Regional category, Page 272
Pennsylvania State Police: coronavirus results in huge drop in crashes, crime
The coronavirus pandemic is taking a bite out of crime and traffic crashes throughout the commonwealth, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Data from state police from before the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in the state early last month was compared to arrest and incident data from last week....
Rain in forecast for Western Pennsylvania could cause flooding, weather service warns
Periods of rain beginning Saturday evening and continuing for the next several days could cause flooding, a National Weather Service meteorologist said. “If you want to get out and enjoy some semblance of this weekend, you’d want to do it tomorrow” before evening, said meteorologist Myranda Fullerton. Well...at least it...
Construction sites in Pa. must follow coronavirus safety guidelines when projects resume
Construction crews must wear masks and have hand-washing stations at sites when workers return to work next week, according to guidelines laid out by Gov. Tom Wolf. Wolf shut down most construction projects when he ordered non-life-sustaining businesses closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. As part of a plan to...
71 more coronavirus deaths reported in Pa.; total cases top 38,600
State health officials on Friday reported 71 more coronavirus deaths and nearly 1,600 new cases of the virus as Pennsylvania marked seven weeks since seeing its first case. There are now 1,492 confirmed deaths across the state. Confirmed deaths are those in which the deceased previously tested positive for covid-19....
Guide to the coronavirus: What you need to know
The coronavirus pandemic has affected lives around the world. Here in Western Pennsylvania, it’s no different. To help get through this difficult time, the Tribune-Review has put together a guide with information and resources to help be informed about covid-19 and its impact locally. By the numbers For the latest...
Nearly all Pennsylvania liquor stores to open for curbside pickup
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board will open most liquor stores across the state for call-in orders and curbside pickup service starting Monday. PLCB Chairman Tim Holden said Friday that 565 of the state’s nearly 600 Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores would take a limited number of orders on a...
Self-employed Pennsylvanians report confusion, glitches when applying for financial assistance
More than 78,000 self-employed Pennsylvanians have applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance since the state introduced the program last week — but several who were interviewed say the process has been marred by confusion and technical glitches. “You’re just kind of in the dark, and just hoping that something comes through,”...
Pennsylvania climate report predicts wetter, warmer future, livestock expansion
A predicted increase in rainfall in Pennsylvania may lead to more flooding and threats to infrastructure in the decades ahead, but some agricultural sectors could experience growth as conditions change, according to a report issued this week by state officials. Created by the Penn State University Environment and Natural Resources...
Virtual job fair May 27 to replace traditional one
With large gatherings prohibited because of the coronavirus-related restrictions, the Pittsburgh Technology Council will hold a virtual job fair on Wednesday, May 27. The event is billed as an opportunity for companies to expand their pipeline of tech talent, as well as a “time efficient solution to recruitment efforts.” The...
MedExpress offers covid-19 testing at select offices across Pittsburgh region
Select MedExpress urgent care offices across the Pittsburgh region are offering covid-19 testing. Included are locations in Jeannette, Monroeville (Mosside Boulevard), Mt. Lebanon and Robinson (Steubenville Pike.) Each of those locations offers drive-up service, allowing people to be screened and tested for covid-19 without leaving their vehicles. Other locations may...
Pennsylvania jobless claims climb to 1.6 million
Fewer Pennsylvanians filed new jobless claims last week, new figures show, but the impact of coronavirus-related shutdowns across the state since mid-March has resulted in nearly 1.6 million workers filing claims. More than 196,000 workers filed initial claims for the seven-day period beginning April 12, down some 42,000 claims from...
Pennsylvania liquor stores rake in $2.3M in first days of curbside sales, with more to open
Pennsylvania liquor stores fulfilled more than 25,000 orders for about $2.3 million in the first three days of curbside sales, and there are plans to expand the number of stores participating in the program, according to the Liquor Control Board. There were about 6,000 orders fulfilled statewide Monday — the...
