Top Stories category, Page 1171
Slow reporting from labs can hinder coronavirus response, create doubt
More than a year into the covid-19 pandemic, some virus cases identified during the first outbreak across Western Pennsylvania only recently were reported in Westmoreland County. The cases were part of a data dump on Wednesday from one lab that included cases from March 2020 to March 2021, causing the...
Pa. Department of Health moves to new federally run vaccine locator map
Pennsylvania has revamped the map used to help residents locate covid-19 vaccine providers, moving to a federally run search tool that will let users narrow their search to a specific brand of vaccine, officials said Friday. It is another move in the state’s push to get 70% of adults vaccinated....
To-go alcoholic drinks may become permanent in Pa.
As takeout became more common during the pandemic, to-go options for alcoholic beverages and mixed drinks have been temporary menu options. But it’s possible alcohol could be a permanent takeout option in Pennsylvania. Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation allowing for restaurants and hotels with a valid liquor license to serve...
With eye on more fans in stands, the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates urge people to get covid vaccine
Representatives of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Steelers and Penguins joined U.S. Sen. Bob Casey on Friday to reiterate their commitment to help educate and facilitate vaccination of people who remain hesitant to get the covid-19 vaccine. The teams were among the first organizations in the region to open venues to host...
Allegheny County’s average of new covid cases hits low not seen since November
Allegheny County’s seven-day covid-19 case average dropped to 210 on Friday, a low that hasn’t been seen since November. The Allegheny County Health Department reported 191 additional coronavirus cases. The last time the county’s current seven-day case average was this low was 207 on Nov. 8. The overall number of...
Scottdale woman ordered to pay $133K in restitution for unauthorized use of business credit cards
A Scottdale woman was ordered Friday to make mandatory $200 monthly restitution payments as part of a plea agreement connected to the fraudulent use of credit cards belonging to a Washington County-based company. Laurie Renee Christ, 54, was sentenced to seven years of probation and six months under house arrest...
Westmoreland County Prison inmate accused of trying to escape from Excela hospital
A Westmoreland County Prison inmate awaiting multiple hearings for illegal possession of a firearm, theft and drug-related charges is accused of trying to escape from custody. County Detective James Williams charged Brandon Zepeda, 27, of Greensburg with escape after he allegedly attempted to run out of the emergency room at...
Washington Co. man charged in Capitol riot indicted on new assault, theft charges
A Bentleyville man charged with entering the U.S. Capitol in connection with the January insurrection now faces additional charges that he assaulted an officer and stole documents during the attack. The new charges against Dale Shalvey were returned by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., on April 30. Shalvey,...
Tiki boat tours back on Pittsburgh riversVideo
They are recognizable by their thatched roofs and bamboo poles gliding along the river. The Hawaiian-style huts belong to Cruisin’ Tikis Pittsburgh, a company that offers sightseeing tours on the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela rivers. They will be on the water this weekend for a fourth season. “Pittsburgh is perfect...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend, May 7-9
Hide and seek Join the City of Greensburg Recreation Department for a free evening of hide and seek tag from 5-7 p.m. today at Lynch Field, 520 New Alexandria Road. The session is the first in a weekly Community Backyard Games series. While the activity is geared toward school-aged children...
Put it in a pot: Planting in small spaces yields big results
Cut flowers, potted plants and hanging baskets are all traditional Mother’s Day gifts. But did you ever think of giving Mom a tomato plant? A container garden just might be a refreshing and tasty way to think outside the Mother’s Day gift box — or pot, as it were. “A...
What you need to know about covid vaccine for kids 12-15
As covid-19 vaccination efforts ramp up, many are beginning to wonder whether children should be vaccinated and when. Dr. Joseph Aracri, chair of Allegheny Health Network’s pediatric institute, answers questions about vaccinating younger populations. Children are less susceptible to severe illness from covid-19, so should children get the covid-19 vaccine?...
