Regional category, Page 261
Comcast offering free Wi-Fi for rest of year as nation works to reopen amid coronavirus
Comcast will keep its public Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots open to everyone, including non-Xfinity customers, for the remainder of the year, the company said Thursday. The provider in March announced it would open access to its 1.5 million hotspots to anyone amid the coronavirus pandemic. “We saw a huge jump in...
Here’s where to see fireworks in Western Pa.
Although many public Fourth of July celebrations have been canceled because of crowd size restrictions, fireworks will light up the skies in various places around Western Pennsylvania. The area’s largest show, over Point State Park in Pittsburgh, is off for this year, but here are some alternatives: Beaver County Beaver...
Pitt to host virtual talk on coronavirus, future of public health
The University of Pittsburgh will host a virtual seminar Friday titled “Covid-19 and the Future of Public Health.” The talk will explore how covid-19 compares to other public health crises, like the polio outbreaks of the 1940s and ’50s. The seminar, hosted by Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health, will...
Pa. Game Commission’s turkey count starts July 1
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking residents to count and report the wild turkeys they spot from July 1 through August. Like the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, wildlife agencies and organizations rely on a cadre of volunteers to survey large geographic areas. The commission participates in a national population survey...
Indiana County man charged in robbery, shooting on same day
Police charged an Indiana man with involvement in a drive-by shooting in the borough and an armed robbery in neighboring White Township, both occurring on Tuesday. State police said Thomas Edward Lindsay, 20, was taken into custody without incident Wednesday at a residence in the township. He is charged with...
GNC files for bankruptcy, plans to close up to 1,200 stores
Pittsburgh-based health and wellness retailer GNC Corp. filed for bankruptcy and plans to close 800 to 1,200 stores, including several in Western Pennsylvania, unless it finds a buyer willing to pay at least $760 million under an agreement with lenders. Saying the covid-19 pandemic “had a dramatic negative impact on...
Pittsburgh Professional Women helps businesses through pandemic
For 15 years, the organization Pittsburgh Professional Women has been dedicated to helping women excel in business. This year, it set its sights on helping them get through the coronavirus pandemic. “Anytime you find yourself in a frustrating situation where you have no control, you just have to look at...
Pitt survey gauges Western Pa. family needs during covid-19
The University of Pittsburgh Department of Pediatrics is spearheading a survey to recognize and respond to family needs during the covid-19 pandemic. The Family Strengths Survey is an anonymous survey designed to improve covid-19 response efforts. A new version of the survey launches every Friday. People are encouraged to take...
Allegheny County leads state in mail-in balloting; more expected in November
Faced with the coronavirus pandemic and the prospect of long lines at sharply reduced polling places, Allegheny County voters led the state in embracing Pennsylvania’s new mail-in voting option. A new report by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania found nearly one in three Allegheny County voters requested a mail-in ballot...
Pennsylvania Turnpike reopens between New Castle and Cranberry exits following crash
A section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike reopened Tuesday afternoon between the New Castle and Cranberry exits after crews repaired a bridge that was struck by a tractor-trailer. The crash happened shortly before 9 a.m. at milepost 13.3. Turnpike spokeswoman Renee Vid Colborn said there were no injuries when the rig...
Annual ‘Fireworks Over Fayette’ will go on without festival
While organizers will skip the festival that usually accompanies it, the annual “Fireworks Over Fayette” display will take place on June 28. Fayette Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Muriel Nuttall said chamber officials had concerns about going ahead with the event. “Our show costs upwards of $10,000 each year and...
Ford City dog learns to retrieve rocks from riverVideo
Sit. Stay. Roll over. Swim 7 miles and dive to the bottom of the river to retrieve rocks. These are just a few of the tricks that Diesel, a pit bull mix, has mastered. Sara Burk and her family fostered pets through Orphans of the Storm Shelter near Kittanning. She...
