Haley Daugherty stories, Page 15
Oakmont Council welcomes first youth representative
Rocco Brown is a busy kid. The 16-year-old Riverview junior is president of the school’s prom committee, president of French club, treasurer for student council, treasurer for his school’s key club, a member of the inclusive leaders club and a member of the National Honor Society. He recently added Oakmont...
Relic of ‘God’s Influencer’ visits Saint Joseph High School in Harrison
Carlo Acutis was much like the typical teen boys of today: He was a fan of soccer and spent a lot of time on his computer. He also was deeply religious and, in April, is expected to be the first person from the millennial generation to be canonized as a...
Penn Hills School District students, staff, community honor memory of beloved teacher
The Penn Hills High School gym looked more like a Penn State facility on Jan. 28 as members of the community packed the bleachers to honor a beloved teacher who died in a car crash more than a week before. In honor of 49-year-old Josh Willy’s love for him alma...
School board meeting filled with special guests to honor directors during appreciation month
The Penn Hills School Board meeting Jan. 29 was packed with special guests to celebrate School Board Appreciation Month and honor the district’s directors. Board members were treated to a performance from the elementary school chorus. Students sang songs from the group’s winter concert, including “Seven Feet of Snow” and...
Armstrong County Children, Youth and Family Services caseworkers hold 1-day strike
Union members who work for Armstrong County Children, Youth and Family services and the county Assessor’s Office staged a one-day strike Friday. Over a dozen union members of the Service Employees International Union Local 668 union workers walked the picket line outside of the Armstrong County Courthouse. They gathered at...
Community mourns loss of Penn Hills officer
Members of the Penn Hills community are mourning the loss of a young police officer. The Penn Hills Police Department announced the passing of 26-year-old Ryan Kingerski of Monreoville on social media Wednesday morning. “Officer Kingerski served with unwavering commitment and professionalism, always putting the safety and well-being of our...
Penn Hills resident seeks solution to high water bills
Alarm bells went off in Andrew Slavin’s head when he looked at his latest bill from the Oakmont Water Authority. “There is no way that my wife and I used 40,000 gallons of water like this bill says we did,” Slavin said. The Penn Hills man said he is being...
Dreams come to life at Greensburg Art Center’s latest show
Al Sanfilippo was back at the Greensburg Art Center on Sunday. The 82-year-old has always had a creative side and after retiring from a 50-year career in education nearly 10 years ago, he focused on interests including fly fishing, for which he makes his own flies and rods, and painting,...
Building the Valley: Apollo woman opens cafe and market in North Apollo
Megan Weigand wanted to create a place where people could gather. The Apollo woman’s ambition led her to open Indigo Market and Coffee, a cafe and personal goods shop along River Road in North Apollo. “I wanted to bring something to the community that wasn’t here,” Weigand said. In her...
Early morning fire damages Jefferson Hills home
A Jefferson Hills home is heavily damaged after an early morning house fire. According to a social media post from the Pleasant Hills Volunteer Fire Company, the company was called to a home on Hunters Field Circle just before 3:30 a.m. Firefighters encountered flames in the back of the home....
4 people displaced after Arnold house fire
Emergency crews were called to an Arnold neighborhood Saturday night for a house fire that displaced four people. Westmoreland 911 said a call for a two-alarm fire on the 1800 block of Kimball Avenue came in just after 8 p.m. Dispatchers said everyone was out of the home by the...
‘Something for everybody’ at Hempfield antique show
John Mickinak began attending antique auctions with his mother when he was 12. As a 70-year-old, the Greensburg man is a full-time antiques dealer and appraiser. While he’s made a career out of his passion, Mickinak said he’s watched his line of work lose the interest of younger generations over...
Leechburg regionalization discussions terminated, officials discuss next steps for policing
Police regionalization conversations have halted in Leechburg. Borough council voted to “terminate any activities with regard to police regionalization with Parks Township.” The motion passed, 4-2, with council members DJ Zelczak, Robert Raypush, Chuck Pascal and Alan Tarr voting to stop such discussion, and council President Tom Foster and Lorrie...
