Western PA Local News category, Page 2519
Westmoreland voting machine demos canceled
Public demonstrations of Westmoreland County’s new voting equipment are on hold, officials said Thursday. The elections bureau scheduled a number of events throughout the county before the April 28 primary to allow voters a chance to test drive the machines purchased last year. Officials said the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and...
South Hills school districts distribute meals during closure
When Gov. Tom Wolf on March 13 issued a mandate to close Pennsylvania schools for two weeks, school district officials across the region knew that it would impact district students’ ability to get fresh, nutritious breakfasts and lunches. On March 17, Brentwood Borough School District staff and volunteers prepared more...
Point Park University postpones spring graduation ceremonies
Point Park University postponed graduate hooding and commencement ceremonies scheduled for April 25. School President Paul Hennigan announced the decision Thursday morning. “I understand this news will disappoint many people, and I wish circumstances were different, but we must make the responsible decision to postpone the ceremonies,” Hennigan said in...
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...
Gilpin, Leechburg offices closed, but services still available
More Alle-Kiski Valley communities have closed their municipal offices to the public due to coronavirus, but residents can still contact officials by phone or email. Gilpin’s office will remain closed through the end of the month. Gilpin Secretary Sharon Long can be reached at secretary@gilpintwp.com or by phone at 724-845-0981....
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...
Bridgeville-area businesses, residents adjust to outbreak rules
If you walk up and down Washington Avenue in Bridgeville, things might seem normal. Cars and trucks are still exiting off of Interstate 79 and whizzing through the intersections to reach their next destination. Horns are beeping, gas is being pumped, coffee shops are brewing and pizzas are being delivered...
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...
Here’s A-K Valley schools’ plan to feed students in need
School districts started announcing how they will get food to students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunches amid a statewide public school shutdown over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday ordered all Pennsylvania schools to close for two weeks in an effort to stem the...
Police investigating shooting near Fayette County YMCA
One person was injured Wednesday in a shooting near a Fayette County YMCA, Tribune-Review news partner WPXI reported. The victim was transported by medical helicopter to a local hospital after being shot at about 7 p.m. Witnesses said there were multiple shots fired. The incident happened in the parking lot...
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...
The Stroller, March 19, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Send cancellations to The Stroller The Stroller will publish news of cancellations and events that will still occur in the upcoming days. If your non-profit has to cancel or change an event or is helping members of the public, please send information to: The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood...
Monroeville Jewish center celebrates Purim with NYC themeVideo
Around 50 women, men and children clad in costumes sat listening intently earlier this month as Rabbi Mendy Schapiro’s melodic chant rang out in the small Chabad center off Mosside Boulevard. At seemingly random points, the crowd would erupt in a piercing din as they pounded on tables and activated...
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...
Steel City Con in Monroeville postponed
Steel City Con, the official pop culture and comic con of the Monroeville Convention Center, has been postponed amid coronavirus concerns. It was originally planned for April 17-19 at 209 Mall Plaza Blvd. It’s now rescheduled for June 12-14. One of the many regulations health officials announced this month, designed...
Latrobe to reopen transfer station Monday
Beginning Monday, Latrobe will reopen its solid waste transfer station to the public for recycling and to city residents for purchase of garbage stickers. The station was closed at the beginning of the week because of coronavirus concerns — as was the city municipal building on Jefferson Street, which will...
New voting-machine demo canceled in MurrysvilleVideo
A late-March hands-on demonstration of Westmoreland County’s new voting machines has been canceled amid the spread of the coronavirus, but voters can still get a digital look at how the machines operate. While the March 28 demonstration in Murrysville will not go forward, county election officials have posted a video...
Army Corps announces closure of public facilities in Western Pennsylvania
The Army Corps of Engineers had closed select public facilities at recreational sites throughout Western Pennsylvania. Facilities affected include resource managers’ offices, visitor centers, ranger offices, maintenance offices, campground, picnic, shelter, pavilion and disc golf facilities, playgrounds, fishing areas and piers, and restrooms. “We have been actively monitoring the effect...
Allegheny County Council to limit attendance, live stream meetings
Allegheny County Council will limit attendance at regularly scheduled council meetings but will accommodate both live streaming and written public comment amid the covid-19 outbreak, council President Patrick Catena, D-Carnegie, announced Wednesday. “The coronavirus pandemic has forced all of us to adjust our schedules and routines for the safety and...
Greensburg loosens parking restrictions during coronavirus pandemic
Greensburg will ease up on parking tickets during the coronavirus pandemic, the city police department announced Wednesday on Facebook. Drivers will be allowed to park at meters without paying for up to one hour, according to the announcement. The move is being made to help local businesses, which are struggling...
Pixar founder who brought Disney research center to Carnegie Mellon wins $1M award
Pixar Animation Studios co-founder Ed Catmull, who brought a Disney research center to Carnegie Mellon University in 2008, has won one of the highest honors in computing — the 2019 A.M. Turing Award. Catmull, who shares the $1 million prize with former Pixar colleague Pat Hanrahan of Stanford University, was...
