Regional category, Page 229
Feds charge 30 as part of investigation into drugs and weapons in Pittsburgh-area Pagans Motorcycle ClubVideo
As part of a long-term investigation into the Pagans Motorcycle Club in Western Pennsylvania, FBI agents got permission to tap 10 phones. Over a period of several weeks, they said they heard members of the Pagans, their suppliers and sources talk about the kind of heroin they were selling; where...
More than half the inmates at Pennsylvania federal prison have covid
Atif Malik is serving an eight-year prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution at Loretto in Cambria County for a nonviolent crime. In April, he filed his own motion seeking compassionate release because of a variety of pre-existing health conditions and the increasing risk of covid-19 spreading in the facility....
Pa. cites Western Pa. bars for violating covid restrictions
More than a dozen bars in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties received citations from the state’s Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement in November for violating covid-19 mitigation measures, ranging from not requiring masks to serving alcohol without food. In addition, an East Carson Street bar was hit with a weeklong closure...
First critical segment of 9/11 National Memorial Trail complete in Somerset County
The first 1.4 miles section of a special, off-road recreational trail for the September 11th National Memorial Trail in Garrett, Somerset County, is complete. It’s a milestone for trail organizers, who cobbled together a 1,300-mile network of existing bicycle, pedestrian trails and roads connecting the three 9/11 memorial sites in...
$3 million lottery scratch-off sold in Beaver County
A Pennsylvania Lottery player beat the odds in Beaver County this week, winning $3 million on a $30 scratch-off ticket. The odds of winning the grand prize in the Pennsylvania Lottery’s $3 Million Extravaganza scratch-off game are 1 in 1.44 million. The lucky ticket was sold at Caivano’s Discount Tobacco...
Pandemic restrictions enacted at Fayette County courthouse
The Fayette County courthouse is closed to the public to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, according an announcement from county officials. The courts will remain open on an emergency basis and for some previously scheduled matters. Anyone with a hearing is asked to contact their attorney or the...
Gov. Wolf recognizes state monitoring of shale gas drilling impact
When covid-19 safety precautions postponed the annual after-winter return of Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources staff to keep tabs on the impacts of shale gas drilling, they knew they had a lot of ground to make up. But since then, the DCNR has managed to get back to...
Western Pa. officials, businesses brace for possible covid restrictions
Western Pennsylvania officials and businesses expect an announcement from the state soon, detailing new pandemic restrictions for businesses and gatherings. “I think we’re moving in that direction,” Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said Tuesday. “The numbers indicate that’s the proper strategy to employ. … I do anticipate, if not tomorrow...
‘We cannot turn our back on it’: Opioid crisis rages alongside covid pandemic in Pa.
Amid a global pandemic killing thousands across the state, country and world, health officials in Pennsylvania warned that the opioid epidemic continues to leave thousands dead in its wake as well. “We know that with the holidays of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and various others approaching, it can be a difficult...
Seven Springs Mountain Resort opening Saturday
Area skiers can rejoice. Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Somerset County will open for skiing and snowboarding this weekend. “Recent snowmaking success has made it possible for Seven Springs Mountain Resort to open for skiing and snowboarding this Saturday and Sunday,” resort marketing director Alex Moser said. Since Dec. 1,...
Rare Babe Ruth card found by Altoona-area woman sells for $342,000
A collection of very old baseball cards turned out to be a treasure trove for an Altoona-area woman who works on the front lines of the pandemic. The woman, who did not want to be identified, was going through her late grandfather’s belongings when she found a rare 1916 Babe...
U.S. Supreme Court denies Republican injunction request in Pa. mail-in ballot challenge
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon denied an attempt by U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly and other Republicans to challenge Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting system. The denial likely puts an end to the Trump campaign’s efforts to throw out the state’s election results that declared President-elect Joe Biden the winner. The...
UPMC expects to receive covid vaccine soon, distribute to health care workers after authorization
Pending emergency authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, UPMC hopes to have the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine distributed to all of its front-line workers by the end of January, leaders in the hospital system said Tuesday. The system anticipates arrival of its first allocation of Pfizer vaccine doses in...
