Regional News category, Page 231
Slippery Rock University announces in-person fall semester; Pitt still mulling plans
Add Slippery Rock University to the growing list of colleges projecting a reopening at near normal levels this fall. The announcement Monday that the state university located in Butler County is anticipating near normal operations this fall follows announcements last week from four other State System universities in Western Pennsylvania...
1 killed, 1 hurt in Fayette County crash
A Smock woman died in a one-vehicle crash Saturday in Fayette County, according to state police. Beverly Daugherty was driving north on Route 51 at 2 p.m. in Perry Township when troopers said the vehicle crossed into the southbound lanes, exited the highway and hit a fence and brick building....
Rain tapering off, could turn to snow flurries; flooding still poses threat in Pittsburgh region
The heavy rain showers that saturated much of the region on Sunday have tapered off and could turn into snow flurries as the temperature drops, according to the National Weather Service in Moon. Steady rain through much of Sunday dumped 1 inch of rain in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, according...
Flu season virtually ‘nonexistent’ as coronavirus mitigation efforts help curtail illnesses, doctors say
Despite fears that influenza would combine with covid-19 to create a so-called “twindemic,” this flu season has been a mild one. Allegheny County so far has reported zero flu-related deaths, three hospitalizations and 180 cases. That’s a notable drop from last year’s 12 deaths, 115 hospitalizations and over 10,000 cases....
Westmoreland County gets fewer covid vaccine doses than smaller counties; talks begin about regional health department
Pennsylvania Department of Health officials confirmed that Westmoreland County was shortchanged in the number of covid-19 vaccine doses allocated since December as local and regional leaders continue to highlight mounting issues with the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. County Commissioner Doug Chew said analysis of state data found that...
Pittsburgh-area health experts praise Johnson & Johnson covid vaccine
The likely addition of a third covid vaccine option next month will be a “blessing,” health professionals in the Pittsburgh region said. “It means vaccine will be available to people faster,” said Graham Snyder, medical director of Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology at UPMC. “It means that for whatever reason,...
U.S. Attorney Scott Brady to step down from post
Scott Brady, U.S. attorney for Pennsylvania’s Western District, will resign from his post on Sunday, his office announced Friday. Brady’s announcement comes several weeks after the Biden administration asked for all Trump-appointed U.S. attorneys to resign, a traditional move with a new president. “Leading this office has been the greatest...
Some Pa. school district leaders frustrated with return of standardized tests during pandemic
Gennaro Piraino Jr. said his distaste for state standardized tests has only grown in the past year, despite their absence. “Given the pandemic, what we know our students need to know and be able to do has become even more evident,” said Piraino, superintendent of Franklin Regional School District. “And...
How to buy a wedding dress during a pandemicVideo
In the showroom at MB Bride & Special Occasion, Tracey Hess holds two essential devices for bridal-wear shopping these days: An iPhone is in her right hand and an iPad in her left. She positions the electronics with precision, so the people she’s connecting with virtually can see the dress...
Disease expert Dr. Paul Offit talks about vaccines, variants and a year of pandemicVideo
The U.S. is approaching one year since the covid-19 pandemic became a nationwide problem, shutting down almost all of American society as we know it. The covid-19 vaccines that have been developed are giving people hope that things may soon return to normal. But coronavirus variants are creating uncertainty about...
Bonds, scars remain 30 years after missile struck Hempfield’s 14th Quartermaster unit in Gulf WarVideo
A sudden blast jolted Neal Gouker awake. The explosion from an Iraqi Scud missile slammed him against a wall in his barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. “The place was on fire, and bullets were going off,” recalled Gouker, 50, formerly of Glassport. “For 5 miles around, there were broken windows....
South Hills man busted by FBI wiretap gets year in prison for selling heroin, fentanyl
A South Hills man will spend a year and a day in prison for scheming to sell heroin and fentanyl as part of a drug ring linked to a neighborhood gang, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said Wednesday. Jonathan Laur, 37, of Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood was among nearly two dozen...
