Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1388
Bethel Park scraps full in-person learning, leaning toward some in-school days, some days online
Three weeks before school is scheduled to start, the Bethel Park School Board is changing course on how it will reopen to students and teachers. It’s scrapping its plan for a full return to the classroom. The board expects to decide on a different plan Tuesday, Aug. 11, according to...
O’Hara Council: Squaw Valley Park is now O’Hara Township Community Park
People watching the O’Hara Council meeting online via Zoom on Tuesday night erupted in cheers and applause following a vote to rename Squaw Valley Park. Council voted 6-1 to rename the site O’Hara Township Community Park, bringing a swift resolution to a two-month heated debate over removing the word Squaw...
Restaurants and bars banding together to give Gov. Wolf an ultimatum
Restaurant and bar owners plan to issue a threat to Gov. Tom Wolf later this week: “We’re going to stand together and open up at 100%,” said Rod Ambrogi, a restaurant owner in Bethel Park. The warning comes nearly two weeks after 42 politicians formally asked Wolf through signed letters...
High school bands eager to march on through pandemicVideo
The high school marching band’s drum line heralds the start of a fresh school year. Chris Snyder, band director at Deer Lakes High School, wasn’t going to let a pandemic kill that tradition. Since March, Deer Lakes students — like high schoolers nationwide — haven’t participated in school events, seen...
Garden club honors suffrage movement with appropriately colored flowers
This month marks the 100th anniversary of the day the 19th Amendment became law in the United States. On Aug. 26, 1920, following a battle seven decades long, American women were granted the right to vote. Not everyone is aware that suffragists adopted purple, white and yellow as the colors...
Westmoreland sheriff uses antibody tests to screen deputies for coronavirusVideo
Westmoreland County deputy sheriffs won’t have week-long waits to determine if they’ve been infected with the coronavirus. Sheriff James Albert said Tuesday his office secured up to 50 rapid antibody tests that his staff will use as a diagnostic tool to determine the likelihood of exposure to the virus. “As...
Progress ‘long ways away’ as urgency grows on coronavirus reliefVideo
WASHINGTON — Frustrated Senate Republicans re-upped their complaints on Tuesday that Democratic negotiators are staking too hard a line in talks on a broad coronavirus relief bill, but pressure is mounting for progress as covid-weary senators are eager to return to their home states for the August recess. Another negotiating...
Police arrest Delaware County man for returning to North Apollo home from which he was banned after assault
A Delaware County man previously charged with domestic assault was arrested Tuesday after he was found hiding inside a North Apollo home where the assault occurred, according to police. Police said Devante Grant, 21, of Lansdowne isn’t allowed in the Allison Avenue home because he previously assaulted a woman who...
Man detained after shooting near Wilkinsburg school, victim in critical condition
A 26-year-old man was taken to the hospital in critical condition Tuesday afternoon after he was shot near an elementary school in Wilkinsburg, according to Allegheny County Police. Police said they detained a 29-year-old man who they believe was responsible for the shooting. They did not identify him. The shooting...
Heinz Field Kickoff and Rib Fest canceled
There will be no ribs slathered in barbecue sauce over Labor Day weekend on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. The annual Heinz Field Kickoff and Rib Fest has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Tuesday. The five-day festival had been scheduled to start Sept. 3 and run through Sept....
Victim in New Kensington witness intimidation trial says she fears for her life
A New Kensington woman testified Tuesday she fears for her safety after her cooperation with investigators was publicly disclosed during the prosecution of a man sentenced to death for the murder of a police officer. Tasha Williams, 39, told a Westmoreland County jury her life may still be in jeopardy...
Census Bureau announces date change for in-person counts
Local communities could be left scrambling after the Census Bureau confirmed there will be one less month to collect population counts vital for determining how federal funds are dispersed and the number of representatives each state has in Congress. The final date for collecting the once-a-decade survey is Sept. 30...