Levin to buy back 5 stores from Michigan firm, rebuild furniture chain
Robert Levin is getting closer to rebuilding his family’s namesake furniture chain, which nearly fell to ruin after a century in business following a sale and the tumult of a messy bankruptcy proceeding. “I feel this is like a Christmas gift for all of us, customers and employees,” Levin said...
UPMC names new president of Center for Emergency Medicine
UPMC appointed a new president of the Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania, which focuses on prehospital care and paramedic services. James Houser will succeed Doug Garretson, who retired in October. Houser will run the critical care air ambulance service, STAT MedEvac, with helicopters throughout the Western Pennsylvania region,...
Pittsburgh doctor: ‘Covid vaccines are lights at the end of the tunnel, but we’re still in the tunnel’Video
Coronavirus vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna are likely to be released later this month. The announcements bring excitement for what could be the beginning of the end of the pandemic. But some people have concerns about the safety of the vaccines. Just how safe are vaccines? How do they...
Stay in the car to see Santa during holiday happenings
Pandemic precautions mean kids may not get to sit on Santa’s lap this year. But there are several area options for families to have a drive-thru encounter with the jolly old elf, in a socially distanced take on the holiday tradition. Unity Instead of its usual Deck the Tree holiday...
Interstate 70 modernization project slated to start in 2028
Preliminary work for a modernization project on 8 miles of Interstate 70 in Washington County, just over the Westmoreland border, is underway. But it’ll be awhile before motorists see any construction zones. The work is anticipated to start in 2028, said project manager Sean Sepe. “This is a pretty big...
Firefighters battle blaze at vacant house in Uniontown
Nobody was hurt as firefighters battled a blaze in a vacant house in Uniontown early Monday morning, according to Fayette County 911. Dispatchers said the fire at 22 Millview St. started just before 1 a.m. It took the Uniontown City Fire Department and others about two hours to extinguish the...
Where to find cut-your-own Christmas tree options around the Pittsburgh region
Still looking to cut down your own tree this Christmas? This interactive map shows some of the places in the Pittsburgh region growing real trees you can select and cut your own fresh evergreen. Those on the hunt for a tree are advised to call first or check the location’s...
Experts say given pandemic malaise, flat holiday spending in region is not bad
Most Southwestern Pennsylvania consumers say they will spend what they did last year for holiday shopping, which is good news given the pandemic and tough economics, local experts say. According to a regional survey, 57% of consumers said they planned to spend about the same as they did last year...
Audubon Society’s Christmas bird count still on, but things will be different this yearVideo
The National Audubon Society’s 121st annual Christmas Bird Count is set, with social distancing restrictions, in the region for Dec. 26. The longest-running volunteer census of the birds, the survey pinpoints trends in bird populations used by scientists and policymakers. Regionally, there are “count circles,” a series of count areas...
Nashville nurse, a Butler County native, shot and killed along Tennessee highway
A Butler County native was shot and killed in Nashville on Thursday as she drove to her shift as an intensive care nurse, authorities and family members said. Caitlyn Marie Kaufman, 26, was found dead in her SUV along the shoulder of I-440 west shortly before 9 p.m., according to...
Coronavirus safe: Online sales of fishing licenses double, 2021 licenses now available
Buoyed by a 20% increase in fishing license purchases this year over 2019, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is offering fishing licenses for 2021, which are also valid for this month. Although fishing licenses are still available through local bait and sporting goods stores, the commission is promoting the...
‘It’s scary,’: Nurses fear covid surge will overwhelm Western Pa. hospitals
As soon as nurses arrive for work at UPMC Altoona, they’re in constant motion. In the hospital’s medical intensive care unit, which became the covid unit in March, the hallways are crowded with machinery, including IV pumps, dialysis machines and other equipment, said Paula Stellabotte, an ICU nurse. Stellabotte said...
