Regional News category, Page 262
Fayette County court assistant, law clerk accused of defrauding widow, late husband
A Fayette County courthouse law clerk and court administration assistant, along with three others, were charged Thursday in connection with a scheme that police said defrauded the widow of a Smock man. Ryan Joseph Marshall, 30, and Tammy Sue Cable, 51, both of Uniontown, are charged with numerous counts, including...
Dozens of clergy sex abuse lawsuits filed in Allegheny, Westmoreland courts as possible deadline looms
More than two dozen lawsuits that allege sexual abuses by priests were filed Thursday ahead of what lawyers suggest could be a deadline to file legal action two years after the release of a grand jury report that detailed claims involving Catholic dioceses throughout Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh lawyer Alan Perer filed...
Allergy season plagues Western Pennsylvania, thanks to grass, ragweed, pollution
Seasonal allergies are plaguing Western Pennsylvania again this year with ragweed pollen on the rise. Dr. Thomas Mertz, an allergist at Allergy and Asthma Associates of Pittsburgh, said this allergy season seems to be severe as mid-August arrives. Mertz blamed poor air quality and lots of pollen for the severe...
Large crowds taking toll on Pennsylvania state parks
In the late 1800s, Ohiopyle State Park’s 100-acre Ferncliff Peninsula was home to a boardwalk, bowling alley and hotel along the Youghiogheny River. The small resort eventually closed as automobiles replaced rail transportation to the small Fayette County town, allowing the natural landscape to return. Decades later, Ferncliff Peninsula Natural...
Temperatures in Pittsburgh region could drop this weekend, bringing chance of rain
Temperatures will hover close to 90 degrees over the next few days, but a front could bring some relief to the Pittsburgh region this weekend. According to National Weather Service, highs will remain in the upper 80s Thursday and Friday with the potential for isolated showers. “Today and tomorrow will...
State departments warn of scams related to contact tracing
Two state agencies issued warnings about contact tracing scams amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Pennsylvania departments of Health and Aging, scams include a caller asking for Social Security numbers or payment for services. Contact tracing is used to identify people who have come in close contact with someone...
Fayette County jail, court employees arrested in drug dealing investigationsVideo
Two guards at the Fayette County Prison, four inmates and two women on the outside are charged in connection with a drug smuggling scheme at the Uniontown jail, according to court papers. The scheme started to unravel in April when guard Angela Rae Powell, 37, of East Uniontown was seen...
Poll worker needs ranked critical in Washington, Westmoreland, Fayette counties
Westmoreland County, as well as Fayette and Washington counties, face an uphill battle when it comes to recruiting poll workers for the presidential election this fall, researchers found. A study produced by Boston-based bipartisan nonprofit The Voter Protection Corps and Carnegie Mellon University found the counties were among 15 across...
Trib partners with investigative nonprofit Spotlight PA
Trib Total Media on Thursday became a partner in Spotlight PA, the nonprofit investigative newsroom based in Harrisburg that covers state government. Spotlight PA was launched in September 2019 through The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, which operates the Inquirer. Trib Total Media joins PennLive/Harrisburg Patriot-News as...
KISS concert in Burgettstown finally rescheduled for 2021
There it was, still on the KISS website by mid-Wednesday afternoon. The iconic hard rock group’s Aug. 28 concert at S&T Bank Music Park in Burgettstown was still scheduled. Obviously, this show could not possibly happen because of the pandemic. Not with Gov. Wolf’s order restricting gatherings of more than...
71 Fayette Co. inmates test positive for coronavirus; courthouse reopening for business
More than half of the inmates at the Fayette County Prison tested positive for covid-19 as county officials prepare to reopen its courthouse Thursday after a two-week closure. The county has seen big jumps in the number of confirmed cases in recent days, and 32 county employees have tested positive...
AG Shapiro confirms investigation into embattled Brighton Rehab nursing home in Beaver CountyVideo
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has launched a criminal investigation into the embattled Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County, the Tribune-Review has learned. A spokesperson for Shapiro confirmed Wednesday morning his office is exploring whether criminal charges are warranted related to the “conditions and practices” at the Brighton...
