Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1286
Pennsylvania reports 2 days of record new covid-19 cases
Pennsylvania on Friday reported a record number of new covid-19 infections for the past two days. The number of new cases reported surged to 8,425 on Thursday, a record, before backing off slightly on Friday with 7,360 cases, the second highest ever reported in the state. The state’s seven-day average...
Westmoreland County 2-day report has 516 new coronavirus cases, 8 deaths
Westmoreland County on Friday reported 516 new cases of covid-19 in two days and eight new deaths. The county added 253 cases Thursday and another 263 on Friday. Those cases came after the county reported a record high number of new cases (273) on Wednesday. The seven-day average is now...
Coronavirus cases continue at record pace in Allegheny County
Allegheny County on Friday reported 869 new cases of covid-19, up sharply from the previous daily record of 773 set just the day before. As predicted by health experts, coronavirus infections are reaching new highs as we approach the colder season and people shift to indoor activities. Allegheny County has...
Stocks rise on Wall Street; S&P 500 closes at record high
NEW YORK — The S&P 500 is closing a shortened session at a record high Friday as investors continue to look forward to the distribution of a covid-19 vaccine and relief for the economy. The benchmark index rose 0.2%, led by gains in technology companies, and closed at an all-time...
Pennsylvania deer hunters to be afield Saturday, Sunday in firearms season for 1st time
For the first time in Pennsylvania history, deer hunters will be able to hunt for a full weekend during the statewide firearms deer season. Hunters will go afield Saturday throughout the commonwealth for the opening day of firearms season for the second consecutive year. Then, those who don’t fill their...
Few people venture out early for Black Friday dealsVideo
Carl Laird wasn’t going to let fears over the pandemic stop him from his 19-year tradition of Black Friday shopping. Shortly after 5 a.m., the 40-year-old from Rillton had already been to Dunham’s for gun ammunition and to Walmart for pajamas. But Laird was one of only a handful of...
Tokyo Olympic organizers plan to host 18 test events
TOKYO — The postponed Tokyo Olympics are getting a kickstart. Local organizers on Friday announced a series of 18 test events set to begin in March and run into May. The Tokyo Olympics are set to open July 23 after being postponed eight months ago because of the covid-19 pandemic....
Vandergrift adjusts Christmas parades for covid concerns
Christmas festivities in Vandergrift will be altered to account for covid-19, but the festivities will continue. The Vandergrift Improvement Program’s (VIP) “Light-up Night” takes place every year the weekend after Thanksgiving, normally including a Christmas parade attended by every fire department in the area, incorporating floats, food vendors and entertainment....
Trump says he’ll leave White House if Electoral College seats BidenVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will leave the White House if the Electoral College formalizes President-Elect Joe Biden’s victory — even as he insisted such a decision would be a “mistake” — as he spent his Thanksgiving renewing baseless claims that “massive fraud” and crooked officials...
12 staff members at Westmoreland Manor test positive for coronavirus
Twelve staff members at Westmoreland Manor, the county-owned nursing home in Hempfield, recently tested positive for coronavirus, the facility announced Thursday. Since Sept. 19, the number of residents testing positive stands at 152; the number of staff with positive test results has reached 60, according to Assistant Administrator Abby Testa....
Small business owners hoping for strong weekend sales
In recent years, the mad rush of post-Thanksgiving sales promotions has been tempered by the steady rise of online shopping. This year, it will be further tempered by concern over the coronavirus, as the U.S. is in the midst of a nationwide surge in positive cases. That makes Small Business...
Alle-Kiski Valley volunteers reach out to provide Thanksgiving mealsVideo
Free take-out turkey meals were abundant across the Alle-Kiski Valley region Thanksgiving Day. Traditional dine-in meals at area churches were off the table this year due to covid-19 restrictions, but individuals, businesses and churches stepped in, giving meaning to the “give” in Thanksgiving. Turkey With A Twist Spice Affair Indian...
AstraZeneca likely to run fresh global vaccine trial, CEO says
AstraZeneca Plc. is likely to conduct an additional global trial to assess the efficacy of its covid-19 vaccine, according to the company’s chief executive officer, after current studies raised questions over its level of protection. The new trial would be run instead of adding an arm to an ongoing U.S....
