Regional News category, Page 267
WVU mandates covid-19 testing and education; Pitt to require students to quarantine
West Virginia University will require students to get a covid-19 test and complete an education module on the virus prior to returning to campus next month. Those who fail to meet those requirements could be fined $250, school officials warned Tuesday. Like colleges across the region, WVU has published a...
Meth lab dump sites ‘fairly common’ on Indiana County’s rural roads
Indiana County’s rural roads have become appealing places for methamphetamine manufacturers to get rid of their illegally used materials, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. It’s become a “fairly common occurrence” for state troopers to find dump sites in remote areas or off dirt roads, said Trooper Cliff Greenfield. The...
Backpack giveaway coming to Western Pennsylvania
The annual School Rocks Backpack Giveaway is set to donate 140,000 backpacks full of school supplies this weekend. Round Room LLC, a Verizon Wireless retailer, announced its TCC and Wireless Zone stores will give away school supplies at over 800 locations nationwide. This year will mark more than 1 million...
Connellsville chamber cancels ‘Savor the Avenue’
The Greater Connellsville Chamber of Commerce will cancel the Savor the Avenue “Celebrating the Jewel of the Yough” event originally scheduled for Aug. 6, due to ongoing public health risks associated with covid-19. “The safety and health of our guests and restaurant staff comes first,” chamber officials wrote in a...
Former assistant college basketball coach indicted on federal child porn charges
A Blair County man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on several counts of production of child pornography and exploitation of minors. Jacob Kolonis, 27, of Duncansville is the sole defendant in the 16-count indictment unsealed Monday. He’s accused of interstate transmission of an extortion communication, production...
AHN announces mobile covid-19 testing locations
Allegheny Health Network’s mobile covid-19 testing unit will be visiting several Pittsburgh sites this week. Covid-19 testing will be available from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the following locations:Shop N’ Save plaza in the Hill District (1850 Centre Avenue) on Monday, July 20City Hall Building in Clairton (551 Ravensburg...
Analyst: Drivers enjoying lowest gas prices in 16 years as markets hang on covid-19
Gasoline prices fell slightly over the past week as markets await the next chapter in the coronavirus situation, an industry analyst said. “As cases continue to rise, the likelihood rises that gas prices will stabilize and demand may continue to see small decreases, which is the name of the game...
How to see comet NEOWISE in Pittsburgh area
It’s a sight you won’t get a chance to see again. Not unless you live another 6,800 years. It’s the ball of ice, rock and dust that everyone is talking about: a fuzzy-looking star with a tail otherwise known as comet NEOWISE. To see it, start to look below the...
As schools’ reopening plans balance safety with education, officials left feeling they’re picking ‘the best bad option’
Some school officials say their districts are in a no-win situation as they draw up reopening plans meant to balance health and education amid a pandemic that closed schools in the spring and upends any hope of normalcy in the fall. Those plans, required by state health and education officials...
Blaze causes extensive damage to steel manufacturer in Ambridge
A Beaver County manufacturing plant was extensively damaged in a Saturday morning fire, while the workers inside were safely evacuated. The five-alarm fire was reported at about 5 a.m. at Sukup Steel Structures in the 300 block of 14th Street in Ambridge, according to a county 911 dispatcher. Ambridge Fire...
Week-in-review: Covid-19 dominates headlines, Maz’s house sold, top creameriesVideo
The covid-19 pandemic continues to dominate daily life and news, with state leaders imposing restrictions on bars and restaurants and asking more travelers to self-quarantine as the number of cases continues to increase. Giant Eagle is defending itself in court against a lawsuit that calls its policy requiring shoppers to...
DEP issues code orange air pollution alert for Southwestern Pa.
Children, the elderly and those with respiratory issues should be careful and limit outdoor activity on Saturday, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. Most of Southwestern Pennsylvania will be under a code orange designation for ozone, the DEP said. Orange is the third level of a four-tier air...
Indiana County man arrested after troopers find ATV buried in yard
An Indiana County man attempted to hide the theft of an all-terrain vehicle this month by burying it in his backyard, state police said. Stephen P. McCloskey, 23, of Homer City, is charged with receiving stolen property, alteration of a vehicle identification number and theft after troopers dug up the...