Fayette County singer in running for country music awardsVideo
A country singer from Fayette County is hoping to up her industry profile through awards from two music industry organizations. Katrina Lynn Whetsel of White, who performs as Katrina Lynn, is nominated for honors from the Atlanta-based International Singer Songwriters Association and Fair Play Country Music, an online magazine and...
Western Pa. leaders working to exceed census response rates from 2010
Fewer people have responded to the 2020 census across Western Pennsylvania than in 2010, new data shows. According to the Pennsylvania State Data Center, several area counties, including Allegheny and Westmoreland, are about 5 percentage points behind self-response rates recorded in 2010. That means fewer people so far have responded...
Clemente rookie card, 1900 Wagner team photo up for auction
Pittsburgh Pirate history buffs, get your wallets ready: a New Jersey auction house is taking bids on Roberto Clemente’s 1955 Topps rookie card, as well as a team photo of the Pirates taken during Honus Wagner’s first year with the team in 1900. The auction concludes Sunday. Bidding on the...
What Pittsburgh experts are saying about Russia’s covid-19 vaccine
Russia declared on Tuesday its covid-19 vaccine was ready for public use — an announcement met with global skepticism. While Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted the vaccine had proven to be efficient and had undergone proper testing, some health experts warned that it’s ill-advised to begin using a vaccine before...
School reopening plans could change multiple times prior to first day
Weeks before students are expected to return to school, some districts are scrapping reopening plans in an effort to match state guidance and to account for spikes in coronavirus cases. At least two area districts, Franklin Regional and Bethel Park, drastically altered health and safety plans school leaders worked on...
Sunny days bring uptick in air pollution to Southwestern Pa.Video
There’s a downside to a hot, sunny summer in Southwestern Pennsylvania: higher levels of ozone air pollution, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The region’s Air Quality Index has reached Code Orange four days this year, including Sunday and Monday. The average for an entire year is 3...
Community college leaders tout cost advantages as 4-year schools go online
As families weigh the rapidly evolving landscape at colleges across the state, officials at Pennsylvania’s 14 community colleges say they are ready to accommodate students faced with last-minute decisions about the fall semester. “We estimate a student could save as much as $20,000 on the cost of an education if...
Missing Indiana County woman found safe, troopers say
State police in Indiana said a missing 71-year-old woman from East Wheatfield Township who was last seen Monday was found safe Tuesday afternoon. Police were seeking information on Cheryl L. Wieromiej who lives on Church Street near Armagh, Indiana County, just north of the Westmoreland County border, after her family...
Pa. leaders tell schools to be consistent but flexible in reopening plans, teaching methods
As schools prepare to resume teaching, the leaders of Pennsylvania’s health and education departments on Monday said districts should be consistent in approach but flexible in how they educate students. A spike in covid-19 cases in a county may require districts to change how they plan to teach students, said...
Police: Butler County man charged with child porn took photos of girls in bathroom
State police say a Jefferson Township man admitted taking photos of two underage girls while they were in a bathroom and had dozens of images of child pornography on his cellphone. Joshua Michael Pethtel, 33, allegedly told troopers he would take photos of the girls from an outside window, knowing...
412 Food Rescue plans second distribution at Fallingwater
One of the industries hardest hit by the covid-19 pandemic has been the tourism industry. This is especially true for the Laurel Highlands, where tourism supports about 15,000 jobs, according to some estimates. With this in mind, 412 Food Rescue has scheduled another food distribution for Wednesday from 11 a.m....
‘Let Our Kids Play in PA’ rally in Harrisburg to advocate for youth sports
Julie Wagner Burkart never realized how important sports were to her children until the covid-19 pandemic upended their athletic schedules. Burkart has an 11-year-old son who is involved in football, baseball, basketball and wrestling. Her 13-year-old daughter is a competitive dancer who runs for her school’s cross country and track...
Allegheny County leads Pennsylvania in animal abuse cases as 3rd anniversary of Libre’s Law approaches
Aug. 28 will mark the third anniversary of Libre’s Law, an anti-cruelty measure that strengthened the protection of animals in Pennsylvania. The 2017 law, also known as Act 10, was inspired by Libre, a Boston terrier puppy found badly neglected and abused in Lancaster County. Its passage increased penalties for...
