Regional category, Page 269
Police: Burglar took frozen food from Mercer County ice cream stand
Frozen food worth about $800 was stolen from an ice cream stand in Mercer County, according to state police. The burglary at Shirley’s Twin Kiss on Perry Highway in Sandy Creek Township on April 29, police said in a release issued Monday. According to police, the burglar or burglars got...
Some restrooms, marinas to open in state parks Friday; other changes planned
State parks and forests will start to open some facilities, mainly a bathroom or two, in an eventual phase-in of all facilities. Many state park facilities will remain closed to comply with Gov. Tom Wolf’s covid-19 restrictions. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is encouraging the public to visit...
Dunkin’ announces $200,000 grant, free coffee and doughnuts for health care workers
Dunkin’ is providing a $200,000 grant to support health care workers experiencing trauma, as well as free coffee and doughnuts. Through the grant, Dunkin’ and First Descents, an organization involved with “adventure-based healing,” will create the “Hero Recharge” Program to help health care professionals facing significant stress by improving their...
Cops: Fayette County prisoner who escaped in stolen BMW back in custody
A Fayette County inmate who escaped from a prison van and stole a BMW near Uniontown Monday morning was captured about three hours later outside Republic, state police said. State police in Uniontown issued an alert just after 11 a.m. Monday for Justin Charles Shea, 32, of Oliver. State police...
Beaver County lawmaker introduces bill requiring nursing home inspectionsVideo
A Beaver County legislator introduced legislation Monday that calls for the immediate inspection of all nursing homes in the state because of the covid-19 pandemic. State Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Ambridge, also wrote a letter to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro that asks him to investigate the situation at Brighton Rehabilitation...
Cinco de Mayo meal deals, virtual 5K offered
Since large social gatherings remain off-limits in Southwestern Pennsylvania, area residents who want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo Tuesday with Mexican cuisine will have to make do with DIY or take-out. For the latter, Chipotle Mexican Grill is offering free Queso Blanco when added to an entree order on Tuesday....
Western Pa. college students in line for cash from coronavirus stimulus package
Students struggling to make ends meet after colleges and universities shuttered earlier this spring could soon see extra cash in their bank accounts. Schools across the country are receiving millions of dollars for eligible students as part of the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act. It provides students...
Gasoline prices expected to rise as cities, states reopen from covid-19 shutdowns
The days of 99-cent gasoline are in the rearview mirror as demand for gasoline rebounds across the country as cities and states slowly reopen, a gasoline industry analyst said. “The lowest priced stations in the country will see some upward movement, but most areas will still see declines,” said Patrick...
Interest in gardening grows during coronavirus pandemicVideo
With more time at home because of the coronavirus pandemic, Avalon’s Sarah Pope has turned to gardening to pass the time and provide a temporary distraction. Pope began planting a new vegetable garden two weeks ago to grow dill, basil, Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers for pickling. Last week,...
Dogs, drone, more than 50 volunteers still searching for Meadville man missing at McConnells Mill
More than 50 volunteers including divers, at least two rescue dogs and a drone scoured the area around Slippery Rock Creek in McConnells Mill State Park on Sunday looking for a Meadville man who fell in the water while hiking Saturday. The man was identified at Jeffery Hamby, 38, according...
Wolf, Cuomo join other governors in efforts for covid-19 equipment
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and governors from six other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states Sunday pledged to join forces to build the manufacturing capacity to make coronavirus testing kits, personal protective equipment and ventilators to protect the health care system in the fight against covid-19. “By working together we can combine...
Pandemic cancels some National Nurses Week events, celebration takes new forms
The coronavirus pandemic and related social distancing rules have prompted Western Pennsylvania hospitals to cancel a slew of activities scheduled to begin this week to recognize nurses. Plans are still in the works, however, to celebrate the region’s thousands of nurses working on the front lines, hospital officials say. “This...
The day ‘all hell broke loose’; local lives lost, forever changed in Kent State shootingVideo
“What if you knew her // And found her dead on the ground // How can you run when you know?” “Ohio” (1970) • Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young The search for justice thrust upon a young Laurel Krause has now reached a half century. On May 4, 1970, a...
