Regional News category, Page 298
Adapting to Coronavirus: Back home in Beaver County, a Pitt freshman learns at a distance
Editor’s note: Adapting to Coronavirus is a regular series spotlighting the ways a global pandemic is changing the everyday lives of people in Western Pennsylvania. The coronavirus pandemic has caused global disruption to governments, economies and the daily lives of millions. College students haven’t been left out of that mix...
Flood advisory in effect for Western Pa. counties
Allegheny and several surrounding counties are under a flood advisory until mid-morning Friday. Meteorologist Lee Hendricks, with the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, said the region could see up to an inch of rain Friday morning falling on saturated ground and streams that are already fairly high. The advisory, which...
Some PNC branches to close, others to operate ‘drive-up’ services amid coronavirus
Temporary changes have been made at PNC Bank offices to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, officials announced Thursday. Beginning Friday, the Pittsburgh-based bank will keep about three-quarters of their branch locations open, offering drive-up services only. A full list of PNC Bank locations can be found on their...
Gov. Tom Wolf’s business shutdown order draws support, criticism
Gov. Tom Wolf’s order Thursday to close all non-life-sustaining businesses will strain local businesses and local communities, but it may be the state’s best shot at controlling the spread of the coronavirus, some public and health officials said. “Having these nonessential stores closed is having an impact on small businesses...
Giant Eagle stores opening earlier for seniors during coronavirus pandemic
All Giant Eagle and Market District supermarkets will open an hour early on select days for customers who are 60 and older, disabled or immune-compromised, the company announced Thursday. Beginning Monday, the grocery chain said it will open its doors at 6 a.m. Monday through Wednesday. The idea is to...
Allegheny Health Network suspends patient visits
Allegheny Health Network is suspending all patient visitation at its hospitals, outpatient clinics and ambulatory surgery centers until further notice, the network announced Thursday. The health system said the policy, which goes into effect at 7 p.m. Thursday, aims to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus that causes covid-19...
Officials team up to combat secondary outbreak of fraud, price-gouging amid coronovirus pandemic
The Pittsburgh region’s top state and federal law enforcement authorities announced Thursday they are teaming up to form the Western Pennsylvania Covid-19 Fraud Task Force to investigate and prosecute those committing fraud during the coronavirus outbreak. “Our goal is simple: We seek to ensure there is no gap between the...
‘Significant hospitalization rates’: Coronavirus taking a toll in Pa.
As coronavirus cases continue to rise rapidly across Pennsylvania, the state is seeing “significant hospitalization rates,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Thursday. “It really is varying day to day,” Levine said during a daily covid-19 update. The reported average hospitalization rate is about 10%. Levine said Pennsylvania’s rate...
After public criticism, Pa. turnpike to reopen restrooms at service plazas Friday
After four days of public criticism, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission reversed course Thursday and announced it will reopen all 17 of its service plazas beginning at 7 a.m. Friday In a news release, the agency said restrooms inside all service plazas will be open 24 hours. The outdoor portable toilets...
Changes coming to census as officials limit face-to-face contact in midst of coronavirus
Census officials are limiting face-to-face contact with people residing in nursing homes and those who utilize soup kitchens and shelters as the coronavirus continues to spread. In an effort to keep the public safe while obtaining a complete count, census officials are asking nursing home administrators to help residents reply...
Virus concerns close Greenbrier resort in West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia governor’s lavish resort, which served as a secret Cold War-era bunker for the federal government, closed Thursday over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs said on its website that it shut down at noon Thursday and plans to...
2 confirmed coronavirus cases in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County has its first two confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, the state Department of Health announced Thursday. The cases were among 52 new confirmed positives reported statewide, bringing the total number of Pennsylvania cases to 185. It’s an increase of 39% over the previous day and comes as...
Point Park University postpones spring graduation ceremonies
Point Park University postponed graduate hooding and commencement ceremonies scheduled for April 25. School President Paul Hennigan announced the decision Thursday morning. “I understand this news will disappoint many people, and I wish circumstances were different, but we must make the responsible decision to postpone the ceremonies,” Hennigan said in...
