Drones increasingly a necessary tool in policing, experts sayVideo
David King predicts that over the next decade, every police cruiser may come equipped with its own drone. His guess is arguably better than many. King is owner of Carnegie-based Steel City Drones, which he says is the largest drone supplier in the region. The firm partners with more than...
Homicide charges against Parks Township shooting suspect held for courtVideo
Immediately after hearing a gunshot ring out in the parking lot of a Parks Township bar last month, Hector Saballos looked down and “saw a hole in my forearm,” he testified Thursday. Saballos was testifying in the preliminary hearing for David Dunmire, the man accused of killing a woman and...
Masked agents detain several workers at Pittsburgh job site in apparent ICE raid
As parents dropped off children at Hilltop Community Children’s Center in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood early Tuesday, masked immigration agents sprang from vehicles and appeared to detain several men from a parking lot across the street. Omar Millan, owner of roofing and construction company OK Service LLC, said six or seven...
New Kensington man sentenced in connection with wild, extended chase last November
Leonard Hayden Jr., who led New Kensington police on a 90-minute chase throughout a Westmoreland County public housing complex in November, has been sentenced after he pleaded guilty in March to fleeing from police and evading arrest. Judge Christopher A. Feliciani sentenced Hayden, 25, of New Kensington to six to...
Plum spends nearly $700K for ‘fine-tuning’ of district math programs
After a lengthy review of district math programs, the Plum School Board has opted to spend about $685,000 to acquire updated resources for classes. That means students will be using new textbooks and classroom materials as Plum shifts to different mathematics programs, according to Assistant Superintendent Ashley Boyers. Boyers said...
Assault charge against Knoch teacher dismissed
Assault and harrassment charges against Carly Miller, a former Knoch Primary School teacher, were dropped Thursday, more than a year after she was charged. Miller, 36, of Hampton had been charged with simple assault and harassment for a November 2024 incident, during which police said she struck an autistic student...
Parks Township bar that was scene of fatal shooting says incident was ‘unacceptable’
Niki’s Quick Six, the Parks Township bar where a woman was killed and three others were shot early Sunday, said in a Wednesday statement that the incident was “tragic and unacceptable.” The bar, located just across the Kiski River from Vandergrift, is “fully cooperating with authorities” the statement posted on...
2nd phase of multimillion-dollar renovations at Plum Middle School to begin soon
More renovation work is set to begin at Plum Middle School after the district’s school board approved a slate of contracts totaling $3.4 million. It’s the second phase of work at the school, after the initial chunk of renovations began last summer, according to Plum Finance and Operations Director John...
Loved ones remember Apollo woman killed in Parks Township shooting as a caring mother
In the days since Jessica Hilliard was shot to death outside a bar in Parks Township, Rachael Meising said she’s been looking toward the sky and speaking with her best friend. “I didn’t want her to be alone during her first day in heaven,” said Meising, 31. Hilliard, 34, of...
Vandergrift man charged after, police say, he killed 1, shot 3 others at Parks Township bar
A Vandergrift man is facing homicide charges after state police say he shot four people — killing one — outside a bar in Parks Township early Sunday morning. David James Dunmire, 36, is charged with one count of homicide, three counts of attempted homicide as well as aggravated assault and...
Springdale Police charge resident for incident at ICE protest, accuse him of threatening officials
More than two months after a brief altercation erupted at a protest against Springdale Police Department’s pact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, police have charged a man for his involvement in the incident and later threatening police and borough officials. Police say Ian Patrick Hill, 40, threatened a motorist...
All Aboard: NFL Draft draws thousands onto Pittsburgh’s T
David Covington blasted Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” from a handheld speaker as he descended the stairs Friday to the Gateway T station in Downtown Pittsburgh. It was an apt song choice for the scenes he described aboard Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s light rail system during the 2026 NFL Draft. Covington, 55,...
‘Underutilized’ Agan Park could see improvements as community gathers
Agan Park and its surrounding woods may soon see some changes after community members gathered in Springdale on Thursday to discuss the future of the 100-acre plot. The meeting saw Carla Lukehart, a landscape architect with Pittsburgh-based Environmental Planning and Design, present the results of a monthslong study of potential...
