Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1157
Backlog of covid cases contributes to rise in Pennsylvania; Allegheny, Westmoreland also up
Pennsylvania on Friday saw an uptick in covid-19 cases, with similar rises reflected in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. The increase comes as nearly half the state’s population has at least one dose of covid vaccine. Cases The state added 4,607 cases of covid-19, the most reported in a single day...
Studies show covid vaccine protects twice as long as natural immunity
New medical studies are examining both the length of natural immunity in patients who have recovered from covid-19, as well as the effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine in producing antibodies to combat the virus. A study published in BioMed Central found that fewer than half of 37 covid-positive patients retained...
Judge dismisses lawsuit over Pitt’s refusal to refund tuition during pandemic shutdown
A judge has thrown out a federal lawsuit filed by students against the University of Pittsburgh for failing to refund any of their tuition and fees when campus was shut down last year because of the pandemic. U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV on Tuesday granted Pitt’s motion to dismiss....
Meadows Casino seeks $69,000 gambling debt from jailed Greensburg doctor
The Meadows Casino and Racetrack wants a former Greensburg doctor to repay more than $69,000 — a gambling debt that grew from a $48,000 line of credit seven years ago. The problem for the North Strabane casino, which filed for a $69,344 judgment in Westmoreland County court on Wednesday, is...
Saint Vincent College goes into lockdown as covid-19 numbers surge
Saint Vincent College went into lockdown status Thursday evening as the number of covid-19 cases on campus surged. College President the Rev. Paul Taylor ordered the campus community to shelter in place and all classes to be conducted remotely as of 3 p.m. Thursday. His order came as the campus...
250 million birds will pass through Western Pa. this spring — starting now
An estimated 250 million birds are expected to pass through Southwestern Pennsylvania this spring, according to Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Powdermill Nature Reserve in Cook Township, Westmoreland County. The bird feeders and hummingbird feeders are hung. Binoculars are at the ready. The onslaught has begun: Wednesday morning, researchers at...
Rick Sebak signature cocktail available at Independent Brewing in Squirrel Hill
If WQED film director Rick Sebak ever does another unusual television program about to-go cocktails, he’s got the perfect drink to serve his viewers. The Independent Brewing Co. in Squirrel Hill created “The Rick Sebak Cocktail,” also known as “A Gentleman’s Breakfast,” back in 2014. It had previously only been...
Rain forces Lernerville Speedway to cancel event celebrating 1,000th sprint car race
At event at Lernerville Speedway meant to celebrate the track’s 1,000th sprint car race on Friday was canceled due to inclement weather. With an event dubbed Lernerville Grand, the speedway was set to host its 1,000th sprint car race. The event was planning to feature the All Star Circuit of...
Counting the costs of America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — America’s longest war, the two-decade-long conflict in Afghanistan that started in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, killed tens of thousands of people, dogged four U.S. presidents and ultimately proved unwinnable despite its staggering cost in blood and treasure. This final chapter, with...
Religious festival stampede in Israel kills 45, injures 150
JERUSALEM — A stampede at a religious festival attended by tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews in northern Israel killed at least 45 people and injured about 150 early Friday, medical officials said. It was one of the country’s deadliest civilian disasters. The stampede began when large numbers of people...
Tim Benz: Steelers got the best player at their biggest position of need. That’s enough ‘value’ for me.
During Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers got the player most analysts feel is the best player at their biggest position of need. All the way down at pick No. 24. It was a good night. Let’s not “yeah, but” ourselves to death on this one....
McKeesport store owner gets 2 years in federal prison for food stamp fraud
A Glassport man has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison for running a food stamp fraud and money laundering scheme out of his McKeesport grocery store. Sin Y Sit, 46, was convicted of conspiring to defraud the federal government of between $250,000 and $550,000 over a...
Police: Woman rescued after car went over hillside in the South Side
A woman was rescued Thursday after her car careened over a hillside in Pittsburgh’s South Side. Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews said Pittsburgh emergency responders were dispatched to the 2800 block of Patterson Street around 1 p.m. They saw a car on the wooded hillside between Patterson and Josephine streets....
