Editor's Picks category, Page 388
Pa. sees 1st West Nile case of the year in Potter County
Pennsylvania recorded its first probable human case of West Nile Virus this year, according to state health officials. A resident of Potter County was tested for the virus, with samples sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation. The state recorded seven cases of West Nile in...
FDA recalling some hand sanitizers over methanol risk
Careful what hand sanitizer you choose. The Food and Drug Administration said this month that it has seen a sharp increase in hand sanitizers that contain methanol but are listed as containing ethanol, or ethyl alcohol. Methanol, or wood alcohol, can be toxic when absorbed through the skin and can...
Ohio joins Pennsylvania in statewide mask mandate
Effective Thursday, it will take more than a trip across the Ohio state line for Pennsylvanians seeking to escape orders requiring face masks in public places. Ohio will join Pennsylvania in having a statewide mask mandate. One day after President Trump took to the airwaves endorsing masks and conceding that...
Where have the fireflies gone in Southwestern Pennsylvania?
Hot and dry weather during most of July has dimmed the light spectacle of fireflies in some urban and other parched landscapes, according to some local experts. Naturalists from the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy report less of a good showing this year of the beetle of summer — the firefly —...
Mt. Lebanon, Greater Latrobe ranked top school districts in Pittsburgh area, Westmoreland
Greater Latrobe is tops in Westmoreland County and among the best school districts across the state, according to the latest rankings in several categories on Niche.com. The Pittsburgh-based site calculates its rankings based on reviews by students and parents and data from the U.S. Department of Education, along with factors...
Westmoreland Ballet Company plans ‘The Nutcracker’ film based in Greensburg
Westmoreland Ballet Company is seeking dancers and other community partners for a film version of the beloved holiday classic, “The Nutcracker.” “Incorporating area artists, musicians, performers, community members and business owners, the film will highlight Greensburg and surrounding towns,” according to the recently established company. Filming will begin in September....
Grab the mustard and onions — it’s National Hot Dog Day
Although the hot dog doesn’t always get a lot of respect, Americans eat an estimated 20 billion of them every year. That’s roughly 70 per person. That’s enough to get the lowly tube steak some formal recognition — July 22 is National Hot Dog Day. If you find yourself passing...
Report: Kanye West campaign rally part of ‘terrible’ bipolar episodeVideo
Reports from a celebrity gossip site claim Kanye West’s recent behavior — including at a presidential campaign rally in which he cried, said he had wanted to have one of his children aborted and criticized abolitionist Harriet Tubman — is part of a “terrible” bipolar episode that has sent shockwaves...
VoteSafe Pennsylvania aims to help voters access safe options for election
VoteSafe Pennsylvania has launched a statewide bipartisan campaign that aims to ensure every Pennsylvania voter has access to safe voting options for the November election. The coalition is led by former Republican House Majority Leader Dave Reed and former Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, who also served as undersecretary and...
Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix taking a road less traveled this year
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is traveling a different road this year. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the annual event that encompasses most of Schenley Park “shifted gears,” according to organizers. There will be some smaller happenings on various roads in the region instead of the large 10-day gathering, which...
Historic Ohringer building to bring artist colony to Braddock
Gregg Kander doesn’t know when to stop. Just ask those working on his newest project, the rehabilitation of Braddock’s historic Ohringer Furniture building. By late summer, it is expected to house a hand-picked, diverse community of artists living in a space designed to catalyze creativity. The basement will house communal...
Pittsburgh announces new program to help keep people out of criminal justice system
A pilot program announced by Pittsburgh officials could be another step toward enacting the law enforcement reforms that community activists have asked for in regular protests in the region that followed the May 25 killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Details about the program and how it will...
Freeport Area High School students ace AP World History exams despite pandemic
At Freeport Area High School, every AP World History student scored a passing grade on this year’s AP exam amid unusually difficult circumstances. David DiSanti, the AP World History teacher at Freeport Area High School, said the course was historically difficult, even before the covid-19 pandemic forced schools to move...
