Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1380
Large crowds taking toll on Pennsylvania state parks
In the late 1800s, Ohiopyle State Park’s 100-acre Ferncliff Peninsula was home to a boardwalk, bowling alley and hotel along the Youghiogheny River. The small resort eventually closed as automobiles replaced rail transportation to the small Fayette County town, allowing the natural landscape to return. Decades later, Ferncliff Peninsula Natural...
Gov. Wolf stands behind fall sports shutdown but says ‘I’m just one person’Video
Gov. Tom Wolf said he’s unlikely to change his recommendation to delay youth sports, no matter what the PIAA says, but described his role as “one person that has an opinion.” Wolf, speaking Thursday at a news conference, said he hadn’t read the letter PIAA administrators sent him earlier in...
Trump opposes postal money that would help vote-by-mail
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared Thursday that he opposes additional funding for the U.S. Postal Service, acknowledging that his position would starve the agency of money Democrats say it needs to process an anticipated surge in mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. Trump also claimed anew — falsely —...
United Airlines to offer more direct flights from Pittsburgh to Florida
United Airlines soon will add more direct flights from Pittsburgh and other cities to four popular Florida destinations. Airline officials said the move is part of a “continuing strategy to aggressively and opportunistically manage the impact of covid-19 by increasing service to destinations where customers most want to fly.” Beginning...
There’s still time to see the Perseids — and more summer celestial sightsVideo
The bad news is that peak viewing of the annual Perseid meteor shower ended Wednesday. The good news is that you’ll still be able to see it for at least another week. “It’s past its peak, but the moon is waning, so there’s less light in the night sky, giving...
Pennsylvania posts near-1,000 covid-19 case increase, largest thus far in August
Pennsylvania reported 991 new covid-19 cases Thursday, according to the state Department of Health. The new coronavirus cases mark the largest increase thus far in August and bring the case total to 122,121 in the state. In addition, 24 deaths were reported, bringing Pennsylvania’s death toll to 7,409. Of the...
Man wanted in Millvale baseball bat attack surrenders to police
A man wanted for allegedly beating his cousin to the brink of death earlier this month has turned himself in to Millvale police on Thursday, authorities said. Julio Armondo Jenaro, 37, has been wanted by Millvale police since the Aug. 1 fight that left Jenaro’s cousin in critical condition. In...
Westmoreland County adds 13 new covid-19 cases
Westmoreland County added 13 new covid-19 cases Thursday, according to the state Department of Health. Twelve of the new coronavirus cases are confirmed and one is probable. The county’s coronavirus case total is now 1,586. Of those cases, 1,542 are confirmed and 44 probable. Westmoreland County coronavirus by dayInfogram No...
Temperatures in Pittsburgh region could drop this weekend, bringing chance of rain
Temperatures will hover close to 90 degrees over the next few days, but a front could bring some relief to the Pittsburgh region this weekend. According to National Weather Service, highs will remain in the upper 80s Thursday and Friday with the potential for isolated showers. “Today and tomorrow will...
Fayette County jail, court employees arrested in drug dealing investigationsVideo
Two guards at the Fayette County Prison, four inmates and two women on the outside are charged in connection with a drug smuggling scheme at the Uniontown jail, according to court papers. The scheme started to unravel in April when guard Angela Rae Powell, 37, of East Uniontown was seen...
Allegheny County reports over 100 new covid-19 cases, 17 new hospitalizations
Allegheny County reported 114 new coronavirus cases Thursday, the second highest new case total of the month. There were also 17 new covid-19 hospitalizations and five new deaths reported. New cases came from 1,799 test results with 110 being confirmed and four probable. The age range for the cases are...
2 more Port Authority employees test positive for coronavirus
Two more Port Authority employees tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said. The new cases bring the number of covid-19 cases involving Port Authority employees to 39. Last week, Port Authority reported five new cases. According to officials, the two employees, a mechanic and a service person, worked at a...
