Regional category, Page 118
Catering pioneer James Stratigos of North Huntingdon dead at 86
James Stratigos of North Huntingdon was always busy. The caterer, who died Tuesday at the age of 86, was a generous person and a hard worker who loved to help others, according to his son, Harry Stratigos. As head of Stratigos Catering, the family business he founded in 1957, Mr....
Forecasters: Early heat wave precedes cooling off this weekend
Summer doesn’t officially arrive for another few weeks, but don’t tell that to the sun. Friday is expected to be the crest of the mini heat wave that’s blanketed the region this week, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Bill Modzelewski. “So far we’re at 87 degrees in Pittsburgh,” Modzelewski...
Shops celebrate National Doughnut Day with sweet deals
What food has no beginning, end or middle? Stumped? Here’s another one: What kind of nut has a hole? National Doughnut Day falls on the first Friday in June each year and there are specials and freebies offered throughout the region. The holiday was established in 1938 by the Salvation...
Morning Roundup: Motorcyclist injured in Penn Township crash
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, June 2: Motorcyclist injured in Penn Township crash One person was taken to the hospital following a motorcycle crash early Friday in Penn Township, Westmoreland County. The crash happened around 2:40 a.m. near the intersection of Claridge Elliott...
VA set to open $92 million multi-specialty outpatient clinic in Monroeville
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic behind Monroeville Mall won’t just provide a nearby medical facility for the eastern suburbs — the region of Western Pennsylvania with the highest concentration of veterans. It also will clear congestion on “Cardiac Hill” in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, where VA officials soon...
Morning Roundup: 4 homes destroyed in Cecil fire
4 homes destroyed in Cecil fire A townhouse in the Lawrence section of Cecil Township, Washington County, erupted in flames just before 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. The fire started in the garage and spread to homes on either side, Cecil Township Fire Chief Noel McMullen said in a statement. Four...
Pollution, weather, climate change all affect start, severity of allergy season
April showers bring May flowers, but those blooms can bring sneezes and sniffles along with itchy, watery eyes. As the region heads into the summer months, tree and grass pollen coupled with other irritants are ushering in suffering for those affected by allergies, according to local experts. Tree and grass...
Allegheny Health Network trims losses as patient volume climbs
Allegheny Health Network shrank its losses during the first three months of the year, citing higher patient numbers and increased membership in its insurance units. The 14-hospital system on Wednesday reported an operating loss of $36.2 million for the first quarter compared to a loss of $105.5 million during the...
Morning Roundup: South Greensburg EMT facing charges of child endangerment
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, May 31: South Greensburg EMT facing charges of child endangerment Police said a 22-year-old South Greensburg man used tape to secure a pacifier in his 2-month-old baby’s mouth, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. The station reports investigators...
West Penn, Duquesne Light rates increasing for many this week
Consumers who use Duquesne Light Co. or West Penn Power to purchase the power for their homes and businesses will see prices spike beginning Thursday, the state utility commission said. The state Public Utility Commission allows the utilities to adjust the price of purchasing the power — a “pass-through cost”...
Egg prices coming down, but high costs persist for local farmers
Egg prices and production levels are nearly back to pre-pandemic levels, despite lingering impacts from bird flu and ongoing concerns from some local farmers about high feed costs. According to the latest Northeastern chicken and egg report from the USDA, Pennsylvania’s egg production was down 8% in April compared to...
Pittsburgh area can expect more dry, hot days
The Pittsburgh area has seen several days of warm, dry weather, and that won’t be ending anytime soon, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Lee Hendricks. So far in May the region has received 1.73 inches of rain, less than half of what is typical. Hendricks added that about 75%...
National average gas price expected to stay under $4 this summer, analyst says
The national average price of gasoline is likely to spend much of the summer in the range of $3.35 to $3.85 per gallon, an industry analyst said. But Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said it could go higher “if unexpected refinery outages flare up or we...
