Regional category, Page 99
PennDOT seeking winter snow-plow operators
PennDOT Safety Press Officer Melissa Maczko pulled her coat a little tighter Tuesday morning as a stiff chilly breeze blew through the department’s stockpile area in Unity, near Arnold Palmer Airport. “I can feel the winter coming,” she said. In anticipation of snow season, PennDOT districts across the state are...
Pittsburgh rabbis urge Rep. Summer Lee to take stand against Hamas, terrorism
A group of 40 rabbis and cantors from the Pittsburgh region are denouncing recent votes by U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, in connection with the Israel-Hamas war. Rabbi Dan Fellman of Temple Sinai in Squirrel Hill organized an open letter, released Tuesday, and said its signatories represent a broad swath...
Lawsuit: Washington County DA, judge conspired against man for invoking 5th Amendment
A Donora man who claims he was jailed for five days for invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination is suing Washington County’s district attorney and president judge. Elijah White, 24, filed the federal lawsuit on Tuesday including claims for false imprisonment, false arrest, malicious prosecution, due process violations, conspiracy,...
Southwestern Pa. jobless rate fell again in September
The unemployment rate in Southwestern Pennsylvania dropped to a new record low in September — the lowest in nearly 50 years. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county region fell one-tenth of a percentage point over the month to a record low 3.5% last month, according to the state...
Recycling pumpkins is good for wildlife, environment
The carved and uncarved pumpkins that will be in businesses and homes over Halloween can be put to good use once trick-or-treat is over. Just like glass, plastic, tin, aluminum, paper and cardboard, the old pumpkins can be recycled and put to good use for the environment, the state Department...
Morning Roundup: Police say Homestead school teacher assaulted; arrests made for Anderson Bridge graffiti
Here are some of the latest news items of note on Tuesday, Oct. 31: Man charged with assaulting Homestead elementary teacher A man is facing multiple charges after police said a teacher was assaulted outside a Homestead elementary school. Court paperwork said the assault happened shortly after 3:20 p.m. Monday...
Cold, snowy Halloween in store for Western Pa.
A cold and snowy Halloween is in store for the Pittsburgh area, according to the National Weather Service. “In terms of accumulations, we’re really not expecting much,” said meteorologist Tim Cermak with the National Weather Service office in Moon. “We’re expecting about an inch, possibly as high as an inch-and-a-half...
The art of the haunt: a behind-the-scenes look at local spooky attractions
Shortly before the ScareHouse at Pittsburgh Mills Mall in Frazer opens, the staff makes final preparations. Much like the backstage of a Broadway show, the cast and crew hurry to make last minute repairs or add the final touches to their costumes. Each Halloween season, thrill-seekers of all ages willingly...
IUP set to open $90 million classroom hall
Hannah Borys and her classmates may feel like time travelers once their Indiana University of Pennsylvania science classes move from a dated 1960s hall into a gleaming venue designed to promote collaboration across disciplines. The $90 million John J. and Char Kopchick Hall at IUP is set to open in...
State police say man charged at IUP officer after making false robbery report
A Pittsburgh man is accused of attacking an Indiana University of Pennsylvania police officer with a knife after making a false report about a robbery in a parking lot near the football stadium. Cameron H. Raubaugh, 19, is accused of charging at the officer, who then fired a shot. No...
Man killed in Armstrong County crash
A man was ejected from a car and killed during a Sunday morning crash in Armstrong County. The crash occurred around 8:36 a.m. in East Franklin Township, when a man driving a 2016 Ford Fiesta careened off the shoulder of Tarrtown Road, according to Pennsylvania State Police. The car then...
Snowflakes may fall on Halloween trick-or-treaters
The ghosts and goblins walking around Halloween night to trick-or-treat in Western Pennsylvania could have a coating of white on their costumes. The National Weather Service in Moon is forecasting a slight chance of rain mixed with snow Tuesday night before 11 p.m., then a chance of just snow. The...
