Morning Roundup: Air quality advisory issued for Liberty-Clairton area

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, March 22, 2023:

Air quality advisory issued for Liberty-Clairton area

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection declared Wednesday a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day in the Liberty-Clairton area of Allegheny County.

A temperature inversion in the morning and light winds are likely to contribute to daily average concentrations of fine particulate matter at an unhealthy level for sensitive groups in Clairton City and Glassport, Liberty, Lincoln and Port Vue boroughs, according to the DEP.

Young children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and are advised to limit outdoor activities.

Residents and businesses within the affected area are being encouraged to help reduce fine particulate matter air pollution by: reducing or eliminating fireplace and wood stove use; avoiding open burning of leaves, trash and other materials; avoiding use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.

Bicyclist injured in Pittsburgh crash

A bicyclist was transported for treatment at a local hospital after the rider’s bike crashed early Wednesday in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood, according to a city Public Safety spokeswoman.

The cyclist was in critical condition.

The wreck happened at about 2 a.m. in the 3000 block of Pioneer Avenue.

The city’s Collision Investigation unit is investigating.

Additional details weren’t available.

Images released in Kittanning burglary probe

Kittanning Borough police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a person in connection with a burglary Tuesday morning at the Vape Lab on North McKean Street.

Police on their Facebook page released surveillance images showing a person with a red head covering crossing a sidewalk near the store.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 724-543-1538.

Two injured in Monongahela house fire

Two people were taken to a local hospital following a house fire Tuesday night in Monongahela, according to a Washington County 911 supervisor.

The fire was reported shortly after 8:30 p.m. in the 500 block of Jackson Street and crews remained on the scene until nearly 1 a.m. Wednesday.

Additional details weren’t immediately available.

Contractor fined in teen worker’s fall in New Castle

JVS Roofing of Jonesboro, Ga., has paid more than $100,000 in combined back wages, penalties and fines stemming from an investigation of a teen worker’s fall in October at a New Castle worksite.

The 17-year-old worker suffered minor injuries in the 24-foot fall from the roof of a home improvement store. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, assigning the teen to roofing work, which is defined as hazardous for young workers, violated child labor laws.

A subsequent investigation found that the roofing company failed to provide employees with required fall protection or related training and that it incorrectly classified 30 workers as independent contractors, illegally exempting them from overtime pay.

The company paid $92,640 in back wages for the affected workers and a $6,399 civil penalty assessed for the child labor violation. It also paid $16,500 in penalties for four serious safety violations.