Regional category, Page 350
Cicadas will swarm Southwestern Pa. this spring
The swarm is coming. A massive brood of cicadas is expected to emerge from the ground this spring after its 17-year infancy, and Southwestern Pennsylvania will be right in the center of it. “In some areas, you can get as many as a million and a half individuals per acre,...
Snow causes a rash of mostly minor accidents across the region
The winter storm that swept across large portions of the country wasn’t as bad locally as was feared, but it was enough to make roads slippery Sunday evening and contributed to several crashes across the region: • Route 28 southbound at the Route 8 off-ramp in Etna was closed because...
Several inches of snow expected for Pittsburgh region
The winter storm expected to blanket much of Southwestern Pennsylvania with 4 to 6 inches of snow was downgraded Sunday to 1 to 3 inches of snow during the day and an additional 1 to 2 inches between midnight and 2 a.m. Monday, the National Weather Service in Moon said...
Officials search for cause of fire that killed a Charleroi man
A 62-year-old Charleroi man who used oxygen tanks to aid his breathing was killed early Saturday morning in a fire, a fire official said. A Charleroi firefighter found James Harbaugh unresponsive lying in the backyard of his two-story house at 118 R. Fallowfield Ave., fire Chief Robert Whiten said. The...
Police looking for 2 men suspected in Washington County shooting
A man was shot and wounded at about 9 p.m. along South Main Street in Ellsworth in Washington County. A Washington County 911 supervisor said the man was being treated for a gunshot wound. State police are looking for a silver Toyota with two men inside. The possible suspects were...
Lutherans to give up plastic for Lent
The six-week Lenten period leading up to Easter is a time when Christians around the world give up something. While Christians commonly give up food or drink such as chocolate or alcohol, the governing body for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in southwestern Pennsylvania wants to take the practice...
Troopers: Indiana Co. man wrecked stolen vehicle, tried to steal good Samaritan’s car
An Indiana County man is accused of attempting to steal the car of a good Samaritan who came to his aid after discovering him lying bloody along a rural highway Thursday, according to state police. Brandon H. Wolfe, 19, of Glen Campbell, was arrested and charged with driving under the...
5 bakeries you may not have heard of but need to try
There’s something sweet about a trip to a bakery. The parking woes at the new Oakmont Bakery are a testament to that, as people flock to the new location in search of the fresh-baked goodness that’s made there. But Oakmont’s not the only shop in the region that’s worthy of...
Redd-up season arrives: Great American Cleanup of PA begins 2019 campaign on Friday
The Great American Cleanup of PA begins on Friday, with hundreds of clubs, schools, businesses and organizations expected to soon start cleaning up communities throughout Pennsylvania — including across the Pittsburgh region. The three-month event, sponsored by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, continues through May 31. Registered events can get free trash...
Overnight snow blankets Pittsburgh region, but commuters spared headaches
Pittsburgh-area residents who woke up to a fresh blanket of snow today as they prepared for the morning commute were met with some good news. Between 2 and 5 inches of snow fell across the region between Thursday night and early Friday morning, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Jason...
Cops: Speed, alcohol likely contributed to fatal Fayette County crash
State police in Uniontown said speed and alcohol are believed to have been contributing factors in a single-vehicle crash late Wednesday that killed a 62-year-old Fayette County woman and seriously injured her husband in Menallen Township. Deborah K. Kaider of New Salem, who was a passenger in a 2015 Chrysler...
Cal U honored for voter engagement with Gen Z
California University of Pennsylvania’s effort to engage Gen Z students in the electoral process is getting rave reviews. The Fair Election Center’s Campus Vote Project recently named Cal U among the top 10 voter-friendly universities in Pennsylvania. This marks the second time the school has won the designation, first for...
Rev Tour visits Seven Springs
Skiers and snowboarders arrived at Seven Springs for one of the final stops of the U.S. Ski and SnowboardToyota Revolution Tour, before heading to Mammoth Mountain, California for the final leg of the tour. Practice began on Monday, and on Tueday, snowboarders competed in halfpipe. Wednesday was all about snowboard...
