Regional category, Page 213
High winds topple trees, down wires, disrupt Allegheny County 911 serviceVideo
Strong winds toppled trees and power lines across the region Friday, knocking out power, causing detours and disrupting 911 service in Allegheny County. Gusts reached up to 30 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Moon, with sustained speeds in the 20s, said meteorologist Myranda Fullerton. Fullerton said sustained...
Biden to visit Pittsburgh on Wednesday
President Joe Biden plans to travel to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, where he is expected to unveil his vision for a massive infrastructure bill. The proposal is said to be larger than the $1.9 trillion covid relief package that the Congress passed earlier this month. Biden said in his first press...
2 people sue Nemacolin, claiming it abruptly ended lifetime memberships
Two people from West Virginia are suing Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, alleging that the Fayette County resort eliminated a lifetime membership program they purchased years ago. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Pittsburgh, seeks class-action status for all the members of the Nemacolin 400 Club, which began in 1988. The...
Wildlife, habitat enthusiasts sought for Pennsylvania master naturalist training
Anyone interested in promoting pollinator habitats or tracking bird migrations might want to join the ranks of Pennsylvania’s master naturalists. Volunteers from Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties can sign up for 55 hours of training in the late summer and fall, which is the first step in becoming certified in...
Things to do in Western Pa.: March 24, 2021
Literature is in the spotlight this week, with award-winning writers in conversation and reading from their works. There’s also new art, dance, film and music to enjoy. For the kids, there’s an ‘eggs-citing” adventure on the grounds of an area museum. The details are here, in this week’s Big List....
Comcast investing $1 billion to close ‘digital divide’ over next 10 years
Comcast announced Wednesday that it plans to invest $1 billion over the next decade to connect more low-income Americans to broadband internet. Comcast said the $1 billion commitment will include investments in its ongoing “Lift Zone” initiative providing Wi-Fi-connected community centers with free internet to help low-income students take part...
Anne Feeney memorial concert set for April 3
A special concert celebrating the life of Anne Feeney, the prolific Pittsburgh folk singer-songwriter, has been scheduled for early next month. The Anne Feeney Memorial Concert takes place online on Saturday, April 3 from 3-6 p.m. and features a host of musicians from across the country. Feeney died from complications...
Wendy Bell promoted to full-time status at WJAS
Wendy Bell, a conservative talk show host, has been promoted to full-time status at WJAS Pittsburgh, according to the station’s website. Bell joined the station part time in January. Her show aired Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. till noon and Friday from 9 a.m. till noon on WJAS 1320AM...
Cal U offers tuition discounts to Westmoreland Community College grads
Hundreds of Westmoreland County Community College graduates — past and future — may be able to reap significant savings on a four-year degree thanks to a new discount program at California University of Pennsylvania. The university, about 20 miles from the community college’s main campus, is offering a 20% tuition...
Legendary Fallingwater cook Elsie Henderson dies at 107
She famously cooked for the Kaufmann family at Fallingwater, was the object of Frank Lloyd Wright’s flirtations and later shared her recipes on television and in print. Elsie Henderson, a lifelong Pittsburgher, has died. She was 107. Henderson served as the cook, baker and meal planner from 1947 to 1963...
Traffic delayed after 2 water main breaks in Peters Township
Peters Township Police issued traffic warnings Sunday after two water main breaks in the area. There was a large break in the 100 block of East McMurray Road on Sunday morning, creating a fountain of water that reached over the power lines above. In a Facebook post, police said people...
Westmoreland reading competition begins next chapter on Monday
For Shannen Stolkovich, participating in the Westmoreland Interscholastic Reading Competition is more than just an opportunity to show her competitive side. The event, which includes students from districts across the region, also is a way for the 16-year-old junior at Greensburg Salem High School to touch on a childhood passion...
