Megan Tomasic stories, Page 56
Tax assessment appeals top list for newly elected Hempfield school board
The fate of a residential tax assessment appeal program in the Hempfield Area School District could be in question as newly elected board members who have mostly voiced opposition to the practice take their seats. More than two years into a residential tax assessment appeal program, the district is bringing...
Hempfield casino to feature FanDuel sports betting partnership
As one of the first approved mini casinos in the state, Live! Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall will jump on another growing trend once it opens: sports betting. The Hempfield casino, which is expected to open next year, will be home to the FanDuel Sportsbook. The sports area will be...
Week in review: Banking on old Civic Arena site, flu outbreak, human trafficking pleaVideo
Here’s a look at the top stories across the region from the past week. ‘Widespread’ flu outbreak Of the 4,424 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza have been reported in Pennsylvania, more than half are in the Greater Pittsburgh area, according to data the state Department of Health. Seven counties in Greater...
Forest Hills man partially ate food, put it back on shelf at Sheetz during Facebook video, police say
A Forest Hills man is facing three citations after police say he partially consumed food at a local Sheetz and then put the items back on the shelf. Dorian Moore can be seen opening 12 containers at the Sheetz on William Penn Highway in Wilkins, eating and drinking some of...
Westmoreland food bank benefits from annual United Way/Shop ‘n Save shopping spreeVideo
When David Sipes shot down the aisle at Route 66 Shop ‘n Save in Greensburg, buggy in tow, he had a game plan. In three minutes, the 48-year-old Irwin resident had to collect as much food as possible to donate to the Westmoreland County Food Bank. Thursday’s shopping spree was...
Route 31 in Jones Mills reopens after wreck closed both lanes
One person was injured after a wreck involving a tractor trailer closed both lanes of Route 31 in Jones Mills Thursday morning, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. The road, which reopened around 7 a.m., was closed between Route 381 and Route 711. Traffic was diverted onto Roaring Run Road....
Police searching for man accused of Downtown robbery
Pittsburgh police are searching for a man who is accused of robbing a woman in a Downtown parking garage, officials said. The incident occured about 5 p.m. Dec. 6 in a garage in the 600 block of Smithfield Street. Police said the suspect changed clothes and was caught on camera....
Police: Officer shoots, kills pit bull after dog attacks poodle in North Side
A pit bull was shot and killed by Pittsburgh police in what started as a report of two dogs fighting, according to a release from the bureau of police. Officers were called to the intersection of Viola Street and Catoctin Way in the Perry North section of Pittsburgh’s North Side...
Police: Nevada man stalked, sent nude photos to West Mifflin teen
A Nevada man accused of stalking a 15-year-old West Mifflin girl on social media for more than year was arrested Monday after police say he traveled from Las Vegas in an attempt to have sex with her. Police said Renad Bautista, 30, was “constantly contacting” the girl starting in August...
Missing Pittsburgh girl found safe
Pittsburgh police say a 12-year-old girl who was reported missing on Monday has been found safe. Saniyah Gates, who attends South Hills Middle School on Mt. Washington, was located on Tuesday. Police said the previous day that she did not return home from school. No further information was immediately available....
Police: Man shot in hand in East Liberty
Pittsburgh police are investigating after a man arrived at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Oakland with a gunshot wound to his hand. The man, who arrived at the hospital by private means shortly before 8 p.m. Monday, told officers he was on Larimer Avenue in East Liberty behind the Target when...
Pittsburgh police find missing 83-year-old woman
Pittsburgh police have located an 83-year-old woman who had been missing since Monday night. Beatrice Stapf, of Morningside, was found shortly before 6:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 1600 block of Jancey Street where she had fallen. Officers said she was alert and conscious and was transported by EMS to UPMC...
Director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History leaving for new position
The director of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History is leaving his position after almost four years for a job in North Carolina. Eric Dorfman, who became director of the museum and the Powdermill Nature Reserve in Cook Township in 2015, has accepted a position as director of the North...
