Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1522
Penn State moves to online-only classes over coronavirus concerns
Penn State, along with several other Pennsylvania universities, will cancel in-person classes and move to online instruction over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus that causes covid-19. Officials announced Wednesday that Penn State will start remote learning for all classes at every campus location beginning March 16 through April...
Allegheny Health Network limits visitation at hospitals
Allegheny Health Network is making changes to its visitation policy at area hospitals in response to the rising cases of the novel coronavirus across the United States. The temporary restrictions were announced Wednesday and limit the number of visitors for a patient to one person at a time in the...
Celine Dion postpones Pittsburgh show because of cold
Singer Celine Dion postponed her Friday show in Pittsburgh to November after a doctor diagnosed her with a common cold, according to a statement. The Courage World Tour stop, originally set for Friday, will instead be held Nov. 18 at PPG Paints Arena. Dion also rescheduled her Wednesday date in...
Donora woman charged with nearly 1,400 counts of animal cruelty
A Washington County woman has been charged with nearly 1,400 counts of animal cruelty in connection with the rescue of about 150 dogs, cats, kittens and chickens from properties in Monessen and Donora in late October. Christie Dee Harr, 41, of Donora was charged Tuesday with 1,376 animal cruelty charges...
Part of Route 910 in Harmar shut down after truck ruptures gas line
A section of Route 910 in Harmar was shut down early Wednesday morning after a vehicle struck a gas line, according to authorities. The incident occurred at about 2:15 a.m. near the intersection of Locust Hill and Rich roads, according to emergency dispatchers. The line ruptured when a PennDOT truck...
1 person hurt in fire near marina along Ohio River
A man was taken to the hospital for treatment of serious burns after a fire broke out in a trailer near a marina Wednesday morning in the city’s Chateau neighborhood. The fire erupted in a trailer in the 900 block of Beaver Avenue near the Newport Marina along the Ohio...
Trump endorses opponent of Jeff Sessions in Alabama Senate race
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump endorsed the opponent of his former attorney general, Jeff Sessions, in the runoff for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in Alabama. Tommy Tuberville, Trump tweeted Tuesday night, “was a terrific head football coach at Auburn University. He is a REAL LEADER who will never let...
Joe Biden wins hard-fought Michigan, deals major blow to Bernie SandersVideo
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden decisively won Michigan’s Democratic primary on Tuesday, seizing a key battleground state that helped propel Bernie Sanders’ insurgent candidacy four years ago. The former vice president’s victory there, as well as in Missouri and Mississippi, dealt a serious blow to Sanders and substantially widened Biden’s path...
Coachella postponed over coronavirus concerns
Coachella has been postponed, the festival announced Tuesday. The music and arts festival held in Indio, Calif., tweeted a statement saying that it, along with the Stagecoach festival, would be rescheduled to October. pic.twitter.com/ppPdu7WX9b— Coachella (@coachella) March 10, 2020 Coachella, headlined by Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank...
Western Pennsylvania nursing homes restrict access amid coronavirus fears
Visitor access to at least two nursing homes in the Pittsburgh region has been restricted as a precaution against the potential spread of the coronavirus, officials said Tuesday. Wexford Healthcare Center in McCandless and Baldwin Health Center also are taking the temperatures of visitors who enter the home. A fever...
Western Pennsylvania school districts prepare for coronavirus
Western Pennsylvania school districts are making plans to continue instruction in the event schools close temporarily because of the spreading covid-19 coronavirus. “We are not in a position at this point to say that there’s a need to send kids home,” said Jenny Webb, spokeswoman for South Butler County School...
Pennsylvania reports 9 new flu deaths
The number of flu-related deaths in Pennsylvania this season has reached 83, up by nine in the past week, according to data the state Department of Health released Tuesday. Most of the deaths, 56, were in those age 65 and older. Six of the new deaths were in that age...
