers. In a response to a consolidated federal lawsuit that names 35 plaintiffs but specifically cites plaintiff Josiah Kostek, lawyers for Giant Eagle called for...
Drive-in theaters touted as ideal entertainment amid pandemic, but attendance flaggingVideo
Drive-in theaters are being touted as “masters of social distancing entertainment” even as attendance rates continue to taper off at many local theaters. Visit Pennsylvania, the state’s tourism website, released a list of the state’s 27 drive-in theaters describing them as “ready for their closeup” in the era of covid-19....
Gov. Wolf announces $50 million in grants for hazard bonuses to Pa. front-line workers
Pennsylvanians who are working in life-sustaining jobs during the coronavirus pandemic will be getting temporary pay increases, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Thursday. “These people deserve to be paid for the risks they’re taking for all of us,” Wolf said. The state will use $50 million of its federal pandemic stimulus...
Pennsylvania officials warn of dangers of hot cars for children, pets as temperatures rise
As the temperatures creep back into the 90s, the state Department of Health reminded people to never leave children, older adults, or pets in a hot vehicle. Infants, young children, people 65 years of age or older, people with chronic medical conditions, and people who work outdoors are at a...
Pennsylvania could integrate 6 state universities, including Cal U, Clarion, Edinboro, Slippery Rock
The financially struggling Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education on Thursday took the first step in a two-year redesign process that could see six of its 14 universities integrated into three operating units. The 20-member State System Board of Governors unanimously approved a resolution instructing Chancellor Daniel Greenstein to launch...
Western Pa. residents flock to campsites for safe, social-distanced summer fun
As people search for summer fun in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, camping has quickly become a popular alternative to bustling beaches and large crowds. At Ohiopyle State Park, park manager Kenneth Bisbee said attendance has skyrocketed this season. “Since the governor issued the stay-at-home order in March, our...
Police: Man fled into Fayette County woods with baby after assaulting mother
A Fayette County man was being held on $500,000 bail after allegedly assaulting a woman and fleeing into the woods with her year-old baby girl. State police filed several felony charges against Anthony Cronin, 34, of Brownsville, including aggravated assault, kidnapping, burglary, strangulation, unlawful restraint, attempted sexual assault, child endangerment,...
Levin to open its 1st furniture, mattress outlet in Ohio
Stocked with $3 million of furnishings from recently closed Levin stores, Levin Furniture Co. said Wednesday it will open its first furniture and mattress outlet in Niles, Ohio, on July 23. The 65,000-square-foot outlet on Holland Road in the former Gander Mountain store at Eastwood Mall, will be the 19th...
Butler man sentenced to 6 years in federal prison on drug, weapon charges
A Butler man has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison after a conviction on federal drug and weapons laws, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady announced Wednesday. Brandon “Bopp” Morris, 35, of Butler, according to court documents, provided three “bricks” of heroin and an ounce of crack cocaine to...
Man charged with Pittsburgh vandalism now charged with encouraging rioting in Butler
A Butler man charged last month for his alleged role in Downtown Pittsburgh vandalism during a protest now faces charges in his home county alleging he encouraged others on social media to rob, loot and riot at a Diamond Park protest. Jordan Erdos, 20, allegedly used social media in the...
About 50% of Pa. nursing homes still have not completed universal testing of residents, staff
With nine days to go before a July 24 deadline, about half of the state’s nursing homes have completed mandated testing of all residents and staff, according to data released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health on Wednesday. Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine on June 8, about five...
Gov. Wolf tightens restrictions on bars, restaurants as covid-19 surge continues
More restrictions on Pennsylvania bars and restaurants become effective Thursday in response to what Gov. Tom Wolf characterized as an “unsettling climb” of covid-19 cases in the state. “We’re already at a tipping point where we have to act now,” Wolf said, later adding, “This virus is saying, ‘I’m back.’...
