Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1406
Jefferson Hills man killed in tractor crash
A Jefferson Hills man was killed in a tractor accident along Walters Lane on Wednesday evening. Borough Police Chief Gene Roach identified the deceased as George Albert Walter, 67, of Walters Lane. Officers responded to the area around 6:45 p.m. for a report of an overturned tractor on top of...
South Fayette School District reopening plan presented, approval set for next week
South Fayette School District’s health and safety plan for the upcoming school year requires students and staff to wear face coverings and practice social distancing as much as possible when returning to school. It also provides an option for parents to continue their student’s distance learning or enroll in a...
Facebook post has some Plum officials calling for the resignation of a school director
A Facebook post by Plum School Director Amy Wetmore has some borough officials calling for her resignation. The post in question was made on July 8 by the school board’s finance committee liaison in a private page called “Black Lives Matter In Plum Boro.” It appears to have been made...
Allegheny County explains covid-19 backlog, advises priority testing
Allegheny County officials on Wednesday asked residents without covid-19 symptoms not to get tested because of increased demand for testing in the region. Health Director Debra Bogen said those who should get tested include people with covid-19 symptoms; those who have had close contact with a known, positive covid-19 case;...
Obama, Biden, Gates Twitter accounts hacked in bitcoin scam
Unidentified hackers broke into the Twitter accounts of technology moguls, politicians, celebrities and major companies Wednesday in an apparent Bitcoin scam. The ruse included bogus tweets from former President Barack Obama, Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg and a number of tech billionaires including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft...
Allegheny County Council rejects certain coronavirus testing, ‘less-lethal’ weapons ban
Allegheny County Council voted down two bills Tuesday — one intended to expand coronavirus testing at county facilities, and the other banning the use of “less-lethal” weapons by law enforcement. Both bills were sponsored by council members Liv Bennett, D-Northview Heights, and at-large representative Bethany Hallam, D-Ross. The coronavirus testing...
Coronavirus data is funneled away from CDC, sparking worriesVideo
NEW YORK — Hospital data related to the coronavirus pandemic in the United States will now be collected by a private technology firm, rather than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — a move the Trump administration says will speed up reporting but one that concerns some public health...
Man charged with Pittsburgh vandalism now charged with encouraging rioting in Butler
A Butler man charged last month for his alleged role in Downtown Pittsburgh vandalism during a protest now faces charges in his home county alleging he encouraged others on social media to rob, loot and riot at a Diamond Park protest. Jordan Erdos, 20, allegedly used social media in the...
Young Men’s Republican Club of Allegheny County shut down for covid-19 violations
The county health department has ordered the closure of the Young Men’s Republican Club of Allegheny County for violating covid-19 restrictions on serving food and beverages indoors. The club, located on Suismon Street on the North Side, was cited by health officials for patrons consuming beverages while seated at the...
About 50% of Pa. nursing homes still have not completed universal testing of residents, staff
With nine days to go before a July 24 deadline, about half of the state’s nursing homes have completed mandated testing of all residents and staff, according to data released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health on Wednesday. Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine on June 8, about five...
Gov. Wolf tightens restrictions on bars, restaurants as covid-19 surge continues
More restrictions on Pennsylvania bars and restaurants become effective Thursday in response to what Gov. Tom Wolf characterized as an “unsettling climb” of covid-19 cases in the state. “We’re already at a tipping point where we have to act now,” Wolf said, later adding, “This virus is saying, ‘I’m back.’...
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg released from hospital
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said Wednesday that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was discharged from a hospital after being treated for a possible infection. A court spokeswoman said in an emailed statement that Ginsburg was “home and doing well.” Ginsburg had gone to a hospital in Washington on Monday evening...
Whitehall man accused of making homemade explosives facing federal charges
A Whitehall man accused of making online threats and homemade bombs now faces federal weapons charges after a grand jury returned a five-count indictment against him. Kurt Cofano, 32, originally was wanted by Whitehall police last week in connection with a mental health warrant, according to police. Cofano said online...
New owners thrilled to purchase quirky Plum homeVideo
The couple that bought a unique house on Rainier Drive in Plum won’t change much about their new home. “It’s right up our alley,” said Nick Sarver, just days after he and his wife, Katelyn, moved into John Cope’s getaway house he rebuilt as Epoc I. The castle-starship-beach-hippie house in...
6 more Port Authority employees test positive for covid-19
Six Port Authority of Allegheny County employees have tested positive for covid-19 since last week’s update, bringing the total number of employee cases to 27, officials said Wednesday. Fifteen of these employees have been cleared to return to work. Eleven are at home recovering and one remains hospitalized. The six...
New poll shows Biden leading Trump by 13 points in Pennsylvania
A new poll shows Joe Biden leading Donald Trump by 13 points in Pennsylvania for November’s election. The Monmouth University poll of registered Pennsylvania voters shows Biden, the Democratic candidate, is supported by 53% while the incumbent Trump is favored by 40%. “Even taking into account any polling error from...
Game warden saves bald eagle mired in Lancaster County manure pit
The Pennsylvania Game Commission rescued a bald eagle stuck in a manure pit in Lancaster. The Game Commission said it received a report Saturday that a bald eagle was unable to fly out of a manure pit at a private farm in southern Lancaster County. The large mature male eagle...
Western Pennsylvanians sought to take part in coronavirus vaccine trials
Researchers are seeking at least 750 people in Western Pennsylvania to take part in trials for vaccines against the novel coronavirus that causes covid-19, UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh announced Wednesday. The trials are part of what is called Operation Warp Speed, a national push to rapidly develop a...
21 new covid-19 cases reported in Westmoreland County
There are 21 new coronavirus cases and no new deaths in Westmoreland County, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Wednesday. The new cases come from 527 tests, representing a 3.98% positivity rate for those cases. All of the new cases are confirmed. The county case total now stands at 1,054,...
Walmart to require customers to wear masks at all its stores
Walmart will require customers to wear face coverings at all of its stores, including Sam’s Club locations, beginning Monday. The move makes it the largest retailer to introduce such a policy that has otherwise proven difficult to enforce without state and federal requirements. The Bentonville, Ark.-based company said that about...
Greensburg lifts limits on food trucks, hopes more business rolls into city
Speal’s on Wheels was one of the first food trucks to operate in Greensburg, with owner Terry Speal serving late-night grub to college crowds in the city since 2016. High registration fees and limited hours kept most food truck operators out, but that just meant less competition for Speal. “The...
Allegheny County adds 246 new covid-19 cases, 5 new deaths
One day after it added a record number of new covid-19 cases, Allegheny County reported another huge tally of new coronavirus cases on Wednesday. The county reported 246 new cases, five new deaths and one new hospitalization on Wednesday. The latest batch of added cases come from tests that span...
The Westmoreland invites essential workers to reopening preview
Prior to reopening to the public on Aug. 5, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art will welcome members and essential workers to an exclusive reopening weekend Aug. 1-2. The special hours at the Greensburg facility are “a way to say thanks to members for supporting the Museum during the temporary...
Wolf grants 3rd extension for license to carry firearms permits
Gov. Tom Wolf has granted a third extension for licenses to carry firearms, state police announced Wednesday. Permits expiring on March 19 or later are now valid through Sept. 30. The previous extension was set to expire on July 31. The extensions were needed because some county courthouses and sheriff’s...
Pittsburgh area set to start another run of hot, humid weather
After a four-day break, the Pittsburgh area is set to enter another stretch of days with 90-degree temperatures, according to the National Weather Service. And it’s going to get muggy, too, with dew points rising to oppressive levels in the lower 70s, meteorologist Bill Modzelewski said. While the high Wednesday...