Juvenile bald eagle tangled in fishing line found dead at Raystown Lake
A juvenile bald eagle tangled in fishing line and lures was recently found dead along Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County, south central Pennsylvania. “We’re saddened by the death of the eagle,” said Allen Gwinn, park ranger at the 28-mile long Army Corps of Engineers recreational lake next to a flood-control...
Rising demand continues to push gas prices higher, analyst says
Gas prices in the Pittsburgh area jumped by nearly 8 cents a gallon in the past week, according to the price-tracking service GasBuddy. The average is now $2.42 a gallon, up 7.9 cents in the past week, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 731 stations. That’s 11 cents a gallon more...
Pennsylvania hopes to avoid coronavirus surge seen in other states
It’s almost inevitable that the gradual reopening of Pennsylvania will lead to more coronavirus cases, but state officials and health experts are hopeful it won’t create a surge like those under way in other parts of the country. “Any amount of social interaction, any opening is going to give you...
Uniontown cop flown to W.Va. hospital after crash, 2nd person also hurt
Two people, including a Uniontown police officer, were hurt in a crash Sunday evening on East Fayette Street, according to authorities. The police officer was flown to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va. by medical helicopter Sunday evening for treatment, according to a Fayette County 911 dispatcher. Police said...
PennDOT now booking appointments for driver license exams
Drivers — including motorcyclists — can begin scheduling exams online to obtain their license, PennDOT announced. The skills test portion of the exam also has been modified to reduce the chances that coronavirus spreads between people taking the exam and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation staff. The agency announced these safety...
Saturday marks the summer solstice, the longest day of the year
Fifteen hours, 3 minutes and 49 seconds. That’s how much daylight the Pittsburgh region will see today during the summer solstice — the official start of summer and longest day of the year, when the sun takes the northernmost path through the sky. The result is short nights, early dawns...
Week-in-review: Covid-19 impacts, woman survives beating, talent showcased, bears sightedVideo
Impacts of the covid-19 pandemic continued to be felt in various ways in the Pittsburgh area in the past week, with a major grocer facing lawsuits over requiring customers to wear face masks and a steel company saying it needs to lay off workers as it adjusts to meet slowing...
Brighton nursing home put majority of residents in ‘immediate jeopardy’ amid covid-19 outbreak, state survey says
Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center put a majority of its hundreds of residents in “immediate jeopardy” and potentially exposed healthy residents to covid-19 as recently as early May, records show. State health inspectors cited the already-embattled Beaver County nursing home for more than four dozen violations related to improper infection...
34 million criminal cases now removed from public view under Pa.’s Clean Slate law
More than 34 million criminal cases have been removed from public records under the Pennsylvania’s Clean Slate law, state court officials say. The law, the first of its kind in the United States, was implemented last June and provides for the automatic expungement of public records pertaining to low-level crimes...
Police: Indiana County woman cited after mask incident at Giant Eagle
An Indiana County woman was cited this week after state police said she yelled profanities at employees and pushed a shopping cart into a produce display after refusing to wear a mask inside a Giant Eagle. Troopers said they were called Sunday to the grocery store on Ben Franklin Road...
PNC commits $1 billion to programs, efforts to stem systemic racism
PNC Financial Services officials on Thursday announced a $1 billion commitment to programs and efforts that would “end systemic racism and support economic empowerment of African Americans and low- and moderate-income communities.” The commitment includes $50 million in charitable support for local and national work promoting social justice, expanding financial...
Consumer Advocate: Columbia Gas 18% rate hike request seeks ‘large profit margin’
Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania’s 436,000 customers counties could be hit with a nearly 18% rate hike next year if the state agency overseeing utilities approves the requested increase. Columbia Gas said it is seeking to generate $100.4 million annually to pay for replacing and upgrading aging underground pipelines. The gas...
They stopped to smell (and pick) the flowers Thursday at a farm in Peters Township
A number of people took advantage of a perfect day Thursday as summer approaches to pick their own flowers and fruits at Simmons Farm in Peters Township. The family-owned, 150-acre farm has been in operation for 75 years. It offers pick-your-own flowers, sweet corn, strawberries, apples, peaches and pumpkins....