About 860 homes in 2 Pittsburgh neighborhoods under boil water advisory
About 860 homes in two Pittsburgh neighborhoods are under a boil water advisory following a water main break reported early Wednesday morning. According to The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, residents in parts of the Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar and Homewood North neighborhoods may be impacted. The advisory is for the areas approximately...
Penn Hills School District hires company partially owned by its solicitor to do health screenings
Penn Hills School District officials hired a Trafford-based company, with ties to the district’s solicitor, to do temperature checks on students coming back to school despite parental opposition and calls from a few board members to delay the vote. The school board voted 6-3 Wednesday night to have Mobile Health...
Penn Hills School District approves reopening plan, moves start date to Sept. 8
Penn Hills School District officials unanimously approved their reopening plan Wednesday night and pushed back the start of the upcoming school year. The reopening plan includes hybrid learning as well as an online option for families not confident just yet with sending their children back into the buildings during the...
Sewage treatment plant in Avonmore to get $3.3 million upgrade
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County board on Wednesday approved the financing for construction of an upgraded sewer plant in Avonmore. The $3.3 million project will upgrade the 50-year-old plant that services more than 400 sewer customers in the borough. The work will be paid for by a $1.85 million...
Editorial: Tranquilli deserves judicious hearing
There are several things that a judge is supposed to be. Fair and patient. Respectful and understanding. Measured and firm. Judicious. We need the people who evaluate the law to do it without preconception or prejudice. It should definitely be without bias, racism and harassment. Sadly, those are the qualities...
Trump weighs replacing Mark Esper at Pentagon after November election
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has privately said he intends to replace Secretary of Defense Mark Esper after the November election, according to people familiar with internal discussions. One person said Esper, a Uniontown native, has told people close to him that he intends to leave regardless of the election’s...
Students moving back to Seton Hill University for face-to-face classes
Slowly but surely students began moving in at Seton Hill University on Wednesday for what the school hopes will be a largely traditional semester — despite a global pandemic that has prompted many of the nation’s college campuses to remain largely shuttered. Unlike some local universities that have transitioned to...
KISS concert in Burgettstown finally rescheduled for 2021
There it was, still on the KISS website by mid-Wednesday afternoon. The iconic hard rock group’s Aug. 28 concert at S&T Bank Music Park in Burgettstown was still scheduled. Obviously, this show could not possibly happen because of the pandemic. Not with Gov. Wolf’s order restricting gatherings of more than...
Allegheny County officials urge vigilance as some schools prepare to reopen
As public schools and universities prepare to reopen, Allegheny County officials urged residents to remain vigilant, despite an encouraging decrease locally in daily covid-19 cases. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald on Wednesday said the county had achieved a 3.9% test positivity rate — the lowest the rate has been since...
Biden introduces VP choice Kamala Harris; much history, no crowdVideo
WILMINGTON, Del. — Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his newly chosen running mate Kamala Harris campaigned together for the first time Wednesday, as the former primary rivals sought to solidify their advantage over President Donald Trump and secure their place in American history. Biden, a 77-year-old white man, embraced...
Man pleads to 2019 fatal shooting of landlord in Garfield
A man accused of killing his landlord following a dispute last year pleaded guilty Wednesday to voluntary manslaughter. Michael Wolf, 50, of Garfield, will be sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski on Nov. 3. In addition to the manslaughter count, he also pleaded guilty to possessing...
Giant slides at Mammoth Park to remain closed 2 more weeks
The Giant Slide at Mammoth Park in Mt. Pleasant will remain closed for at least two more weeks as Westmoreland County officials await safety reports from two independent investigators. Public Works Director Greg McCloskey reaffirmed Wednesday that officials believe the matching 100-foot metal slides are safe. Four of the five...
Mt. Pleasant man jailed on $250K bond after police seize heroin, meth, cash
A major area heroin dealer, who investigators said typically conducted business out of his car throughout central and southern Westmoreland County, on Tuesday decided to sell four bricks of the drug from his Mt. Pleasant home. That proved to be a mistake. Borough police and agents from state Attorney General’s...
