Regional News category, Page 274
State reports 463 new covid-19 cases, 49 more deaths
Pennsylvania Health Department officials on Saturday reported 49 more covid-19 deaths and 463 additional cases, bringing the state’s total number of cases to 78,462. There have been 6,211 people in the state who have died from the virus. More than 5,900 of the total cases are in health care workers....
Range Resources to pay $50,000 in fines and $100,000 in contributions for Washington County well violations
Range Resources, a major driller in the region’s Marcellus Shale industry, pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of negligent oversight of Washington County well sites and will pay $50,000 in fines and $100,000 in contributions to the Washington County watershed funds, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Friday. The...
Turnpike traffic delays expected as lighting project begins in Somerset County
Motorists taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset County can expect overnight delays starting Monday as a lighting replacement project gets underway. The Turnpike Commission says single-lane patterns and two-way traffic go into effect for the next eight months at the Allegheny Tunnel located at milepost 122. Crews will be putting...
Somerset County coroner to recall work at Flight 93 crash scene
Longtime Somerset County Coroner Wally Miller will be the guest speaker as the Friends of Flight 93 kicks off its annual speaker series at 7 p.m. Thursday . The initial lecture this year will be digital as the Flight 93 National Memorial Visitor Center and Learning Center remain closed as...
Libraries experiment with opening strategies as they resume services
Area libraries are slowly resuming services as they figure out how to operate in the age of coronavirus. “People are so excited. Many of them are just grateful to see their librarians in person,” said Marilyn Jenkins, executive director of the Allegheny County Library Network. The State Library of Pennsylvania...
Tractor-trailer driver dies in I-70 crash in Washington County
A tractor-trailer driver from Indiana died in a Friday morning crash on Interstate 70 in Washington County, according to the coroner’s office. Phillip A. Keesling, 59, of Straughn, Ind. was headed east near the I-79 junction in South Strabane Township around 1:05 a.m. before losing control, driving down an embankment...
Lower Burrell man to be ordained a priest by Greensburg Diocese
Mark Dunmire is preparing for a rather unusual ordination to the priesthood. Dunmire, a deacon, will be ordained as a priest by Bishop Edward C. Malesic at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg at 10 a.m. Saturday. The church will be mostly empty. Because of covid-19 concerns, only his family will...
Nina Ahmad declares primary win over Michael Lamb in state auditor general race
Former Philadelphia Deputy Mayor Nina Ahmad declared victory Thursday over her closest competitor, Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb, in a six-way Democratic primary race for Pennsylvania auditor general. As of Thursday afternoon, Ahmad led Lamb by more than 80,000 votes with all but one voting district in Pennsylvania reporting, according to...
Feds to fine Brighton nursing home at least $62K for coronavirus response
Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center is facing more than $62,000 in fines related to a federal investigation into how the Beaver County facility handled the coronavirus pandemic. The fines are related to infection control issues at the facility. “Some of the deficiencies we found was that PPE (protective personal equipment)...
Tanisha Long is building a Black Lives Matter movement for all of Southwestern Pa.
Tanisha Long’s voice was still hoarse two days after leading and organizing a peaceful Black Lives Matter rally at Point State Park on June 7. “It’s my protesty voice. Just part of it, I guess,” she said. She then moved on to the topic of the day: how and why...
2 killed in Washington County crash – Jun. 11, 2020
Two people were killed early Wednesday in a one-vehicle crash in Washington County, according to the coroner. Kacey Coen Shuba, 20, of Washington, was driving on Paxton Farm Road in Chartiers Township when she lost control and hit a tree. Coroner Tim Warco said the crash happened sometime between 1...
Gov. Wolf updates guidance on outdoor recreation in Pennsylvania
Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday updated guidelines on the types of outdoor recreation that businesses may offer during the yellow and green phases of the state’s reopening plan. Wolf’s new guidance will permit additional outdoor recreational activities in counties that are in the yellow phase. These activities include mountain biking,...
