Week in review: Pence stumps in Western Pa., restaurant capacity increases, hackers hit schools, remembering 9/11
Here are some of the Tribune-Review news and feature stories from around the region for the week of Sept. 6-12.
For more details on these and other stories, follow the links below or see Triblive.com.
VP Mike Pence: ‘The road to victory goes straight through Pennsylvania’
Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday afternoon that he chose to visit a Beaver County natural gas well for one reason: “Pennsylvania and America need four more years of President Donald Trump in the White House.”
“I’m here to roll up my sleeves up because the road to victory goes straight through Pennsylvania,” Pence told several hundred Trump supporters at the Penn Energy fracking site in New Sewickley. “You said yes to President Donald Trump in 2016, and from where I stand, I think Pennsylvania is going to say yes to four more years.”
Pence’s roughly 30-minute remarks touched on many of the same topics Trump did during his rally that drew some 5,000 attendees to Latrobe last week, including restoring “law and order,” clamping down on sanctuary cities and increasing the nation’s energy independence by supporting the likes of fracking-related companies.
Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Trinity Area School District were targeted by hackers who exposed students to pornography and racial slurs during remote learning sessions on Wednesday.
Anthony Hamlet, the city’s school superintendent, said an inappropriate video was embedded in the link of an educational video on Safe YouTube.
Trinity Area in Washington County also reported that a security breach in a fifth-grade cyber classroom at West Elementary exposed students to racial slurs.
Hackers also exposed students to inappropriate content that included racial slurs and an “alleged pornographic image” at two virtual classrooms at Trinity Area High School.
Gov. Wolf expands indoor dining capacity to 50%
Pennsylvania restaurants can increase their indoor dining capacity to 50% later this month, Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday.
The increase — double the 25% limit that has been in place since July — can begin Sept. 21, according to Wolf’s announcement.
He said restaurants must complete a self-certification process showing they’re complying with all guidelines and state orders. Restaurants that complete the certification process will be listed in a searchable online database.
A curfew will remain for bars to stop serving alcohol at 10 p.m.
Public opinion could guide whether Pittsburgh’s Columbus statue will remain
The fate of a 62-year-old statue of Christopher Columbus that towers over Schenley Drive near Phipps Conservatory in Oakland will be decided Sept. 23 by the Pittsburgh Art Commission.
Before the commission meets, it is working to gauge public sentiment about the statue, one of Pittsburgh-based Italian artist Frank Vittor’s most visible works. A virtual hearing on the statue is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17.
More than 14,000 people have signed an online petition, started by Finn Murphy, calling for the removal of the statue.
19 years later: Remembering 9/11 at the Flight 93 memorial
Calling the 40 people who died on Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001, “intrepid heroes,” President Donald Trump marked the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Friday at the national memorial to that flight in Somerset County.
“On that September morning when America was under attack, the battle turned to the skies above this field,” Trump said. “Their momentous deeds will outlive us all.”
The service was closed to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was shortened from 90 minutes and did not include the usual lineup of speakers and live music.
Tony LaRussa is a TribLive reporter. A Pittsburgh native, he covers crime and courts in the Alle-Kiski Valley. He can be reached at tlarussa@triblive.com.
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