PennDOT to close 86-mile stretch of Turnpike overnight Saturday
An 86-mile stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed in both directions late Saturday night into early Sunday morning, because of construction. Between 11 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. Sunday, construction crews will be working to remove the Country Ridge Road bridge, which carries traffic over the turnpike in...
Life during covid: Windber woman offers helping hand in a variety of ways
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series examining how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of members of our community. Donna LaMonaca is no stranger to helping others. A little less than a year ago, as the covid-19 pandemic ramped up across the world, the Windber resident...
Johnstown’s 1936 flood killed 25, brought federal response
JOHNSTOWN — Unbeknownst to anyone at the time, the Tuesday, March 17, 1936, edition of The Johnstown Tribune foreshadowed a historic tragedy in the city. One headline stated: “Heavy rainfall again threatens ‘record’ floods” in Pennsylvania. But that International News Service article, which did not even specifically mention Johnstown, was...
Spring is here: 5 facts about the equinox
Saturday is the first day of spring — also known as the vernal equinox. Here are five questions answered to help you understand the science of the season. What’s an equinox? For two moments every year the sun passes directly above the equator — once in March and once in...
Person dead after being struck by train near Route 837 in Washington County
A person was struck and killed by a train traveling near Route 837 and Jones Lane in Carroll Township, Washington County, on Friday afternoon. The Washington County Coroner’s Office said the victim was struck shortly before 4 p.m. along the Norfolk Southern Railway tracks that run between Route 837 and...
Butler County man charged with homicide, assault in death of girlfriend’s unborn infant
Police say a Butler County man became so enraged when his pregnant girlfriend could not find him a cigarette that he choked and beat the woman, causing her to miscarry and ultimately killing the child. Damien Large, 19, was charged earlier this week with the Christmas Day assault on the...
Small pharmacies ‘beyond frustrated’ as Pennsylvania locks them out of vaccine process
As Pennsylvania officials work to roll back the number of covid-19 vaccine providers in an effort to streamline the process, several businesses across the region have learned they are slated to no longer receive first doses. Efforts to curtail the number of providers began in February, when Acting Secretary of...
Western Pa. districts welcome new student social distancing guidelines
News of updated student social distancing guidelines was met with enthusiasm Friday at Burrell School District, where Superintendent Shannon Wagner said about 70% of students have chosen in-person learning throughout the school year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines will allow schools to relax social distancing measures in...
West Virginia announces 20 more unreported covid-19 deaths
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said Friday that 20 coronavirus deaths went unreported, on top of the 165 deaths he announced last week that were previously not publicized. The Republican governor vowed a “complete investigation, all the way down, to pinpoint exactly where the shortcomings are.” Those...
More colleges signal fall reopening as stimulus begins to flow
Two more Pittsburgh-based universities — Carlow and Point Park — plan to return to full in-person operations this fall. Friday’s announcements, the most recent in a series at local universities, came as the U.S. Department of Education announced an expanded list of areas new federal stimulus money can underwrite. Those...
‘Poundemic’ pitfalls: Trade bad quarantine food habits for healthy choicesVideo
Have you heard the term “poundemic”? It describes the unhealthy eating habits and subsequent weight gain that have plagued many during the pandemic, said Dawn Davoli, a registered dietitian and nutritionist for Excela Health. “I’d say our eating habits tanked a little bit in the past year,” she said. “When...
Report: Pennsylvania casino revenues down slightly in FebruaryVideo
Following a strong start to the year, Pennsylvania casinos last month saw a slight drop in gambling revenue as they work to recoup from the economic impacts of the covid-19 pandemic. In February, revenues posted by casinos across the state came in at $301.9 million, a decrease of $2.36 million,...
Tree of Life hosts virtual interfaith covid-19 memorial service
Local religious leaders remembered the victims of the covid-19 pandemic with a virtual memorial service one year after the first coronavirus-related death in Pennsylvania. The Tree of Life congregation on Thursday evening hosted the online event, which they called “Covid-19 One Year Later: A Service of Remembrance, Healing and Renewal.”...
