Regional News category, Page 26
Budget impasse leaves school districts in limbo over $4 billion in funding
The state’s nearly three-month budget impasse has cost Pennsylvania school districts almost $4 billion. That’s how much districts, technical schools and intermediate units should have received in state funding since July 1 — the day a new budget was supposed to take effect. Without a budget, the state isn’t making...
$100M recycling facility to replace ‘primitive’ slag pits at U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson plant
U.S. Steel’s notoriously outdated Edgar Thomson Works handles the molten substance left behind by smelting iron ore the same way it did 150 years ago: by dumping it into slag pits. They’re as low-tech as they sound. First, molten iron comes flowing from the blast furnaces. The slag, which rides...
Morning Roundup: Fire at former Century III Mall; disaster aid offer to Squirrel Hill fire victims
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Sept. 25: Fire at former Century III Mall A fire at the former Century III Mall broke out Wednesday morning as crews continue demolition work there, according to Pleasant Hills Volunteer Fire Company. The flames were reported just...
Cranberry couple accused of perjury related to sale of Westmoreland home with water issues
A Cranberry couple is accused of lying under oath when they said they weren’t aware of water damage to their former Westmoreland County home they sold in September 2020. Westmoreland County detectives have charged Michael James Pierce, 57, and Carrie Ann Pierce, 54, with perjury in the case. The Pierces...
Giant Eagle plans to invest $100M in strategic push amid heavy competition
Flush with cash after selling GetGo for $1.6 billion, Giant Eagle is prepared to spend more than $100 million to renovate stores and show customers it’s serious about lowering prices. The investment spree started Thursday and will run through 2026, marking the start of a “new era” for Giant Eagle,...
Pa. helps grandparents raise kids with free hotline
Pennsylvania launched the first statewide hotline for legal resources for grandparents tasked with raising their grandchildren. On Wednesday, the Department of Aging announced that the PA Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Legal Line — which is free to use and offers a variety of resources to help with custody proceedings, preparation for...
Pa. families risk higher premiums as leaders urge feds to save insurance tax credits
Indiana County resident Tony Gonzales and his wife are just two of the almost half a million Pennsylvanians who could be hit with sharp health insurance price hikes next year. The college professor said he and his wife enrolled in Pennie, Pennsylvania’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance exchange, about...
Penn State president’s raise turns heads, but some say it’s a reflection of the industry
To some Penn State faculty members, recent decisions from the university’s Board of Trustees have had a bit of a whiplash effect. In May, trustees voted to close the New Kensington and Fayette campuses in two years — as well as five others — citing enrollment and financial declines and...
Doctors turn to each other, not CDC, for medical advice
Most of the medical community once looked to an influential federal vaccine panel for guidance on immunizations. But after the discussions and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine panel veered from scientific consensus last week — and toward the vaccine-skeptical beliefs of Health and Human Services...
Trifecta of rainy, hot, dry weather could be pattern of the future
Excessive rain in the spring followed by a hot, dry summer might be the weather pattern of the future. Experts point to atmospheric greenhouse gases that are higher than they’ve been in more than a million years for driving temperature changes. The abundance of carbon dioxide, methane and other gases...
Slippery Rock enrollment up 2.75% — its highest increase in 9 years
Slippery Rock University is experiencing record enrollment and retention rates this fall semester. Total enrollment at the Butler County state college is 8,625 students, a 2.75% increase from last fall, according to the university. It’s Slippery Rock’s largest single-year increase in the past nine years. There are 1,549 full-time, first-year...
Benezette elk viewing areas unaffected by weekend fires
A wildfire Saturday in Benezette it isn’t expected to impact tourism in the self-proclaimed “Elk Capital of Pennsylvania.” In north central Pennsylvania, visitors regularly flock to Elk County to observe the animals, and fall is particularly popular for viewing the annual elk rut. The game commission maintains multiple elk viewing...
PennWest, IUP partner with Google to expand AI training
When leaders in the business, manufacturing and education fields seek PennWest University students for internships and jobs, they’re not just asking if candidates are skilled in artificial intelligence. They’re also asking if the students can lead AI training and development for their potential peers, said Camille Dempsey, director of the...
