Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1502
State police no longer sending troopers to some calls because of coronavirus outbreak
State Police Commissioner Col. Robert Evanchick Wednesday announced a temporary change in the way troopers respond to select nonemergency incidents. Evanchick said with the goal of limiting in-person contact and mitigating the spread of covid-19 , the department has identified certain types of calls that may be resolved with limited...
When will rapid coronavirus test become available in Western Pennsylvania?
A new rapid covid-19 test designed to be conducted in doctors’ offices, hospital emergency departments and urgent care clinics could deliver results in minutes, but it’s not yet clear if or when those tests will arrive in the Pittsburgh region. The Illinois-based medical technology company Abbott announced that it will...
Match Day becomes day of giving for Pitt medical students during coronavirus pandemic
Match Day is an occasion University of Pittsburgh medical students eagerly await each spring. It’s a national event during which the majority of medical students across the country receive their residency assignments. The aspiring doctors usually gather together to simultaneously open letters that announce their residency training location — a...
Giant Eagle reports confirmed coronavirus cases at 2 more stores
People at two more Giant Eagle stores in the Pittsburgh area have tested positive for covid-19, the grocery store operator announced. The company announced on its website that it got confirmation of the cases at its Pine Creek store, 9805 McKnight Road, McCandless, and Robinson Market District, 100 Settlers Ridge...
Coronavirus taking big bite out of Easter candy sales for region’s makers
Coronavirus-related business closures are taking a hefty bite out of area confectioners’ Easter candy sales. With chocolate bunnies, eggs and other seasonal sweets accounting for about half of annual revenue, it’s a situation that could put some companies out of business. “It’s devastating, actually,” said John Mandak, owner of Valos...
Hempfield bicyclist with history of petty crimes charged with throwing traffic cone into creek
A Hempfield man who spent nearly two years in jail awaiting trial for obstructing traffic on his bicycle has been arrested again, this time for allegedly throwing a traffic cone into a flooded creek in Greensburg. City police said security footage showed David Smith, 60, riding his bike at Lynch...
Woman rescued from Allegheny River by passersby, police
A woman was rescued from the Allegheny River on Tuesday after breaking her ankle and falling into the water in Pittsburgh. She had been exercising along the riverwalk when she lost her balance and fell into the water, according to Pittsburgh Police spokeswoman Cara Cruz. She had been with a...
Allegheny Technologies to close Beaver County steel plant, citing Trump’s tariffs
Allegheny Technologies Inc. will shutter its Beaver County stainless steel plant in June, citing the Trump administration’s steel tariffs as the reason for the closure, the company announced Tuesday. The A&T Stainless Direct Roll Anneal and Pickle operation in Midland employs about 70 workers, most of whom are represented by...
Adapting: The ‘second first day of school’
Editor’s note: Adapting is a regular series spotlighting the ways the global coronavirus pandemic is changing the everyday lives of people in Western Pennsylvania. On Monday, students in many areas across Pennsylvania had their “second first day of school,” in the form of school districts’ online learning plan going into...
More than 600 inmates released from Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh to slow pandemic
Officials have released 622 inmates from Allegheny County Jail over the last two weeks in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus by reducing crowding in the jail, according to Allegheny County. That’s more than triple the 189 inmates that were slated for release March 19, and roughly one...
White House projects 100K to 240K U.S. deaths from covid-19Video
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned Americans to brace for a “rough two-week period” ahead as the White House released new projections that there could be 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the U.S. from the coronavirus pandemic even if current social distancing guidelines are maintained. Public health officials...
Litter piles up at Pennsylvania state parks
Sanitary wipes and disposable gloves are among the increasing amount of litter sullying some Pennsylvania state parks. Although the facilities, including restrooms, are closed at 121 state parks, a growing number of residents continue to visit them with few options available for outings under covid-19 restrictions. “Sadly, litter has kept...
