Top Stories category, Page 1488
Richard Baumhammers still on death row 20 years after killing spree
On a cloudy Friday afternoon 20 years ago Tuesday, an unemployed immigration lawyer went on a killing spree. It started next door to his parents’ Mt. Lebanon home, where he killed his Jewish neighbor. He went on to shoot five more people, all ethnic or racial minorities. Richard Baumhammers, 54,...
Coronavirus cases spike at Allegheny County Jail
Cases of covid-19 at Allegheny County Jail more than doubled overnight, with at least 24 inmates testing positive as of Tuesday, data show. At least three jail employees also have tested positive for coronavirus, county-reported figures show. Several test results for both inmates and staff members are pending. “Confined areas...
Coronavirus pandemic can be alarming for Western Pa. allergy sufferers
For most people, opening a window or stepping outside for a breath of fresh air is a welcome respite, especially during Pennsylvania’s stay-at-home order. But for those with allergies, pollen from trees and grass can bring misery. The allergens can cause a runny nose, malaise, watery eyes and coughing —which...
CDC recommends social distancing for dogs, cats, other animals
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that cats, dogs and other animals keep the same social distancing as recommended for humans. The recommendation was made after a small number of animals — including dogs and cats — were reported to test positive for covid-19 after they...
How cool has Pittsburgh been in April? January had a warmer day
Everything about April 2020 has been unusual, including the temperature. It’s been cold out there. So far, no day in Pittsburgh has risen above 70 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. If the pattern holds, it would be the first time in weather service annual records the highest recorded...
Nearly 70 dead in ‘horrific’ outbreak at veterans’ homeVideo
Nearly 70 residents sickened with the coronavirus have died at a central Massachusetts home for aging veterans, as state and federal officials try to figure out what went wrong in the deadliest outbreak at a long-term care facility in the U.S. While the death toll at the state-run Holyoke Soldiers’...
Pence comes under fire for going maskless at Mayo ClinicVideo
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Vice President Mike Pence chose not to wear a face mask Tuesday during a tour of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, an apparent violation of the world-renowned medical center’s policy requiring them. Video feeds show that Pence did not wear a mask when he met with a...
Trump orders meat processing plants to remain openVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump took executive action Tuesday to order meat processing plants to stay open amid concerns over growing coronavirus cases and the impact on the nation’s food supply. The order uses the Defense Production Act to classify meat processing as critical infrastructure to try to prevent a...
Carnegie Mellon braces for coronavirus financial losses, potential delay of fall semester
Carnegie Mellon University is freezing hiring and salaries and will reduce executive pay as the Pittsburgh school grapples with uncertainties created by the coronavirus pandemic, President Farnham Jahanian said Tuesday. In a lengthy letter to the university community, Jahanian said officials also developed an array of contingency plans for the...
Pittsburgh announces millions in funding for coronavirus aid programs
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s Office announced plans Tuesday to distribute about $12.6 million in federal grant money to more than a dozen organizations that are helping cash-strapped residents and businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. The plans include $4.2 million in Emergency Solutions Grants to help fund homeless shelter improvements, homeless...
Uncertainty surrounds hearings for Pennsylvania prison inmates
The coronavirus pandemic could delay freedom for prison inmates scheduled for clemency hearings in June as uncertainty continues over when restrictions will be lifted and how hearings can be held within social-distancing guidelines. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman said in a call with reporters Tuesday that “dozens” of inmates were set...
Greensburg police charge 2 women with promoting prostitution
A Rhode Island woman charged this month with prostitution told Greensburg police a city woman paid for her to fly to Western Pennsylvania for a visit and to “make some money,” police said. Greensburg police this week arrested Nicole Vickers, 28, on charges that she was promoting prostitution following an...
North Huntingdon woman raises money for Excela staff who saved her husband from covid-19
After her high school sweetheart spent 20 days hospitalized on a ventilator, Karyl Nicholas of North Huntingdon was relieved to finally talk to him by phone. The day the tube was removed — April 19 — is a bright spot in what has been nerve-wracking weeks for the family of...