Ligonier Valley officer joins few in local law enforcement able to draw blood of DUI suspects
When Ligonier Valley police Officer Shawn Knepper makes a traffic stop, he may end up taking the driver’s blood as well as his or her name, age and license number. Knepper recently became one of 19 municipal law enforcement officers in the state who have gained certification as a phlebotomist...
Concert will help support East Palestine residents affected by train derailment
Former steelworker, longtime Pittsburgh-area labor activist and musician Mike Stout wanted a way to formalize relief efforts for those affected and displaced by the 2023 East Palestine train derailment. The freight train derailment on Feb. 3, 2023, in the village near the Pennsylvania state line included 11 cars transporting hazardous...
Western Pa. theaters, museums struggling with funding, audience retention
On stages across Western Pennsylvania, the drama unfolding isn’t only scripted — it’s real. Five years after covid-19 shuttered theaters and silenced auditoriums, regional arts organizations are still navigating the fallout of the pandemic, shrinking funding streams and an audience base that looks much different than before. National data from...
‘Civil Discourse’ class aims to bridge political, social divides
Abagail Hayward doesn’t talk about politics with certain friends. It’s not because she’s unable to share her beliefs or respect other ideologies. She just doesn’t want to lose friends because of the tense nature of such conversations. “I know how they stand, and I don’t want them to not like...
Homer City school board member threatened after misunderstood Facebook post
An ill-timed Facebook post misconstrued to be celebrating Republican influencer Charlie Kirk’s assassination prompted death threats against a Homer City school board member and spurred 60 people to attend a board meeting this week. “One down, hundreds to go,” Misty Hunt posted Sept. 10 on Facebook. The words were meant...
Beaver County Catholics warned to double-check their inbox as emails aren’t from priests
A Beaver County Catholic parish is dealing with spam emails impersonating members of its clergy, according to a Facebook announcement. Mary, Queen of Saints Catholic Parish, which has churches in Aliquippa, Center, Hopewell and Monaca was made aware of the emails, specifically impersonating its priests, the Revs. John Gizler, Celestine...
Take the TribLive weekly news quiz: Sept. 19
The following is a feature from TribLive: A weekly news quiz: 1. Jimmy Kimmel’s television future is hanging in the balance after ABC suspended his late-night show as a result of the host’s comments mocking President Donald Trump. Which TV show did Kimmel make his debut? A/ Crank Yankers B/...
Teen shot, killed by federal agent in Aliquippa
An 18-year-old shot and killed by a federal agent in Aliquippa on Thursday evening was running from officers when he fired a weapon at them, state police said. Kendrick Curtis Jr., 18, was shot just after 6:20 p.m. after he fired a gun at law enforcement officers who were in...
Realtors, experts weigh in on Pittsburgh housing market for median income earners
Editor’s note: This is the first in an occasional series on real estate market trends in Western Pennsylvania. Ashlea Lee was tired of hunting for pet-friendly rental apartments for Reese, her 5-year-old golden retriever. The Westmoreland County native and Greensburg Central Catholic alumna knew what she wanted: a modest ranch,...
Pittsburgh airport’s traveler satisfaction likely to rise with new terminal, survey says
Pittsburgh International Airport has ranked 13th for medium sized airport in this year’s North America Airport Satisfaction Study, just ahead of the unveiling of the new terminal project. A travel intelligence expert says the new terminal could help to improve Pittsburgh’s rankings. Mike Taylor, senior managing director of travel intelligence...
Artists think big, paint small at ’24 Minis’ exhibit in Tarentum
Even if you’re painting a life-size depiction of baby birds, you don’t need a huge canvas. That’s part of the reason why Murrysville artist Betty Trout decided to focus on multiple families of robins in her backyard as the subject of her entry in the “24 Minis” exhibit at the...
DEP faces concerns about air pollution from proposed Homer City power plant
State environmental regulators were peppered with questions from Indiana-area residents Wednesday concerned about the air pollution that will be emitted from a proposed 4.5-gigawatt, natural gas-fired power plant outside Homer City and the potential for impacting their health. “We don’t feel they took any shortcuts on evaluating the (air pollution)...
