Regional News category, Page 347
Lyme Disease Awareness Month brings warnings and tips to stave off ticks
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. As ticks are known carriers of Lyme disease, tick bites can be debilitating with symptoms including fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, joint pain and, possibly, a bullseye rash. If you are outdoors in southwestern Pennsylvania, taking the following precautions can prevent tick bites and...
Here’s your chance to shape transportation projects for the next 30 years
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, the regional planning agency for a 10-county area, is soliciting public comment on a draft transportation plan called “SmartMoves for a Changing Region.” The document identifies roadway, transit and multimodal transportation priorities for southwestern Pennsylvania over the next 25-30 years. Accompanying “SmartMoves for a Changing Region”...
State police in Somerset seeking man in assault
State Police in Somerset are asking the public’s help locating a 33-year-old man accused of assaulting a woman in rural Shade Township Wednesday. Trooper Clifford Greenfield said police are looking for Justin Wade Hartman of Central City, who is wanted on multiple criminal charges including aggravated assault. Greenfield said Hartman...
Police: Adult was aggressor in Washington theater shooting that injured teen
State police in Washington allege that a 53-year-old Waynesburg man was the instigator in a fight with a group of teenagers last month that ended with one boy shot in the leg. Chris Allan Williams faces a slew of charges in the March 23 incident, including two felony counts of...
Cranberry police: 2 Georgia men busted for stealing, counterfeiting checks from mail
Two men from Georgia have been arrested by Cranberry police on charges they stole mail containing checks and used the information to create counterfeits that were exchanged for cash, according to authorities. Quentavious Price, 32, of Lithonia, Ga., and Xavier Ferguson, 24, of Jonesboro, Ga., are accused stealing outgoing mail...
Mars school board OKs agreement with Adams for ‘hybrid’ school police force
The Mars Area School Board has approved a one-year agreement with Adams Township to create a school police force. School board President Dayle Ferguson said the goal is to have an armed officer in every school for the start of the 2019-20 school year. “We have come to the conclusion...
Graduate student union organizers file unfair labor charges against Pitt
Organizers who sought to unionize graduate student workers at the University of Pittsburgh said the university’s hardball tactics during a union election last month prevented “free and fair” balloting. In a complaint filed Wednesday, the United Steelworkers alleged Pitt engaged in unfair labor practices and asked the Pennsylvania Labor Relations...
Police seize estimated $2M in heroin from SUV on turnpike in Somerset CountyVideo
State police this week seized an estimated $2 million of suspected heroin after pulling over an SUV driven by a Philadelphia woman along the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset County. Ana Rodriguez Gonzalez, 41, was stopped by the Troop A Community Enforcement Team for an undisclosed traffic violation along the toll...
Youth Dairy Day in Indiana County to focus on careers, trends in dairy industry
One of three Youth Dairy Days across the state will be held at the Indiana County Fairgrounds, 803 Hospital Road, Indiana, on June 10. The event, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., is designed for young people ages 5-18 who want to learn more about careers in the dairy...
Romanian pleads guilty in Washington County ATM skimming scheme
A Romanian pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to him and others installing skimming devices on ATM machines in Washington County. Elvis E. Roman withdrew his November not guilty plea to conspiracy and bank fraud and entered into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, according to court documents....
Morning showers will give way to sunny afternoon, another warm day
After some scattered morning showers, it will be another warm and sunny day in the Pittsburgh area, according to the National Weather Service. The rain is fairly light and diminishing as it moves east, meteorologist Bill Modzelewski said. It will be out of the Pittsburgh area by 10 or 11...
$464K in grants to help Western Pa. schools boost security efforts
Four Western Pennsylvaina school entities — a school district, an intermediate unit and two technical schools — have received a total of $464,709 in state grants to enhance their safety efforts. State Rep. Joseph Petrarca, D-Vandergrift, said the grants were announced by the state’s School Safety and Security Committee, which...