CDC predicts seasonal outbreak of rare childhood paralysis linked to virus
Starting this month, the United States should expect an outbreak of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a form of childhood paralysis thought to be caused by a viral infection, government health officials said Tuesday. Though AFM remains uncommon, it spikes in even-numbered years, with 238 cases identified in 2018, the Centers...
U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb: Investigate state health department over coronavirus oversight at Brighton Rehab
U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb on Tuesday renewed his criticism of the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County, calling for an additional investigation into how the Pennsylvania Department of Health oversaw the facility during the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter dated Monday to the federal Centers for Medicare &...
Pennsylvania Education Secretary Rivera to step down in October
Pennsylvania’s top education official plans to step down from his position in early October, the state announced Tuesday. Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera’s departure comes during the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing uncertainty for schools making their plans for the fall. According to a news release, Rivera will become president of...
Pennsylvania reports 23 new covid-19 deaths, 854 new cases
After reporting no new covid-19 deaths in the state Monday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced 23 new deaths Tuesday. The new reported deaths are the highest in a seven-day span. In that time — July 29 through Tuesday — reported deaths were mostly below 20 each day. The state...
Westmoreland County has smallest increase in new covid-19 cases since June
Westmoreland County had less than 10 new covid-19 cases Tuesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. This is the first time since June 30 that the county had a single-digit case count. The seven new coronavirus cases are all confirmed and bring the county’s case total to 1,464. Westmoreland...
Massive Beirut blast kills more than 70, injures thousandsVideo
BEIRUT — A massive explosion rocked Beirut on Tuesday, flattening much of the city’s port, damaging buildings across the capital and sending a giant mushroom cloud into the sky. More than 70 people were killed and 3,000 injured, with bodies buried in the rubble, officials said. It was not clear...
New Allegheny County covid-19 cases top 100 after double-digit stretch
After a three-day stretch of new cases below 100, Allegheny County reported 132 new covid-19 cases Tuesday, according to the health department. Of the new cases, 70 were between ages 19 and 49, 20 of those were age 19-24 and 50 were age 25-49. New coronavirus cases were found from...
Popular Pittsburgh club Brillobox closes doors for good
Brillobox, a popular Pittsburgh club offering live music, food and dance parties, is closing its doors. Owners Lou Ickes and Janessa Walter announced the closure via a Facebook post. “We are wrapping it up. We appreciate everyone that has been a part of Brillo, over the years. It’s been a...
Wave of evictions expected as moratoriums end in many states
BALTIMORE — Kelyn Yanez used to clean homes during the day and wait tables at night in the Houston area before the coronavirus. But the mother of three lost both jobs in March because of the pandemic and now is facing eviction. The Honduran immigrant got help from a local...
3 men rescued from Pacific island after writing SOS in sandVideo
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Three men have been rescued from a tiny Pacific island after writing a giant SOS sign in the sand that was spotted from above, authorities say. The men had been missing in the Micronesia archipelago for nearly three days when their distress signal was spotted Sunday...
Tropic storm Isaias whips up eastern U.S., killing at least 6Video
WINDSOR, N.C. — At least six people were killed as Tropical Storm Isaias spawned tornadoes and dumped rain Tuesday along the East Coast after making landfall as a hurricane in North Carolina, where it caused floods and fires that displaced dozens of people. Two people died when Isaias spun off...
Forbes State Forest interns clear trails, put finishing touch on arboretumVideo
When Jeff Ashley of Bala Cynwyd arrived at the Forbes State Forest office in Laughlintown, he quickly gravitated to an informational kiosk just installed by a group of college interns. “That’s exactly what we wanted to happen,” said Ed Callahan, district forester at the office. “We’re hopeful that people will...
Walmart to open 9 added covid-19 test sites in Pennsylvania
Retail giant Walmart will open nine additional covid-19 drive-thru testing locations at stores across Pennsylvania this week, most of them in Western Pennsylvania, state health officials announced Monday. But one health expert is concerned those sites will do little to help control the outbreak. “It is an important goal to...
