Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1475
Pennsylvania adds 1,208 new coronavirus cases, 62 more deaths
The state Department of Health on Friday added 62 more deaths to Pennsylvania’s coronavirus death toll along with another 1,208 positive cases. The new deaths bring the state’s total to 2,354. Five of those deaths were in Allegheny County, where the total now stands at 99. The 1,208 new covid-19...
Allegheny County reports 5 new deaths, 30 more coronavirus cases
The Allegheny County Health Department reported five more deaths and 30 additional cases of the coronavirus Friday, increasing the county’s total deaths to 99 and case count to 1,319. Of the 99 reported deaths, 89 are listed as confirmed cases of covid-19, while 10 are considered probable. The youngest person...
Allegheny County Jail reports 3 more inmates have coronavirus
Three more Allegheny County Jail inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing its total number of cases to 27, according to county data. Of those 27, four have recovered or been released. Court and jail officials have been working since March to identify nonviolent inmates who could be released...
Extension granted for Pa. driver’s licenses expiring this month
An extension was granted for Pennsylvanians whose driver’s licenses, photo identification cards and learner’s permits are expiring this month. Expiration dates from March 16 through May 31 are extended to June 30, PennDOT announced Friday. Driver’s license centers statewide have been closed since March 16 amid the coronavirus pandemic. May...
Authorities ID man who died of injuries from 2015 Homewood shooting
Authorities have identified a man who died nearly five years after he was shot multiple times in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said Dominique M. Fuller, 25, of Homewood, was shot June 23, 2015, near Collier Street and Fuchsia Way. He was pronounced dead Feb. 19,...
Ohio extends stay-at-home order through May 30
Ohio has extended its stay-at-home order through May 30, the governor’s office announced late Thursday. The state issued a schedule for some businesses to begin reopening this month, but Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s statewide stay-at-home order for residents will not end until 11:59 p.m. May 29. The full text of...
South Side man charged in fatal Homewood shooting
Pittsburgh police arrested a 20-year-old South Side man Thursday in connection with a fatal shooting April 22 in Homewood. Darryn Hobson is charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, carrying a firearm without a license and reckless endangerment, according to police. Two men were shot April 22 on the 7000 block...
Even if coronavirus restrictions ease, many Americans remain wary of resuming everyday activities
Nearly half of Americans say they won’t be ready to return to public spaces until the coronavirus outbreak is over, even as Pennsylvanians learned Friday that restrictions have been eased in certain parts of the state. According to a CBS News poll of 2,106 people, 48% of respondents said they...
May brings broader return of PennDOT road work under eased covid-19 restrictions
PennDOT crews and contractors will ramp up work on area road and bridge projects in May, under state guidelines for phasing in construction work during the covid-19 pandemic. Among the first projects expected to proceed in Westmoreland County are work on a truck-climbing lane on Route 356 in Allegheny Township,...
State appoints ‘temporary manager’ for covid-stricken Beaver nursing home
State officials have entered into an agreement to appoint a temporary manager at the Beaver County long-term care facility where more than 50 people have died from covid-19. The Long Hill Co., based in Shelton, Conn., became the temporary manager for the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in mid-April, according...
Trib ups grant fund to $1 million
It was a million dollar moment for businesses throughout the region Thursday when Trib Total Media expanded its advertising grant program from $250,000 to $1 million, meeting an overwhelming first-day demand for funds aimed at helping companies regain their footing amid the covid-19 crisis. Just seven hours after the application...
Postal Service hiring for temporary jobs at $17.95 per hour
The U.S. Postal Service is hiring temporary workers in the Pittsburgh area for jobs that pay $17.95 per hour. The deadline to apply is Saturday, the postal service said in a news release. The available positions are mail processing assistants at the USPS Pennwood Place processing center in Warrendale and...
Pittsburgh employees to resume outside work, but shutdown continues amid pandemic
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto will ease some restrictions on city employees starting Friday, but the mayor warned that the public should not expect a complete reopening of the city as the coronavirus lingers. The city will permit outside construction work under strict guidelines by employees in the Department of Public...