Catholic Diocese merging two parishes in Cranberry area
Two Catholic parishes in the Cranberry area of southern Butler County are being merged into one parish as of July 1, the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced. Saint Mark the Evangelist Parish in the Adams, Cranberry and Glade Mills communities is being formed from the merger of Holy Sepulcher in...
Ohiopyle’s other side: Fewer than 30 people live in borough dwarfed by state park
As business owners, Pam Kruse, Mark McCarty and Rob Joseph love how the magnetism of Ohiopyle draws dollars to town. There’s the Ohiopyle that everybody sees: a recreation mecca with sought-after whitewater rafting, a bicycling trail built for short trips and dayslong challenges, hiking and mountain biking trails hidden in...
Excessive screen time a factor in loneliness, mental health risks for youth
Editor’s note: This is the second of two parts on the impact of isolation and loneliness. Michele Wentzel can tell when one of her three children is troubled. “They kind of isolate themselves and are very moody,” she said. “I can tell something’s going on.” Wentzel keeps the lines of...
UPMC income ticks up during 1st quarter
UPMC reported higher income and revenue during the first three months of the year, citing gains including increased patient volumes and higher enrollment in its insurance products. Still, diminishing pandemic-related government funding and increased labor costs dragged down results, the Pittsburgh-based health care giant said Wednesday. UPMC reported operating income...
Acrisure donates $7.5M to to UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation for heart treatments
Financial technology company Acrisure on Thursday donated $7.5 million to the UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation to help advance clinical care, research and the patient experience for children and families at the facility’s Heart Institute. The donation is said to be the largest corporate gift received by the foundation. “This is...
Harrison nurse charged in deaths of 2 patients, injuries to another
A Harrison woman is charged with killing two patients and injuring a third while she cared for them as a nurse. Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced charges Thursday against Heather Pressdee, 40, who is accused of administering unnecessary doses of insulin to patients, resulting in the deaths of two...
Back to normal: Spike in Memorial Day travel expected
A normal Memorial Day is finally on the horizon, including ceremonies honoring veterans, family vacations and maybe even some hot dogs doused in Heinz ketchup. With the end of the covid-19 public health emergency May 11, and the halting of most pandemic restrictions, Americans have big plans for Memorial Day,...
Lower gas prices luring Americans to travel, but inflation, high prices give pause
Americans are wanting to travel this summer, lured by lower gas prices, but remain cautious, price-tracking service GasBuddy says. GasBuddy projects that the national average price of gasoline this Memorial Day weekend will be $3.53 per gallon. That’s $1.10 less than it was in 2022. According to GasBuddy’s 2023 summer...
Shell Appalachia fined $10 million for air quality violations from Beaver County ‘cracker’ plant
Shell Chemicals Appalachia will pay nearly $10 million for air quality violations during the commissioning of its petrochemical plant in Beaver County. Under the agreement announced Wednesday, Shell will pay a $4.9 million civil penalty, with 25% going to local communities. Along with $5 million for environmental projects to benefit...
Ex-Army Ranger from Glenshaw gets 5-plus years for Jan. 6 Capitol riot
A combat-hardened ex-Army Ranger from Glenshaw who breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and fought with law enforcement officers was sentenced Wednesday to 66 months in federal prison. Robert Morss, 29, a former Shaler Area School District substitute history teacher, was convicted in August by a federal judge...
Morning Roundup: Police investigate alleged kidnapping in Overbrook
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, May 24: Police investigate alleged kidnapping in Overbrook Pittsburgh police said a man was assaulted and dragged into a vehicle in the city’s Overbrook neighborhood Tuesday evening. Police responded to a call at the intersection of Saw Mill...
Sobriety checkpoints planned in Belle Vernon, Uniontown over Memorial Day weekend
Troopers at two state police stations are planning sobriety checkpoints during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Police in the Belle Vernon and Uniontown stations said in news releases this week that they are going to be on the lookout for impaired drivers, but didn’t say where exactly. Troopers from the...
