Regional News category, Page 245
School districts must sign off on covid-19 safety procedures or go virtual by month’s end
School districts in Westmoreland, Armstrong and Allegheny counties have until 5 p.m. Nov. 30 to switch to full remote instruction or affirm that they are complying with the state’s covid-19 safety measures. Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Rachel Levine announced the new directive Monday for all public schools...
Congressman Mike Kelly, Sean Parnell seek injunction to stop Pa. election certification
The Republican congressman and congressional candidate challenging Pennsylvania’s mail-in ballot system that led to more than 2.6 million such votes being cast in the Nov. 3 election are seeking an emergency injunction to halt the certification of the state’s election results. An initial complaint filed with Commonwealth Court by U.S....
Pa. to ban alcohol sales at bars, restaurants for 1 night
State officials laid out new covid-19 mitigation efforts but stopped short of issuing a statewide stay-at-home order, instead advising Pennsylvanians to stay home and putting a one-night ban on alcohol sales Wednesday. New orders also scale back the maximum capacity for indoor and outdoor gatherings, capping outdoor limits for the...
Johnstown police dog dies in line of duty after warehouse break-in
An attempted burglary inside a Cambria County warehouse Sunday ended with five people in custody, and a veteran Johnstown Police K-9 died during a search for the suspects. Johnstown Police Department Interim Chief Chad Miller said K-9 Titan was assisting in the search through a five-story building when he fell...
Here’s where to see drive-thru Christmas lights in Western Pennsylvania
Driving around town to see the neighbors’ decorations has long been a holiday tradition. But if you want something on a grander scale — say, lasers or 1 million twinkling LED lights — try one of these holiday displays, sure to impress even the most skeptical Scrooge. Holiday Laser Show...
Members of North Catholic hockey team move to remote learning after reported covid-19 case
Members of the varsity hockey team at North Catholic High School in Cranberry are moving to remote learning after a covid-19 case was reported among someone associated with the team. John Benzing, assistant principal at the Diocese of Pittsburgh school, said members of the varsity hockey team will miss practices...
Pa.’s new ‘Pennie’ health exchange in jeopardy if Trump’s ACA lawsuit prevails
Pennsylvania’s new state-run health exchange is among the many pieces of the Affordable Care Act that would be in peril if the Trump administration’s attack on it prevails in the Supreme Court, consumer advocates warn. The state’s insurance enrollment system, called Pennie, debuts this season’s open enrollment period, which runs...
Pa. hunting licenses up 7%, shooting range permits soar 93%, turkey permits up 20%
Bucking the long-run trend of declining hunting license and permit sales statewide, hunters purchased 7 % more for all hunting licenses and permits from last year. Sales of specialty licenses and permits are surging with permits for snow geese up 863%, river otters climbing 73%, and shooting range permits soaring...
A look inside schools’ reopening decisions
Gary Peiffer was “cautiously optimistic” at the beginning of this school year. The superintendent of Greensburg Salem School District felt ready for the district’s planned hybrid model. Federal CARES Act funds had been used to purchase laptops, cleaning materials and plastic barriers. Teachers had gone through training for new remote...
Looking to get a covid-19 test? Here are some of your options
As the number of covid-19 cases explodes in the region, more residents are seeking tests and face a number of options. And depending on where you go, waiting for results might take longer, according to health officials. While there are a number of covid-19 testing sites in the region, many...
Week in review: Pitt picked for covid study, Wexford pastor new Youngstown bishop, mask order issued, casino debutsVideo
Here are some of the top Tribune-Review news and feature stories from around the region for the week of Nov. 15-21, 2020. For more details on these and other stories, follow the links below or see Triblive.com. Pitt chosen to lead NIH trials in covid-19 care for patients with blood...
How to safely celebrate Thanksgiving during the pandemic
Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated with large family feasts and lots of friends. This year, health officials are urging people to scrap those plans in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic. Department of Health Secretary Rachel Levine has urged people to nix any gatherings, large or small, to celebrate the upcoming...
