Regional News category, Page 261
AG Shapiro, Sen. Casey won’t back down on Postmaster General, even as changes scrappedVideo
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s announcement that he is suspending changes to the postal system until after the November election was met with skepticism by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. The announcement Tuesday afternoon came as Shapiro and Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson were announcing a pair of multi-state federal...
Arts, cultural groups in Southwestern Pa. can apply for new pandemic relief grants
In response to the ongoing impacts of the covid-19 pandemic, a group of 15 foundations and a private Pittsburgh-area donor have announced the Arts|Equity|Reimagined Fundto help regional arts and cultural organizations weather the effects of the shutdown. The fund is open to all groups but “will prioritize small to medium-sized...
Flu vaccines are important, safe in midst of pandemic, experts say
With flu season rapidly approaching and covid-19 still spreading, health experts say it’s imperative — and safe — to get a flu shot this year. Dr. Marc Itskowitz, an internal medicine physician with Allegheny Health Network, said he recommends the flu vaccine this and every year. “It gives the immune...
Pennsylvania to launch ‘Covid Alert PA’ contact tracing appVideo
The Pennsylvania Department of Health will launch a mobile app in September that will use Bluetooth technology to assist state officials in contact tracing efforts, to curb the spread of covid-19. The state partnered with experts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Pennsylvania and the developer NearForm...
Owners of Live! Casino Pittsburgh release online gaming site prior to casino opening
A new online gaming site will give a “sneak peek” into two casinos being built on opposite ends of Pennsylvania, including one under construction at Westmoreland Mall. PlayLive!, which launched this week, features more than 100 gaming options, including classic slots and table games, along with online-only titles and jackpot...
Washington County shooting victim flown to Pittsburgh hospital
A person was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital after being shot in Washington County Monday night. The shooting at a home on East Lincoln Avenue in McDonald was reported shortly after 11 p.m., the Trib’s news partner, WPXI-TV, reported. There was no information on the person’s condition. McDonald police would...
Democratic National Convention strives to build enthusiasm despite going all-virtual
Pennsylvania’s political leaders, power brokers and delegates kicked off the Democratic National Convention as they usually do, with a breakfast event peppered with calls to action aimed at galvanizing support and momentum leading up to the presidential election. But the breakfast, like everything about the convention this year, was virtual....
Pa. to spend $10M on surplus produce, milk, more from farmers for struggling familiesVideo
The demand to get nutritious food to struggling families may have slowed slightly since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, but not much: At its Aug. 10 distribution day, Westmoreland County Food Bank officials estimate they served about 1,000 families. To continue that effort — and to lend a hand...
Scottdale Bank & Trust donates to local emergency service agencies
Eleven first responder agencies in Fayette and Westmoreland Counties have a few more dollars in their pockets thanks to Scottdale Bank & Trust. The bank’s unique First Responder Donation Program is meant to help fire companies, fire police organizations, ambulance agencies and other emergency service groups that have accounts with...
Jeannette woman, 76, missing overnight at Ohiopyle State Park found alive
“Doom and gloom” were setting in about 2 a.m. Monday as crews searched Ohiopyle State Park for a missing 76-year-old woman. The Jeannette woman had gone missing off Ferncliff Trail, where park rangers Chief John Kaminsky said there are some crevices and “unique dangers.” Their fears evaporated about 8:30 a.m.,...
McDonald man killed in Washington County ATV accident
A McDonald man was killed in an ATV accident on private property Sunday afternoon in Cecil Township, Washington County. Angelo Quaresima, 70, was driving a side-by-side ATV, lost control and rolled the ATV in the 500 block of Swihart Road, according to the office of the Washington County Coroner S....
Officials left wondering how many students will choose charter schools
School districts face a daunting future as they prepare for several possible scenarios for the coming year. But one looming question remains largely unanswered — how many students will switch to out-of-district cyber charter schools that have impacted school budgets for years? Surveys sent to families as reopening plans were...
Western Pa. women played pivotal roles in passage of 19th Amendment a century agoVideo
Tennessee tipped the scales to codify women’s suffrage in the U.S. Constitution 100 years ago Tuesday, becoming the 26th state to ratify the 19th Amendment on Aug. 18, 1920. Long before that, however, the battle to give women the right to vote played out in communities large and small. Women...
