Top Stories category, Page 1209
Tree of Life hosts virtual interfaith covid-19 memorial service
Local religious leaders remembered the victims of the covid-19 pandemic with a virtual memorial service one year after the first coronavirus-related death in Pennsylvania. The Tree of Life congregation on Thursday evening hosted the online event, which they called “Covid-19 One Year Later: A Service of Remembrance, Healing and Renewal.”...
Western Pa. community leaders fear mounting intensity of anti-Asian hate, xenophobia
Asian community leaders in Western Pennsylvania are reeling with emotion and striving to quell fears days after a gunman stormed three Asian-run spas in the Atlanta area, killing eight people. “We’re anxious, we’re heartbroken, we’re raging,” said Marian Lien, president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Organization for Chinese Americans....
Levine pressed for answers on Pa.’s missing nursing home data as confirmation advances
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Former Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine is under pressure from U.S. House Republicans to provide more details about the...
Harrison man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child porn
A Harrison man who already was a registered sex offender has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for child porn possession. U.S. District Judge Marilyn J. Hornan imposed the sentence Thursday against Jack Ulrich Jr. Ulrich, 43, had pleaded guilty last June to one count of possession of...
SWAT team recovers 1-year-old girl said to have been abducted, 3 arrested
A 1-year-old girl abducted Thursday afternoon in East Pittsburgh was recovered safely by a SWAT team hours later, according to police. State police announced they had found Diore Thomas after an Amber Alert was issued for her Thursday afternoon. Diore was last at 12:30 p.m. in East Pittsburgh. Police had...
Voice of Westmoreland demands better covid vaccine plan in countyVideo
Members of the Voice of Westmoreland delivered a petition to county commissioners Thursday demanding a coronavirus vaccine registry and distribution sites in rural areas and for minority communities, among other concerns. The 375 signatures had been gathered since Saturday, said Bob Mason, a Trafford resident and member of the grassroots...
USPS agents found no evidence of backdated Erie ballots, report says
HARRISBURG — U.S. Postal Service investigators did not find evidence of any backdated presidential election ballots in the post office in Erie, according to a report summarizing the investigation into claims by a postal worker that spurred calls from Republicans for a federal probe. The presidential battleground of Pennsylvania was...
In hard-hit restaurant industry, hiring more staff is tall order in Western Pa.
A sign seeking job applicants hangs in the window of Anchor Inn in Harrison. It’s been there for about six months. That sign has garnered only two applicants, owner Joe Kolek said Thursday. “Everybody’s got ‘help wanted’ signs,” Kolek said. “I think everybody is in the same boat trying to...
Pa. vaccine provider map gets face-lift, officials still aim for May 1 open eligibilityVideo
The Pennsylvania Department of Health appears to be inching toward a more centralized system for finding and making covid-19 vaccine appointments as officials work to make a map of providers more accessible and more interactive. Health officials touted the updates to the map, which right now is the sole place...
5,000 covid-19 vaccine appointments to open at 2 pharmacies in Penn Township and Indiana Co.
More than 5,000 appointments for the covid-19 vaccine will be available next week through two area Mainline Pharmacy Group locations. Bushy Run Pharmacy, in Penn Township, and Blairsville Pharmacy, in Indiana County, have appointments available for those who qualify in phase 1A of the state’s vaccination plan. This phase includes...
Ross woman charged with involvement in Capitol riot
When the FBI was investigating a Bridgeville man for his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, they spoke to an acquaintance of his, Jennifer Heinl. During that Jan. 28 conversation, Heinl, of Ross, said she had gone to Washington, D.C., the day before the attack, but that she hadn’t...
Penn State announces in-person commencement plans
Penn State officials say the university will host in-person commencement ceremonies at University Park and at its other campuses across the state. The state’s largest university cited increasing vaccination rates and a relaxation in state guidelines in its decision to move forward with a more traditional graduation for the class...