U.S. employers added just 266K jobs in April as hiring slows
WASHINGTON — America’s employers added just 266,000 jobs last month, sharply lower than in March and a sign that some businesses are struggling to find enough workers as the economic recovery strengthens. With viral cases declining and states and localities easing restrictions, businesses have added jobs for four straight months,...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this Mother’s Day weekend
It’s been awhile, but we’re back with our listing of things to do in and around Pittsburgh this weekend. Happy Mother’s Day. Hopefully, we’ll dodge the rain. Enjoy. Walk for a cure The annual Susan G. Komen Greater Pennsylvania Virtual More Than Pink Walk is Sunday. The event, which raises...
Fitzgerald’s lack of attendance at Allegheny County Jail board meetings stirs debate
Allegheny County’s president judge said Thursday that it is not within her purview to order County Executive Rich Fitzgerald to attend the monthly Jail Oversight Board meetings over which she presides. The Pittsburgh Current reported in March that Fitzgerald is statutorily required to attend the meetings, but has failed to...
Main stage of Chinese rocket likely to plunge to Earth soonVideo
BEIJING — The largest section of the rocket that launched the main module of China’s first permanent space station into orbit is expected to plunge back to Earth as early as Saturday at an unknown location. Usually, discarded core, or first-stage, rockets reenter soon after liftoff, normally over water, and...
1 injured in Murrysville house fire
One person was injured when a fire broke out Thursday evening at a home in Murrysville. The fire was reported just before 8 p.m. on Foxwood Court, with flames initially showing from the basement. Everyone inside was able to get out of the house, but one person suffered from smoke...
Saxonburg tech firm II-VI lands $410M investment from Apple
Apple awarded $410 million to II-VI Inc., a Saxonburg-based high-tech company, so it can create 700 jobs and extra capacity to produce iPhone components. A news release from Apple said the new jobs will be at II-VI facilities in Easton, Pa.; Sherman, Texas; Warren, N.J.; and Champaign, Ill. II-VI Inc....
Valley High School teacher accused of sending inappropriate texts to another student
New Kensington police have filed additional charges against a New Kensington-Arnold School District music teacher who was accused last week of sending sexual text messages to a student. Police charged Sean Timothy O’Neil, 34, of Vandergrift, with corruption of minors and harassment in the latest case. In a criminal complaint...
PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh set to resume in October after pandemic pause
The PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series will take up where it left off, after “The Band’s Visit” was forced to close halfway through its 2020 run due to the pandemic. The Tony Award-winning production will return to the Benedum Center for six performances Oct. 28-31, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announced....
ATI, United Steelworkers at odds over union’s latest contract offer
The United Steelworkers union on Thursday said it presented a new contract offer to Allegheny Technologies Inc. in an attempt to end their ongoing strike. Instead of bringing the two sides closer to a resolution, ATI said the union’s latest proposal is pushing them further apart. In a bargaining bulletin,...
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg promotes $2.3 trillion infrastructure package in PittsburghVideo
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spent Thursday morning on a two-hour ferry ride along the Ohio River, getting an up-close look at the dilapidated bridges and aging lock-and-dam systems the region depends on. “Beautiful structures,” Buttigieg said of the McKees Rocks and West End bridges. “But you could see nets...
Kiski Township storage company selling previously owned items from abandoned unitsVideo
Previously owned contents from abandoned storage units are lining the shelves of a new store in Kiski Township. OPS — Other People’s Stuff — opened May 1 at 2216 River Road. The new store’s inventory is composed exclusively of left-behind items from rented storage units at Nellie-Joe’s Self-Storing Units, which...
Couple charged with handcuffing children, locking them in basement of Mt. Oliver home
An Allegheny County couple faces a slew of assault charges for forcing their children to sleep in locked basement rooms, physically abusing them and handcuffing them, according to police. Richard Hayes, 37, of Mt. Oliver Borough, and his girlfriend, 26-year-old Natosha Bell, of Rankin, both face more than a dozen...
Holy Spirit Academy in New Castle to close
Holy Spirit Academy, the Catholic school serving students in pre-K through eighth grade in New Castle, will close at the end of the academic year, the Diocese of Pittsburgh said Thursday. The Rev. Joseph McCaffrey, pastor at Holy Spirit Parish, submitted his request to close the school to Bishop David...