2 Pittsburgh-born actors tabbed for Amazon’s ‘Invincible’ animated series
A pair of actors from Western Pennsylvania have joined the voice cast for the “Invincible” animated series coming later this year from Amazon. Gillian Jacobs and Zachary Quinto join a star-studded cast that already includes Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Mark Hamill, Seth Rogen and Sandra Oh, among others. “Invincible” tells...
Pitt student engineers, Habitat for Humanity partner to make video for Bolivian village
Members of the University of Pittsburgh’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders toiled in the heat Saturday and Sunday to help make life better for people nearly 4,000 miles away. The group gathered to build a reinforced concrete slab at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in New Kensington as part of...
Big Burrito Restaurant Group closes specialty restaurants because of covid-19 dining restrictions
Big Burrito Restaurant Group temporarily closed all of its specialty restaurants on Saturday due to newly imposed coronavirus-related restrictions, its president said. The specialty restaurants are Alta Via, Casbah, Eleven, Kaya, Soba and Umi. President Bill Fuller said those restaurants “are not viable under current business conditions.” Mad Mex locations...
As schools’ reopening plans balance safety with education, officials left feeling they’re picking ‘the best bad option’
Some school officials say their districts are in a no-win situation as they draw up reopening plans meant to balance health and education amid a pandemic that closed schools in the spring and upends any hope of normalcy in the fall. Those plans, required by state health and education officials...
Sounding off: A Biden win would benefit Republicans
A Joe Biden victory is the best hope Republicans have. Because if Biden loses, President Trump will continue to drag down the party for four more years. Republicans are already in serious danger of losing more seats than anyone ever imagined because they have protected and enabled Trump. If the...
Floating cinema coming to Pittsburgh in September
A floating cinema equipped with social distancing boats is coming to Pittsburgh Sept. 16-20. The location for the aquatic theater and movies to be shown have not been announced yet. The cinema will be made up of 12 to 24 mini-boats, each holding up to eight people. Tickets will require...
Bishop Malesic followed ‘servant leadership model’ in Greensburg diocese, headed to Cleveland
Jennifer Miele got a glimpse into the heart and soul of Bishop Edward Malesic soon after he assumed his duties in the Diocese of Greensburg in 2015. “On day one, he gave me his cellphone number and said to use it any time,” said Miele, a former television news reporter...
Mother of Duquesne University student who fell to his death is still seeking answersVideo
On Freedom Corner in the Hill District, Dannielle Brown sits, as she has for days, surrounded by photos of her late son and his bright smile. She’s on a hunger strike as she pushes for answers and changes, both of which she’s been fighting for since her son’s death Oct....
Quick getaways may offer safer vacation spots during pandemic for Western Pennsylvanians
For many families, summer vacation may look a little different this year. A survey conducted by MyBioSource.com, a biotechnological products distribution company, found that 51% of Pennsylvanians are more likely to vacation locally in their own state this summer to avoid traveling by plane and reduce the risk of contracting...
Live! Casino Pittsburgh gears up for hiring more than 500 positions in Hempfield
Officials with Live! Casino Pittsburgh at the Westmoreland Mall are starting to fill more than 500 positions needed to open the $150 million facility. Under construction in the former Bon-Ton store, the casino will include 750 slot machines and 30 table games. It is expected to open before Thanksgiving. Job...
Mt. Pleasant man jailed after shooting handgun, driving lawn tractor while DUI, police say
A Mt. Pleasant man who allegedly fired a handgun outside his home after an argument with his wife and then rode a lawn tractor down Main Street while displaying the gun surrendered Wednesday to borough police. David T. Howland, 32, was arraigned Thursday on 23 criminal counts including driving under...
Nonprofit has recruited 31,000 volunteers willing to undergo human challenge covid-19 vaccination trial
A grassroots group of scientists and researchers has brought together more than 31,000 volunteers worldwide — including from Western Pennsylvania — who are willing to take part in a human challenge trial to test potential covid-19 vaccines. A human challenge trial in this case would involve participants being administered a...