W.Va. governor signs bill mandating high school computer science
BECKLEY, W.Va. — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has signed legislation requiring students to take computer science classes before graduating high school. Justice held a ceremonial bill signing Thursday at Cranberry-Prosperity Elementary School in Beckley. The governor’s office says in a news release West Virginia is the first state to...
Snow could make Friday morning commute slippery
Didn’t the groundhog say something about an early spring? Pittsburgh-area residents might be questioning Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction based upon the upcoming weather. According to the National Weather Service, some snow is expected overnight today into Friday morning, which could make things slippery for the Friday morning commute. More snow is...
Power outages down to about 700 in wake of Sunday wind storm
About 700 West Penn Power customers remained without electricity late Thursday, four days after high winds left hundreds of thousands in the dark and cold. As of 11:40 p.m Thursday., just eight Duquesne Light customers were in a similar situation. Duquesne Light was reporting four customers were without power on...
Pedestrian deaths up 41 percent in Pennsylvania
Fueled by ubiquitous sport utility vehicles and distracted drivers, Pennsylvania saw a 41 percent increase in the number of pedestrian fatalities in the first six months of 2018 over a similar period the previous year, a new report has found. Pennsylvania wasn’t alone. The more than 6,200 pedestrians killed on...
New chronic wasting disease cases prompt steps to prevent spread of deer infections
New cases of chronic wasting disease among deer in three Pennsylvania counties have prompted state officials to take action against the spread of new infections. The Pennsylvania Game Commission and the state Department of Agriculture will contact landowners in Clearfield, Jefferson and Franklin counties about “targeted removals” of deer within...
Community College of Beaver County names Roger Davis as president
Community College of Beaver County named Roger W. Davis as its ninth president. Davis had been interim president since May 2018, when Christopher Reber left the Center Township-based community college for a similar post in New Jersey. Davis also served as an executive vice president and provost of CCBC, a...
Authorities: Philly police shoot, wound 2 dogs that charged at them
PHILADELPHIA — Police have shot and wounded two pit bulls that allegedly charged at officers as they tried to serve warrants at a Philadelphia home. The shootings occurred just before 7 a.m. Wednesday in the 3100 block of North 25th Street in North Philadelphia. Authorities say the officers had entered...
Trash truck driver charged with vehicular homicide in Philly bicyclist’s 2017 death
PHILADELPHIA — A garbage truck driver has been charged with vehicular homicide in the death of a bicyclist in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that 28-year-old Jorge Fretts of Philadelphia was charged Tuesday with homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person. Authorities said Fretts was driving a...
ATF joins state police probe into arson at Indiana County church
Federal agents have joined state police fire marshals to investigate an arson early Tuesday that destroyed a church in rural Indiana County. Investigators, including agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are seeking information from anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the vicinity of...
Thousands, many in the A-K Valley, still waiting for electricity after brutal wind storm
There were more than 2,800 West Penn Power customers who remained without power Wednesday night — and some of them might have to wait until Saturday before their electricity is restored. As of 9:45 p.m. areas where customers still didn’t have power included Lower Burrell, Harrison, Leechburg, Ford City, Cranberry,...
Plumbers union looking for apprentices
The Plumbers Local Union No. 27 is accepting applicants for its apprenticeship training program at its Coraopolis headquarters now through March 9. The union is looking for 22 applicants, who will embark on a 5-year apprenticeship that includes working fulltime and attending classes two to three nights a week for...
Fayette man pleads guilty in sex sting
A Fayette County man pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges that he attempted to solicit sex from a 14-year-old boy. Kelly Lee Harrington, 49, of Normalville, was arrested last June as part of a sting operation by the state Attorney General’s office. Investigators said Harrington contacted a teenage boy through social...