Cambria County native new director of Pa. Game Commission Southwest RegionVideo
The Pennsylvania Game Commission didn’t have to look far for its new Southwest Region Office director. Jason D. Farabaugh began his new position last weekend, running the office in Fairfield that oversees a 10-county area. The Carrolltown, Cambria County, native spent his entire 13 years with the game commission working...
Things to do in Western Pa.: Feb. 24, 2021Video
Revisit the royal wedding of Prince William and Duchess Kate reimagined as a “fantastical dreamscape,” or plan now to attend an old-fashioned, foot-stompin’ Pittsburgh St. Paddy’s Day party. Check out some online music or theater, satisfy your creative urges by signing up for an art class, or head to Ligonier...
Seven Springs seeing surge of catalytic converter thefts
Thieves have been hacking parts off cars to sell for scrap in and around the borough of Seven Springs in Somerset and Fayette counties, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. State police spokesman Steven Limani told WPXI about 30 catalytic converters have been stolen off of area vehicles in the...
‘Gruesome scene’ in Ambridge home where police say mother shot, killed 2 children
Police in Beaver County described a “gruesome scene” at an Ambridge home where they said a woman shot and killed her two children Monday afternoon before unloading the gun, placing it on her dining room table and calling police to tell them what she’d done. Krisinda Ann Bright, 48, called...
Western Pa. school districts cope with teacher, staff shortages
When Thomas Shea had to quarantine in October, he never stopped teaching. From his home, he continued giving and recording lessons for his 10th-grade social studies students at Kiski Area High School. Shea said about two-thirds of his students are still learning from home, though the school district offers up...
Western Pa. colleges, universities received Military Friendly designation
Several area colleges and universities earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly School designation, which is aimed at setting a standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort and success in creating benefits for the military community, according to the Military Friendly website. Chatham University, Seton Hill University, California University of Pennsylvania, Carlow...
Police: Ambridge double homicide suspect in custody
A woman is charged with shooting her daughters to death in Ambridge, WPXI-TV reported late Monday. Krisinda Bright, 48, is being charged with two counts of homicide, according to the Beaver County District Attorney’s office, the TV station reported. Police found two people shot to death inside a home along...
Red Cross schedules blood drives across Western Pa.
Last week’s winter storms across the U.S. forced the cancellation of hundreds of blood drives and donations, the Red Cross said Monday. The organization is holding dozens of drives in Western Pennsylvania this week in attempts to make up the difference. The record-breaking cold and storms canceled events in around...
Western Pa. nonprofits ask for help as supply of donated goods falls
The flurry of winter storms and bad road conditions have caused inventories at Goodwill stores throughout the region to slip by at least 25%, according to the nonprofit, which asked for donations as some of its shelves are getting bare. The Salvation Army of Western Pennsylvania also reported a decline...
Homeowners should be proactive to prevent ice dams as thaw approaches, experts say
The weather is expected to warm up this week, which is good news. But it could also bring problems for property owners. All of the snow and ice from recent storms and bitter cold that’s built up on roofs is about to melt — and could cause “ice damming.” Ice...
UPMC website allows registration for covid-19 vaccine appointments
UPMC will allow people to register online or via phone for notifications and appointment scheduling information for the covid-19 vaccine, though the limited supply means there are no appointments to be had right now. The website encourages those who are eligible to sign up online so they can be contacted...
IUP plans for full campus reopening in August
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is joining California, Clarion and Edinboro in posting plans for a full return to campus. Fall semester at Indiana school is slated to begin Aug. 27, officials said. Declining covid-19 numbers apparently are playing into calculations as university leaders across the region plot their plans for...
Western Pa. hospitals penalized for high rates of avoidable patient infections, injuries
Several hospitals with ties to Western Pennsylvania are being slapped with fines for ranking among the 25% worst-performing nationwide when it comes to rates of potentially avoidable patient conditions such as infections and injuries. The 2021 fines for hospital-acquired conditions affect a total of 774 hospitals nationwide, Kaiser Health News...