Pa. state police increasing patrols at places of worship
Over the weekend, Pennsylvania state police in Indiana County checked on nearly five dozen churches and houses of worship. The visits, spurred in part by Saturday’s synagogue shooting in California, are part of an expanding effort to increase state police presence at places of worship around the region. “We’re doing...
National Road group cancels plans for history-themed dinner
The National Road Heritage Corridor has cancelled plans to create a special “Sunday Supper in the Park” on May 19 in Washington, the organization said Wednesday. “Unforeseen challenges” forced the organization to cancel the special fundraising dinner on May 19 at Washington Park, said Donna Holdorf, executive director of the...
Police: Somerset man assaulted 15-month-old boy, leaving him with severe brain injury
A Somerset man is accused of assaulting a 15-month-old boy, causing the child to bite his tongue and lose consciousness, according to police. Jared Lee Lehman, 24, is being held in the Somerset County Prison on $100,000 bail. He is charged with aggravated assault, child endangerment and related offenses. According...
PennDOT fixes computer photo problems
PennDOT on Wednesday corrected technical problems involving its photo license system. As of 9:20 a.m. the department said it was again completing photo-related transactions at its drivers license and photo centers. In a revised statement, PennDOT said the problem was resolved with a photo license vendor. All driver licensing and...
Cicada swarm to emerge this month across Western Pennsylvania
Rising temperatures are heralding the return of the 17-year cicadas. The insects have been waiting underground for nearly two decades, but are expected to emerge by the millions this month. It takes several days of sustained warm weather, with temperatures consistently above 60 degrees, for cicadas to come out of...
1 killed in Fayette County ATV crash
A 34-year-old Brownsville man was killed in an ATV crash Wednesday in Fayette County. The incident happened around 4 a.m. Wednesday at Market and Spring streets in Brownsville, a county emergency dispatch supervisor said. The victim was identified by the coroner’s office as James Close of Brownsville. A report on...
Pittsburgh area to see temps in the 80s for first time this year
It’s gonna be a warm one. The Pittsburgh area is expected to see temperatures in the low 80s today. It will be the first 80-degree day this year, and the warmest it’s been since early October, National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Modzelewski said. The high is forecast to hit 83...
Saxonburg man held on $100K bond after Butler County police chase
A Saxonburg man is being held in the Butler County jail on $100,000 bond after a police chase in Butler County on Sunday. State police said an officer tried to stop Alexander John Lefever, 25, for a traffic violation on South Clearfield Road south of Route 422 in Clearfield Township...
Somerset County crash kills Berlin man
A Berlin man was killed in a one-car crash Monday night in Somerset County. Travis Gage Beeman, 21, was pronounced dead at the scene on Brotherton Road in Brothersvalley Township, state police said. Beeman was driving north at about 11:14 p.m., north of Wills Church Road, when his Chevrolet Camaro...
Kennywood, Idlewild, Sandcastle could get new owner
The Spanish company that owns Kennywood Park in West Mifflin is courting a takeover offer from an international investment company. Piolin Bidco S.A.U. has offered $703 million to buy the remaining interest in Parques Reunidos, owner of Kennywood, West Homestead’s Sandcastle and Ligonier’s Idlewild parks, El Pais newspaper of Madrid...
Pittsburgh area jobless rate falls, lowest since ’76
The Pittsburgh area unemployment rate dipped slightly to 3.9% in March, the lowest level since 1976, when the region’s steel industry still was vibrant. The jobless rate, adjusted for seasonal factors, dropped 0.1 of a percentage point in March, and was down from 4.4% a year ago, according to the...
18 of Pennsylvania’s top 100 ranked high schools are in Pittsburgh region
Southwestern Pennsylvania has 18 of the Top 100 high schools in the state, according to new rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. The rankings are based on college readiness, math and reading proficiency, math and reading performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rate. High schools...
Retired Pitt professor honored for lifetime achievement in math education
Margaret “Peg” Smith, a retired University of Pittsburgh professor, was honored Tuesday with a lifetime achievement award for distinguished service to mathematics education from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Officials with the group said Smith dedicated herself to mathematics education and furthering the knowledge of other educators in...