Mon Valley-based music academy hosts online Sunday concerts
The Allies band will take the virtual stage at 2 p.m. Sunday for a concert sponsored by the Mon Valley Academy for the Arts and its Power of Music affiliate. The music can be heard on MVAA’s Facebook page. An MVAA board member also will host a Facebook watch party,...
Westmoreland towns may delay road work over covid-19 impact on liquid fuels tax
Municipalities across the state could be forced to delay road projects in the coming year after PennDOT’s liquid fuels tax took a hit during the coronavirus pandemic. The amount raised from the 57-cent-per-gallon tax for this year, about $486 million, is expected to drop in 2021 after fuel prices plunged...
Pa. insurance officials say damage to businesses by protests, looting, is likely covered
Damage caused to businesses by protests and looting is covered by many insurance policies, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department said as it issued guidance to help those dealing with the issue. The department provided information for businesses trying to understand how and when they can file claims after damage from riots,...
4 casinos in region reopen with safety measures; 5th reopens Friday
The familiar ping of slot machines returned to four casinos in the region after a three-month closure due to public safety concerns caused by the coronavirus. The Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Washington County joined the Rivers Casino on Pittsburgh’s North Shore Tuesday as they reopened since being ordered to...
‘Bubba Show’ gives canceled high school musicals a showcase
Hundreds of students were disappointed when spring high school musicals were canceled due to the covid-19 pandemic, but a few of them have been able to share their songs over the airwaves, thanks to the “Bubba Show” on 100.7 Star. Since May 20, one young performer has been featured each...
Municipalities across Pittsburgh region face bleak budget forecasts in wake of coronavirus
Buffeted by stay-at-home orders and growing unemployment, Pennsylvania municipalities are facing a revenue hole that could result in fewer police and firefighters, more potholes and crumbling highways, as well as shuttered parks and pools. As many as 249 municipalities across the state, including 112 in the 10-county southwestern region, will not...
Allegheny Health Network to allow limited visitors at hospitals
Effective immediately, inpatient, observation, surgery and emergency department patients at Allegheny Health Network hospitals are permitted to have one healthy support person on site during visitation hours. As phased measures are implemented by state and local governments to adapt to evolving conditions of the covid-19 outbreak, AHN on Tuesday announced...
USPS seeking to hire rural carriers at $18.56 an hour
The United States Postal Service has numerous openings for rural carrier associate positions throughout Western Pennsylvania . The positions pay $18.56 an hour and are paid bi-weekly, according to postal service spokeswoman Jill Walters. Interested applicants can only apply online at usps.com/careers. From the website, applicants can click “Search Jobs,”...
Jobless benefits to come via debit card to help prevent identity theft
Pennsylvania will distribute jobless benefits through a debit card sent in the mail over the next few weeks rather than a direct deposit into recipients’ bank accounts in an effort to counter identity theft attempts, state officials said Monday. The state Department of Labor & Industry has been issuing paper...
State giving small businesses $225M to offset covid-19 losses
The state plans to provide $225 million in grants to small businesses that lost money during the government-ordered shutdowns from March through May and had to spend money to adapt their operations to prevent the spread of covid-19. “The shutdown has had a terrible negative effect. We hope we can...
Cal U reorganizes academic colleges, departments
California University of Pennsylvania will consolidate colleges and departments in a move officials said will streamline academic operations and save $700,000 a year. Plans call for the consolidation of three undergraduate colleges to form the College of Education and Liberal Arts and the Eberly College of Science and Technology. The...
2 women rescued from Yough River after 1 swept away by current in Ohiopyle
A 20-year-old woman who was swept away by the Youghiogheny River current Sunday in Ohiopyle State Park was rescued by a 21-year-old woman in her group, according to park manager Ken Bisbee. The two women were able to get to safety on a rock just before the 20-foot-high falls near...
Trib Total Media big winner in SPJ contest
Trib Total Media was named the overall best daily newspaper in Pennsylvania in the Society of Professional Journalists Keystone Chapter’s Excellence in Journalism contest for 2019. It was the second consecutive year the Trib won the organization’s top award. “We are humbled by this recognition from such a prestigious, time-honored...
