Top Stories category, Page 1021
Florida sets another record for single-day covid case increase
MIAMI — Florida on Christmas Day saw its largest single-day increase of newly reported covid-19 cases since the pandemic began. The record breaks the previous one set on Christmas Eve. “Omicron is 10 (times) more potent at causing reinfection than previous variants — protection from prior infection is not as...
After 27 years, John Peck walks away with long legacy as Westmoreland’s district attorney
John Peck stood before a Westmoreland County jury in early December and for the next 40 minutes argued for a conviction. It marked the last time Peck would do so as the county’s district attorney — a job he’s held since 1994. He leaves at year’s end after failing in...
Flight cancellations drag on as airlines short-staffed
Airlines continued to cancel hundreds of flights Saturday as staffing issues tied to covid-19 disrupted holiday celebrations during one of the busiest travel times of the year. FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, noted 921 flights entering, leaving or inside the U.S. canceled Saturday, up from 690 Friday. Over 200 more flights...
Space telescope launched on daring quest to behold 1st stars
The world’s largest and most powerful space telescope rocketed away Saturday on a high-stakes quest to behold light from the first stars and galaxies and scour the universe for hints of life. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope soared from French Guiana on South America’s northeastern coast, riding a European Ariane...
Players recall guidance of Steelers coach Chuck Noll on 30th anniversary of his retirement
It seems that anyone who ever played for Chuck Noll has a story about how he humiliated or confounded them. Noll was, to say the least, a puzzling character. Yet, they all seem to have come away with a feeling of enduring admiration for the man who led the Pittsburgh...
Switched on Christmas: Collector exhibits vintage holiday lights at Ligonier libraryVideo
Tiny bubbles at the holiday season may bring New Year’s Eve champagne toasts to mind. Don Lachie delights in bubbles of a different type — ones that are enjoyed by viewing instead of imbibing. Christmas tree lights that bubble instead of twinkle came into vogue in the late 1940s and...
A guide to making holiday gift returns
Someone gives you a gift. It’s the wrong size. It’s a duplicate. Maybe you don’t like it. You want to return it. After months of shopping leading up to Christmas, some people will be heading back to the stores Dec. 26. That’s a day known for holiday gift exchanges. In...
Police: 6 adults wounded in Christmas Eve shooting in Swissvale
Allegheny County Homicide detectives are investigating a shooting that wounded six adults Friday afternoon in Swissvale. County 911 dispatchers were notified of the shooting shortly after 4:30 p.m. in the 7300 block of Schoyer Avenue. All those wounded were taken to area hospital in various unspecified conditions, police said. Police...
Mother, 2 adult children face neglect charges after elderly family member found in deplorable conditions
A mother and two children in Forward Township face neglect charges after an elderly family member in their care was found covered in waste, suffering with head lice and with toenails so long they “appeared not to have been maintained in years,” according to police. Lori Giacomelli, 56, Rachael Giacomelli,...
Pennsylvania, Allegheny County report record covid cases
Allegheny County and Pennsylvania as a whole reported record-breaking covid-19 case counts on Friday, posting numbers above even the height of the late 2020 surge, data shows. The state Department of Health reported 13,286 new covid cases, topping the previous record of 12,884 set in December 2020 before vaccines were...
Demand for rapid covid testing on the rise in Western Pa.
The rise in the number of omicron variant cases has led to long lines at area testing sites, including those provided by Curative, one of the entities Allegheny County has partnered with to conduct testing. Last Tuesday around the county, Curative performed more than 2,700 covid-19 tests — its highest...
Holiday traditions remain strong in Westmoreland County, even if on pause during pandemic
A global pandemic has disrupted the routines of so many people at home, work, school and how they gather for family vacations, reunions and anniversaries. Now, for a second consecutive year, it is impacting how some will celebrate the holidays. “We used to always get together and sing Christmas carols....
Delta, United, Lufthansa report flight cancellations over Christmas
FRANKFURT, Germany — At least three major airlines have reported canceling dozens of flights as illnesses largely tied to the omicron variant of covid-19 take a toll on flight crew numbers during the busy holiday travel season. Germany-based Lufthansa said Friday that it was canceling a dozen long-haul transatlantic flights...