Giant Eagle limits sale of ground meat; local grocer bucks national trend
Giant Eagle announced it is temporarily limiting the purchase of ground beef and on-sale meat items to two of each per transaction. The supermarket chain had limited some meat purchases before, early in the pandemic in March, according to Dick Roberts, a Giant Eagle spokesman. Meat isn’t disappearing from supermarket...
How Natrona Heights photographer John Filo captured the horror of Kent State killings
John Filo couldn’t get out of Ohio fast enough. It was early afternoon on May 4, 1970, and he was driving with rolls of film he had hidden in his red Volkswagen Beetle. The film contained photos Filo had just taken — images of the killings of unarmed students protesting...
Search at McConnells Mill resumes Sunday for man who fell into creek
A search is resuming Sunday morning for a man who fell from a hiking path in McConnells Mill State Park into Slippery Rock Creek on Saturday, a state park official. Park ranger Supervisor Bryan Moore said early Sunday morning that emergency personnel gathered at the park to resume the search...
Pennsylvania reports 64 more covid-19 deaths, total cases top 48K; nursing home cases approach 10K
Pennsylvania health officials reported 1,334 new cases of covid-19 and 64 more deaths as of Saturday morning, bringing the statewide coronavirus death toll to 2,418. Hospitals now are treating 2,673 patients with the disease, and 555 people are on ventilators — six fewer patients than were on ventilators as of...
Week in Review: Pooling resources for covid-19 workers; 20th anniversary of Baumhammers shooting spree; local tie to ancient fossil findVideo
Here are some of the top stories from the week of April 26: • Corporations, foundations pool resources to provide front-line workers with masks Corporations and foundations across the region are partnering with a Duquesne-based textile company to produce more than 360,000 washable cloth masks for essential workers in nursing...
Why your hair appointments will have to wait even in the yellow phase
Hair, nail and massage appointments will have to wait even after a Pennsylvania county moves into the yellow phase in which coronavirus-related restrictions will begin to ease. “Those facilities — such as hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, massage parlors — are not opening because it is impossible to practice social...
Report: Pennsylvania school districts stand to lose $1B in local revenue due to pandemic
Pennsylvania’s school districts are projected to lose up to $1 billion in local revenue for the 2020-21 school year because of the covid-19 pandemic, according to an association of the state’s school business managers. “Every school district tax source and other nontax revenue will suffer a precipitous decline for the...
Teeing off: Pennsylvania golfers back on courses after state eases restrictions
Golfers hit the links again Friday across Western Pennsylvania on the first day courses were allowed to reopen. Gov. Tom Wolf announced the move this week to rollback restrictions on outdoor recreational activities. In addition to golf, that included marinas, some campgrounds and guided fishing tours. Golf courses must follow...
Completion of Ohiopyle PennDOT project delayed
A construction project in Ohiopyle will not be done by Memorial Day because of delays related to the coronavirus pandemic and CSX railroad, PennDOT officials said Friday. Construction crews are now aiming for July 3 to wrap up work on the $12.4 million project designed to improve pedestrian safety in...
Game Commission seeking information on fatally injured osprey in Indiana County
The state Game Commission is investigating how an osprey was fatally injured this week in rural Indiana County, north of Blairsville. Game commission Officer Chris Reidmiller said the eagle-like hawk was discovered Tuesday by area residents in a farm field in Blacklick Township with a severe injury to one of...
Ohio extends stay-at-home order through May 30
Ohio has extended its stay-at-home order through May 30, the governor’s office announced late Thursday. The state issued a schedule for some businesses to begin reopening this month, but Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s statewide stay-at-home order for residents will not end until 11:59 p.m. May 29. The full text of...
Even if coronavirus restrictions ease, many Americans remain wary of resuming everyday activities
Nearly half of Americans say they won’t be ready to return to public spaces until the coronavirus outbreak is over, even as Pennsylvanians learned Friday that restrictions have been eased in certain parts of the state. According to a CBS News poll of 2,106 people, 48% of respondents said they...