Police investigating shooting near Fayette County YMCA
One person was injured Wednesday in a shooting near a Fayette County YMCA, Tribune-Review news partner WPXI reported. The victim was transported by medical helicopter to a local hospital after being shot at about 7 p.m. Witnesses said there were multiple shots fired. The incident happened in the parking lot...
Army Corps announces closure of public facilities in Western Pennsylvania
The Army Corps of Engineers had closed select public facilities at recreational sites throughout Western Pennsylvania. Facilities affected include resource managers’ offices, visitor centers, ranger offices, maintenance offices, campground, picnic, shelter, pavilion and disc golf facilities, playgrounds, fishing areas and piers, and restrooms. “We have been actively monitoring the effect...
Western Pa. school districts rally to feed students during school stoppage over coronavirus
School districts across Western Pennsylvania scrambled this week to find ways to feed students after classes were canceled for at least two weeks as officials grappled with ways to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Volunteers and district employees handed out more than 800 bags of food for breakfast and...
Pennsylvania’s porta-potties, highway restrictions rankle truckers; state to reopen some rest stopsVideo
Ohio truck driver Paul Greene said the closure of restroom facilities at 17 Pennsylvania Turnpike service centers and PennDOT’s closure of welcome centers and rest areas was very much on his mind as he carried a duffel bag Wednesday into the Flying J truck stop in South Huntingdon. “They’ve closed...
Western Pa. animal shelters limit services as coronavirus continues to spread
Animal shelters in the region have limited their services as the coronavirus continues to spread, with most reducing their adoption hours to appointment-only. Animal Friends and Humane Animal Rescue have cut programming and fundraising events, leading some officials to worry about what the big picture might look like after virus...
Nonprofits join to combat impact of covid-19 in Laurel Highlands
Four nonprofit foundations that serve the Laurel Highlands and Somerset and Cambria counties will collaborate to provide rapid response to the impact of the covid-19 virus among the region’s most vulnerable residents, officials said Wednesday. The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies (CFA), United Way of the Laurel Highlands, Lee Initiatives,...
Shell suspends work on multibillion-dollar cracker plant in Beaver CountyVideo
Shell Chemicals said Wednesday it will temporarily halt its multibillion-dollar project to build an ethane cracker plant in Beaver County because of coronavirus concerns. The company then plans to gradually ramp work back up at the sprawling site where about 8,000 people have been working. “The decision to pause was...
WVU Medicine offers drive-up virus test sites, including Morgantown
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia University Medicine on Wednesday opened drive-up coronavirus testing sites for pre-screened patients. The sites will be in Morgantown, Parkersburg, Bridgeport, Wheeling and Martinsburg, according to a WVU Medicine news release. They will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week. Patients...
Mad Mex runs out of Gobbleritos brought back as coronavirus comfort foodVideo
Mad Mex brought back its renowned Gobblerito on Wednesday to add a bit of comfort to these tumultuous times, but at least one location ran out before the dinner rush. “We’re working on stocking up for tomorrow,” read a post on the Shadyside location’s Facebook page. “Thank you so much....
Allegheny, Westmoreland groups offer help to region’s small businesses during tough time
For small businesses concerned about the economic impact of the coronavirus, help is on the way. Several organizations in southwestern Pennsylvania said they plan to offer resources for small and medium-sized business affected by the coronavirus fallout, including those impacted by Gov. Tom Wolf’s order to close “nonessential” businesses. The...
National Park Service closes Western Pennsylvania visitor centers
The National Park Service on Tuesday closed visitor centers at its Western Pennsylvania sites until further notice to promote social distancing as part of coronavirus-related precautions. Restrooms and trails remain open to the public at all locations, including Friendship Hill National Historic Site. The following features also are open: •...
Influenza deaths increase in history-setting season, state reports
Ten more people died from influenza in Pennsylvania in the last week, increasing the total number of flu deaths this season to 93, the state Department of Health reported Tuesday. As of the week ending March 14, most of the people who died — 64 — were 65 or older....
