Deb Erdley stories, Page 37
Women hold nearly a third of Pennsylvania’s judicial seats
The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts marked International Women’s Day Friday with a bow to the women of the Pennsylvania courts. Almost 90 years after the first female judge was sworn in Pennsylvania, women now comprise fully 30 percent of the state’s judiciary. They account for one in three...
Recent snow boosts conditions, extends season at Seven Springs
Late season storms have boosted spring skiing conditions at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion. Friday, it boasted skiing across 33 slopes as well as seven natural trails not served by snowmaking, resort spokeswoman Katie Buchan said. She said the ski area is expecting good late winter skiing over an...
Pennsylvania college students beat national average for graduation
Pennsylvania college students are graduating at rates well above the national average, despite a troubling racial gap. Those were among the findings in a new study of six-year graduation rates for students who were college freshmen in 2012. The report, released by the National Student Clearinghouse, found 72.6 percent of...
West Penn Hospital and ACHIEVA promote Early Intervention program
In a new twist on the importance of books, ACHIEVA’s Early Intervention is launching a new program at West Penn Hospital to promote literacy and the value of early help for children facing developmental challenges or disabilities. “Books at Birth” will provide families who give birth at West Penn’s NICU...
IRS millionaire audits decline
Here’s a little good news for millionaires worried about the ramifications of tax time as April 15 draws ever nearer: your chances of being audited have decreased significantly in recent years. Government records show the number of audits of America’s wealthiest taxpayers — those filing returns for $1 million or...
Pa. Labor Relations Board rules for Pitt graduate researchers, teaching assistants
Some 2,000 University of Pittsburgh graduate student researchers, teaching assistants and teaching fellows are university employees and have the right to join a union, the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board ruled. The group began organizing under the auspices of the Pittsburgh-based United Steelworkers in January 2016 and filed for a union...
Westmoreland Diversity Coalition fundraiser highlights bipartisan karaoke
The Westmoreland Diversity Coalition, a community nonprofit committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, showed its chops last weekend when it persuaded a group of political and civic leaders to take the stage at its first fundraiser “Westmoreland Has Talent.” Who knew there were so many aspiring entertainers just waiting to...
Municipal Police Officers’ Training Academy offers new program
A new session at the Municipal Police Officers’ Training Academy at Westmoreland County Community will begin June 4, WCCC officials said Wednesday. The 920-hour course, which provides the basic training required for municipal police officers in Pennsylvania, meets daily Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and one...
Human services group seeks scholarship applicants
High-achieving, community-minded high school seniors seeking college aid might want to consider applying for the $10,000 Jamie Ellenberger Memorial Annual Community Service Scholarship. Officials at the Passavant Memorial Homes Foundation said the organization will accept scholarship applications from students in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Butler, Cambria, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Fayette,...
Trump names 2 nominees to federal court in Western Pennsylvania
Allegheny County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert Colville is getting a second shot at a seat on the federal bench for the Western District of Pennsylvania — which covers 25 counties, including Allegheny and Westmoreland. President Donald Trump said he will nominate Colville, 54, to a seat on the U.S....
Toomey bill to limit Trump’s tariff power gaining support
A bipartisan Senate bill that seeks to rein in President Trump’s authority to impose tariffs is gaining momentum. The bill, originally sponsored by U.S. Sens. Pat Toomey, R-Allentown and Mark Warner, D-Va., would require the president to get congressional approval to impose tariffs based on national security. In recent weeks...
Pitt snares $4.2 million during 24-hour Annual Day of Giving
The University of Pittsburgh posted record participation and $4.2 million in donations Thursday for Pitt’s annual Day of Giving fundraiser. Pitt officials said a record 6,346 faculty members, staffers, parents, alumni and friends from 50 states and 17 countries made donations. Participation increased by 89 percent over last year. The...
