Mary Ann Thomas stories, Page 32

It’s that time of year. Water temperatures plummet and because of the dangers of drowning, all paddlers and boaters must wear a life jacket now until April 30. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) says U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket are required at all times while underway or...

The Ambridge Area School District announced Sunday that it was closing its Highland Elementary School to students and staff on Monday. The district received confirmation that a staff member at Highland Elementary School in Harmony Township, Beaver County, tested positive for covid-19. Starting Monday, all classes will be conducted virtually...

Pittsburgh Public Schools announced Sunday that it will close the Pittsburgh Obama Academy school in the city’s East Liberty neighborhood on Monday after a second staffer tested positive for covid-19. A staff member tested positive at the school last week, prompting the district to deep clean the facility on Friday....

An employee of the Westmoreland County Election Bureau has tested positive for coronavirus, the county announced this weekend. The employee, who last worked in the election bureau office on Wednesday, is under quarantine, according to county officials. The county is using its emergency response plan to deal with the covid-19...

The Feed Freeport effort rolled out during the pandemic will serve up fixings for 100 free Thanksgiving dinners to Freeport-area residents. The Dynamic Community Foundation, an offshoot of NextHome Dynamic Realty in Freeport, and a community activist, are rustling up 100 frozen turkeys (14 to 16 pounds), stuffing, mashed potatoes,...

Details are pending on the condition of a man who police said carjacked a car that hit a dumpster truck head-on on West Carson Street near the West End Circle about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety. Authorities said the sedan was carjacked in Ingram and the carjacker,...

All four presidential and vice presidential candidates will fan out across Pennsylvania, a decisive battleground state, to make public appearances Monday, the last day of campaigning before Tuesday’s general election. The nominees’ surrogates will be visiting the state, too. The Trump family is swarming Pennsylvania, with President Trump having held...

Burrell School District has qualified for training from a state Department of Education program to bolster the effectiveness of its program for autistic students. Burrell will receive the free training and consulting from the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network’s Autism Initiative, the training arm of the state Department of...

A Lower Burrell attorney is challenging a Democratic incumbent known for working both sides of the aisle in the 45th State Senate District, which includes parts of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties and stretches from McKeesport to the Alle-Kiski Valley. While both candidates assign importance to similar issues, like the economy,...

An Upper Burrell man is accused of pointing a loaded AR-15 rifle at a woman and pulling the trigger, but police said the weapon malfunctioned. Matthew Best, 32, of Upper Burrell, has been charged with aggravated assault, making terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person, loitering and prowling at night, and...

The Burrell School District was selected as one of 26 in the state as a Visual Arts Outstanding Community. The Pennsylvania Art Education Association bestows the recognition to highlight “exceptional schools that support their visual arts programs,” said Lisbeth M. Bucci, association president. “Burrell’s arts programs demonstrate rigor, using standards-based...

Lissa Yanak had been cancer-free for four years when doctors diagnosed her — again — with the same type of cancer. This time around, in early 2019, the triple negative breast cancer, spread to the lymph nodes above the collarbone. Yanak and her husband didn’t know what the future held,...

I can’t really have breast cancer. That is the shock every woman goes through when hit with the diagnosis. Then comes the fear, the fight, the treatment, maybe more fear — all of which I knew about — but the post-cancer treatment, not so much. As a breast cancer survivor...

As coronavirus-related restrictions limit large indoor gatherings, school districts are not offering all of the traditional events they normally would. So parents of Burrell High School students took matters into their own hands, organizing a homecoming dance Saturday evening in the ballroom of the Quality Inn in New Kensington. “When...

Burrell School Board is monitoring Westmoreland County’s recent increase in covid-19 cases, but hasn’t decided whether it will make any changes to the way it’s delivering education to its students. Burrell students now have the option to go to school in-person or attend virtual classes. The percentage of students taking...

While most Lyme disease cases are confirmed in the summer, October and November are when the number of adult ticks carrying Lyme disease is highest and they are most active, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. “The adult ticks are emerging now and they are here to do...

A job training center in Armstrong County, an economic development group and a Pittsburgh health system were awarded $2.7 million in federal grants helping coal-impacted communities. Pennsylvania received $15 million in grants and had the most grant awards of any state, covering 15 projects, for the federal program Appalachian Regional...

It might be only three Sundays a year, but a new state law will kick in Nov. 15 allowing for the first big game Sunday for deer archery. Archery season for big game already is in progress in some parts of the state, among them Allegheny County and parts of...

Nearly $100,000 in grant money has been awarded to support the Louisiana waterthrush and Buffalo Creek, which the migratory bird calls home for part of the year. The Louisiana waterthrush is known for being an indicator species for healthy streams and large forest tracks. The Pennsylvania Game Commission classifies the...

An Arnold man faces felony charges after Lower Burrell police accused him of speeding away from police who tried to pull his truck over early this month. James Dean Chiappetta, 54, is charged with fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, driving under the influence, reckless driving and other charges....

A Burrell High School student has tested positive for covid-19 and some students in the district have been asked to quarantine, said Shannon Wagner, superintendent for Burrell School District. Wagner sent a letter to parents Friday, saying, “We are following the Health Department recommendations and have notified families that need...

As school districts throughout the region debated how to open this year as fears of covid-19 continued, the Burrell School Board decided to give parents the choice. And that decision seems to be working so far, according to school officials. Although the district reported one covid-19 case involving a high...