Top Stories category, Page 1249

More technological upgrades are coming to Westmoreland County’s courtrooms with the help of federal funding. The county’s 16 district court buildings will be better connected to the courthouse, and courtrooms in Greensburg will have improved wireless infrastructure under two projects totaling about $353,000. Both were approved by commissioners this week....

A staggering rise in new covid-19 cases in Allegheny County means fewer people will receive calls from case investigators who have been overwhelmed with the rapid increase, Allegheny County Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen said Friday. On Thursday and Friday, the county recorded a combined 1,642 new cases – more...

ATLANTA — A new report issued this week by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the coronavirus death toll could reach up to 321,000 by the middle of December. According to the CDC’s “COVID-19 Forecasts: Deaths,” models are predicting the number of coronavirus deaths will likely increase...

President Donald Trump’s legal team suffered yet another defeat in court Friday as a federal appeals court in Philadelphia roundly rejected its latest effort to challenge the state’s election results. Trump’s lawyers vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court despite the judge’s assessment that the “campaign’s claims have no merit.”...

Pennsylvania on Friday reported a record number of new covid-19 infections for the past two days. The number of new cases reported surged to 8,425 on Thursday, a record, before backing off slightly on Friday with 7,360 cases, the second highest ever reported in the state. The state’s seven-day average...

Westmoreland County on Friday reported 516 new cases of covid-19 in two days and eight new deaths. The county added 253 cases Thursday and another 263 on Friday. Those cases came after the county reported a record high number of new cases (273) on Wednesday. The seven-day average is now...

Allegheny County on Friday reported 869 new cases of covid-19, up sharply from the previous daily record of 773 set just the day before. As predicted by health experts, coronavirus infections are reaching new highs as we approach the colder season and people shift to indoor activities. Allegheny County has...

NEW YORK — The S&P 500 is closing a shortened session at a record high Friday as investors continue to look forward to the distribution of a covid-19 vaccine and relief for the economy. The benchmark index rose 0.2%, led by gains in technology companies, and closed at an all-time...

For the first time in Pennsylvania history, deer hunters will be able to hunt for a full weekend during the statewide firearms deer season. Hunters will go afield Saturday throughout the commonwealth for the opening day of firearms season for the second consecutive year. Then, those who don’t fill their...

TOKYO — The postponed Tokyo Olympics are getting a kickstart. Local organizers on Friday announced a series of 18 test events set to begin in March and run into May. The Tokyo Olympics are set to open July 23 after being postponed eight months ago because of the covid-19 pandemic....

Christmas festivities in Vandergrift will be altered to account for covid-19, but the festivities will continue. The Vandergrift Improvement Program’s (VIP) “Light-up Night” takes place every year the weekend after Thanksgiving, normally including a Christmas parade attended by every fire department in the area, incorporating floats, food vendors and entertainment....

Twelve staff members at Westmoreland Manor, the county-owned nursing home in Hempfield, recently tested positive for coronavirus, the facility announced Thursday. Since Sept. 19, the number of residents testing positive stands at 152; the number of staff with positive test results has reached 60, according to Assistant Administrator Abby Testa....

In recent years, the mad rush of post-Thanksgiving sales promotions has been tempered by the steady rise of online shopping. This year, it will be further tempered by concern over the coronavirus, as the U.S. is in the midst of a nationwide surge in positive cases. That makes Small Business...

AstraZeneca Plc. is likely to conduct an additional global trial to assess the efficacy of its covid-19 vaccine, according to the company’s chief executive officer, after current studies raised questions over its level of protection. The new trial would be run instead of adding an arm to an ongoing U.S....

The Allegheny County Jail inmate who died Thursday is a 63-year-old man from the Natrona Heights neighborhood of Harrison, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office said. Daniel Pastorek, 63, was found unresponsive in his cell, Warden Orlando Harper said. A corrections officer and medical staff tended to Pastorek until paramedics...

NEW YORK — The pandemic is turning this into a holiday shopping season like no other. Toy companies are targeting stuck-at-home grown-ups with latte-smelling Play-Doh and Legos that turn into Warhols. Those who added a puppy to their family during the pandemic will see tons of gift options for their...

Hunters killed 78 black bears on Tuesday, the final day of the 2020 firearms hunting season for bear, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. That bumped the total harvest for the four-day season to 1,155 — a relatively low number for the firearms season — and to 3,135 for all...

A man is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle in Pittsburgh’s Strip District late Wednesday night. Police said officers from Zone 2 were called to Liberty Avenue and 21st Street around 11:30 p.m.. Investigators said the man was walking in front of a stopped Port Authority bus...