Regional category, Page 227
Clouds will likely block view of ‘Christmas Star’ tonight; won’t be visible again until 2080
The planets Jupiter and Saturn will be so close to one another tonight that they will look like a single bright point of light in the sky — a phenomenon that some refer to as the “Christmas Star” or “Star of Bethlehem.” But viewers in the Pittsburgh region and most...
Covid-19 vaccinations will start at long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania next week
Pharmacy workers from CVS Health will begin administering the covid-19 vaccine to residents and staff members in 2,283 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in Pennsylvania starting Monday, Dec. 28. The Pfizer vaccine is being distributed under a phased plan starting with health care workers and residents and staff members...
West Virginia reports another week of record virus deaths
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia has smashed another weekly record for deaths related to the coronavirus pandemic, while the number of residents hospitalized for covid-19 has come down in recent days. According to health officials, 160 people died in the state from the virus for the week ending Sunday, breaking...
Additional few inches of snow recorded in Pittsburgh region
Western Pennsylvania woke up to a little extra snow Sunday morning, adding to the already large piles dumped across the state earlier this week. Accumulations reached between 1 and 3 inches across the region, according to Lee Hendricks, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Moon, with Allegheny County totaling...
New USO office helps Pittsburgh area soldiers and families during pandemic
United Service Organizations, better known simply as USO, has been improving the lives of military members and their families since World War II, but the organization went decades without a presence in Western Pennsylvania “It was just an unserved area, nobody really had ownership of it,” said Christine Ree, USO...
Washington County man arrested after stabbing in Coal Center
A Washington County man is facing homicide charges following the death of a 27-year-old man in Coal Center, according to the Washington County District Attorney. Dylan Lesnik, 27, of Coal Center, was arrested after police found Marshal Y. Craig dead in his Spring Street home of apparent stab wounds, District...
Pittsburgh doctor shares his covid vaccination experience
Pittsburgh-based infectious disease expert Dr. Amesh Adalja has been front and center on national news programs, in newspaper articles and on radio shows since the coronavirus pandemic began. Adalja, who is a critical care, infectious disease and emergency medicine physician, has been treating patients at his hometown Butler Memorial Hospital...
Washington County man slain, authorities say
State police are investigating the murder of a 27-year-old Washington County man found dead in his Coal Center home, the Washington County Coroner said late Friday. The victim, Marshall Y. Craig, was found in his Spring Street home at 5:55 p.m. Friday, the coroner said. The cause of death is...
The Waters of Wexford donates over 200 pounds of food to North Hills Food Bank
A local senior living community donated over 200 pounds of food to the North Hills Food Bank — a donation that will provide 350 meals for families in need during the holiday season. The Waters of Wexford, a senior living community in Marshall, recently switched food vendors and was contractually...
Giant Eagle’s pharmacists prepared to step up to administer covid-19 vaccines in Pa.
Giant Eagle is offering up its staff of pharmacists to help distribute the initial doses of the covid-19 vaccine, the O’Hara-based chain said Friday. The company assisted in administering the vaccine to long-term care workers Thursday and Friday in Morgantown, W.Va., its Vice President of Risk and Chief Compliance Officer...
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg smashes fundraising goal, netting $233,950
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg hoped its online Guardian Angel Appeal fundraising campaign would raise about $50,000. Donors smashed that goal, then kept giving. The campaign raised $233,950. “There’s no way I could express how amazed I am at the success of the campaign, not because of any...
Winter is here: 5 facts about the season
Monday is the official first day of winter, though a glance out the window will tell you the season is already here. Here are a few winter facts and stats so you can start the season informed: 9 hours, 16 minutes and 58 seconds That is how much daylight to...
Planned Parenthood of Western Pa. to offer hormone therapy for transgender, nonbinary people
Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania will begin offering hormone therapy to transgender and nonbinary individuals, the organization announced Friday. Patients can now receive testosterone or estrogen/antiandrogen therapy at any family planning center. “Hormone therapy can be an important step for people to feel more comfortable in their bodies, enhance their...