Holiday spirit of giving wasn’t dampened by covid-19 surgeVideo
The steady stream of volunteers arriving at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Latrobe had to find their way to an unassuming concrete ramp to get into the building on Thanksgiving morning. Despite serving more than 160 takeout meals on the 40th anniversary of the church’s annual Thanksgiving Day Dinner, the...
Natrona Heights man ID’d as inmate who died at Allegheny County Jail
The Allegheny County Jail inmate who died Thursday is a 63-year-old man from the Natrona Heights neighborhood of Harrison, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office said. Daniel Pastorek, 63, was found unresponsive in his cell, Warden Orlando Harper said. A corrections officer and medical staff tended to Pastorek until paramedics...
Holiday trends to watch: Adult Play-Doh; stores that ship
NEW YORK — The pandemic is turning this into a holiday shopping season like no other. Toy companies are targeting stuck-at-home grown-ups with latte-smelling Play-Doh and Legos that turn into Warhols. Those who added a puppy to their family during the pandemic will see tons of gift options for their...
Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster delivers turkeys to seniors after Thanksgiving game canceledVideo
Turkey with a side of JuJu? Thanksgiving turned out to be an off day for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. So, he delivered turkeys to seniors. “Giving back to the community has always been a thing in my heart,” Smith-Schuster said. He gathered with volunteers Thursday morning at Dive...
Pennsylvania firearms hunting season for bear closes as 2020 bear kill tops 3,100
Hunters killed 78 black bears on Tuesday, the final day of the 2020 firearms hunting season for bear, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. That bumped the total harvest for the four-day season to 1,155 — a relatively low number for the firearms season — and to 3,135 for all...
Pedestrian in critical condition after being struck in Strip District
A man is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle in Pittsburgh’s Strip District late Wednesday night. Police said officers from Zone 2 were called to Liberty Avenue and 21st Street around 11:30 p.m.. Investigators said the man was walking in front of a stopped Port Authority bus...
Holiday baking traditions survive changing times amid growing coronavirus casesVideo
Large family gatherings might be out for some because of covid-19, but many in the region aren’t giving up on baking and other holiday food traditions. Pat Frye, 75, of Monroeville, sitting with a friend over a coffee at Oakmont Bakery, said she and her daughter will still get together...
Food for thought: Your Turkey Day menu, by the numbersVideo
A trip around the Thanksgiving menu is like a trip around the United States, as American farmers produce much of what we savor on this national holiday, according to USAFacts.org. Below are some facts and figures about some of the popular foods to be shared today, with figures from 2019....
Operation Santa Claus returns in year of extreme need
Operation Santa Claus has been helping Western Pennsylvania families with the gift of a holiday meal for 36 years, and this year may prove to be the most challenging in the long history of the nonprofit organization. “The need is greater than ever this year. We’re trying our best to...
TV Talk: Filmed-in-Pittsburgh ‘Happiest Season’ debuts; Kaley Cuoco impresses in ‘The Flight Attendant’Video
Many movie theaters are still closed but several filmed-in-Pittsburgh, intended-for-theaters films make their way to smaller screens over the next month, beginning with this week’s debut of Christmas romantic comedy “Happiest Season,” now streaming on Hulu. “Happiest Season” pushes its Pittsburgh setting from its first frames — a pastel painting...
Search to continue for missing Jefferson Hills teen
Dive teams from several places in Western Pennsylvania spent part of Tuesday and all of Wednesday traversing the Monongahela River in the area of the Elizabeth Bridge, searching without success for a 15-year-old Jefferson Hills boy reported missing earlier this week. Jeno Moretti was reported missing by his family. He...
Soured: Pittsburgh pickle balloon popped when it was being installed for the holiday seasonVideo
2020 continues to deflate. A giant pickle ornament that was supposed to be the perfect backdrop for a selfie in Downtown Pittsburgh was canned before its planned debut Friday, according to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. The ornament was being tested Wednesday for a final time when installers heard a loud...
