Top Stories category, Page 1531
2 confirmed coronavirus cases in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County has its first two confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, the state Department of Health announced Thursday. The cases were among 52 new confirmed positives reported statewide, bringing the total number of Pennsylvania cases to 185. It’s an increase of 39% over the previous day and comes as...
Long-standing religious gatherings canceled, some services continue
For the first time in its 48-year history, the Christian Businessmen’s Connection Good Friday breakfast is canceled over concerns about the coronavirus. “We’re considering maybe a fall event. We’re not going to walk away from it until all options are depleted,” said Boice Bailey, chairman of the Greensburg Christian Businessmen’s...
Mnuchin: Family of 4 could get $3K under virus relief planVideo
WASHINGTON — The first federal checks to families could be $3,000 for a family of four under the White House proposal to unleash $1 trillion to shore up households and the U.S. economy amid the coronavirus outbreak. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday that the “checks in the mail” would...
New owner trying to keep Sunseri Pizza afloat amid coronavirus crisisVideo
Chris Staub loved working at Sunseri Pizza while he was in high school and college, dreaming that one day he would own the small business on Custer Avenue in Baldwin. When former owners Sam and Cindy Sunseri put the pizza shop up for sale, Staub couldn’t resist the opportunity. After...
Carnegie Mellon allows students to convert classes to pass/fail
Carnegie Mellon University is allowing students to convert any of their online courses to pass/fail grading. “The decision to allow this flexibility is a direct acknowledgement of this unprecedented situation,” Provost Jim Garrett wrote in a letter to campus this week. Normally, according to the CMU website, students may take...
Are Western Pennsylvania hospitals prepared for the coronavirus?
If the coronavirus pandemic spreads as predicted, Western Pennsylvania hospitals will be woefully underprepared, according to a recent study. But one regional hospital system, UPMC, is confident it can handle the volume. “We anticipate that most patients with suspected or confirmed covid-19 will not need to be admitted and will...
Allegheny County reports 6 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 18
The Allegheny County Health Department on Thursday reported six new cases of covid-19, increasing the number of cases in the county from 12 to 18. Some of those patients have acquired the virus through community spread, health department Director Dr. Debra Bogen said during a press call. “Similar to what...
Troopers accuse man of repeatedly sexting 15-year-old Derry Township girl
An Indiana County man was arrested Wednesday, accused of sending sexually explicit photographs of himself over social media to a Derry Township girl, state police said. Nash P. Bennett, 19, of Blairsville was charged by state police with corruption of minors, criminal use of a communication facility, photographing sex acts...
No free ice at Rita’s locations on first day of spring
The first day of spring will be celebrated later at Rita’s Italian Ice locations. The annual free ice giveaway set for Thursday is postponed amid concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, according to a post on the restaurant’s website. It’s a precautionary move, the post said. The locations, about 20 of...
Pittsburgh Milk Bank director: ‘Donor milk is life-saving medicine’
The head of a Pittsburgh breast milk bank is encouraging healthy mothers to donate milk to families in need, as demand increases during the coronavirus pandemic. Denise O’Connor is executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank, based in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. “Donor milk is lifesaving medicine for thousands of...
AP-NORC poll: Fear of virus infection spikes among Americans
CHICAGO — Concern among Americans that they or a loved one will be infected by the coronavirus rose dramatically in the past month, with two-thirds of the country now saying they’re at least somewhat concerned about contracting the covid-19 illness. That’s up from less than half who said so in...
Pa. prisons work to set up video chats for inmates, families
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s prisons are working to set up video conferences between inmates and family members now that visits have been suspended in an effort to keep the coronavirus from spreading to people inside the institutions. Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said this week that the service should be available soon...
Chinese city Wuhan offers hope on coronavirus front; Italy nears stark warningVideo
BEIJING — Thursday was a day of contrasts on the front lines of the battle against the new coronavirus. In a sign of hope, the Chinese city of Wuhan reported no new homegrown infections, but in a stark warning for the world, Italy appeared set to surpass China’s death toll...
