Top Stories category, Page 1402
Greensburg prepares for Thursday vice presidential visit
Before he was sworn as Greensburg’s new police chief two weeks ago, Robert Stafford said he hoped the city would remain peaceful. Westmoreland’s county seat has been the site of a few relatively small Black Lives Matters protests against police brutality, in contrast to large and violent protests in Pittsburgh,...
Westmoreland officials fear growing jail population could lead to virus outbreak
Westmoreland County Prison officials said Monday they are preparing for the worst as the lockup’s inmate population continues to rise and, with it, the risk for additional coronavirus cases at the jail. Warden John Walton said nearly 160 new inmates have been booked into the county jail during the past...
Pennsylvania child care facilities struggling under pandemic conditions
Families and facilities across Pennsylvania face a mounting challenge when it comes to child care during the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Monday. “I think we can all agree that we’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Diane Barber, executive director of the Pennsylvania Child Care Association, a nonprofit advocacy...
GOP coronavirus plan includes another $1,200 check, cuts unemployment benefit to $200Video
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans presented their $1 trillion plan to bolster the pandemic-ravaged U.S. economy in a series of bills that would trim extra unemployment benefits, send $1,200 payments to most Americans, and shield businesses, schools and other organizations from lawsuits stemming from covid-19 infections. The $1 trillion package was...
Mt. Pleasant man accused of operating meth lab in car, resisting arrest jailed on $50K bond
A 34-year-old Mt. Pleasant man allegedly threatened his mother and police as multiple officers arrested him last week after an almost two month-long drug investigation. Joe P. Biller is accused of operating a mobile meth lab out of his car, according to borough police. He’s being held in the county...
Steelers camp cancellation hits Latrobe-area businesses in bottom lineVideo
Saint Vincent College’s Chuck Noll Field looks green and healthy, unlike many other grassy areas in a region still recovering from recent dry weather. One reason for such a prime condition is that no Bearcats athletes have been on the field since the college campus in Unity closed a few...
Planet Fitness to require all members to wear masks starting Aug. 1
Starting Aug. 1, members of Planet Fitness won’t just be banned from grunting. They’ll be banned from going bare-faced too. The fitness club company said the mandatory mask mandate for all members and employees was put in place to ensure that all gym members can “gym confidently in a safe...
Dick’s Sporting Goods joins other retailers closing on Thanksgiving
Dick’s Sporting Goods joined a growing number of retailers that will be closed on Thanksgiving. The Findlay-based national chain announced Monday that all of its stores, including Dick’s, Field & Stream and Golf Galaxy, would be closed for the holiday. “We are so thankful to our teammates for their hard...
Cops: Sewickley Township man strips naked after domestic, standoff with officers
A Sewickley Township man is being held without bail after state police said he stripped naked on his porch Saturday after threatening and attacking family members, according to court papers. Joseph Patrick Gracan, 53, is facing numerous charges including strangulation, aggravated assault and terroristic threats. Police were called to Lowber...
Pennsylvania posts 839 new covid-19 cases on Monday
The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced 839 new cases of covid-19 on Monday. For the second straight day, the state reported a new case count below 1,000. There have been a total of 108,264 cases of covid-19 in Pennsylvania since the beginning of the pandemic in March. On Monday, there...
Westmoreland County adds 11 new covid-19 cases
A day after Westmoreland County saw its 10th highest day of new covid-19 cases, just 11 new cases were added Monday. In the same report, the Pennsylvania Department of Health added no new covid-19 deaths to the county’s total of 43. Of the latest batch of individuals testing positive, all...
New hospitalizations for covid-19 remain low for Allegheny County
For a fifth straight day, the Allegheny County Health Department announced a new covid-19 case count below the 200 mark. On Monday, officials reported 180 new cases, the ninth time in the past 10 days the count has been in the 100s; there were 96 cases reported on July 22....
Experimental covid-19 vaccine is put to its biggest testVideo
The biggest test yet of an experimental covid-19 vaccine got underway Monday with the first of some 30,000 Americans rolling up their sleeves to receive shots created by the U.S. government as part of the all-out global race to stop the pandemic. The glimmer of hope came even as Google,...