6 residents, 1 staff at Ligonier Gardens nursing home test positive for coronavirus
Six residents and a staff member of Ligonier Gardens Personal Care Home have tested positive for coronavirus, according to Bethlen Communities, the nonprofit organization that operates the home. Two other Bethlen employees who don’t work at Ligonier Gardens also have tested positive. One works in transportation, the other in home...
Sen. Kim Ward seeks state law change to provide covid-19 info to first responders
A Westmoreland County lawmaker wants to amend state law to require the Pennsylvania Department of Health to release the general location of covid-19 cases to first responders. State Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, is seeking co-sponsors for an amendment to require state health officials to release information about coronavirus cases by...
Washington County woman who coughed on trooper claimed she had covid-19
A Washington County woman who coughed on a state trooper Sunday, claiming she had covid-19 as she was being arrested, was charged Tuesday with making terroristic threats and related crimes. Jessica Lee Harvey, 37, of Houston, also is charged with harassment, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness by state police Trooper...
Stocks fall, closing out their worst quarter since 2008Video
NEW YORK — Stocks are down in subdued trading Tuesday, as Wall Street’s wraps up its worst quarter of performance since the 2008 financial crisis. The S&P 500 is down in afternoon trading after flipping between modest losses and gains, pushing its loss for the first three months of the...
Allegheny County map shows where free food is being distributed
Allegheny County has created a map to assist those who may be seeking free food distributions during the coronavirus pandemic. The map breaks down the distributions into groups, including some that serve only students or only seniors. The map can also be filtered to include specific results. It includes school...
Judge orders release of 13 immigrants in Pa., saying ICE not protecting them from coronavirus
PHILADELPHIA — A federal judge in Harrisburg ordered the immediate release Tuesday of 13 immigrants from detention centers across Pennsylvania, saying authorities have not taken adequate measures to protect them from the threat of a coronavirus outbreak behind bars. The group, from countries across the globe, are all being all...
Pittsburgh convention center assessed as alternate site for patients during coronavirus pandemic
The David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh has been assessed as an alternate site to care for patients during the coronavirus pandemic, Allegheny County officials said Tuesday. County Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen said the assessment of the Downtown facility was conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of...
Girl missing from Hazelwood found safe
Pittsburgh police said Tuesday they found a 12-year-old girl who had been missing since March 29. Police said Davicia Thomas-Wright was returned home safely. Police had said she was last seen in the city’s Hazelwood neighborhood wearing a white “FILA” shirt, cream-colored jacket, black shoes and navy sweat pants with...
U.S. coronavirus death toll eclipses China’s
NEW YORK — The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus climbed past 3,500 Tuesday, eclipsing China’s official count. Elsewhere around the world, hard-hit Italy reported that the infection rate appears to be leveling off and new cases could start declining, but that the crisis is far from over. Spain struggled...
PennDOT to restart work on emergency highway, bridge projects
PennDOT said Tuesday it will get back to work on emergency and critical highway and bridge projects. On March 17, Gov. Wolf paused the normal highway and bridge construction program to minimize covid-19 exposure for PennDOT and private sector employees. Tuesday’s announcement means that some 61 emergency and critical road...
Allegheny County will alert first responders to addresses of covid-19 patientsVideo
Allegheny County will begin flagging the addresses of confirmed covid-19 cases in its 911 database as a way of notifying first responders about potential exposure. Dr. Debra Bogen, director of Allegheny County Health Department, said in a letter sent Tuesday to county Emergency Services Director Matthew Brown that the health...
State police warnings to non-life-sustaining businesses surpass 100
More than 100 businesses received warnings in the first eights days since Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the closing of all non-life-sustaining operations to slow the spread of covid-19, Pennsylvania State Police reported Tuesday. On Monday, state police issued 11 warnings, bringing the total to 107 since enforcement of the order...
Police responding to fewer calls as more people shelter in place during coronavirus outbreak
Police departments across Southwestern Pennsylvania are receiving fewer calls as residents stay at home amid the coronavirus pandemic. In Greensburg, police calls decreased by 27% for the last two weeks of March compared to the same period in 2019, said Chief Chad Zucco. Police received 818 calls during that period...
