Regional News category, Page 287
State awards $5.1M in grants to aid with remote learning during school closure
Nearly 100 school districts and schools statewide are getting part of nearly $5.1 million in state grants to help pay for remote learning efforts while classrooms are closed during the covid-19 pandemic. The grants can be used to buy laptops, tablets and internet hot spots; paper, postage and shipping; and...
Flight from Erie to Chicago with no passengers symbolic of travel decline
A United Airlines flight to Chicago that left Erie Wednesday morning with no passengers aboard is symbolic of the continuing decline in air travel. Air travel nationwide is down 96 percent from early March as the coronavirus pandemic prompts growing numbers of Americans to cancel travel plans. Flights at Erie...
During a pandemic, a simple cough can turn into a weapon
A woman coughs on a state trooper and claims she has coronavirus. A man coughs on a medical employee who is wearing a mask, telling her the mask won’t help her. The pandemic surging across the country has turned into a sick joke — and perhaps something more sinister —...
Lawsuit claims IUP manager fired for notifying staff of possible covid-19 exposure
A former supervisor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania claims in a lawsuit he was fired for telling employees a fellow worker had been exposed to coronavirus. Donald Woolslayer, the school’s director of facilities since 2016, claims he was terminated on March 31 — the day after he emailed a notification...
Pennsylvania reports 58 more coronavirus deaths as total cases top 35,000
The coronavirus death toll in Pennsylvania has surpassed 1,600 as the total number of positive cases rose by 1,156, state health officials reported Wednesday. The 58 new deaths bring the statewide total to 1,622. That includes 1,325 confirmed deaths and 297 probable deaths. Department of Health officials are defining confirmed...
Adoptions down at Western Pennsylvania animal shelters
Adoptions are down at animal shelters across Western Pennsylvania, in part because fewer animals are available for adoption during the coronavirus pandemic. That could change with the arrival of “kitten season,” the feline breeding season that starts in the spring and typically floods shelters with homeless or unwanted cats. Cody...
Donora widow recounts husband’s sudden health decline, death from covid-19
Rebecca Taquino says she knows it’s difficult to stay home, to forgo seeing family and friends, to sit still as spring fever sets in. It’s an inconvenience, she knows. But it’s not like planning your husband’s funeral. Devin Taquino, of Donora, died April 10, a little more than two weeks...
Regional AAA picks North Huntingdon woman as new president
A former University of Pittsburgh Medical Center executive is the first woman to lead the regional chapter of the American Automobile Association. Teresa “Terri” Petrick, 62, of North Huntingdon, was named president of the AAA East Central region as of April 1, the East Liberty-based organization said Tuesday. She is...
Face masks required in federal courthouses in Pittsburgh, Erie, Johnstown
Those entering federal courthouses in the Western District of Pennsylvania will have to wear face coverings, according to an order issued Tuesday by Chief Judge Mark R. Hornak. Hornak said the order is meant to protect the health and safety of those doing business in the courthouses. It is in...
Report: Nearly all Pa. restaurants made layoffs during pandemic; more closures expected
Nearly all Pennsylvania restaurants have laid off employees during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey by the National Restaurant Association. Primanti Brothers furloughed more than 1,500 employees across its nearly 40 locations, though it has since hired several hundred back, according to Adam Golomb, the Pittsburgh-based chain’s chief marketing...
UPMC to test all patients for covid-19, even those without symptoms
Health giant UPMC will begin testing all asymptomatic patients for covid-19 as it looks to clear the way for restarting some of its shuttered but medically necessary surgeries. Officials at the Pittsburgh-based health system announced Tuesday the universal testing will begin with all patients requiring hospitalization for surgery or other...
Gov. Wolf: Increase in coronavirus testing needed before large-scale reopening of Pennsylvania
A day after Gov. Tom Wolf laid the groundwork for a gradual reopening of businesses in Pennsylvania, he warned in a call with reporters Tuesday that a much more robust coronavirus testing system will need to be in place for any wide reopening of the state. “We are working with...