Pittsburgh opens community gardens, asks public to observe coronavirus guidelines
Pittsburgh on Tuesday announced that community gardens and city Adopt-A-Lot sites are open for cultivation, but officials urged the public to observe coronavirus guidelines while working the soil. More information about Adopt-A-Lot sites can be found here. More information about community gardens can be found here. The city released the...
Westmoreland County adds 6 new coronavirus cases, no additional deaths
Westmoreland County added six more coronavirus cases on Tuesday as the county’s total inched toward 400 cases. The 383 Westmoreland cases are among the now 43,264 covid-19 cases diagnosed across the state since the first cases were reported March 6. Westmoreland County saw its first case April 5. Since then,...
FDA reminds people not to ingest hand sanitizer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday stressed that hand sanitizers are not meant to be ingested. In a statement, the agency said that they are happy that more manufacturers are making hand sanitizer to help get the product to consumers. But they stressed that “hand sanitizers … not...
Official: Pennsylvania may have passed coronavirus peak, but surges still possible
The state’s top health official said Tuesday she believes Pennsylvania has passed its coronavirus peak but cautioned that outbreaks and surges remain possible. Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said the data and trends point toward the state being past the highest point for new cases and deaths, but she...
Allegheny County reports 8 new deaths, 11 more coronavirus cases
The Allegheny County Health Department on Tuesday reported eight new deaths and 11 additional cases of the coronavirus. Of the total 87 deaths, 78 are listed as confirmed cases of covid-19, while nine are considered probable. The new diagnoses bring the count of total of covid-19 cases to 1,235. Of...
Customs officials: 1,600 counterfeit Roku remotes seized en route to Butler County
Customs and Border Protection officials operate by a simple philosophy: the more popular something is, the more likely that someone in the world is busy creating a counterfeit version. So with millions of Americans streaming billions of television shows and movies amid the coronavirus quarantine, customs officials in Pittsburgh were...
U.S. reopening is coming, but ‘normal’ is still a ways off
NEW YORK — Everyone wants to know: When, oh when, will it go back to normal? As some governors across the United States begin to ease restrictions imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus, hopes are soaring that life as Americans knew it might be returning. But plans emerging...
Pandemic exposes gaps in travel insurance coverage
NORFOLK, Va. — For many people, travel insurance has been little more than a box that pops up on a booking site to offer some cheap peace of mind. But the coverage’s limitations have been brought into stark relief during the coronavirus pandemic, leaving would-be travelers frustrated over denied claims...
Fire chief: No one inside vehicle submerged in Unity lakeVideo
No one was inside a suspected stolen car found submerged in a Unity lake on Tuesday morning, according to Crabtree Fire Chief Bill Watkins. Firefighters, paramedics and state police responded to Dom Lake near Crabtree shortly before 10 a.m. when the vehicle was spotted, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher....
Tune in to livestreamed performances by local and national artistsVideo
Artists, entertainers and musicians are continuing to bring their art to fans through a variety of livestreaming platforms on both a local and national level. Concert promoter Live Nation has created Live From Home, a virtual music hub that features hundreds of performances to choose from. This week, the free...
10th resident dies from coronavirus at Kane’s Glen Hazel nursing home
A 10th resident has died from the coronavirus at the Kane Regional nursing home in Glen Hazel, according to data from Allegheny County. Of 96 residents tested for covid-19 at the county-owned long-term care facility, 62 have tested positive for the virus. Seven residents have been hospitalized, and 22 have...
Seth Rogen’s Pittsburgh-filmed movie ‘An American Pickle’ to debut on HBO Max
Having wrapped up filming in Pittsburgh last fall, Seth Rogen’s new comedy, “An American Pickle,” will have its debut not on the big screen but via HBO Max. HBO announced Monday that its streaming service has acquired the rights to the film and will be released under the platform’s Warner...