Police: Over 3,000 bags of heroin seized from Lawrenceville apartment
Officials seized more than $9,000 and 3,000 bags of heroin after serving a search warrant at an apartment in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood where two children were staying. Officers for the state Attorney General’s Office issued the warrant at the Doughboy Square Apartments at 3459 Butler St. shortly after noon Friday,...
Grant money to help Hempfield school studentsVideo
The Hempfield Area School District was awarded a $5,000 grant to help with two programs that assist underserved children. Presented by the DMJ Transportation, funds will go toward the district’s Food 2 Go 4 Kids program and West Hempfield Middle School’s caring closet. Food 2 Go 4 Kids, a backpack...
Show goes on at some Western Pa. drive-in theaters during the holidays
Flip-flops and lawn chairs might be replaced with Christmas lights and mittens, but one thing holds true at the drive-in theater — tradition. At Starlight Drive-In in Butler, Beth Chiesa-Manson and her husband John Manson are gearing up for their annual Christmas at the Drive-In, an event scheduled this week...
Monroeville man indicted on drug, gun charges
A Monroeville man known as “Big Boy” was indicted by a federal grand jury after allegedly distributing fentanyl and heroin and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Davon Carter Williams, 31, was indicted on four counts stemming from December 2016 and February 2017 incidents where Williams possessed heroin with...
Several fire departments in Westmoreland, Allegheny counties receive grants
Several Westmoreland County volunteer fire departments will soon be able to add training sessions and purchase new equipment thanks to a grant from the Chevron energy corporation. These volunteer fire departments will receive grants up to $5,000: Sewickley Township stations 1, 2, 3 and 4; Smithton; Sutersville; Turkeytown; and Yukon;...
Hempfield budget won’t budge on taxes for 30th year
Hempfield’s annual tradition of not raising property taxes has now reached 30 years, with a preliminary 2020 budget approved by township supervisors. The budget, which is more than $14 million, keeps on track with the current rate of 3 mills, a number that has not budged since 1990. Compared to...
Hempfield golf course hosting auction as it goes out of business
Golf balls will be auctioned by the bucket next week, along with other items at Valley Green Golf & Country Club in Hempfield. Valley Green, located between Armbrust Brinkerton and Albrights Lake roads, will close Dec. 31 after operating for 54 years — a decision owner Linda Rusnock attributed to...
Rostraver Walmart sells lottery ticket worth more than $1 million
A customer at the Walmart in Rostraver went home with more than just a turkey this Thanksgiving after purchasing a lottery ticket worth over $1 million. The Pennsylvania Lottery reported the win after the person, who was not immediately identified, purchased a Diamond Mine ticket, a $20 game that offers...
New York & Company closing at Westmoreland Mall
Another store is set to close at Westmoreland Mall. New York & Company is the latest clothing store to announce its closure this year at the Hempfield mall. An exact date has not been set, but a store manager confirmed it will shutter by the end of January. The mall,...
Hempfield facility highlights micro-hospital trend in Western Pa.Video
Touting fast health care in the heart of the community, Pennsylvania’s first “micro-hospital” will soon open in Hempfield as part of an industry trend to fill the middle ground between traditional hospitals and urgent care centers. Located along Route 30, the 120,000-square-foot Allegheny Health Network building dubbed AHN Hempfield Neighborhood...
Pittsburgh man faces 13 charges after arrest for alleged string of attacks
A Pittsburgh man is facing 13 charges after performing a string of attacks on family members and intimate partners in Pittsburgh and Mt. Oliver Borough, according to police. Devin Montgomery, 23, was arrested just before 5:15 a.m. Thursday in the 300 block of Birmingham Avenue in Carrick. His charges include...
Western Pennsylvania sees first snow flakes of the seasonVideo
Let it snow? Yep, it’s here. It might only be a week into November, but the first snowflakes of the season started to fall in Western Pennsylvania on Thursday night and into Friday morning. According to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, light snow will continue with little or no...