Here is where Allegheny Health Network is conducting covid-19 tests this week
Allegheny Health Network released dates for covid-19 testing at the network’s mobile clinic and drive-thru locations. Because of increased demand, patients must be experiencing symptoms to receive a test at an AHN site, officials said. AHN recommends that asymptomatic patients — including those who believe they’ve come in contact with...
On Portland’s streets: Anger, fear, and a fence that divides
PORTLAND, Ore. — The party at the Salmon Street Springs fountain, a riverfront landmark in the heart of Portland, was just getting started. Dozens of drummers beat out entrancing rhythms and a crowd of hundreds danced joyfully as the setting sun cast a soft pink glow on distant Mount Hood....
Man in stable condition after shooting in Sheraden
A man was in stable condition early Monday after being shot in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden section, according to city police. Officers responded to the incident at about 2:20 a.m. in the 2700 block of Glen Mawr Street. Police said the victim suffered a gunshot wound to the leg but was conscious...
Michael Ropelewski retires from Harrison police force after 42 years
Sgt. Michael Ropelewski has some good stories about his 42-year tenure with the Harrison Township Police Department. Once, he said, a man approached him while he was having dinner with his son at a local pizza shop. The man thanked Ropelewski for arresting him a few years before. He said...
Motorcyclist killed in Penn Township crash was former Jeannette sports standout
A former three-sport standout at Jeannette High School was killed Sunday night in a motorcycle crash. Tre Cunningham, 20, was driving a Honda CBR 1000 east on Route 130 in Penn Township around 8:30 p.m. and attempted to overtake a BMW SUV in a no passing zone, said Penn Township...
Wolf sides with transparency in allowing Right-to-Know bill to become law
Saying he was “erring on the side of transparency,” Gov. Tom Wolf allowed legislation requiring his administration to process Right-to-Know Law requests during emergency declarations to become law without his signature. Wolf previously said he would veto the legislation. Unanimously approved in both chambers, House Bill 2463 requires all agencies...
Hartwood Acres wildflowers aren’t just easy on the eyes; they’re reducing maintenance costs, floodingVideo
A 5-acre patch of Hartwood Acres has been transformed into a meadow with a blazing sea of yellow black-eyed and brown-eyed Susans. The wildflowers, known as Rudbeckia, weren’t planted at the park just for their visual appeal. “The idea was to reduce the amount of grass in the parks,” said...
Nursing home operator using Lower Burrell site to care for covid-19 positive patients
A Lower Burrell nursing home is being used by its parent company to house and treat covid-19 patients. In a statement issued Sunday, Guardian Elder Care confirmed it is using Belair Healthcare & Rehabilitation on Little Drive as a dedicated covid-19 recovery unit. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health,...
Portland protesters breach fence around federal courthouseVideo
PORTLAND, Ore. — Authorities declared a riot early Sunday in Portland, Ore., where protesters breached a fence surrounding the city’s federal courthouse building where U.S. agents have been stationed. Police described via Twitter the “violent conduct of people downtown” as creating a “grave risk of public alarm.” Police demanded people...
Editorial: Pa. swings and misses in Blue Jays call
The score in a game is more than just a record of who won and who lost. The score is a way to navigate through the game itself. It charts the progress from the first pitch to the last run. It lets a team know where it stands. So why...
Mike Ditka rips kneeling athletes: ‘Get the hell out of the country’Video
Former NFL legend and Pitt Panther Mike Ditka has some unkind words for athletes and coaches who kneel for the national anthem. In an interview with TMZ Sports about his women’s pro football X League, Ditka was asked if his players would be allowed to do it. He gave an...
Body of civil rights icon John Lewis crosses Selma bridgeVideo
SELMA, Ala. — The late U.S. Rep. John Lewis crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., for the final time Sunday as remembrances continue for the civil rights icon. The bridge became a landmark in the fight for racial justice when Lewis and other civil rights marchers were beaten...