Higher education haunts: Ghostly tales abound at local colleges and universities
The great thing about university ghost stories is that you don’t have to believe in the paranormal to derive a thrill from the tale, according to “Paranormal Pitt” author Matt Swayne. Instead, you get “ghostlore,” — folklore that centers on ghosts or spirits — or stories where people claim to...
Nursing home rating system criticized over reliability, accuracy
Tools designed to help families researching a nursing home are obscure and often criticized by industry experts over their reliability and accuracy. The Care Compare website maintained by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services houses detailed data about nursing homes, provides quality-of-care ratings and flags homes for incidents...
Some fear patient care threatened as staffing shortages plague nursing homes
An employee at a Westmoreland County nursing home says the conditions of her job have brought her to tears. Residents regularly have to wait for help and often go hungry because of a lack of people to feed them. A single staffer sometimes is asked to care for 60 residents...
Staffing shortages leave nursing homes overwhelmed, patients vulnerable, experts say
Mary Ellen Cross lived some of the best days of her life each December when she spent hour upon hour baking cookies and wrapping gifts, carefully crafting what she hoped would be the perfect, magical Christmas for her family. The baking began weeks in advance, sometimes with her eclectic playlist...
List of nursing homes cited for abuse can be incomplete, arbitrary, experts say
A review of state nursing home inspection reports reveals no mention of two patients who died about a year ago at Quality Life Services-Chicora after being given fatal doses of insulin. Registered nurse Heather Pressdee, who is charged in the killings, told investigators “she felt bad for their quality of...
List of nursing homes cited for abuse can be incomplete, arbitrary, experts say
A review of state nursing home inspection reports reveals no mention of two patients who died about a year ago at Quality Life Services-Chicora after being given fatal doses of insulin. Registered nurse Heather Pressdee, who is charged in the killings, told investigators “she felt bad for their quality of...
Staffing shortages leave nursing homes overwhelmed, patients vulnerable, experts sayVideo
Mary Ellen Cross lived some of the best days of her life each December when she spent hour upon hour baking cookies and wrapping gifts, carefully crafting what she hoped would be the perfect, magical Christmas for her family. The baking began weeks in advance, sometimes with her eclectic playlist...
Staffing shortages plague nursing homes; some fear patient care threatened
An employee at a Westmoreland County nursing home says the conditions of her job have brought her to tears. Residents regularly have to wait for help and often go hungry because of a lack of people to feed them. A single staffer sometimes is asked to care for 60 residents...
Nursing home rating system criticized over reliability, accuracy
Tools designed to help families researching a nursing home are obscure and often criticized by industry experts over their reliability and accuracy. The Care Compare website maintained by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services houses detailed data about nursing homes, provides quality-of-care ratings and flags homes for incidents...
Hundreds receive free dental, eye and ear care in Pittsburgh
More than 1,500 people received free dental, eye and ear care Friday and Saturday at the David L. Convention Center. More than 1,400 volunteers from across the region took part to care for patients including dentists, eye and ear clinicians and many others. The all-day event event was open to...
Southwest Airlines to add seasonal flights to San Diego
Pittsburgh is getting more airline service to the West Coast and adding a new city to its repertoire. Southwest Airlines will add seasonal, nonstop service from Pittsburgh International Airport to San Diego starting next summer, the airline announced Thursday. Flights on to San Diego International Airport will start June 8...
Credit card companies charged $105B in interest in 2022 while consumer debt climbed
If you noticed you’ve been getting charged higher interest on your credit card, you’re not alone. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that in 2022 credit card companies charged consumers more than $105 billion in interest and more than $25 billion in fees. And more people are carrying debt. Total...
Private colleges in Western Pa. eye shared services, cooperative purchasing
Apparently for colleges in and around Pittsburgh, the idea of joining forces is worth a look. With enrollment at many colleges dropping and cost pressures growing, several private colleges in Western Pennsylvania have been considering whether they ought to form a consortium to share services and make joint purchases. For...
