May 21, 2020 3:58 am
PITTSBURGH — The Pennsylvania Gaming Control board said the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt state casinos an unexpected and unprecedented blow over the last few months. They released a 10-page document, including a long list of what will change when doors open again. For example, everyone – players and staff – must wear masks. No one with a fever will be permitted inside. Hand sanitizing stations will be at the entrance and throughout the building, and floor markings will assist with six-feet distancing. They also released specific changes for gambling, with some of the most noticeable guidelines coming at the slot machines. The control board wants the following changes:
Plexiglass barriers between slot machines a
Removing chairs from certain machines
Disabling some slot machines to create more distance
Sanitizing wipes next to slots
For table games, they want casinos to:
Develop new protocol for sanitizing chips on daily basis
Increase distance between players
Allow no spectators to stand behind players
Sanitize equipment frequently
And the poker rooms would not be allowed to open.
None of these new restrictions can be implemented until the county enters the green phase.
May 21, 2020 2:56 am
UNDATED (AP) – Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf says his state is working on guidelines to allow sporting events and exhibitions to get back to “some semblance of normalcy.” Wolf said he’s been in touch with major professional organizations including NASCAR, the NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball and others to figure out how they can resume competition in the state. He said he expected his administration will decide in the coming days on guidelines for various venues, sports and activities going forward. NASCAR’s first Cup race outside the south is slated for Pocono Raceway.
May 21, 2020 2:46 am
The reliance on wireless communications and internet connectivity has taken on an even greater significance in recent months during the coronavirus pandemic. The Washington Chamber of Commerce dedicated their Morning Briefing series to Crown Castle to describe how increased demand is being met. Jonathan Hart, Director of Government Affairs spoke to the efforts his company brings. Crown Castle constructs communications towers that allow several customers to use. One tower will serve several large scale providers such as AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile and will serve local businesses that need radio communication between offices and cars and even medical providers that are now using more and more telemedicine. Crown Castle operates in all 50 states and Canada and has 500 cell towers, 200 small cell towers and 2200 miles of fiber in southwestern Pennsylvania alone. Hart says the coronavirus pandemic has increased internet traffic by over 20%. Hart discussed difficulties in reaching rural areas of Washington County indicating that they provide mobile hotspots for students to use for school. Hart indicated that the growth of 5G mobile technology will have a big impact on the Pittsburgh region. Studies indicate that the regional economy will realize over 2800 new jobs and an increased GDP impact of $458 million.
May 20, 2020 3:09 pm
(WPXI) – A large water main break is flooding yards in Upper St. Clair and sending water at least 25 feet into the air. It’s unclear what caused the break, but we are working to learn more.
May 20, 2020 1:02 pm
The coronavirus has taken down another event. The Big Butler Fair, which has taken place every year since the Civil War, has been canceled. According to a report from the Butler Eagle, the fair’s board of directors announced late Tuesday night that it was canceled. “Due to the COVID-19 social gathering restrictions imposed by the state of Pennsylvania, the Board of Directors of the Big Butler Fair announce with heavy hearts the cancellation of the 165th Big Butler Fair,” fair board secretary Harold Dunn said in a statement. “Not since the Civil War has the fair been canceled.”
May 20, 2020 12:42 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Los Angeles Police Department says a body found on Venice Beach days is that of former World Wrestling Entertainment pro Shad Gaspard. He went missing while swimming with his son last weekend. The department says officers were flagged down early Wednesday by a person reporting a body had washed ashore. Gaspard’s family was notified. He was last seen about 50 yards offshore after he was caught in a rip current. Gaspard’s 10-year-old son was rescued and several other swimmers made it out of the water. Gaspard was best known as part of the tag-team Cryme Time. He retired in 2010.
May 20, 2020 10:24 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says he wants to hold up coronavirus funding for Michigan, saying erroneously that the state had mailed absentee ballots to millions of voters. Michigan used federal coronavirus relief funding to mail applications for absentee ballots, not the ballots themselves. Trump has been vocal in his opposition to voting by mail. The president claims the practice is ripe for fraud even though there is scant evidence of wrongdoing with mail-in votes. Trump later lodged a similar threat against Nevada, which has mailed actual ballots. Trump’s authority to hold up funding for either state is unclear.
May 20, 2020 4:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump attacked the validity of a study of veterans that raised alarms about the malaria drug he actively promotes as a treatment for the coronavirus. Trump’s remarks came Tuesday as he defended his decision to take hydroxychloroquine himself to protect against COVID-19. The president asserted without evidence that the study of veterans was “false” and an “enemy statement.” Yet the drug has not been shown to combat the virus in a multitude of other studies as well. Trump’s own government warns that the drug should be administered for COVID-19 only in a hospital or research setting.
May 20, 2020 4:09 am
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – New Jersey has launched a website to debunk rumors and hoaxes associated with the spread of the coronavirus, following a false text message of impending national lockdown that circulated widely across the United States. The effort comes amid a torrent of misinformation about the outbreak and is part of similar actions underway in other states to knock down potentially harmful misinformation. The lack of consistent, accurate information from the White House has put further pressure on state leaders to confront what misinformation experts have termed “an infodemic” surrounding the outbreak.
May 20, 2020 4:08 am
NEW YORK (AP) – U.S. births continued to fall last year, leading to the fewest number of newborns in 35 years. The decline is the latest sign of a prolonged national “baby bust” that’s been going on for more than a decade. Some experts believe the decline will get even worse because of the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the economy. The latest numbers were released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Aside from a one-year uptick in 2014, U.S. births have been falling every year since 2007. Experts say there are a number of causes, but chief among them are shifting attitudes about motherhood.
