Julia Maruca stories, Page 21
Frigid wind chill rolls into Pittsburgh from the north
Cold temperatures with below-zero wind chill will slam the Pittsburgh area through Friday, but only a little snow is expected, according to National Weather Service meteorologists. An arctic cold front is moving into the area from the north over Thursday night, and will pass over Allegheny County around 2 a.m....
Pharmacies cutting hours amid staff shortages
Starting this spring, routine visits to pick up medicine at the pharmacy after work might require more advance planning than usual. Officials from major pharmacy chains say staffing problems at pharmacies are the culprit. They are facing a shortage of pharmacists and pharmacy assistants, and some are making changes to...
Before Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney locals get hyped for the hoopla
The thousands of people expected at Gobbler’s Knob on Thursday for Groundhog Day will have a tough time matching the bedlam to be found Tuesday at the Punxsutawney Area High School gymnasium. More than 800 students in grades 7 through 12 interspersed with the Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle as Phil...
Federal limits proposed for lead levels in infant food
Newly released draft guidance from the federal Food and Drug Administration calls for manufacturers to limit lead levels in infant food, but it also cautions parents that they don’t need to panic or make major changes to their little ones’ diets. The draft, released last week, would set FDA “action...
Egg prices remain high in first month of 2023
Egg prices have remained high this month, following concerns about increases in grain costs and the impacts of bird flu on agriculture. In December 2022, egg production in Pennsylvania was down 17% from the year before, and the total number of egg-laying birds was down 15%, according to the northeastern...
Norwin children’s librarian makes learning lively
When Barbara McKee walked into the Norwin Library more than two decades ago, she didn’t expect it to be the start of a career. “My youngest son was in second grade, and I came to the library to take a crochet class because I finally had time to myself because...
Pittsburgh man pleads guilty to selling fentanyl, heroin
A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to distributing and possessing heroin and fentanyl in 2018. Devontay Montaze Green, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl. Montaze also admitted responsibility for distributing a mixture of...
Excela Westmoreland receives statewide recognition for patient safety
Excela Westmoreland Hospital is one of 21 hospitals across Pennsylvania to be honored through the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania’s annual Excellence in Patient Safety Recognition program. The program, which started three years ago, celebrates top-performing hospitals with low rates of health care associated infections, such as central line-associated...
It’s official: Greensburg native Michelle Henry nominated for Pa. attorney general
Pennsylvania’s new governor, Josh Shapiro, officially nominated acting Attorney General Michelle Henry to serve out the remainder of his term as state attorney general Thursday afternoon. Henry, 53, is a Greensburg native and Greensburg Salem High School graduate who previously served as first deputy attorney general under Shapiro when he...
Norwin senior honored with surprise full tuition scholarship to Thiel College
It only took a few seconds for Norwin High School senior Bret Vilage’s show choir class to erupt into cheers Wednesday morning. Vilage, one of two area winners of a full-tuition scholarship to Thiel College, was overcome with emotion as his parents, extended family, school principal, and officials from Thiel...
Derry Area student surprised with full tuition scholarship to Thiel
When Derry Area High School senior Cydney Wierzbowski was called down to the school guidance office early Tuesday morning, for a moment, she thought she might be in trouble. “I was in math class, and I was pulled out to go to guidance for I did not know what,” Wierzbowski...
Kitchen fire forces closure of Hidden Valley resort
A minor kitchen fire shut down Hidden Valley Resort in Somerset County on Monday morning, officials said. Anna Weltz, spokeswoman for Vail Resorts, which owns Hidden Valley, said the fire started in the kitchen area of the Clocktower Restaurant and was quickly contained. “Three employees were transported to the local...
Penn Township facing delays in receiving new police vehicles
Penn Township police will be getting a trio of new SUVs this year. The board of supervisors approved the purchase of three 2023 Ford Explorer all-wheel-drive police vehicles at $37,680 each, for a total of $113,040. The township will pay an additional $54,035 for emergency lighting, sirens and other equipment,...
Violence in health care: Medical workers increasingly must contend with threats, assaults
When Mike Huss gets an alert from a panic button or call within Allegheny Health Network, he and his team are prepared to jump into action. “If you look at it, some of it is just verbal abuse. Some of it is physical abuse, where someone strikes, punches, kicks, bites...
Penn Area Library teen group fosters creativity, love of reading
On a counter at the Penn Area Library In Harrison City, a pile of neatly folded glossy publications sits among fiction and nonfiction books, waiting to be perused. Upon opening a copy of the library’s Teen Zine, readers can find 12 pages full of colorful art, poetry, collages, articles, photos...
Sluggish start to snow is no obstacle to skiing season
At Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, the snow guns rev up a storm anytime the temperature gets below a chilly 27 degrees. Whether during cold nighttime off-hours or while skiers are trying out the slopes during the day, the Vail Resorts property is keeping up with the warm and...
Penn-Trafford running track to close during summer for renovations
Joggers, athletes, and local residents accustomed to using the track at Penn-Trafford High School may have to find somewhere else to walk this summer. The track will undergo renovations starting soon after Memorial Day and will be closed to the public for about two months, according to business manager Brett...
Trafford seeking volunteers for boards
Trafford is seeking volunteers to serve on the recreation board, the planning commission and as the borough representative to the Westmoreland Heritage Trail board. Two vacancies are open on the recreation board, which meets once a month and organizes community events such as the Easter egg hunt, fishing derby, and...
Rep. Davanzo opening up services in Scottdale library
A member of Rep. Eric Davanzo’s staff will soon be available at Scottdale Public Library. Staffers will be available from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays starting Jan. 18. The new location for constituent assistance is opening in response to recent redistricting that brought the borough of Scottdale into...
Spreadshirt’s Hempfield custom clothing factory to close
A Hempfield location for the custom clothing company Spreadshirt will close and lay off workers this year, according to a state Department of Labor and Industry filing. The printing factory and office at 1572 Roseytown Road was scheduled to lay off 49 employees Monday. An additional 15 employees are scheduled...
Police: Boy in critical condition after shooting in Penn Hills
A Penn Hills boy was taken to an area hospital after being shot several times Monday afternoon, Allegheny County police said. Authorities were notified of the shooting at about 5 p.m. and found the boy in the 2100 block of Sampson Street. He was taken to a hospital in critical...
Penn Township wards to change in 2023
For some residents of Penn Township, the new year might bring changes to their local voting ward, polling place and township commissioner. Township officials approved an updated ward map, adjusting boundaries of the municipality’s five wards to correspond with data from the 2020 U.S. Census. The map goes to county...
Police seek suspect in South Side Slopes fatal stabbing
Pittsburgh police are looking for a city resident who they say is a suspect in a fatal stabbing Thursday in the South Side Slopes neighborhood. Police identified the suspect as William L. Fitzgerald, 50. He is wanted for the fatal stabbing of Tarae Washington, 47. Washington was found dead on...
2 victims identified who were fatally shot in Pitcairn apartment
The two people found fatally shot in an apartment in Pitcairn on Friday afternoon have been identified. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims are Andre Johnson, 21, and Jade Baker-Wright, 20, both of Pitcairn. Johnson’s death was ruled a suicide by the medical examiner. Baker-Wright’s death was...
Ligonier-based Bethlen Communities to join Concordia Lutheran Ministries
Ligonier-based senior care organization Bethlen Communities signed a letter of intent to join Concordia Lutheran Ministries, a senior health care network with in-home care and inpatient locations in western Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the country. Both organizations “will work … toward an expected affiliation date in the spring,” officials said....