Police: Washington Township man wanted for raping unconscious 13-year-old
A Washington Township man is accused of raping an unconscious 13-year-old girl last summer, according to police. Police said Jarod David Altman, 18, gave the girl vodka and sexually assaulted her after she lost consciousness, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case. Police filed charges against Altman on...
Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden cancel Ohio rallies over coronavirus concerns
WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden abruptly canceled scheduled rallies Tuesday night in Cleveland amid concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus — as public health fears began transforming the 2020 race. Sanders had been planning to speak at a convention center in Cleveland as...
Former Best Buy in Frazer to be divided into multiple stores
The former Best Buy store at the Village At Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer could be divided to accommodate three or four new businesses, township officials said. Supervisor Lori Ziencik identified one of the potential tenants as America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses. The township received a building permit application from Columbus,...
Cops: Unity man charged with locking 9-year-old in closet now accused of hitting child
A Unity man awaiting trial with his wife for allegedly locking their 9-year-old son in a closet and nailing it shut was charged Tuesday with simple assault for allegedly striking the child in a separate incident. Shawn Waulk, 32, was charged by state police with simple assault after the youth...
Westmoreland 911 quizzes callers about coronavirus as county prepares outbreak plan
Callers to Westmoreland County 911 are being asked if they have potentially been exposed to the coronavirus or are experiencing any symptoms of the illness. Operators on Tuesday started questioning callers seeking assistance for breathing issues or other respiratory symptoms if they’ve been to the countries hit hardest by the...
Dow surges 4.9% in another wild day on hopes for coronavirus aidVideo
NEW YORK — Stocks on Tuesday recouped most of their historic losses from the prior day as hopes rose, faded and then bloomed again on Wall Street that the U.S. government will try to cushion the economic pain from the coronavirus. The S&P 500 surged as much as 3.7% in...
Special Olympics Pennsylvania cancels events over coronavirus concerns
Special Olympics Pennsylvania canceled all practices and competitions for the month as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. A Special Olympics of Allegheny County basketball tournament at the University of Pittsburgh scheduled for Sunday is canceled. Almost 300 athletes were expected to attend, according to the...
Pittsburgh Council to consider legislation aimed at eliminating racial inequalitiesVideo
Pittsburgh’s two black councilmen Tuesday continued efforts to combat racism in the city by introducing legislation that would create an equity commission and commit the city to a 10-point plan for erasing inequalities. Councilmen Ricky Burgess of North Point Breeze and R. Daniel Lavelle of the Hill District said the...
5 important things to know about coronavirus
1. How is the coronavirus different from the flu? Flu and the coronavirus are both respiratory viruses with similar signs and symptoms, according to Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Pittsburgh-based infectious disease and critical care physician. Coronavirus symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. A stuffy nose is not common...
Arnold Palmer airport to introduce paid ‘premium’ parking option
Travelers driving to the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport soon will be able to park closer to the terminal — for a fee. Airport officials plan to offer “preferred overnight parking” in the day parking lot directly in front of the terminal, charging $10 per day for the prime spots. They’re...
Cops: Man charged with Greensburg burglary is suspect in 20 others
Greensburg Police canvassed pawn shops and precious metal stores between Unity and Monroeville, leading to the arrest Monday of a 30-year-old man who may be responsible for 20 daylight burglaries since last fall, according to court records. James E. Dickant Jr. of Greensburg was arrested at the Rodeway Inn in...
Elections officials take steps to limit the spread of coronavirus
Call this one voting in a pandemic. All three states with big delegate prizes in today’s Democratic primary — Michigan with 125 delegates, Missouri with 68 and Washington with 89 — are taking steps to limit the spread of coronavirus among voters and election workers. The top candidates are former...
Nearly 10K Pa. government workers are paid at least $100K
HARRISBURG — The number of Pennsylvania state government employees who make at least six figures currently includes nearly 10,000 workers, according to a Pennlive.com report published Tuesday. There were 9,751 state employees who surpassed $100,000 in earnings in 2019, the news organization found. That number increased by 7.5% from the...