Santa’s on his way: Here’s how to track him
All eyes are on the guy dressed in red and white. It’s time for Santa Claus to shine, and there are a few ways to track his gift-giving progress — with the help of nine flying reindeer, Rudolph included of course — before he makes it to rooftops across Southwestern...
10-year-old dons elf suit to spread Christmas cheer at Unity personal care home
A young beacon of the holiday spirit made sure residents at a Unity personal care home felt loved during a special visit Thursday. Dora Runyon, 86, exclaimed when William Gunther, 10, handed her a small elephant stuffed animal, one of 150 he purchased to hand out to those spending Christmas...
Tarentum homicide suspect had been ordered to pay victim child support
A man charged with shooting a woman to death in Tarentum has a 5-month-old child with the woman and had recently been ordered to pay child support, according to Allegheny County Police. DaShawn Frederick, 26, of Wilkinsburg surrendered to authorities Thursday night. He is charged with criminal homicide in the...
Allegheny County Jail inmate dies
An Allegheny County Jail inmate died on Wednesday in the county lock-up, a county spokeswoman said. The inmate, whose identity was not released, was found unresponsive during a medication pass, according to Warden Orlando Harper. The jail’s health care department conducted cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on the man, but he was declared...
Suspect in fatal Tarentum shooting Dec. 16 turns himself in to authorities
A Wilkinsburg man was jailed Thursday night in connection with the Dec. 16 fatal shooting of a 30-year-old woman in Tarentum, Allegheny County Police said Thursday night. DaShawn Frederick, 26, of Wilkinsburg is charged with criminal homicide in connection with the death of Arquwonna Wright, 30, of the Philip Burtner...
Feast of the Seven Fishes highlights Italian family tradition in Western Pa.
Dinnertime, for an Italian family, is sacred. It’s an opportunity to gather around the table, share a meal, drink some good wine and engage in great conversation. The spread on Christmas Eve represents the heart of this tradition. The Feast of the Seven Fishes — for which seven seafood items...
U.S. sets shorter covid-19 isolation rules for health workers
NEW YORK — Worried that a new covid-19 wave could overwhelm understaffed U.S. hospitals, federal officials on Thursday loosened rules that call on health care workers to stay out of work for 10 days if they test positive. Those workers now will be allowed to come back to work after...
Peduto promotes longtime bodyguard to assistant chief of Pittsburgh police
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, in his last police promotion ceremony as mayor on Thursday, promoted his longtime bodyguard from sergeant to assistant chief, leapfrogging the ranks of lieutenant and commander. Peduto defended the relatively unorthodox move before Phil Carey was even sworn in as an assistant chief. “Many people ask...
City of Pittsburgh begins disciplining unvaccinated employees
The city of Pittsburgh announced Thursday that it has begun disciplining employees who have yet to be vaccinated against covid-19. Mayor Bill Peduto in November issued an executive order requiring all city employees — except those with an accepted medical or religious exception — to be fully vaccinated by Dec....
Wilkinsburg severs ties with borough development group over annexation debate
Wilkinsburg Borough Council has voted to sever all ties with the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation, the organization calling for Pittsburgh to annex the neighboring borough. The Wilkinsburg CDC — which initially was tasked with revitalizing Wilkinsburg’s main business corridor when it was formed in 2008 — has “failed in its...
Several Westmoreland municipalities sign on to proposed opioid suit settlement
Westmoreland County’s largest municipalities are beginning to line up to join the county in a proposed national settlement of lawsuits against drug companies stemming from the ongoing opioid epidemic. Unity Township, in a special meeting Thursday, was one of the latest to sign on for the proposed $26 billion national...
Lab-confirmed cases of omicron variant detected in Allegheny County
A day after the Allegheny County health director said the covid-19 omicron variant had been found in the county’s wastewater, lab testing has identified two confirmed cases of the quick-spreading variant, officials said. One test was collected from a man Dec. 7, and it was confirmed to be the omicron...