U.S. Steel expects to lay off 2,700 workers
One of the biggest U.S. steelmakers is signaling how the coronavirus pandemic is set to inflict pain on blue-collar America. U.S. Steel Corp. expects to lay off about 2,700 employees as the virus forces the company to idle most of its blast furnaces. Even before lockdowns hit the economy, producers...
Report: More federal cash needed for a safe, secure 2020 election
A $400 million federal boost to help cover increased election costs nationwide this year because of the coronavirus pandemic is far less than the actual amount needed, according to a report authored in part by a University of Pittsburgh researcher. The report, “Ensuring Safe Elections: Federal Funding Needs for State...
West Penn Power equipment problem knocks out power to Alle-Kiski Valley customers, power now back on
Power has been restored to about 4,700 West Penn Power customers in the Alle-Kiski Valley who were without power Thursday, a spokesman said. The affected customers were in Arnold, New Kensington and Lower Burrell. The outage was reported shortly before 1:45 p.m. Power was back on for all affected communities...
UPMC to administer coronavirus antibody tests to all patients
UPMC officials announced Thursday all patients treated within the health system will soon start receiving a covid-19 antibody test. The test will identify whether a patient’s body has produced antibodies in response to covid-19 and could help determine whether a person is immune to the virus. Antibodies are blood proteins...
Pennsylvania auditor general will look into how state handled business waivers
State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale will audit how the state managed the waiver process used to give businesses exemptions to Gov. Tom Wolf’s shutdown order. “Some business owners complained that the department’s waiver process was too slow and not transparent enough,” DePasquale said. The announcement came a day after Senate...
Pittsburgh controller: City could face major layoffs in 2021 without federal aid
Pittsburgh should be able to pull through the coronavirus economic fallout with the help of a significant surplus, but would have to consider massive layoffs in 2021 without assistance from the federal government, the city controller said Thursday. Controller Michael Lamb briefed reporters through a teleconference on the state of...
Westmoreland coronavirus death tally holds steady; total cases up to 391
Westmoreland County recorded five more cases of the coronavirus Thursday as deaths stayed steady at 30, according to state and county data. The new cases bring the countywide total to 391, according to numbers from the state Department of Health. The new cases were reported throughout the day Wednesday. The...
All Pittsburgh students will receive passing grades, as district struggles to meet tech needs
All students in Pittsburgh Public Schools will receive passing grades for the fourth quarter, district leaders announced Thursday in a virtual news conference. “The grading guidelines are designed to hold students harmless,” said David May-Stein, chief of school performance. “Not all kids are going to be able to do this...
Herd immunity with coronavirus stirs debate, but experts say it comes at a deadly cost
Critics of coronavirus-related shutdowns have pointed to Sweden’s path toward “herd immunity” as justification for advocating an end to stay-at-home orders, even as some infectious disease experts warn the Swedes’ methods could be deadly. Building herd immunity has gained popularity in some circles as an alternative to widespread shutdowns and...
Pennsylvania reports 97 more coronavirus deaths as total cases top 45,000
The state Department of Health on Thursday reported almost 100 new coronavirus deaths along with almost 1,400 new positive cases of the virus. The 97 deaths recorded Wednesday bring the statewide death toll to 2,292, according to state data. The 1,397 new cases, reported during the same time frame, bring...
Gov. Wolf: No decision yet on which areas of Pennsylvania could move to ‘yellow’ phase on May 8
A day before state officials were set to announce what parts of Pennsylvania could see coronavirus restrictions eased, Gov. Tom Wolf said his administration hadn’t yet decided which areas will be included. “We haven’t even made the list up yet,” Wolf told reporters when asked what Pennsylvanians can expect from...
Nemacolin to reopen with limited occupancy, private butlers
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington plans to partially reopen its five-star hotel — Falling Rock — on May 8. Private butlers will provide each guest with a customized itinerary and will be available 24/7 via phone call, text or video for assistance. All guests will receive a mask, hand sanitizer...
