Top Stories category, Page 1227
Allegheny County reports 285 new coronavirus cases, 1 death
Allegheny County on Saturday recorded 285 new coronavirus cases, a relative bump up, as cases had been on the decline in recent weeks. Reports haven’t reached 500 cases in nearly five weeks and the county hasn’t reported any 1,000-case days in the past seven weeks, according to data from the...
Suspect left trail of heroin, cocaine, drug paraphernalia before arrest, Greensburg police report
An Allegheny County man was charged with multiple drug and escape charges after Greensburg police said he left a trail of cocaine, heroin and drug paraphernalia while he ran from a home in hopes of avoiding arrest. John R. Stenhouse, 20, of Turtle Creek was taken into custody in an...
Dissatisfied with their choices, Western Pa. voters write in athletes, coaches for president
Duquesne men’s basketball coach Keith Dambrot isn’t sure why one person in Allegheny County — a voter from Baldwin — chose him as a write-in candidate for president in November’s election. He is sure, however, that he doesn’t want the job. “I have enough problems,” Dambrot said with a laugh....
Man arrested after standoff with Pittsburgh SWAT team
A man was taken into custody by Pittsburgh police early Saturday after a standoff in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood where a man reportedly brandished a gun at a neighbor during a dispute, authorities said. Police and the city’s SWAT team responded at 3:50 a.m. to the 1300 block of Paulson Street...
Man stabbed in South Side, police investigating
A man was critically wounded late Friday after being stabbed multiple times in Pittsburgh’s South Side, according to city police. Police and paramedics responded to a 911 call for a man with stab wounds at the intersection of 7th and East Carson streets around 11:40 p.m., police reported. When officers...
Pitt students, volunteers create VaccinatePA to connect residents with vaccination infoVideo
The coronavirus vaccine rollout in Pennsylvania has created frustration for state officials and residents alike, with counties creating online registries to help get constituents the information they need and hospitals struggling to minimize wasted vaccine doses. But a group of University of Pittsburgh students, with the help of a couple...
Vaccine priority rules emerge as potential ‘obstacle’ as people forced to wait their turn
Priority groups were a necessity for starting the vaccine rollout efficiently in Pennsylvania, especially given the fact there aren’t enough doses to go around. But as the rollout progresses, some experts say the guidelines are slowing distribution when strictly followed. “The question is: Is it becoming an obstacle to getting...
Documentary on WQED looks at how pandemic exposed senior care crisis
A crisis in long-term care facilities that came to a breaking point during the pandemic is the topic of a new documentary produced jointly by the Pittsburgh-based Jewish Healthcare Foundation and WQED. “What Covid-19 Exposed in Long-Term Care” will be screened for the first time online Wednesday, Feb. 24 at...
Weather experts: Lack of planning caused cold catastrophe
This week’s killer freeze in the U.S. was no surprise. Government and private meteorologists saw it coming, some nearly three weeks in advance. They started sounding warnings two weeks ahead of time. They talked to officials. They issued blunt warnings through social media. And yet catastrophe happened. At least 20...
Pittsburgh Film Office asking public to submit videos for virtual event
Ever wanted to star in your favorite movie? Now’s your chance. In place of an annual Oscar-inspired event, the Pittsburgh Film Office is hosting a virtual “Lights! Glamour! Action!” event that consists of members of the public sending in videos of themselves reenacting their favorite movie lines. Submitted videos have...
Thousands await 2nd covid vaccine doses as Allegheny County Health Department confronts shortage
Thousands of people expecting to get their second covid-19 vaccine doses as soon as next week learned Friday the Allegheny County Health Department does not have enough supply for most of them. The health department expects to be able to give the second dose of the Moderna vaccine to only...
Upper St. Clair church sues insurance carrier over theft coverage
An Upper St. Clair church whose administrator stole more than $1 million from it is suing its insurance carrier for breach of contract. The suit contends that Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company paid $250,000 for the Westminster Presbyterian Church’s loss, but refuses to pay another $250,000 under the policy for the...
State regulators approve smaller than requested rate increase for Columbia Gas of Pa.