Pennsylvania ranks in the middle of the pack in jobs growth
Branding experts, seeking a new slogan for the Keystone State might try: “Pennsylvania — firmly in the middle of the pack.” Citing an analysis of federal jobs reports, Governing magazine reported Monday that Pennsylvania ranked 27th in the nation in jobs growth last year. The state posted an ambitious 1.2...
Overdose deaths in Pittsburgh region decline sharply
After several years of slow-but-steady increases and two years of sharp climbs, drug overdose deaths in Southwestern Pennsylvania declined by more than 40 percent last year. Preliminary reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the first quarter of 2018 suggest it is a trend that has spread...
Greensburg diocese launches quarterly TV show and magazine
The Greensburg Catholic Diocese takes to the airwaves this weekend for the launch of a new multimedia outreach program, complete with a quarterly 30-minute Sunday morning television show. The program airs at 11:30 a.m. on WTAE-TV, Channel 4, the local station that once employed Jennifer Miele — the diocese’s chief...
Cal U honored for voter engagement with Gen Z
California University of Pennsylvania’s effort to engage Gen Z students in the electoral process is getting rave reviews. The Fair Election Center’s Campus Vote Project recently named Cal U among the top 10 voter-friendly universities in Pennsylvania. This marks the second time the school has won the designation, first for...
Colorado, Rocky Mountain highs bring in billions through recreation pot sales
Denver long ago laid title to being the Mile High City, but with more than $6 billion in retail sales of cannabis and cannabis-infused products in four years of legalized recreational marijuana in Colorado, the state’s capital city might now want to claim being at least a mile and half...
Union wants Pennsylvania school pension fund to divest private prison stocks
The American Federation of Teachers, or AFT, is calling on Pennsylvania’s $56.2 billion school employees’ retirement fund (PSERs) and 23 other large pension funds to consider divesting their stock in private prison corporations. A new AFT report found that PSERs is among two dozen public pension funds that own a...
U.S. Rep. Reschenthaler opens district offices in Hempfield, Washington, Pa.
U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, the region’s newest congressman, on Thursday said he has opened district offices in Hempfield and Washington, Pa. Both offices will be open for constituent services from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Hempfield office is at 700 Pellis Road, Suite 1, fronting...
Greensburg joins other Pa. Catholic dioceses in launching sexual abuse fund
Officials with the Greensburg Catholic Diocese on Wednesday announced the launch of a compensation fund for victims of clergy sexual abuse. The diocese, which includes Westmoreland, Fayette, Indiana and Armstrong counties, was the last of seven statewide to launch such a fund. Greensburg Bishop Edward C. Malesic said those who...
4 state-owned Pennsylvania universities add degree programs
Four of Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities Tuesday unveiled new degree programs developed in concert with local employers. The programs, a bachelor of science in information technology at Millersville, master’s degree programs in accountancy and social work at Slippery Rock, a master’s in physician assistant studies at West Chester and a doctorate...
Sen. Bob Casey throws support behind raising federal minimum wage
Proposals to raise the minimum wage appear to be gaining traction this week at both the state and federal level. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, said he plans to cosponsor a bill to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2024. Pennsylvania’s senior senator held...
Excela bolsters system’s health with focus on primary careVideo
When officials at the Excela Health System were looking to leverage their impact in Westmoreland County, it didn’t take long to target diabetes care. “There’s no shortage of diabetics in Western Pennsylvania, and we’re here to help,” Dr. David S. Richards said. Richards, a Westmoreland County native, is executive medical...
Women leaders are redefining businessesVideo
There was never any question that Mona Pappafava-Ray and Lori V. Albright would follow in the footsteps of their fathers. While the tool-and-die business has always been a male-dominated space, the two women — both of whom worked in their fathers’ shops right out of school — have emerged as...
Laurel Valley slates kindergarten registration
Laurel Valley Elementary School is seeking to register 3- and 4-year-olds who live in the district for kindergarten this fall. Registration and K4 screening will be held at the school Mar. 25-26. Parents should call the school office at 724-235-2723 to make an appointment. Admission to kindergarten is recommended for...
