Regional News category, Page 144
EQT donates oil and gas production equipment to Ukraine
Pittsburgh-based EQT Corp. said it has donated oil and gas production equipment to Ukraine’s largest natural gas producer. The equipment donation to JSC Ukrgasvydobuvannya will be used to restore damaged oil and gas production facilities and revive critical production in wartime conditions, EQT said. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year...
How the Ohio train derailment impacted Pa.’s air and water quality
Social media sites have been full of hyperbole and misinformation since a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, early this month. Some viral posts have falsely claimed that the derailment and subsequent controlled burn were part of the deadliest environmental disaster in history — even...
Trump, Brockovich to visit East Palestine as Pa. officials plan derailment hearing in Beaver County
Former President Donald Trump and environmental activist Erin Brockovich plan to visit East Palestine, Ohio, this week as the community continues looking for answers after a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed Feb. 3 and released toxic chemicals. Trump said on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he...
Section of GAP hiking and cycling trail closed for 2 months
A remote section of the Great Allegheny Passage between Ohiopyle and Confluence is closed for the next two months while construction crews replace an aging culvert. The section between mile markers 68 and 69 was closed earlier this month in Ohiopyle State Park and construction vehicle traffic is heavy in...
North Allegheny assistant football coach charged in club basketball game fight
An assistant North Allegheny Senior High School football coach, is accused of strangling a basketball coach and striking a spectator during a fight that broke out last week at a kids’ club basketball game in Washington County. Scott McMullen, 46, of Coraopolis, was charged Feb. 16 with simple assault, harassment,...
EPA orders Norfolk Southern to clean up toxic derailmentVideo
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered Norfolk Southern on Tuesday to pay for the cleanup of the East Palestine, Ohio, train wreck and chemical release as federal regulators took charge of long-term recovery efforts and promised worried residents they won’t be forgotten. Speaking to reporters near...
Twitter and alcohol top list of things given up for Lent
The Lenten season is upon us, which means many Christians are fasting and abstaining from things they enjoy or even from what they consider to be bad habits for the next 40 days. How did this tradition originate? By the fourth century, the 40-day fast was common enough to be...
I-79 changes — speed limit, express lane shutdown — target work zone safety improvements
PennDOT announced it has made changes to an Interstate 79 construction zone to improve safety. The I-79 southbound express lane has been closed and a 45 mph speed limit was enacted in the southbound lanes while engineers work through safety changes. PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said the speed limit was...
Buttigieg urges safety changes after fiery Ohio derailment
OMAHA, Neb. — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wants the nation’s freight railroads to immediately act to improve safety while regulators try to strengthen safety rules in the wake of a fiery derailment in Ohio that forced evacuations when toxic chemicals were released and burned. Buttigieg announced a package of reforms...
Gas prices edge lower in Pittsburgh, across Pa. while national average unchanged
While gas prices in some states moved higher in the past week, Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh area are among those where prices came down slightly. According to AAA, the statewide average price of a gallon of gas Monday was about $3.69. That’s about 4 cents less than last week, about...
As chronic absenteeism rises in schools, officials search for ways to entice students to stay in the classroom
It’s not by the power of the pen or a symbolic sword that Highlands School District administrators are fighting chronic student absenteeism but rather a Golden Spatula. The trinket is awarded each month during the RAMS Roundup rewards party, where behavior expectations are reviewed and student successes are acknowledged. To...
Norfolk Southern CEO visits East Palestine after derailment
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The president of Norfolk Southern made a visit to East Palestine, Ohio, on Saturday following criticism from residents and political leaders about the company’s response to the fiery derailment of a freight train carrying toxic materials earlier this month. Fox Business reports that company president and...
Metalworking apprentices from across Pittsburgh region compete as demand for jobs remains strongVideo
The sound of milling machines filled the air Friday morning at Westmoreland County Community College’s Advanced Technology Center in East Huntingdon, as eight apprentices competed for the title of Best Metalworking Apprentice in the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Tooling and Milling Association. It was music to the ears of...
After treating pain with medical marijuana, Ryan Shazier launches new line of products
When former Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier suffered a terrifying injury during a 2017 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he didn’t know that trying to walk again would lead to even more battles during his recovery. As his journey progressed from paralysis to relearning how to walk, Shazier not only had...
Ohio ex-speaker ill, corruption trial pauses after big week
CINCINNATI — The racketeering trial of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges was cancelled due to illness again Friday, giving jurors a long holiday weekend to mull striking new details revealed this week by players directly involved in an alleged $60 million bribery scheme. It marked...
Here are some online resources for information on Ohio train derailment
In the wake of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and the controlled burn of hazardous chemicals following that, many people are concerned about the health and environmental impact of the incident. The Norfolk Southern train was carrying hazardous chemicals when it derailed on Feb. 3, causing a fire...
White House defends response to Ohio toxic train derailment
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Friday defended its response to a toxic freight train derailment in Ohio two weeks ago, even as local leaders and members of Congress demanded that more be done. The Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, left toxic chemicals spilled or burned off, prompting...
Deluzio calls for congressional action after Ohio train derailment
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall, said after visiting the site of the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment on Thursday that he wants to see Congress and federal agencies take action to make railways safer. A Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed near the Pennsylvania border on Feb. 3, causing...
Indiana County officials round up drug trafficking suspects; others at large
Law enforcement officials in Indiana County arrested several people Thursday in a roundup of drug trafficking suspects. Six additional suspects remain at large, according to Indiana County District Attorney Robert Manzi. The seven Indiana residents charged with possession with intent to deliver various drugs and related offenses include: • Michael...
Pa. hits Beaver County’s Shell cracker plant with another emissions violation notice
The state Department of Environmental Protection has slapped Beaver County’s Shell ethylene cracker plant with a third violation notice because the agency said Shell again surpassed pollution emission limits. The sprawling, multibillion-dollar plant along the Ohio River opened in November. In an email to Shell dated Monday, DEP officials said...
UPMC Children’s Hospital to open new rehab facility
For some kids who suffer from brain trauma or spinal injury, one of the goals they may set for rehabilitation is being able to sit on the floor to play with their pet dog. The Zero G robot, a new supportive harness system for patients to practice walking, balance and...
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman checks into hospital for depression treatment
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman has checked himself into the hospital to receive treatment for clinical depression, his office announced Thursday. Fetterman’s Chief of Staff Adam Jentleson said in a statement that Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Wednesday night. “While John has experienced...
West Virginia drinking water still clear of derailment toxin
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia officials have reiterated that the state’s drinking water remains safe following an Ohio train derailment that led to a toxic plume of chemicals being released. Chemicals that leaked from the derailment are being monitored as they move down the Ohio River, but they are not...
Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania names new leader
Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania has named a new executive director. Amber Farr will take the reins of the Downtown-based professional membership association. The organization, founded in 1985, includes about 90 foundations, grantmaking public charities and corporate giving programs that offer educational programs, professional development and networking opportunities. “Amber Farr brings...
EPA head sees Ohio train spill site as residents demand infoVideo
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency got a first-hand look Thursday at a creek contaminated by a freight train derailment in Ohio that spilled toxic chemicals and burned in a huge plume over homes and businesses. The visit by EPA Administrator Michael Regan, who...