Rostraver man sentenced up to 2 years in jail after pleading guilty to child pornography charges
A Rostraver man could spend about 17 more months in the Westmoreland Count Prison after pleading guilty Thursday to child pornography charges. Benjamin D. Powell, 38, was sentenced by Westmoreland Judge Christopher Feliciani to one year, less one day to two years, less two days in return for pleading guilty...
Latrobe woman sentenced to 8-to-16 years on rape, child sex charges
A 34-year-old Latrobe woman has been sentenced to 8-to-16-years in state prison Thursday for having sex with two teenage boys in a Unity home, starting as far back as 2004 and as recently as 2016. Shanda Rae Hitchcock was sentenced by Westmoreland Judge Timothy Krieger as a result of her...
Youth soccer association treasurer from Beaver County admits to stealing $100,000
The former treasurer of a youth soccer organization in Beaver County admitted to stealing $100,000 for personal expenses. Jenessa Tolejko, 35, of Beaver pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of wire fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced Thursday. Tolejko served as treasurer of the Brighton Township-Beaver...
West Virginia man admits to stealing $2.5 million in mining equipment
A West Virginia man pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to five thefts of specialized mine equipment that occurred in Armstrong and Indiana counties. Eudell Dickerson, 46, of Beckley, W.Va., pleaded guilty to two counts before Chief U.S. District Judge Mark R. Hornak. The court was advised of...
Beaver County tax collector pleads guilty to embezzling $1M from Center Township, school district
The elected tax collector for Center Township in Beaver County admitted to embezzling $1 million from the township and school district and filing a false tax return. Jeanne Bowser, 62, of Aliquippa pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of wire fraud and filing false income tax returns, Acting United...
Pittsburgh ‘made a mistake’ on thousands of tax bills
Pittsburgh’s finance department “made a mistake” when it didn’t include tax discounts or abatements on thousands of tax bills this year, city Finance Director Douglas Anderson said Thursday. “The mistake was made,” Anderson said. It means several thousand taxpayers in Pittsburgh who use programs like the Homestead exemption or the...
Greensburg man charged with raping toddler
A Greensburg man was arrested by state troopers Thursday, charged with raping a toddler two years ago, according to court documents. James A. Swanson, 44, was charged with aggravated indecent assault of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and rape of a child. State police say the assaults occurred on...
Valley High School teacher accused of sending sexual texts to student
A Valley High School teacher is accused of sending inappropriate sexual text messages to an underage student. Police charged Sean Timothy O’Neil, 34, of North Apollo with felony counts of disseminating explicit sexual materials to a minor, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors and criminal use of a...
Peduto announces $115 million in commitments from regional nonprofits for OnePGHVideo
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto released a plan Thursday that could result in $115 million from the region’s nonprofits to fund affordable housing, recreation and social service programs. The funds would go through a new standalone entity called OnePGH. “Today we are setting a new model for cities around the county...
Addiction treatment providers in Pa. face little state scrutiny despite harm to clients
This investigation is a joint project of KHN, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues, and Spotlight PA, an independent, collaborative newsroom dedicated to producing investigative journalism for all of Pennsylvania. When Ian Kalinowski was at work, his mom usually texted him. So when he saw her...
Nearly half of all Pennsylvanians have at least 1 covid vaccine shot
Over 6 million people in Pennsylvania (47.3% of residents) have at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and more than 3.8 million have been fully vaccinated (30.3% of residents), according to the data posted by the state on Thursday. And locally, the state reported that 655,660 of Allegheny County...
Pa. drug overdose deaths rose in 2020, likely fueled by pandemic, officials say
Overdose deaths in Pennsylvania ticked upward in 2020 after two years of relatively stable numbers, something officials say is likely the ripple effect of a pandemic that caused an influx of stress and isolated people from their support systems. “The uncertain, stressful and isolating nature of the pandemic has caused...