Freezing conditions could kill plants, burst pipes, weather service warns
A freeze warning will be in effect from midnight to 10 a.m. Wednesday. Temperatures in the upper 20s are expected, according to the National Weather Service. The warning covers parts of Western Pennsylvania, east-central Ohio and northern West Virginia. The cold will kill crops and other sensitive vegetation and could...
Pennsylvania refines coronavirus reporting, adding 360 deaths as total tops 1,500
Pennsylvania’s coronavirus death toll pushed past 1,500 on Tuesday as state health officials continue to refine how they are reporting cases and deaths. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said 360 new deaths related to covid-19 were reported throughout the day Monday. The number of deaths statewide now stands at 1,564....
Federal officials now requiring nursing homes to report all coronavirus cases
Federal officials have ordered nursing homes to report all coronavirus cases to residents, their families and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new regulation was announced Sunday by President Donald Trump and Seema Verma, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The move comes amid growing...
$425,000 Cash 5 ticket sold at Fayette County convenience store
A Pennsylvania Lottery Cash 5 ticket worth $425,000 was sold at a Fayette County convenience store, according to state lottery officials. The winning ticket matched all five balls drawn, 01-12-22-33-34, to win the jackpot for April 19. Prokopovitch Pitt Stop Market, located along Route 201 in Fayette City, will receive...
Report: Pittsburgh region among worst in nation for air quality
The Pittsburgh region was again ranked among the worst regions in the nation for air quality by the American Lung Association. Allegheny County received straight “F” grades for air quality. The association’s yearly State of the Air report, released Tuesday, evaluated air quality data from the three-year period from 2016...
Low gas prices likely to continue after shutdowns end, analyst says
An unprecedented decline in demand is “dismantling expensive gas prices everywhere,” an industry analyst says. The national average has been declining for two months, said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for the price-tracking service GasBuddy. “With oil again at new multi-decade lows, we still have room for prices to...
Pennsylvania liquor stores begin call-in orders with some confusion
Hopeful customers of Pennsylvania’s liquor stores were frustrated and confused Monday after hitting several barriers in their attempts to buy alcohol over the phone. As noon arrived, many customers were greeted by busy signals when they tried to get through on phone lines. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board announced Saturday...
Gov. Wolf says Pennsylvania economy will gradually start to reopen May 8
Pennsylvania will begin reopening its economy gradually on May 8, Gov. Tom Wolf said Monday. “We are taking small steps toward regaining a degree of normalcy in Pennsylvania,” Wolf said. As the start to what the governor called a “measured, common-sense” approach, Wolf announced a few initial steps toward lifting...
4/20 celebrations canceled, but marijuana sales strong during pandemic
Coronavirus may have prevented any parties celebrating 4/20 — the unofficial holiday of marijuana — but legal pot sales in Pennsylvania remain strong during the pandemic. “Now you have things like stimulus checks hitting,” said Chris Kohan, co-founder of The Healing Center, which has dispensaries in Monroeville, Washington and Cranberry....
Police: Jeannette man struck, killed on Pa. Turnpike
A 44-year-old Jeannette man was killed early Sunday after being hit by a semitruck on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Beaver County, state police said. Christopher Elliott was pronounced dead by the Beaver County coroner around 2:20 a.m. According to a police report, Elliott was standing in the right westbound lane...
High schools plan graduation ceremonies through uncertainty of a pandemic
It’s a challenge to stay optimistic, but Lauren Michaels, 18, is doing her best. The Kiski Area High School senior was disappointed when she learned schools would not reopen this academic school year. She doesn’t mind finishing her courses online, but the prospect of missing out on certain year-end rites...
Pa. deaths from coronavirus jump to 1,112, the result of reporting changes, officials say
More than 275 additional people in Pennsylvania have died from covid-19, bringing the statewide total to 1,112, state health department officials said Sunday. The Health Department said the majority of the 276 new deaths reported did not occur overnight and are a culmination of data being collected through different reporting...
Self-employed, independent contractors, others can now get state, federal jobless benefits
Pennsylvania’s self-employed workers and independent contractors can now file applications for unemployment benefits. The state’s Department of Labor and Industry said Saturday that workers who were previously ineligible for unemployment compensation will be permitted to seek benefits for wages lost because of the coronavirus pandemic. Department officials said state residents...