License plate shortage affects auto industry as PennDOT works to catch up after pandemic shutdowns
Car dealerships and notaries throughout Pennsylvania are experiencing a hiccup in the supply chain for license plates — often leaving management at those retailers scrambling to continue doing business during the coronavirus pandemic. The problem, according to dealerships, notaries and state officials, is twofold: License plate stockpiles at car dealerships...
State Police Liquor Control issues 44 warnings for pandemic compliance
Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement officers issued 44 warnings this week for licensed liquor establishments failing to follow covid-19 requirements, officials said Friday. Liquor Control Enforcement officers visited 3,904 businesses from Monday through Thursday. These compliance checks were unannounced and focused on areas with high covid-19 transmission rates. Officials...
Pa. nursing home data used to track covid-19 deaths, cases riddled with errors
Data posted online this week by the Pennsylvania Department of Health show 76,336 residents at an Elk County nursing home have died from covid-19. The home is licensed to house 138 residents. The state listed 133 deaths at an Erie facility that previously reported no cases among residents or staff....
Washington County man indicted on child exploitation charges
A 49-year-old Washington County man was arraigned this week in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh after he was indicted on charges of sexually exploiting an underage boy. Joey Leroy Barton of Charleroi pleaded not guilty to the five-count indictment that includes charges of production and attempted production of material depicting...
5 more workers test positive for covid-19 at Beaver County ethane cracker site
Five more workers have tested positive for covid-19 at Shell Chemicals’ ethane cracker construction site in Beaver County, a company spokesman said in a statement. That brings the total number of positive tests to 18 since the pandemic began, Shell spokesman Michael Marr said in an update. A covid-19 testing...
Quick getaways may offer safer vacation spots during pandemic for Western Pennsylvanians
For many families, summer vacation may look a little different this year. A survey conducted by MyBioSource.com, a biotechnological products distribution company, found that 51% of Pennsylvanians are more likely to vacation locally in their own state this summer to avoid traveling by plane and reduce the risk of contracting...
Giant Eagle defends mask policy in answer to lawsuit
Giant Eagle is defending itself after a lawsuit filed by more than 30 people claims the grocery chain’s face mask policy is discriminatory toward disabled shoppers. In a response to a consolidated federal lawsuit that names 35 plaintiffs but specifically cites plaintiff Josiah Kostek, lawyers for Giant Eagle called for...
Drive-in theaters touted as ideal entertainment amid pandemic, but attendance flaggingVideo
Drive-in theaters are being touted as “masters of social distancing entertainment” even as attendance rates continue to taper off at many local theaters. Visit Pennsylvania, the state’s tourism website, released a list of the state’s 27 drive-in theaters describing them as “ready for their closeup” in the era of covid-19....
Gov. Wolf announces $50 million in grants for hazard bonuses to Pa. front-line workers
Pennsylvanians who are working in life-sustaining jobs during the coronavirus pandemic will be getting temporary pay increases, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Thursday. “These people deserve to be paid for the risks they’re taking for all of us,” Wolf said. The state will use $50 million of its federal pandemic stimulus...
Pennsylvania officials warn of dangers of hot cars for children, pets as temperatures rise
As the temperatures creep back into the 90s, the state Department of Health reminded people to never leave children, older adults, or pets in a hot vehicle. Infants, young children, people 65 years of age or older, people with chronic medical conditions, and people who work outdoors are at a...
Pennsylvania could integrate 6 state universities, including Cal U, Clarion, Edinboro, Slippery Rock
The financially struggling Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education on Thursday took the first step in a two-year redesign process that could see six of its 14 universities integrated into three operating units. The 20-member State System Board of Governors unanimously approved a resolution instructing Chancellor Daniel Greenstein to launch...
Western Pa. residents flock to campsites for safe, social-distanced summer fun
As people search for summer fun in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, camping has quickly become a popular alternative to bustling beaches and large crowds. At Ohiopyle State Park, park manager Kenneth Bisbee said attendance has skyrocketed this season. “Since the governor issued the stay-at-home order in March, our...
