Regional News category, Page 243
Western Pa. hospitals rush to buy massive, ultra-cold freezers for covid vaccine
Preparing for the covid-19 vaccine is like no other immunization, said Dr. Brian Parker, chief quality learning officer at Allegheny Health Network. In recent weeks, the network has acquired several massive ultra-cold freezers in expectation of the Pfizer vaccine, which requires an environment of minus 70 degrees below Celsius —...
13 companies awarded funds to expand broadband across Pennsylvania
More than 2,600 households and businesses in rural parts of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties soon will have access to high-speed internet after the Federal Communication Commission auctioned about $9.2 billion to companies across the country with the goal of closing the digital divide in rural America. The first phase of...
Nearly $550K in donations by Nemacolin resort stun Fayette County first responders
Brian VanSickle may not have believed in Santa Claus before, but he’s a true believer now. “I met Santa Claus Friday and her name is Maggie Hardy Knox,” said VanSickle, chief of the rural Farmington Volunteer Fire Department in Fayette County for more than 20 years. The chief admits he’s...
Donora resident charged in fatal shooting of alleged home invader
A Donora man is accused of fatally shooting a man who police said forced entry into the defendant’s home early Thursday morning. Bryan Harris, 23, is charged with criminal homicide in the death of Brandon Harrison, 34, of Masontown. State police also have charged Harris with tampering with evidence and...
Pennsylvania among the booziest states during holidays, surveys sayVideo
Pennsylvanians and booze at the holidays go together like Santa Claus and his red suit, according to a couple of recent surveys. The Keystone State is one of the drunkest places in the U.S. during the holiday season, with the average Pennsylvanian quaffing four alcoholic beverages a day, according to...
Pedestrian killed in crash involving Washington County detective
A Washington County detective was “involved in an accident with a pedestrian” Wednesday night, authorities said. Washington County District Attorney Gene Vittone did not identify the detective involved but noted that he was on duty at the time. The incident happened shortly before 8 p.m. along National Pike, or Route...
Pittsburgh playwright August Wilson to be honored with Forever Stamp
Stamp collectors soon can grab a piece of Pittsburgh history with a new Forever Stamp honoring legendary playwright August Wilson. The U.S. Postal Service will dedicate the stamp Jan. 28, the first day of its release, with a virtual ceremony on its Twitter and Facebook pages. The stamp will be...
Peoples natural gas customers getting bill credit after utility’s $4.3B acquisition
Most residential customers of Peoples Gas in Pennsylvania saw a discount on their recent bills as a result of the natural gas company being acquired in a $4.3 billion deal earlier this year. Essential Utilities announced in mid-March that it had completed its acquisition of Peoples. That followed the state...
Feds charge 30 as part of investigation into drugs and weapons in Pittsburgh-area Pagans Motorcycle ClubVideo
As part of a long-term investigation into the Pagans Motorcycle Club in Western Pennsylvania, FBI agents got permission to tap 10 phones. Over a period of several weeks, they said they heard members of the Pagans, their suppliers and sources talk about the kind of heroin they were selling; where...
More than half the inmates at Pennsylvania federal prison have covid
Atif Malik is serving an eight-year prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution at Loretto in Cambria County for a nonviolent crime. In April, he filed his own motion seeking compassionate release because of a variety of pre-existing health conditions and the increasing risk of covid-19 spreading in the facility....
Pa. cites Western Pa. bars for violating covid restrictions
More than a dozen bars in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties received citations from the state’s Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement in November for violating covid-19 mitigation measures, ranging from not requiring masks to serving alcohol without food. In addition, an East Carson Street bar was hit with a weeklong closure...
First critical segment of 9/11 National Memorial Trail complete in Somerset County
The first 1.4 miles section of a special, off-road recreational trail for the September 11th National Memorial Trail in Garrett, Somerset County, is complete. It’s a milestone for trail organizers, who cobbled together a 1,300-mile network of existing bicycle, pedestrian trails and roads connecting the three 9/11 memorial sites in...
