Regional News category, Page 280
Restaurant owners take issue with covid-19 rules, but aren’t ready to break them
Area restaurant owners have seen their sales slashed while restricted to takeout or delivery service during the covid-19 pandemic. But several say they don’t intend to go beyond guidelines of the governor’s phased plan for restarting the economy, because of the risk of penalties and out of consideration for their...
Governor: Ohio child care, camps, pools to reopen this month
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio day care centers and gyms, along with activities ranging from low-impact sports leagues to horse racing to swimming in public pools, will resume this month, the state’s top leaders said Thursday. State campgrounds will open May 21 and motor vehicle bureaus on May 26, although Lt....
Most inmates eligible for coronavirus-related reprieve remain in state prisons, data show
With more than 1,500 Pennsylvania prison inmates eligible for temporary reprieve, records show only about 10% have been granted it despite concerns over prisons becoming coronavirus hot spots because of their close quarters and the highly infectious nature of the virus. Gov. Tom Wolf in early April said 1,500 to...
Pennsylvania’s largest area code is finally reaching its limit
One of Pennsylvania’s four original area codes finally is getting a little too crowded. The state Public Utility Commission announced Thursday the 814 area code would be assigned a new overlay code of 582. The change also means residents who never needed to dial more than seven digits to make...
What you need to know as Southwestern Pennsylvania enters yellow phase
Most of Southwestern Pennsylvania, including Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, will move from the red phase to the yellow phase of the state’s tiered reopening plan Friday. Some restrictions put in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus will be eased or lifted. Here’s what you need to know: Do...
Fayette County driver dies after hitting deer
A Fayette County woman was killed Wednesday when her car hit a deer, state police said. Virginia L. Sexton, 72, of Hopwood, hit the deer just after midnight while traveling south on Route 119 near McClure Road in Upper Tyrone Township, not far from the Westmoreland County border, according to...
Recovered from covid-19, Rep. Mike Kelly donates plasma to help sick patients get better fasterVideo
U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly is grateful that he beat covid-19 without getting so sick or short of breath that he had to be hospitalized. But the affliction was not like any flu or illness the Butler Republican he’d experienced before. For weeks, Kelly, 72, felt debilitatingly exhausted. He had persistent...
U.S. Army Corps partially opening Crawford County lake facilities May 22
Some facilities at Woodcock Lake Park in Crawford County will open Memorial Day weekend, but the campground will remain closed for the summer, the Army Corps of Engineers in Pittsburgh said. On March 18, the U.S. Army Corps shut down all facilities at the park, which includes a 333-acre lake...
Western Pa. shooting ranges to reopen Friday
The Pennsylvania Game Commission announced it is reopening shooting ranges on state game lands Friday in counties being upgraded to yellow in the easing of pandemic restrictions. Regular hours of operation will resume on rifle, shotgun, pistol and archery ranges in Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Fulton, Greene,...
State police say they will continue to enforce closures through education
With multiple counties, including Beaver, vowing to rebel against Gov. Tom Wolf’s stay-at-home order — some with the backing of local district attorneys — state police maintained Wednesday that “a county doesn’t have the authority to supersede a governor’s order.” However, state police Lt. Col. Scott Price, deputy commissioner, said...
Drive-in theaters across Western Pa. set to open Friday
Drive-in movies theaters are set to open Friday across southwestern Pennsylvania as the state begins to loosen some coronavirus restrictions that have been in place since March. They include Evergreen Drive-In Theatre near Mt. Pleasant and Dependable in Moon. Others are Brownsville in Fayette County, Riverside in Armstrong County, Skyview...
Western Pa. liquor stores will reopen for in-person sales with some restrictions
More than 100 state liquor stores across Allegheny, Westmoreland and the surrounding counties will open for in-person sales Friday as the region moves into the yellow phase of its tiered reopening. The 155 Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores will open across the dozens of counties that have seen or...
Pittsburgh-area music, event promoters bide time during covid-19 pandemic
As most southwestern Pennsylvania counties prepare to begin loosening covid-19 restrictions and reopening their economies, event producers suspect it will be a while before they can resume staging events for large groups. “I think that the numbers of infected have to go down and the curve stays flattened and people...
