Regional category, Page 6
Why your electric bill is rising this winter and how to prepare
As residents in Western Pennsylvania finish hanging their holiday lights, electric companies warn that an estimated 1.3 million customers will be hit with higher bills and should prepare accordingly. This week, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission announced forthcoming adjustments to energy supply rates for all state-regulated electric utilities in December. Among...
Unseasonably cold weather to persist in Southwestern Pa.
Get cozy, because frigid temperatures are here to stay in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The National Weather Service expects the cold weather that rolled into the region Wednesday to bring weeks of highs mostly hovering in the 30s. Friday’s forecasted high is 35 degrees. Sunday could offer a short respite, with temperatures...
Morning Roundup: Pittsburgh Police investigate East Liberty shooting; icy roads lead to multiple car accidents Thanksgiving night
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Nov. 28: Police investigate East Liberty shooting Pittsburgh Police are investigating an early-morning shooting that took place in the city’s East Liberty neighborhood. Around 1 a.m., police, fire and EMS units reported to the 400 block of Omega...
1 dead in Washington County crashes on Thanksgiving
Portions of I-79 and I-70 in Washington County have reopened after two crashes Thursday evening, one of them fatal. A Wheeling woman was killed in the crash on northbound I-79 at the bridge over I-70 in South Strabane, according to the county coroner. Multiple injuries and vehicles were reported at...
Slippery Rock to grow program that gives college, work experience to students with intellectual disabilities
Slippery Rock University is expanding its “Rock Life” program, a four-year, non-degree program for students with intellectual disabilities. The federal government awarded Slippery Rock $300,000 over the next five years for the program. The money will be used to hire more staff and grow vocational and other campus school and...
13 employees furloughed from PennWest University
Thirteen union employees at Pennsylvania Western University’s California and Clarion campuses were furloughed last week, a university spokeswoman confirmed. “Thirteen AFSCME employees were furloughed,” said Wendy Mackall, a spokeswoman for PennWest. “PennWest is proud to support 1,571 employees across our campuses and to serve as a significant economic driver for...
FBI wants to question Deluzio, other lawmakers who made video on ignoring illegal orders
The FBI wants to question U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio and five other Democratic members of Congress who released a video last week telling service members and intelligence officials they have an obligation to refuse illegal orders. Deluzio, of Fox Chapel, said the FBI contacted the House and Senate sergeants at...
Duquesne Light rates climb 10% as statewide electric price hikes begin
Pennsylvania residents should brace for higher electric bills next month as temperatures drop and energy supply prices rise. Beginning Dec. 1, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission will adjust energy supply rates for all state-regulated electric utilities. Duquesne Light services will increase by 10.6% and West Penn Power services will increase...
New strain of flu invades Western Pa. amid concerns over vaccine efficacy
A new flu virus variant has been sweeping across the United States, raising questions about the efficacy of this year’s flu vaccines. Medical professionals in Western Pennsylvania say even though they’re seeing the new flu strain permeate the region, this year’s flu vaccines can still help. Dr. Amesh Adalja, a...
Your guide to Western Pa. holiday performances this season
It’s Christmastime in the city! The holidays are upon us, and the streets are bright with colorful lights and alive with festive music. While family visits, gift shopping and weekend afternoons of baking are filling up the calendar for the next few weeks, the holidays wouldn’t be quite as special...
PennWest reshapes program for ‘undeclared’ students in effort to improve retention
Pennsylvania Western University has reshaped its programming for students who enter college without a major — commonly known as “undeclared” or “undecided” students. The university’s new “exploratory studies” program is tailored to give those student intentional, individual attention. “As career coaches, it’s sad to have a conversation with a junior...
Thanksgiving weather in Western Pennsylvania expected to be cold, windy
This week’s weather forecast calls for a windy, but snow-free Thanksgiving. WTAE meteorologist Jill Szwed said rain is expected through Tuesday evening until mid-day Wednesday before drying up. According to Jason Frazier, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, temperatures on turkey day are expected to reach a high of...
FBI: Thomas Crooks acted alone in attempted assassination of Trump in Butler County
The FBI has concluded that Bethel Park’s Thomas Crooks acted alone in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler County during the 2024 presidential campaign. FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital that the bureau briefed President Trump on the findings of the investigation and he was “satisfied...