The state Public Utility Commission announced Friday it had approved a rate increase request for natural gas distribution from Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, but less than the utility had requested. The commission voted to approve an 11.1% increase. Columbia had initially asked for a 17.54% increase. An 11.1% increase will...
Unchanged since 1947, Pennsylvania’s 814 area will switch over to 10-digit dialing
Most of Western Pennsylvania has had to dial 10 digits to make a phone call for quite some time now. In the greater Pittsburgh area, the 724 area code wasn’t sufficient to keep pace by 2013, and a third code, 878, was added. But for multiple generations living in the...
Ross man charged with making phone threats to members of Congress
A Ross man has been charged with threatening two members of Congress, according to a federal indictment. Harry E. Miller, 62, is charged with sending threatening communications in interstate commerce. The indictment was returned on Tuesday and unsealed Friday. On Aug. 19, 2019, Miller called the office of Democratic U.S....
Why covid hospitalizations are plunging in Allegheny County
Allegheny County’s recent drop in covid-19 hospitalizations is likely the result of multiple factors, including public support for mitigation measures, officials said. Allegheny County on Friday reported the largest drop this month in hospitalizations resulting from the virus. Data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health showed there were 190 covid-19...
2 stores close at Westmoreland Mall; prom and formal wear store opens
Westmoreland Mall officials confirmed that Littman Jewelers shuttered this month, and a women’s clothing store is set to close. Littman, a national jewelry chain, was located on the first floor across from the former Sears wing and the wing that now houses Live! Casino Pittsburgh. Christopher & Banks, on the...
Police: Beer cans linked suspect to double homicide in Stowe
A bag of beer helped link a McKees Rocks man to a double homicide in Stowe, in which he is charged in connection with the killings of his brother and his brother’s girlfriend, police said. Police charged Timothy Gumm, 60, with two counts of homicide in the deaths of Christopher...
NASA scientist discusses search for life on Mars: ‘Who knows what we’ll find?’Video
Humans have long wondered about the existence of life on Mars. Now that NASA has landed the technologically advanced Perseverance Rover on the Red Planet, the search for life on Mars is being renewed. On Thursday, NASA performed a direct entry of the Martian atmosphere, surviving what NASA scientists call...
Pa. covid hospitalizations, case averages lowest since November
Pennsylvania on Friday reported an additional 2,778 covid-19 cases and 67 deaths, according to the state Department of Health. A total of 908,773 cases and 23,480 deaths have been reported since covid cases were first reported in the state in March. In February, there have been 50,163 cases and 1,819...
Westmoreland County covid case averages are lowest since early November
Covid cases averages in Westmoreland County are the lowest they have been this month — and the lowest overall since early November. On Friday, the seven-day case average was 73 cases reported per day and the seven-day case count was 509 cases, the lowest for both figures since Nov. 7....
Allegheny County sees largest drop in covid hospitalizations this month
Allegheny County on Friday had the largest drop this month in covid hospitalizations. According to data from the state Department of Health, there were 190 covid-19 patients hospitalized in the county on Friday, down from 220 on Thursday. That is the lowest amount of hospitalizations in the county since early...
Remembering some of the weirdest crashes and vehicle mishaps in Western Pa.
An SUV that broke through the ice on North Park Lake in McCandless got plenty of attention Thursday, but that’s just the latest of many strange incidents involving cars, SUVs, trucks and buses in the region. Western Pennsylvania drivers have a knack for getting their vehicles into odd situations. Here’s...
Butler County resident saves another iconic vehicle from TV’s ‘Knight Rider’
A Butler County man who owns one of the few remaining cars used as KITT in the 1980s television series “Knight Rider” now has another notable vehicle from the show. Joe Huth, along with his partner and fellow “Knight Rider” historian AJ Palmgren, revealed this week they own one of...
Covid report card: A look at first semester cases in Allegheny, Westmoreland school districts
Since the start of the school year, districts in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties have been impacted by the covid-19 pandemic, forcing schools to close and students to partake in remote learning to help curb the spread of the virus. The chart below reflects the number of covid cases reported by...