Power restored after overnight outage in South Park
Power has been restored to nearly 6,000 West Penn Power customers who were without electricity early Thursday, officials said. Most of the affected properties were in South Park Township and Bethel Park. Power went out overnight and was back on by about 5:30 a.m....
16 Allegheny Co. sheriff’s deputies self-isolating after possible coronavirus exposure
More than a dozen Allegheny County sheriff’s deputies are self-isolating after a deputy who might have been exposed to the coronavirus went to work with symptoms Wednesday morning. A deputy’s son’s girlfriend and mother recently traveled to Spain, Chief Deputy Kevin Kraus said. While the deputy was out of town...
What’s essential as businesses heed pleas to close amid coronavirus pandemic
Businesses around Western Pennsylvania have shut their doors, heeding pleas from public health officials and elected leaders from mayors to governors to the president to limit contact between people to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Tom Wolf this week asked that all nonessential businesses close. Many have. But...
Coronavirus prompts changes to Pa. trout stocking, trout season
Opening day of Pennsylvania’s 2020 trout season is going to be unlike any other. There will be trout aplenty at the start. Most than any other opener ever probably, in fact. But things could be sketchy thereafter because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officials announced...
Bars, restaurants could be cited, lose liquor license for continuing on-premises service
Bars and restaurants that continue to serve on-premises food and alcohol could be cited and possibly lose their liquor license, the state Liquor Control Board announced. “Medical experts and public health professionals from around the world agree the best step we can take to slow the spread of covid-19 is...
Shop ‘n Save changing hours over pandemic; offers special shopping for seniors, disabled
Shop ‘n Save grocery stores in Greensburg, Murrysville and Latrobe will close earlier to allow staff to deal with the coronavirus-driven surge in business. They also will open earlier to give seniors and those with disabilities exclusive shopping time. The new hours start Monday and apply to the Charley family...
Pennsylvania’s porta-potties, highway restrictions rankle truckers; state to reopen some rest stopsVideo
Ohio truck driver Paul Greene said the closure of restroom facilities at 17 Pennsylvania Turnpike service centers and PennDOT’s closure of welcome centers and rest areas was very much on his mind as he carried a duffel bag Wednesday into the Flying J truck stop in South Huntingdon. “They’ve closed...
Fire damages ‘castle’ house in Marshall Township
Fire heavily damaged part of a Marshall Township home that was built to resemble a 13th century English castle, complete with turrets, battlements, a dry moat and a drawbridge. The fire in the 200 block of Stonegate Drive was reported shortly after 1:30 p.m., according to Allegheny County emergency dispatchers....
Western Pa. animal shelters limit services as coronavirus continues to spread
Animal shelters in the region have limited their services as the coronavirus continues to spread, with most reducing their adoption hours to appointment-only. Animal Friends and Humane Animal Rescue have cut programming and fundraising events, leading some officials to worry about what the big picture might look like after virus...
Pittsburgh providing ‘grab-and-go’ meals for kids
Pittsburgh and the Salvation Army are opening four sites where kids can receive grab-and-go meals. The Mayor’s Office announced Wednesday that the Department of Parks and Recreation starting Thursday will provide meals from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays at the following locations:Paulson Rec Center, 1201 Paulson Ave.Warrington Rec...
Citing covid-19, Pa. Supreme Court halts evictions, foreclosures statewide
No landlord or bank can evict a tenant because of a failure to pay rent or mortgage payments for at least the next two weeks, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. “The Court is aware that the economic consequences of the covid-19 pandemic may cause individuals to suffer a loss...
Penn Hills man sentenced to state prison for 7th DUI
A Penn Hills man was sentenced to two to seven years in state prison Monday after his seventh drunken driving conviction since 2011. Pittsburgh police charged John C. Davis with his latest DUI on April 7, 2019, after he crashed into a telephone pole and a parked SUV in the...