Attorneys general demand Shopify remove illegal tobacco products
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday joined representatives from 25 states and the City of New York in signing a letter to Shopify Inc., an e-commerce platform, demanding that the company take action against merchants selling illegal tobacco products on the site. “Illegal e-cigarette sellers are targeting our communities — especially...
‘We are prepared’: Pittsburgh airport braces for spike in Thanksgiving travel
As Pittsburgh International Airport officials Monday prepared for an onslaught of passengers during the frenetic holiday travel season, Josh Buchholz geared up to fly to Arizona for Thanksgiving. The Grove City man and his wife, Erin Bonner, were among the first wave of 300,000 travelers predicted to set foot in...
How one Southwestern Pa. school district is trying to improve test scores — while on a budget
Monessen City School Superintendent Robert Motte is faced with a dilemma. Motte admits the district’s state test scores could use some improvement. On the 2024 Keystone Exams, 3% of the district’s students achieved a proficient or higher score in algebra 1. Students hitting that proficient or higher mark in biology...
Death penalty on the table for Fayette women accused of killing 9-year-old
Fayette County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against two women accused in the death of 9-year-old Renesmay Eutsey. District Attorney Mike Aubele said notices of aggravating circumstances were filed Friday against both suspects — Sarah Shipley, 35, and Kourtney Eutsey, 31, both of Dunbar Borough. The aggravating circumstances prosecutors...
Fayette commissioners create education authority in response to Penn State campus closure
The Fayette County commissioners have created an educational authority, a proactive measure they said could help address the future of the Penn State Fayette campus property. The university plans to close the 100-acre North Union campus in 2027. The three commissioners unanimously established the Fayette County Educational Authority, which will...
Education leaders applaud state budget that adds $900M in new funding for school districts
Education is the centerpiece of Pennsylvania’s 2025-26 budget. At least that’s what Laura Boyce took away from the funding plan for the state’s 500 K-12 public schools, approved last week after a 4½-month impasse. “There were a lot of hard decisions that had to be made as the governor’s original...
Inadequate payment for services nudges small health systems like Independence toward merger, officials say
The merger of smaller regional hospital systems such as Independence Health with a larger health system — this one from West Virginia — is likely being driven, in part, by hospitals hurting from insufficient reimbursement for the cost of treating patients, a Pittsburgh-based health care consultant said. West Virginia University...
Chris Deluzio’s Western Pa. offices targeted with bomb threats
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio’s district offices in Carnegie and Beaver County’s Center Township were targeted with bomb threats Friday afternoon, a spokesperson reported. The threats came a day after President Donald Trump accused Deluzio and five other Democratic lawmakers of engaging in “seditious behavior” by releasing a video telling servicemembers...
Targeted ultrasound gives Pittsburgh-area doctors new tool against prostate cancer
Men diagnosed with prostate cancer have traditionally faced two choices: Do nothing and hope the tumor doesn’t grow between scans or start aggressive treatment. Those with certain types of medium-risk cancers have lacked tailored care, caught between a surveillance strategy geared toward slow-growing tumors and drastic measures known for their...
Morning Roundup: Delta flight with mechanical issues diverted to Pittsburgh airport
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Nov. 20: Delta flight with mechanical issues diverted to Pittsburgh airport A Delta flight headed from Montreal to Atlanta was diverted to Pittsburgh International Airport on Wednesday night because of unspecified mechanical issues. Allegheny County Airport Authority spokesperson...
Troopers justified in deadly force against armed man, Indiana DA says
Indiana County District Attorney Robert Manzi ruled that Pennsylvania State Police troopers were justified in using deadly force last month when they fatally shot a man who was firing a gun at them from a rooftop. “Not only is their use of force justified, but these state troopers are heroes...
Police charge Aliquippa couple with kidnapping woman who jumped from car in Pittsburgh
A Beaver County woman escaped a kidnapping earlier this week by jumping out of a car stopped at a red light in Pittsburgh, police said. The couple accused of abducting her has been arrested and jailed. Tyrone Turner, 41, and his girlfriend, Ariel Harper, 34, both of Aliquippa, drove a...