19 students from Pittsburgh region earn National Merit Scholarships
Nineteen students in the Tribune-Review’s coverage area were announced among the winners of $2,500 National Merit Scholarships. Winners were selected from more than 15,000 candidates. In June and July, an additional 4,100 college-sponsored National Merit Scholarships will be announced. Here are the winners, their hometown mailing addresses and (high schools):...
Community foundations work to shore up nonprofit infrastructure to meet needs
Within days of the coronavirus shutdown in mid-March, community foundations kicked into high gear to shore up the nonprofit infrastructure of Southwestern Pennsylvania. From the 75-year-old Pittsburgh Foundation to a newer ring of smaller county and regional community foundations, there was little hesitation to reach out and tap donors to...
Zelienople cancels Memorial Day service, July 4th parade and Horse Trading Days
Zelienople Council voted Monday to cancel its public Memorial Day service, July 4th parade and fireworks and its annual Horse Trading Days slated for July 16-18. Council said in a news release that it “made some very difficult decisions given the covid-19 situation and felt it was in the best...
Eat’n Park’s CEO talks future of restaurant dining
Customers won’t physically see the smiles on the faces of Eat’n Park employees when the Pittsburgh-based restaurant chain eventually opens its doors for dine-in eating. Masks will cover them. “But they will be smiling,” said Jeffrey Broadhurst, president and CEO Eat’n Park Hospitality Group on a Zoom call with Pittsburgh...
Temp checks, face masks among things reopening day cares face during pandemic
Temperature checks at the door as well as masks, gloves and gowns to protect people from exposure to the coronavirus are some of the things parents can expect at day care centers as they reopen in the region. Kids shouldn’t bring their favorite stuffed animal, blanket or toy to the...
Texas firm eyes several Levin Furniture stores in bankruptcy deal
The Mt. Pleasant flagship store that was the foundation for the century-old Levin Furniture empire may reopen — but only as part of a new furniture chain under a pending bankruptcy court deal. A Texas-based private equity firm bid $6.7 million to buy leases and unsold furniture in 27 Art...
Pittsburgh food bank to host drive-up events at South Hills Village, Johnstown mall
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will host drive-up food distributions this week in the South Hills and Johnstown. The event in Johnstown will run from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the Johnstown Galleria. The distribution can accommodate 1,000 vehicles. Attendees are asked to begin lining up no earlier...
PennDOT to renew driver’s licenses with old photos during pandemic
A lot of people don’t like their driver’s license photo and, for the time being, Pennsylvanians won’t have to worry about taking one. PennDOT announced Tuesday it will use existing photos on file for customers who renew their driver’s license and identification card. The move is designed to lower the...
Goodbye to cold weather? Western Pa. is ‘trending toward summer’
As warmer temperatures move into the region this weekend, meteorologists predict the unseasonably cold weather will not return. “It’s one of those weekends we need,” said John Darnley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. Temperatures are expected to reach the upper 70s Saturday and Sunday, with likely...
3 more residents die of coronavirus at Kane’s Glen Hazel facility
Three more residents of Kane Community Living’s Glen Hazel location have died from the coronavirus, according to information from Allegheny County and Kane officials. Sixteen residents at the county-owned facility have died since the outbreak began. The Rivermont Drive facility is home to 174 residents, and 112 have been tested...
Passenger trains suspended on Pittsburgh-to-Philadelphia route until June 1
Amtrak extended its suspension of passenger rail service until June 1 on the Pennsylvanian route between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and the Keystone route between Harrisburg and Philadelphia, a PennDOT spokeswoman said. Amtrak previously announced that service would be suspended until May 18, said PennDOT spokeswoman Alexis Campbell. The state provides...
Air quality in Western Pa. showed slight improvement in pandemic shutdown
As coronavirus restrictions closed businesses and reduced road traffic during much of March and April, some of the country’s most polluted cities experienced better air quality. Los Angeles, notorious for its heavy smog, at one point reported the cleanest air among any major city worldwide. By some measures, Washington, D.C.,...