Pitt plans a return to normal operations at Oakland for fall 2021
In yet another indication of growing optimism surrounding the covid-19 vaccine, officials at the University of Pittsburgh are planning a return to full in-person operations at the university’s Oakland campus as well its campuses in Greensburg, Johnstown, Bradford and Titusville. Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher on Thursday announced that the school,...
One of Pittsburgh area’s first Chick-fil-A stores set to close
One of the first Chick-fil-A locations in the Pittsburgh area is closing at the end of the month. March 31 will be the last day of operations for the Chick-fil-A at Ross Park Mall, according to a sign at the business. The mall’s food court eatery first opened in August...
Fox Chapel cheerleader Sloane Simon to perform on ‘American Idol’
Fox Chapel Area High School cheerleader Sloane Simon is going to Hollywood. The 16-year-old sophomore from O’Hara is a contestant on “American Idol.” She announced the news Tuesday on her Twitter account. So my audition didn’t air, but I got THREE YESes and I’M GOING TO HOLLYWOOD!! Make sure you...
Google announces expansion of Bakery Square campus
Google is about to make its large footprint in Bakery Square even larger. Thursday morning, the company announced plans to expand its Bakery Square campus by adding three new floors this year, bringing its total footprint in the building to 320,000 square feet. Google said it will be taking the...
Allegheny, Westmoreland counties covid cases, deaths stable; Pennsylvania surpasses 12% fully vaccinated
In Pennsylvania, the number of people vaccinated from the coronavirus has continued to climb, while covid cases and deaths have remained relatively stable. In Allegheny County on Thursday there was a slight uptick in new cases and hospitalizations. Westmoreland County saw a decrease in cases and one new death. And...
Restaurant owners in eastern suburbs brace for change next month with cautious optimism
Restaurant owners in the area are bracing for yet another change to operations come next month. This time, though, they are welcoming the change as it means coming one step closer to pre-pandemic days, even if it presents a new challenge of finding staff to meet a potential uptick in...
U.S. schools prepare summer of learning to help kids catch up
After a dreary year spent largely at home in front of the computer, many U.S. children could be looking at summer school — and that’s just what many parents want. Although the last place most kids want to spend summer is in a classroom, experts say that after a year...
PNC closing 3 more Pittsburgh-area branches
PNC will close three more bank branches in the Pittsburgh area in June. The branches that will close June 11 are in McCandless, Oakdale and Ambridge. Each will be consolidated with another location, bank spokeswoman Marcey Zwiebel said. The closings are driven by changes in the way customers are doing...
White supremacist propaganda surged in 2020, report says
NEW YORK — White supremacist propaganda reached alarming levels across the U.S. in 2020, according to a new report that the Anti-Defamation League provided to The Associated Press. There were 5,125 cases of racist, anti-Semitic, anti-LGBTQ and other hateful messages spread through physical flyers, stickers, banners and posters, according to...
AMC opening 98% of movie theaters
It’s showtime! AMC Theatres says it will have 98% of its U.S. movie theaters open on Friday, with more expected to open by March 26. Shares of AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. are up more than 4% before the market open on Thursday. Movie theaters all over shuttered their doors a...
Bill would make daylight saving time permanent in Pennsylvania
If some Pennsylvania lawmakers get their way, you won’t need to remember the phrase “spring forward, fall back.” Lawmakers are pushing a bill that urges Congress to authorize states to make daylight saving time apply year-round. The House State Government Committee approved the bill on Wednesday. The bill, which passed...
Divided House OKs Dems’ bill helping Dreamer immigrants
WASHINGTON — The House voted Thursday to unlatch a gateway to citizenship for young Dreamers and immigrants who have fled war or natural disasters abroad, giving Democrats a win in the year’s first vote on an issue that once again faces a steep uphill climb in Congress. On a near...
TSA finds loaded handgun in woman’s carry-on at Pittsburgh International Airport
Another gun has been caught at the main security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport. According to Allegheny County Police, Transportation Security Administration officers found a loaded .380 caliber handgun in a woman’s carry-on bag around 5:42 a.m. Thursday. The TSA said the woman, a resident of Pittsburgh, had the gun...