Penn Hills woman creates safe space for student-athletes
Three years ago, Gigi Snodgrass was looking for a purpose. She had just retired from the Penn Hills School District where she worked as a paraprofessional for 17 years. Her husband, Jeff, was still working, and Snodgrass, 67, was adjusting to her new schedule. “The house was clean, the dishes...
Lower Burrell steel plant explosion claims Tarentum man’s life
One of three people injured Wednesday in a Lower Burrell steel plant explosion has died. Daniel R. Vakulick, 20, of Tarentum was identified by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office on Thursday. He died after being injured in an explosion at Braeburn Alloy’s Steel Division. He was one of two...
Leechburg churches raise funds for relief efforts
Two Leechburg churches are combining forces to help others. Members of Cross Roads Community Presbyterian Church and First Evangelical Lutheran Church have begun raising money to go on a mission trip this year to aid those affected by last year’s hurricanes. While the trip is definitely happening, the Rev. James...
Oakmont jeweler reminisces after almost 5 decades along Allegheny River Boulevard
Rob Hallett and Kyle Kotchey are finding it difficult to retire. The owners of Robert Hallett Goldsmith in Oakmont, a jewelry store and studio, they’ve been designing and making one-of-a-kind jewelry since 1980. Their custom pieces have become intertwined with the generations of customers who have walked through their shop...
Riverview School Board discusses opening district to nonresident students
The Riverview School Board is considering welcoming tuition students to the district for the first time in more than 20 years. While the idea remains in its infancy, the discussion began when board members started the review of a board policy that covers the eligibility of nonresident students. The current...
Family of late Penn Hills EMS paramedic raises money for memorial scholarship
Nick Theofilis had a passion for helping others. “Throughout Nick’s life, he was a helper. He helped anybody,” said his mother, Lori Theofilis. A son of Penn Hills, Theofilis was a member of the high school’s Navy Junior ROTC until he graduated in 2017, an Eagle Scout and a volunteer...
Family of late Penn Hills EMS paramedic raises money for memorial scholarship
Nick Theofilis had a passion for helping others. “Throughout Nick’s life, he was a helper. He helped anybody,” said his mother, Lori. A son of Penn Hills, Theofilis was a member of the high school’s Navy Junior ROTC until he graduated in 2017, an Eagle Scout and a volunteer firefighter...
Leechburg Area award series celebrates student appreciation, puts spin on tradition
Leechburg Area students have a chance at the belt. Tyler Vargo, Leechburg Area High School principal, restarted the district’s Student of the Month Award but with a few changes. Each month teachers and staff members receive an email to nominate students who exemplify “successful habits” such as self- discipline, proactiveness, preparedness,...
Former Leechburg police chief faces new charge of failing to report internet use
Former Leechburg police chief Michael Diebold is facing a new felony charge after state police say he didn’t report all of the internet sites and apps he’d been using. Diebold, 47, is a convicted sex offender and was ordered to be listed on the state’s Megan’s Law site for 25...
Gilpin supervisors elect new leadership, but not without complaints
A change in leadership on the Gilpin board of supervisors isn’t sitting well with at least one township official. During the board’s annual reorganization meeting this month, Tina Thompson was elected as the new chairperson for supervisors in a 3-2 vote, replacing Charles Stull, who held the position for six...
Oakmont officials share plans for traffic control near Riverview Jr.-Sr. High School
Oakmont officials are making plans to reduce accidents at the place that has the most wrecks in town. They have identified that spot as an intersection near Oakmont Bakery and Riverview Junior-Senior High School. They blame many of the wrecks there on drivers making an illegal left turn from Third...
Oakmont budget raises taxes 33%
Oakmont property owners will be paying 33% more in real estate taxes this year. Oakmont Council passed a budget calling for a real estate tax increase of 1.22 mills, taking the rate from 3.73 to 4.95 mills. That means a home at the borough’s median assessed value of about $153,000...