Western Pa. farmers markets to open with covid-19 twists, precautionsVideo
There will be no Saturday morning chatter among friends picking up produce and other goodies at the Lynch Field farmers market in Greensburg. Exercisers won’t stream out of the Aerobic Center to get in line with empty reusable bags. Instead, shoppers will stay in their vehicles in the parking lot...
Pandemic concerns may spur some to finally act on drafting a will, other final legal documents
The deadly covid-19 pandemic has led some to finally do what many people put off: Draft their will and assign people to hold power of attorney to make medical and financial decisions on your behalf when you can’t. “The vast majority of recent clients say they’ve been thinking about doing...
Here’s what happens in each of Pennsylvania’s reopening phases
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday laid out a color-coded phased plan for reopening the state region by region. Some regions — the Northwestern and Northcentral parts of the state, most likely — will start moving into a phase of fewer restrictions beginning May 8. The state is currently in...
Social media games can open the door to cyber crime
A lot of people are relying on social media to stay connected while ordered to stay at home, but the FBI warns that those games you’re playing online could benefit identity thieves. “This is a hard time for everyone and we know social media has been a boon to help...
Gov. Wolf: Coronavirus data not only factor for reopening Pennsylvania
For all the criteria and data-driven guidelines Gov. Tom Wolf has laid out for reopening a locked-down Pennsylvania, the decision-making process will not be guided entirely by the data, the governor said Thursday. The objective criteria are “not a hard and fast rule,” Wolf said during a call with reporters....
Pennsylvania reports 1,369 new coronavirus cases, changes how it reports deaths
Pennsylvania added more 1,300 coronavirus cases, state health officials said Thursday, pushing the statewide total past 37,000. The 1,369 new positive cases were recorded between 12 a.m. Wednesday and 12 a.m. Thursday. The state’s running case count now stands at 37,053. The Department of Health had begun providing the number...
Pittsburgh-based Eat’n Park offers groceries during coronavirus pandemic
Eat’n Park is the place not only for smiles, but now milk, bread, ketchup and even toilet paper. The Pittsburgh-based restaurant chain launched a temporary grocery program Wednesday in all its restaurants to provide access to everyday staples including Turner’s milk, Cellone’s bread by the loaf, Heinz ketchup, toilet paper...
Pennsylvania car dealers get limited opening for sales during coronavirus restrictions
People who have been shut out the past month from buying a car will be able to now that Gov. Tom Wolf has lifted some restrictions on dealerships. “We’ve got permission for online sales, but the showroom still will be locked down. We’re not allowed to have people coming in...
Auto insurance companies sending money directly to customers as result of covid-19
Auto insurance companies are offering financial relief to customers while stay-at-home directives reduce the number of people driving during the coronavirus pandemic. Companies offering relief assistance include Erie Insurance, GEICO, Progressive, State Farm, Allstate and Travelers. Erie Insurance said it would provide $200 million in dividends directly to personal and...
State awards $5.1M in grants to aid with remote learning during school closure
Nearly 100 school districts and schools statewide are getting part of nearly $5.1 million in state grants to help pay for remote learning efforts while classrooms are closed during the covid-19 pandemic. The grants can be used to buy laptops, tablets and internet hot spots; paper, postage and shipping; and...
Flight from Erie to Chicago with no passengers symbolic of travel decline
A United Airlines flight to Chicago that left Erie Wednesday morning with no passengers aboard is symbolic of the continuing decline in air travel. Air travel nationwide is down 96 percent from early March as the coronavirus pandemic prompts growing numbers of Americans to cancel travel plans. Flights at Erie...
During a pandemic, a simple cough can turn into a weapon
A woman coughs on a state trooper and claims she has coronavirus. A man coughs on a medical employee who is wearing a mask, telling her the mask won’t help her. The pandemic surging across the country has turned into a sick joke — and perhaps something more sinister —...
Lawsuit claims IUP manager fired for notifying staff of possible covid-19 exposure
A former supervisor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania claims in a lawsuit he was fired for telling employees a fellow worker had been exposed to coronavirus. Donald Woolslayer, the school’s director of facilities since 2016, claims he was terminated on March 31 — the day after he emailed a notification...