$3 million lottery scratch-off sold in Beaver County
A Pennsylvania Lottery player beat the odds in Beaver County this week, winning $3 million on a $30 scratch-off ticket. The odds of winning the grand prize in the Pennsylvania Lottery’s $3 Million Extravaganza scratch-off game are 1 in 1.44 million. The lucky ticket was sold at Caivano’s Discount Tobacco...
Pandemic restrictions enacted at Fayette County courthouse
The Fayette County courthouse is closed to the public to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, according an announcement from county officials. The courts will remain open on an emergency basis and for some previously scheduled matters. Anyone with a hearing is asked to contact their attorney or the...
Gov. Wolf recognizes state monitoring of shale gas drilling impact
When covid-19 safety precautions postponed the annual after-winter return of Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources staff to keep tabs on the impacts of shale gas drilling, they knew they had a lot of ground to make up. But since then, the DCNR has managed to get back to...
Western Pa. officials, businesses brace for possible covid restrictions
Western Pennsylvania officials and businesses expect an announcement from the state soon, detailing new pandemic restrictions for businesses and gatherings. “I think we’re moving in that direction,” Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said Tuesday. “The numbers indicate that’s the proper strategy to employ. … I do anticipate, if not tomorrow...
‘We cannot turn our back on it’: Opioid crisis rages alongside covid pandemic in Pa.
Amid a global pandemic killing thousands across the state, country and world, health officials in Pennsylvania warned that the opioid epidemic continues to leave thousands dead in its wake as well. “We know that with the holidays of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and various others approaching, it can be a difficult...
Seven Springs Mountain Resort opening Saturday
Area skiers can rejoice. Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Somerset County will open for skiing and snowboarding this weekend. “Recent snowmaking success has made it possible for Seven Springs Mountain Resort to open for skiing and snowboarding this Saturday and Sunday,” resort marketing director Alex Moser said. Since Dec. 1,...
Rare Babe Ruth card found by Altoona-area woman sells for $342,000
A collection of very old baseball cards turned out to be a treasure trove for an Altoona-area woman who works on the front lines of the pandemic. The woman, who did not want to be identified, was going through her late grandfather’s belongings when she found a rare 1916 Babe...
U.S. Supreme Court denies Republican injunction request in Pa. mail-in ballot challenge
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon denied an attempt by U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly and other Republicans to challenge Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting system. The denial likely puts an end to the Trump campaign’s efforts to throw out the state’s election results that declared President-elect Joe Biden the winner. The...
UPMC expects to receive covid vaccine soon, distribute to health care workers after authorization
Pending emergency authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, UPMC hopes to have the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine distributed to all of its front-line workers by the end of January, leaders in the hospital system said Tuesday. The system anticipates arrival of its first allocation of Pfizer vaccine doses in...
Levin to buy back 5 stores from Michigan firm, rebuild furniture chain
Robert Levin is getting closer to rebuilding his family’s namesake furniture chain, which nearly fell to ruin after a century in business following a sale and the tumult of a messy bankruptcy proceeding. “I feel this is like a Christmas gift for all of us, customers and employees,” Levin said...
UPMC names new president of Center for Emergency Medicine
UPMC appointed a new president of the Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania, which focuses on prehospital care and paramedic services. James Houser will succeed Doug Garretson, who retired in October. Houser will run the critical care air ambulance service, STAT MedEvac, with helicopters throughout the Western Pennsylvania region,...
Pittsburgh doctor: ‘Covid vaccines are lights at the end of the tunnel, but we’re still in the tunnel’Video
Coronavirus vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna are likely to be released later this month. The announcements bring excitement for what could be the beginning of the end of the pandemic. But some people have concerns about the safety of the vaccines. Just how safe are vaccines? How do they...
Stay in the car to see Santa during holiday happenings
Pandemic precautions mean kids may not get to sit on Santa’s lap this year. But there are several area options for families to have a drive-thru encounter with the jolly old elf, in a socially distanced take on the holiday tradition. Unity Instead of its usual Deck the Tree holiday...
