March 14, 2020 3:37 am
Bishop David Zubik issued the following statement on Thursday, March 12, 2020: “Following a joint conference call with all the bishops of Pennsylvania, effective immediately and until further notice, I wish to share with you that in union with all my brother bishops I am dispensing the faithful of the Diocese of Pittsburgh from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass. “Despite the suspension of the obligation to attend Sunday Mass, all regularly scheduled Masses will remain open to the public for those who wish to attend. “Regarding other sacramental events, such as confirmation, further announcements will be forthcoming in the near future. “With this announcement, it is most important that we increase our personal prayer and fasting as we look to God as our strength in this critical time.”
March 14, 2020 3:32 am
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – Gov. Jim Justice has shuttered schools statewide in response to the coronavirus pandemic, even though West Virginia is one of the last states in America without a confirmed case. Justice says the closures going into effect as the school day ends Friday will last as long as necessary. As of Friday afternoon, state health officials said West Virginia has no confirmed cases of COVID-19. They said 31 people have been tested, with 26 negatives and five tests still pending. But Justice said that with so few tests being done, people could be infected and not know it.
March 14, 2020 3:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump has declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency in order to free up more money and resources. He has also thrown his support behind an aid package from Congress that the House approved early Saturday, on track to provide direct relief to Americans. Still, he has denied any responsibility for delays in making testing available for the new virus, whose spread has roiled markets and disrupted the lives of everyday Americans. The aid package from Congress would provide free tests, sick pay for workers and bolster food programs. The crush of late-day activity caps a tumultuous week in Washington.
March 13, 2020 12:55 pm
Amid Coronavirus fears, Presbyterian SeniorCare Network in Washington and South Hills Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Canonsburg have suspended visits. Both facilities are allowing only essential personnel into the buildings. ManorCare Health Services in Peters Township says it is restricting visitors to one person per day per patient. Presbyterian SeniorCare’s no visit policy encompasses its skilled nursing/rehab centers, personal care and assisted living communities.
March 13, 2020 9:36 am
BELLE VERNON, Pa. — (WPXI) – The Belle Vernon Area School District and its teachers reached a tentative agreement Thursday night, preventing a strike that would have started Friday, the Belle Vernon Area Education Association announced. Negotiations began in January 2019. Teachers had been working without a contract since June 30, when the previous agreement expired, officials said. Details of the agreement are not being released until both sides are able to formally vote on the final contract, the BVAEA said. “Our teachers were passionate about reaching an agreement with the Board, and our negotiations team worked to get it done at the last minute,” BVAEA President Daneen Watson said in a statement. “We are very pleased that we could get this hammered out for the benefit of everyone involved.”
March 13, 2020 9:14 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Authorities say a Philadelphia police officer was shot and killed as he served a homicide warrant at a home in the city’s Frankford section. Cpl. James O’Connor was shot around 5:45 a.m. Friday. Officials say he was shot in the shoulder above his bulletproof vest when officers entered the home. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. The 46-year-old O’Connor was a married father of two – including a son who also serves on the force.
March 13, 2020 4:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Pentagon says the U.S. launched airstrikes Thursday in Iraq, targeting the Iranian-backed Shia militia members believed responsible for the rocket attack that killed and wounded American and British troops at a base north of Baghdad.U.S. officials say multiple strikes by U.S. fighter jets hit five locations and mainly targeted Kataib Hezbollah weapons facilities inside Iraq. A Defense Department statement says the strikes targeted five weapons storage facilities to significantly degrade their ability to conduct future attacks.
March 13, 2020 4:10 am
MIAMI (AP) – Florida and its 219 delegates could be the knockout punch for presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders after a dismal showing in the Michigan primary. The Florida primary election next Tuesday will be closely watched by people across the nation. The Vermont senator said he would stay in the race and debate former Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday. Biden’s advisers are banking on a Florida victory that is so overwhelming that it sends a clear message that he is much better positioned than Sanders in a state considered a must-win for President Donald Trump.
March 13, 2020 4:09 am
TOKYO (AP) – President Donald Trump’s suggestion to postpone the Tokyo Olympics for a year because of the spreading virus was immediately shot down by Japan’s Olympic minister. Seiko Hashimoto is a former Olympic medalist. She says “the IOC and the organizing committee are not considering cancellation or a postponement – absolutely not at all.” She told a news conference in Tokyo that organizers are planning to open the games as scheduled on July 24. Trump told reporters at the White House that “I just can’t see having no people there. In other words, not allowing people. Maybe, and this is just my idea, maybe they postpone it for a year.”
March 13, 2020 4:05 am
Talking to kids about virus? Experts say be calm and honest As more schools announce closures and cancel events, parents are having to decide how to talk to their children about the coronavirus. Some parents say they’re checking in daily, while others said they’re limiting conversation out of concern it may make their children anxious. Child psychology experts’ advice is to be reassuring, focus on proactive steps and do research to truthfully answer their questions. One expert stresses that parents should not collude in their child’s anxiety by refusing to go outside or by buying face masks. “And I don’t need a sniffle to turn into them worrying about dying.”