Leechburg native Msgr. Larry Kulick named new bishop of Diocese of GreensburgVideo
Catholics in the Greensburg Diocese are celebrating an early Christmas gift from Rome: the appointment of one of their own, Msgr. Larry J. Kulick, as bishop-elect. Pope Francis announced the appointment of Kulick, a Leechburg native, as the sixth bishop of the diocese early Friday. The appointment of the 54-year-old...
Pa. game commission plans to release 23,000 pheasants
The state game commission plans to release 23,000 pheasants on Dec. 22-23, as part of the seventh and final release of 2020. Pheasant hunting is open across Pennsylvania. All hunting is closed on Christmas, but the season reopens on Dec. 26 and continues through Feb. 27. “These pheasant releases just...
Pittsburgh region sees record day for snow
It was a record day for snow Wednesday across the Pittsburgh region, with a total of 9.3 inches making it the fifth highest December calendar-day total, officials at the National Weather Service said. The No. 1 spot still belongs to a storm that dumped 22 inches of snow in 1890....
Pandemic drives Pittsburgh region’s food insecurity to new heights, reshapes assistance efforts
Food insecurity is an ongoing problem in the Pittsburgh region, made much worse by the covid-19 pandemic. Area food banks have responded by redoubling their efforts while facing new challenges. With pandemic restrictions putting many American breadwinners out of work or reducing their hours, food banks this year have been...
Covid curtails blood donations, Western Pa. collection groups sayVideo
It was day of firsts on Thursday for Shari Vislosky of Penn Township and her two oldest teenagers, who joined about 50 donors at the American Red Cross’ blood drive at Hempfield Park. It was the first time that Vislosky has donated since the covid-19 pandemic hit Western Pennsylvania in...
U.S. plans new charges in 1988 Lockerbie airline bombing
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department plans to unseal new charges in the coming days in connection with the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jet that exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people, according to a person familiar with the case. The bombing of Flight 103, whose victims included dozens...
Winter storm pounds Pittsburgh region, officials ask residents to refrain from travelVideo
As heavy snow continues to fall across southwest Pennsylvania, transportation officials slapped restrictions on some area highways, including reduced speed limits, and asked residents to stay at home if possible. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission enacted restrictions that began at 1 p.m. on several portions of the toll road, including a...
Inflatable snowmen welcomed in Beaver County’s Chippewa as gifts from secret SantasVideo
Some Beaver County residents are receiving uninvited guests at their homes this holiday season — and they’re loving it. More than 40 giant inflatable snowmen have popped up on the front lawns of unsuspecting residents in the Highland Meadows subdivision in Chippewa. “Everyone is loving it because it brings a...
Wolf administration to provide $4 million to communities struggling in pandemic
The state Department of Community and Economic Development has announced it is providing nearly $4 million in support to communities struggling during the covid-19 crisis. The money is part of federal CARES Act funding. Included in the package is funding for four projects, two of them in Western Pennsylvania. In...
Lawsuits contend Gov. Wolf has no authority to issue new restrictions
A Butler County attorney who previously won a federal lawsuit against the Wolf administration over the spring covid-19 shutdown orders filed two new suits over the governor’s most recent orders. The lawsuits — one filed by the Butler Area School District and the other by two indoor water parks —...
‘The Pavilion at Star Lake’ concert venue in Burgettstown goes back in time
The name has been changed several times, but some people have always called it by its first name. And now they can again. Tribune-Review News Partner WPXI-TV reported that the concert space in Burgettstown is returning to its roots. The venue’s Facebook page said it is now being called “The...
Winter storm could bring up to 9 inches of snow; PennDOT, Turnpike Commission enact restrictions
Ahead of the major snow storm expected to dump as much as 9 inches across the region today, PennDOT is advising motorists to avoid unnecessary travel. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission enacted restrictions that begin at 1 p.m. on several portions of the toll road, as well as other highways that...