Nov. 20: Here is covid-19 data from select Western Pa. colleges
Western Pennsylvania is home community to several colleges and universities, attracting students from around the state and country. During the coronavirus pandemic, many are tracking the number of positive covid-19 cases as they emerge on campus. University of Pittsburgh Enrollment: About 30,000 students Number of new cases: There were 98...
Region’s international student enrollment declined with global pandemic
A flood of international students who fueled growth at the region’s colleges and universities for the last decade is waning in the face of the global pandemic. Fall enrollment numbers show international enrollment at nine local universities and Penn State declined by about 2,500, or approximately 12%, this fall as...
Why a vaccine won’t end the covid pandemic
With vaccine distribution likely weeks away, spirits have been buoyed at the thought of a literal shot in the arm after months of covid-19 anxiety and fatigue. While that optimism is just fine, experts say, many states face months of continued mitigation measures before vaccination becomes a reality. “Though these...
‘Dangerous trajectory’ for Pittsburgh area hospitals as covid cases surgeVideo
A region known for its expansive hospital networks is beginning to see alarming trends in covid-19 hospitalizations and facility capacity. “We’re on a very, very, very dangerous trajectory right now,” said Dr. Tom Walsh, an infectious disease specialist at Allegheny Health Network. “We’re seeing rapid, exponential increases and if we...
Owl be darned — Rockefeller Center Christmas tree survival tale not surprisingVideo
It’s actually not unusual, given the circumstances, that a cute Northern saw-whet owl, found in the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center recently, is healthy and still adorable. The saw-whet owl is so named because its call, not the typical hoo-hoo, but rather a mechanical toot-toot, sounds like the sharpening of...
Contact tracer jobs dry up just as WCCC launches training program
Those contact tracer jobs that sounded like a lifeline to workers left unemployed in the midst of the pandemic are gone. A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Health said the state filled all of its 1,000 positions for contact tracers — hired to track down people who had close...
Covid forces Punxsutawney Phil to go virtual; no crowds on Gobbler’s Knob in February
Say it ain’t so, but the covid-19 pandemic will keep thousands of people from witnessing whether Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow atop the famed Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney on Feb. 2 and forecasts six more weeks of winter. Even though people want to see Phil’s prognostication in person for the...
Time to string the lights: Temperatures to reach 60s in Western Pa.
From snow flurries to 60s in a couple of days, this week’s weather is proving to be a late-autumn roller coaster ride. The National Weather Service is predicting warmer than usual temperatures in the 60 degree or above range through Sunday. It appears to be part of the dry weather...
Covid testing available at these AHN sites
Allegheny Health Network is offering covid-19 testing at the following community sites.Citizens Hospital, 651 Fourth Ave., New Kensington: Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.AHN McCandless, 9335 McKnight Road: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Forbes Hospital, 2600 Haymaker Road, Monroeville: Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 1...
Community partners to broadcast free Wi-Fi for schoolchildren from top of Cathedral of Learning
Students in New Kensington, Coraopolis and Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood will soon have access to free, at-home internet. Four community partners — Meta Mesh Wireless Communities, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and the Keystone Initiative for Network-based Research (KINBER) — have formed Every1online, a program to provide high-speed internet...
Autumn rains help end drought watch in Armstrong and Butler counties
The state Department of Environmental Protection on Tuesday lifted the drought watch for 10 counties including Armstrong and Butler. The drought was also lifted in Blair, Cambria, Clarion, Erie, Fayette, Huntingdon, Indiana, and Mifflin counties. In August, the DEP and the Commonwealth Drought Task Force, declared a drought watch for...
Shoppers stock up on supplies as covid-19 cases climb againVideo
When the coronavirus pandemic hit the area in the spring, there was a mad dash to grocery stores to stockpile on essential supplies — and as cases spike, it may be happening again. In the early days of the pandemic, baking supplies, paper products and cleaning staples were in short...
Indiana jail guard, inmate indicted on cell phone smuggling charges
A corrections officer and inmate at the Indiana County Jail have been indicted in connection with what federal prosecutors described as a scheme to smuggle cell phones into the lockup. The indictments against Alex Lewis, 25, formerly of Home, and Rashon Richardson, 30, were unsealed Monday. A grand jury found...
