Regional category, Page 232
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...
Wreck slowing traffic along westbound Pa. Turnpike near New Stanton
Traffic is snarled along the westbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike between Donegal and New Stanton because of an crash. According to PennDOT, the the right lane in the westbound direction is closed near mile marker 85 along Interstate 76. The wreck occurred at around 7 a.m. There were no...
Snow showers could make driving dicey north of Pittsburgh
Motorists traveling through the region north of Pittsburgh Tuesday morning are likely to encounter scattered rain and snow showers that could intensify and limit visibility in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. The rain showers are expected to change to snow at around daybreak and continue through much...
WPIAL bans Peters Township band after investigating ‘blackface’ allegations
The Peters Township marching band is prohibited from performing at any WPIAL event until the school district submits a plan to “eradicate the social and racial insensitivity displayed by the marching band and its director/supervisors,” the WPIAL announced Tuesday. The ban lasts at least six months. The discipline was the...
Edinboro University president announces departure amid merger study
Just 16 months after assuming office, Guiyou Huang, president of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, announced Monday that he is leaving in January to become president of Western Illinois University. Huang’s departure comes as officials at the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education work on the second phase of a study...
Levine plans no new Pennsylvania restrictions as covid cases continue to rise
Covid-19 cases continue to rise along with the percentage of people who are testing positive for the virus, but Pennsylvania’s top health official said Monday there are no plans to put harsher restrictions in place again. “We have no plans to go back to red-yellow-green or any type of scheme...
Get free Sheetz coffee every week during the holidays
If you don’t already have a Sheetz customer rewards card, it might be a good time to get one — especially if you are a coffee drinker. Today, Sheetz announced a new holiday coffee program designed to keep customers and employees safe during the holiday season. To maintain social distancing...
Covid cases in Butler County prompt change to Seneca Valley instruction
The Seneca Valley School District has announced changes to its instruction model after being notified that the number of covid-19 cases is surging in Butler County. Students in grades 11 and 12 will continue using remote learning with live streaming for all classes through Jan. 4, the district announced on...
Power still out for many after winds sweep through the region, toppling trees and utility lines
Service has been restored for all but a handful of the nearly 3,500 Duquesne Light customers who lost power on Sunday when high winds swept through Southwestern Pennsylvania, toppling trees and downing power lines. But a majority of the more than 10,600 local customers of West Penn Power who lost...
102-year-old WWII vet honored with French Legion of Honor medalVideo
A member of the vanishing Greatest Generation who survived fighting Germans in France during World War II was honored Saturday by a representative of that country he and hundreds of thousands of others helped liberate from the grips of Nazi Germany 75 years ago. Army veteran Frank Delia of North...
Have your say: Crooked Creek plan calls for comments on updated boat docks, public programs and more
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comments on the draft of their master plan for Crooked Creek Lake in Armstrong County until Dec. 4. The Corps developed the plan with public comments collected last November. Although known for boating, camping and its adjacent horse park, the Crook...
High winds, power outages hit region as storms blow through Western Pa.
More than 13,000 customers of West Penn Power Co. and Duquesne Light were without power Sunday afternoon as a result of high winds that swept through Southwestern Pennsylvania, toppling trees and down power lines, the utility companies and emergency dispatching centers reported. Wind gusts of 50-to-60 mph were widespread, National...
Woman dies in Washington County motorcycle crash
A woman died in a motorcycle crash in Washington County Saturday afternoon, according to the Washington County Coroner. The coroner’s office said the crash happened around 2:30 p.m. on Old Steubenville Pike in Robinson Township. According to the coroner, Kristine Irvine, 48, was a passenger on a motorcycle traveling west...
Weather service issues wind advisory for Sunday; rain in forecast
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a wind advisory for Sunday. The advisory will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sustained winds of 25 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph, are expected. The advisory covers Allegheny County and all surrounding counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Strong winds...
First Sunday of big-game hunting in Pa. since colonial timesVideo
Pennsylvania was a British colony in 1682 when blue laws were enacted banning many activities, including hunting, on Sundays. For the first time since, Sunday and on the next two weekends, hunting of big game such as deer and bear will be allowed on Sundays. Hunting will be allowed this...
Nov. 13: Here is covid-19 data from selected 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 New cases: There were 118 student cases...
Santa is coming to malls, wearing a mask, keeping his distance and making his list
Covid-19 travel restrictions won’t stop Santa from visiting some local malls, although he will be wearing a mask and keeping his distance. Other shopping centers will offer virtual visits with the jolly old elf. Plan your in-person or online visit with Santa at these locations: • Westmoreland Mall: Santa and...