Pa. attorney general: Wrestling coaches pressured boys to share nude photos of underage classmates
Two Cambria County high school wrestling coaches were arrested Friday by agents from the state Attorney General’s Office for allegedly pressuring their student-athletes to share pornographic photographs of underage girls. Portage Area High School head wrestling coach Michael Anthony Fox, 33, of Cresson, and Bradley Paul Rousell, 31, of Portage,...
Week in review: Schools told to remain flexible; Pitt students move in; Post-Gazette employees authorize strikeVideo
Here were the biggest stories of the past week: Keep flexible Schools should remain consistent but flexible in how they educate students when school resumes at several districts later this month. State health officials said a spike in covid-19 cases may require districts to change how they teach students. The...
Pittsburgh Foundation ramps up for fund drive to benefit nonprofits as pandemic exacerbates needs
Dan Carney is growing more anxious by the day. Carney is executive director of the Union Mission, an agency that oversees a Latrobe homeless shelter and provides housing assistance in Westmoreland County. His phone keeps ringing these days with inquiries from residents hit by the coronavirus pandemic and the economic...
Sens. Casey, Toomey demand U.S. Health Secretary Azar take action to protect nursing homes
Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey are giving U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar until the end of the month to respond to their calls for urgent federal actions to protect residents of nursing homes during the pandemic. The bipartisan pair of Pennsylvania lawmakers requested that the Trump administration’s top public...
Allegheny College finishes fundraising campaign with $202 million
Allegheny College has raised more than $202 million, concluding a five-year-long fundraising campaign and setting a record as the college’s largest fundraising campaign ever. The campaign, called “Our Allegheny: Our Third Century Quest,” was officially launched during the college’s bicentennial celebration in 2015 with a goal of raising $200 million....
Community Bank names John Montgomery president and CEO
CB Financial Services, Inc., the parent company of Community Bank, on Friday announced the appointment of John H. Montgomery as its new president and CEO, replacing Barron “Pat” McCune, Jr. McCune, a longtime Community Bank officer who led the bank from 2005 until 2018, came out of retirement in January...
Slippery Rock, McKeesport school districts contend in lawsuits that Juul created ‘youth vaping epidemic’
Slippery Rock and McKeesport Area school districts have filed lawsuits against the makers of Juul vape products, alleging their marketing tactics have created an epidemic of harmful e-cigarette use among students. The districts are the fifth and sixth area districts to file federal lawsuits against the company. Lawsuits filed by...
Salvation Army’s Back-to-School Bash Drive-Through to provide essentials for students
The Salvation Army is hosting a Back-to-School Bash Drive-Through on Saturday to provide back-to-school essentials for local students. Advance registration is required. Students will receive backpacks, gently used clothes and shoes, and snacks. A limited number of onsite haircuts will also be available for students. The event is scheduled from...
Fayette County court assistant, law clerk accused of defrauding widow, late husband
A Fayette County courthouse law clerk and court administration assistant, along with three others, were charged Thursday in connection with a scheme that police said defrauded the widow of a Smock man. Ryan Joseph Marshall, 30, and Tammy Sue Cable, 51, both of Uniontown, are charged with numerous counts, including...
Dozens of clergy sex abuse lawsuits filed in Allegheny, Westmoreland courts as possible deadline looms
More than two dozen lawsuits that allege sexual abuses by priests were filed Thursday ahead of what lawyers suggest could be a deadline to file legal action two years after the release of a grand jury report that detailed claims involving Catholic dioceses throughout Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh lawyer Alan Perer filed...
Allergy season plagues Western Pennsylvania, thanks to grass, ragweed, pollution
Seasonal allergies are plaguing Western Pennsylvania again this year with ragweed pollen on the rise. Dr. Thomas Mertz, an allergist at Allergy and Asthma Associates of Pittsburgh, said this allergy season seems to be severe as mid-August arrives. Mertz blamed poor air quality and lots of pollen for the severe...
Large crowds taking toll on Pennsylvania state parks
In the late 1800s, Ohiopyle State Park’s 100-acre Ferncliff Peninsula was home to a boardwalk, bowling alley and hotel along the Youghiogheny River. The small resort eventually closed as automobiles replaced rail transportation to the small Fayette County town, allowing the natural landscape to return. Decades later, Ferncliff Peninsula Natural...