Springdale says videos of arrest during council meeting ‘do not provide the full context’
Springdale officials say the police response during the chaotic arrest of a resident at Tuesday’s borough council meeting was a “professional and controlled effort” and that videos of the incident do not offer “proper context.” The incident saw the arrest of William Daniel “Danny” Rosenmund, 36, a frequent critic of...
Plum School Board votes to replace sections of leaky high school roof
Repairs on Plum High School’s leaky roof will start in a little more than a week, after the district’s school board voted to approve the emergency $250,000 bill Tuesday. Plum Director of Facilities and Grounds Shelley Shaffer previously told TribLive repairs would begin May 1 and last about three weeks....
Second Vandergrift fire department back in service after insurance lapse
Vandergrift No. 2 fire department resumed normal operations Tuesday evening after being out of service since April 10. Westmoreland County Public Safety Director Scott Stepanovich said Vandergrift No. 2 was out of service from April 10-21, an additional five days after Vandergrift Mayor Lenny Collini had said the borough’s departments...
Video shows Springdale Police arresting local critic during council meetingVideo
A frequent critic of Springdale police is facing a felony charge after he was pinned to the ground and arrested by four police officers during a chaotic scene at Springdale Council’s meeting Tuesday night. The incident began after William Daniel “Danny” Rosenmund, 36, of Springdale exceeded the borough’s three-minute speaking...
Freeport Area graduate to open for Jason Aldean at Pittsburgh concert
Ricky Hunter said he only began making music in 2021. But Wednesday, the Freeport Area alumnus will play a 10-minute opening set for country music star Jason Aldean at an invite-only concert at the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh. Hunter, 23, of Freeport won a contest held by Pittsburgh country radio...
Work begins on South Buffalo housing plan, Armstrong County’s 1st in decades
Crews could be seen staging heavy equipment on a grassy plain in South Buffalo on Tuesday for a project that’s expected to bring dozens of new residences to Armstrong County. The site, in the RIDC Armstrong Innovation Park, is between the South Buffalo government center and Route 128, near its...
State police continue to offer $5K reward for man who went missing in Kiski Township
Albert Leroy Copper III’s wife said not much credible evidence has emerged that would help find her husband, who disappeared almost 13 years ago. His wife, Christie, confirmed a $5,000 reward remains for anyone who has information that solves her husband’s disappearance. Pennsylvania State Police, too, are reminding residents of...
Faces of the Valley: Arnold outdoorsman takes on caretaker role for Rachel Carson TrailVideo
Levi Wilson is a trailblazer. No, really. Wilson, 40, of Arnold is responsible for maintaining the hundreds of blazes that guide hikers and runners through the rugged 46.2-mile Rachel Carson Trail. And that’s only one of his responsibilities. A floor manager at Aloma Shim and Manufacturing Co. in Penn Hills...
Springdale man previously charged with abusing dogs, selling marijuana gets probation
Most of the charges against a Springdale man previously accused of abusing two dogs and running a marijuana operation have been dropped after he agreed to a negotiated guilty plea. Joshua Pawlak, 36, was sentenced to a year of probation by Judge Kevin G. Sasinoski after he pleaded guilty to...
Armstrong County magistrates cover cases after Kittanning judge suffers medical issue
Three Armstrong County magistrates will step into District Judge Kenneth Bussard’s courtroom to preside over cases as Bussard recovers from a medical issue. Bussard’s magisterial court sits in Manor Township directly next to its municipal border with Kittanning. His district covers Kittanning and much of central and northern Armstrong County....
Allegheny Valley School Board to discuss daylong phone ban for students
Allegheny Valley students are barred from using their cellphones during classes, but the school board plans to discuss a new policy that would ban phone use throughout the school day. Students would not be allowed to access their phones at lunch, between classes or during study halls. The board will...
Woman charged after posing as mother, taking child from Steel Valley school, police say
Steel Valley School District officials released an 8-year-old student to a woman now charged with kidnapping after she pretended to be the child’s mother, Homestead police said. Jamya Jones-Houston, 25, of Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood is charged with felony kidnapping and interference with the custody of children for the incident...
