Top Stories category, Page 1528
Lack of details on local coronavirus cases frustrates Westmoreland officials
Westmoreland County officials are frustrated with the lack of specific information disseminated about local coronavirus cases from the state health department. “We learn more from the media than from anywhere else,” Roland “Bud” Mertz, public safety director, said Monday. Mertz said he’s asked but has been unable to get any...
Peduto seeks support from state, federal government
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto on Monday called on state and federal government officials to approve financial aid for workers, small business and cities struggling to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Peduto, who has been in self-quarantine since March 14, signed letters asking Congress to provide $250 billion in relief for...
6 deaths reported in Pa. from coronavirus pandemic; state cases jump to 644
Deaths from the coronavirus in Pennsylvania jumped to six statewide, health officials said Monday, the same day the state saw its highest one-day increase in positive cases. In addition to one death in Allegheny County, a second person has died in Northampton County. Monroe, Montgomery and Lackawanna counties have each...
Oakmont Bakery hosts 10,000 free sandwiches giveawayVideo
Kindness filled the air during a rainy Monday morning in Oakmont as free sandwiches made their way into trunks and passenger seats, destined for churches, nursing homes and hungry families’ kitchens. In all, 10,000 sandwiches made from 2,500 pounds of deli meat and 400 pounds of cheese were handed out...
Allegheny County reports 8 new cases of covid-19, total now at 48; 6 people hospitalized
There are 48 confirmed cases of covid-19 in Allegheny County, according to figures released Monday by the Allegheny County Health Department. Of those cases, six people are hospitalized. The county recorded its first coronavirus death Saturday, a person in their late 60s who was being treated at Jefferson Hospital. The...
Pa. state parks, forests extend facilities closure
Facilities at Pennsylvania’s parks and forests will be closed until the end of April in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced Monday that an initial 14-day closure instituted on March 17 will be extended until April 30. Trails,...
Pittsburgh Diocese offers parishioners virtual updates
With weekday and Sunday Masses canceled due to the spread of the coronavirus, Bishop David Zubik and other priests of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh are turning to YouTube and social media to update parishioners on events taking place in their churches. “This is going to be an important week...
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson recovering from coronavirus, say ‘this too shall pass’
Two weeks ago, the world was shocked to learn actor Tom Hanks and his wife, actress Rita Wilson, tested positive for the coronavirus. His announcement said that while in Australia, the couple experienced symptoms. They became the first high-profile faces of the pandemic. On Monday, Hanks posted an update on...
Pa. Supreme Court dismisses challenge to Wolf shutdown orderVideo
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by a gun shop that challenged Gov. Tom Wolf’s authority to shutter businesses determined to be “non-life-sustaining,” paving the way for enforcement to begin Monday. Without comment, a majority of the state’s high court late Sunday denied the petition by...
Unprecedented drop in gas prices will continue, industry analyst says
The coronavirus pandemic has destroyed global demand for oil, leading to the lowest oil prices in 18 years, an industry analyst said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a collapse in prices, even including the Great Recession,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. “What we’re witnessing...
Second eaglet hatches in Hays bald eagle nestVideo
Two days after Pittsburgh received its first eaglet of the season, another one hatched, according to the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. The eaglet, which is the 11th for the Hays bald eagle couple, hatched around 6:40 a.m. Monday, officials confirmed. The first eaglet hatched at 7:40 a.m. Saturday. The...
Washington County woman run over by tractor, killed
A Washington County woman died Sunday after she was run over by a tractor, according to Coroner Tim Warco. Elizabeth McCord, 60, was run over at 3 p.m. in Buffalo Township at the intersection of Jolly School and Mounts roads near her home. She was pronounced dead in the emergency...
Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank hands out meals in Kennywood parking lot
Up to 1,200 area families impacted by the coronavirus could receive food during a share event in Kennywood’s parking lot. The event, hosted by the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, began at 9 a.m. Monday and ran until 11 a.m. After a break, it will resume from 4 to 6 p.m....
University of Pittsburgh student tests positive for covid-19
A University of Pittsburgh student living in a campus residence hall has tested positive for covid-19, university officials said Sunday. “Late last night, we learned of a confirmed case of coronavirus disease, covid-19, in one of our Pittsburgh campus residence halls,” the university said in a message sent to the...
Drivers honk to wish New Kensington boy, 5, a happy birthday
For Colton Belli, it was a birthday like no other. But it wasn’t the one his parents had envisioned. To celebrate Colton’s fifth birthday, Jennifer and Mike Belli of New Kensington had it all planned out: They would take their son to Disney World. Then the coronavirus outbreak happened and...
About 200 attend Hempfield’s Word of Life Church amid coronavirus shutdownVideo
About 200 people gathered to worship Sunday at Word of Life Church in Hempfield at a time when most other churches either canceled or livestreamed services and when government officials are urging gatherings of 10 or more people to be halted. Senior Pastor Tom Walters said he understands other churches’...
UPMC closing ambulatory care centers
UPMC announced Sunday it is closing all of its ambulatory surgery centers and consolidating surgeries and procedures into its hospitals. The decision reflects UPMC’s goal to only go forward with procedures that doctors have determined to be medically necessary, said UPMC spokesman Paul Wood. “These efforts will help us to...
Pennsylvania eyes later primary as coronavirus outbreak continues
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania is confirming another big increase in coronavirus cases Sunday as lawmakers are drafting legislation to delay the state’s April 28 primary election and relax rules around how mail-in ballots can be processed in advance of polls closing. Pennsylvania House State Government Committee Chairman Garth Everett, R-Lycoming, said...
Sen. Rand Paul says he has tested positive for coronavirus
WASHINGTON— Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, becoming the first case of covid-19 in the Senate and raising fears about the further transmission of the virus among Republicans at the Capitol. Paul, an eye surgeon, went into quarantine Sunday after learning his results. He...
2nd participant in Valley High School NYC trip tests positive for coronavirus
A second person who went on a trip to New York City with the Valley High School marching band has tested positive for the coronavirus that causes covid-19, the New Kensington-Arnold School District said Sunday. The second person is a district employee, the district said. The first is an employee’s...
State, Pittsburgh police to start enforcing Pa. business closures
Pennsylvania State Police will begin enforcing the closure of “non-life-sustaining” businesses starting 8 a.m. Monday, said Col. Robert Evanchick, state police commissioner. Pittsburgh police also announced Sunday that officers will be responding to 911 calls and other complaints about nonexempt businesses that ignore orders to shut down. Officers will investigate...
Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh to close for 2 months in response to coronavirus
The Omni William Penn Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh will close for a little more than two months in response to the coronavirus pandemic. An emailed statement from Peter Strebel, president of Omni Hotels & Resorts, said the hotel will suspend operations Monday and stay closed through at least June 1....
Rep. Conor Lamb wishes happy birthday to 100-year-old aunt from safe distanceVideo
U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb and a few family members wanted to wish their aunt a happy 100th birthday, but with the coronavirus outbreak they had to keep some distance. So according to a post on his social media, Lamb and members of his family, with the help of the staff...
Pa. reports another 108 confirmed cases of coronavirus; state total now 479
Another 108 new confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in Pennsylvania, the state Department of Health announced Sunday. In all, 479 cases have been confirmed in the state, with 5,443 people having been tested. That means 4,964 people have tested negative. Two people have died as a result of...
Senate fails to advance covid-19 rescue package
WASHINGTON — Top-level negotiations between Congress and the White House churned late into the night over a now nearly $2 trillion economic rescue package, as the coronavirus crisis deepened, the nation shut down and the first U.S. senator tested positive for the disease. As President Donald Trump took to the...
