Regional category, Page 258

The water is being filled. Come next week, splashing and fun — socially distanced, of course — should return to Youngwood Park N Pool. “Once the chemicals are balanced, we’ll be ready to open,” said Ed Christofano, president of the Westmoreland County pool. “We’re excited.” The Youngwood pool will be...

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will again grant an extension for the expiration of driver’s licenses, identification cards and learner’s permits because of the continuing covid-19 restrictions. Driver’s licenses, photo ID cards and learner’s permits set to expire on March 16 or after have been extended until June 30. Gov....

A federal judge Wednesday signed an order green-lighting Mt. Pleasant native Robert Levin’s plan to begin reviving the century-old family furniture chain he sold three years ago. Judge Christopher Sontchi’s order filed in U.S. District Bankruptcy Court in Delaware approved Levin’s $25.7 million bid to buy back the Levin brand...

The northern goshawk is an agile, secretive type of hawk with a long tail, gray and white body and intense orange to red eyes. With its population declining, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking anyone who catches the rare glimpse of these large raptors or knows where they nest to...

A Duquesne University administrator has been named to Pennsylvania’s Judicial Conduct Board. A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court said the court has appointed the Rev. James P. McCloskey to a four-year term on the 12-member board. McCloskey is a senior adviserto Duquesne University President Ken Gormley. The Judicial Conduct...

At least seven lawsuits have been filed against Giant Eagle claiming the grocery store chain’s mask policy during the coronavirus pandemic is discriminatory toward disabled shoppers who cannot wear them. The customers filed the lawsuits in federal court under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In a statement Wednesday, Giant Eagle...

The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Wednesday reported 113 new deaths and 780 additional cases of the coronavirus. The state has now had 69,417 total cases and 5,265 deaths. Deaths have been recorded in 54 of the state’s 67 counties, and every county has had a positive case. More than...

Sheetz is going one better on the classic summer combination of a hot dog and a cold brew. The Altoona-based convenience store chain has announced the release of Project Hop Dog, a new, limited-edition craft beer brewed in partnership with Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co. of Bucks County. “Now available at...

Pennsylvania’s farmers and ranchers who have lost revenue because of the covid-19 pandemic can apply for federal aid to compensate for their losses. The federal government is making $16 billion available for agricultural producers through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. The direct payments to farmers and producers are limited to...

About $10.6 billion in unemployment compensation and special federal covid-19 funding has been distributed to Pennsylvania’s jobless workers since businesses deemed nonessential were shut down in mid-March, officials said Tuesday. Of that money, $6.2 billion came through regular unemployment compensation, while $3.8 billion comprised extra $600 weekly payments funded by...

Virtual public meetings are planned to allow citizens to learn about and comment on transportation improvements proposed in Southwestern Pennsylvania through 2024. Since large gatherings are on hold during the covid-19 pandemic, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission will instead livestream public input sessions on the draft 2021-24 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)....

This year marked the second consecutive Memorial Day where Western Pennsylvanians have roasted, with hotter-than-average temperatures expected to hang around until the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service. “We’ve got this area of high pressure, basically right over us,” said meteorologist John Darnley. “It’s creating a...

The average price of gasoline rose in the Pittsburgh area and across the nation on higher demand as states relax covid-19 restrictions. “As long as covid-19 cases continue to drop over time … I suspect it is only a matter of time before (the national) average price hits the $2...

Patricia and Robert Vince could have let grief consume them when their son, Zachary, died 15 days after his birth. Instead, the Greensburg couple reached out to help others. Over the years, they’ve built a lasting memorial to their middle son and assisted thousands of families with medically fragile children...

Pennsylvania’s top health official said Tuesday that cases of covid-19 continue to “trend downward” and, highlighting a new statistic being released by the state, estimated that more than three-fifths of the people sickened by the virus have recovered. The state Department of Health reported 13 more covid-19 deaths and 451...

Students of all ages have been adversely affected by the covid-19 pandemic, but educators say the stakes are especially high for kindergartners and preschool-aged children. “Imagine being 5 and this is your world. What will be ‘normal’ to this generation of kindergartners?” said Michilene Pegher, principal of Minadeo Elementary in...

A Fairchance man is accused of fatally shooting another man Sunday afternoon at a Fayette County restaurant. State police charged Justin D. Rittacco, 21, with criminal homicide in connection to the shooting that happened before 4:30 p.m. at the Long John Silver’s restaurant on Morgantown Road in South Union. Police...

The 2020 Memorial Day Commemoration Ceremony at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies was closed to the public Sunday in Cecil Township, but the media was allowed to document the ceremony while abiding by social distancing guidelines because of the coronavirus pandemic....

The Beaver County Coroner has identified a body found Saturday in the Ohio River as missing fisherman Kenneth Robinson. The 23-year-old Robinson, of Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood section, died by accidental drowning, Coroner David J Gabauer confirmed Sunday. His body was recovered by the Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge, according to a Beaver County 911...

Pennsylvania on Sunday reported 28 more covid-19 deaths and 730 additional cases, bringing the state’s total number of cases to 67,713, according to state health officials. A total of 5,124 people have died from the virus. Those deaths have been reported in 54 of the state’s 67 counties. Positive cases...

State police said troopers took cover behind their cruiser Friday when a Butler County man allegedly pointed a rifle at them. State police said in a press release that Butler patrol units went to Bonniebrook Road in Summit Township shortly before 2 p.m. because of a dispute between neighbors. Troopers...

The unofficial start of summertime has arrived. The season of warm weather, sunglasses and shorts stretches out in front of us, an annual rite as the days grow longer and porch furniture reappears. But the days of filling up calendars with festivals and concerts are in the past, at least...

Rob Domenick has become a magnet for war honor rolls. He knows all the right places to look, scouring Pennsylvania communities for memorials small and large to help with a national American Legion project. “You have to look for the right kind of community,” said Domenick of Hempfield. “Little places,...

Visitors to Ohiopyle State Park over Memorial Day weekend will experience traffic delays caused by road repaving and work on the Route 381 bridge over the Youghiogheny River. The state hoped the $12.4 million multimodal project in Ohiopyle would be finished by June 12, but the completion date was pushed...

The Northern Snakehead fish, an aggressive invasive species that displaces local fish, has moved deeper into Pennsylvania’s lower Susquehanna River outside of Lancaster. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) issued a statement Friday urging anglers to report and kill any invasive Northern Snakehead caught in the lower Susquehanna River....