Natasha Lindstrom stories, Page 33
Hiker rescued from hillside along popular trail at McConnells Mill State Park
A hiker was treated for injuries after getting stranded on a hillside Tuesday at McConnells Mill State Park, initial reports indicate. Emergency dispatchers sent medics and park rangers to a section of the state park along Kildoo Road to respond to a report of a hiker injured there shortly before...
‘Mac Miller’s Blue Slide Park’ appears in Apple, Bing map searches
Mac Miller’s name now appears in some online searches for the late Pittsburgh rapper’s neighborhood playground. Blue Slide Playground in Squirrel Hill’s Frick Park has been rebranded as “Mac Miller’s Blue Slide Park” via Bing and Apple Maps searches. Miller’s name did not appear attached to Blue Slide Playground on...
‘Disturbing’ James Bond Facebook meme spurs Highlands to ax would-be security firm
Highlands School District officials say “disturbing” Facebook posts were the impetus for the district to rescind its contract with a school security firm. Days after the board approved a contract with Olympia Security Group in mid-February, “various people in the community” alerted substitute Superintendent Monique Mawhinney and other officials to...
County revises enforcement order, U.S. Steel to expedite repairs at Clairton Coke Works
The Allegheny County Health Department on Tuesday announced new enforcement requirements for U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works facility in the aftermath of a fire that released unusually high levels of sulfur dioxide throughout the Mon Valley. The updated order incorporates a commitment from U.S. Steel to replace and bring back...
State lawmakers to discuss Pa. budget, taxes, school safety at Thursday event in Homestead
Several state lawmakers representing Allegheny County suburbs plan to discuss issues related to schools and property taxes at a public forum Thursday night in Homestead. The Allegheny County Intermediate Unit is hosting the legislative forum on public education at its central office in The Waterfront shopping and business district. The...
Allegheny County lacks resources to scrutinize tax breaks for ‘Big 4’ charities
Allegheny County says it lacks the resources to scrutinize hundreds of tax-exempt properties owned by the region’s so-called “Big 4” charities, further delaying an oversight probe that was supposed to be completed years ago, the Tribune-Review has learned. Four massive nonprofit organizations with billion-dollar portfolios control the county’s most valuable,...
1 injured in crash on Route 51 in Jefferson Hills
One person was injured in a crash Monday afternoon that temporarily shut down a section of Route 51 to northbound drivers in Jefferson Hills, officials said. Authorities received a report of the crash near High Road about 3:20 p.m., an Allegheny County 911 shift commander said. Medics took one person...
Emergency shelter in Downtown Pittsburgh to stay open on cold nights until April
A county-funded emergency shelter in Downtown Pittsburgh set to close next week will reopen any night that drops below 25 degrees through the end of March, officials said Friday. Pittsburgh Mercy’s winter shelter operated out of Smithfield United Church of Christ on Smithfield Street near Strawberry Way will remain open...
Police: Wilkinsburg man robs Pittsburgh bank, returns 2 weeks later to do it again
A Wilkinsburg man confessed to robbing the same Downtown Pittsburgh bank twice in two weeks as part of a nearly month-long crime spree to support his drug addiction, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Glenn Ford, 60, pleaded guilty to committing four robberies between mid-September and early October 2017, U.S. Attorney Scott...
Bunola River Road in Forward Township reopens to traffic after landslide
Bunola River Road in Forward Township reopened to traffic Thursday after crews finished clearing debris and downed trees spurred by a landslide, PennDOT officials said. Crews had shut down access to road in both directions between Pangburn Hollow and Raccoon Run roads Monday. PennDOT workers cleared the road and utility...
Warehouse catches fire in Etna, 50 firefighters respond
About 50 firefighters from a dozen units responded to a warehouse fire Wednesday morning in Etna, officials said. No one was injured. When officials arrived shortly after 11 a.m., they found an interior section of the warehouse on Bridge Street near Main Street consumed by flames, Etna Fire Chief Greg...
Men need to step up to thwart violence against women, coalition says
“It’s none of my business.” “But he seems like a nice guy.” “Well, what was she wearing?” Those statements — referencing all-too-common reactions to reports of sexual abuse — are splashed across posters distributed around Western Pennsylvania alongside two words in large, bold lettering: “NO MORE.” Beneath the words appear...
14 cats, 2 dogs found crammed into vehicles outside O’Hara hotel; 1 cat dies
At least one cat died and 15 other cats and dogs are being cared for by a Westmoreland County shelter after authorities discovered all 16 animals locked inside two vehicles in an O’Hara Township parking lot, Trib news partner WPXI-TV reports. A hotel employee alerted authorities Monday night after overhearing...
North Park ice rink ends skating season early amid mechanical problems
The winter season has ended early at North Park’s ice rink. Allegheny County officials announced Tuesday that they shut down the outdoor ice rink for the remainder of the year because of mechanical problems with the cooling system. All public skating and open-stick sessions have been canceled at the rink...
Here’s how $6.3M raised for Tree of Life shooting victims will be disbursed
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh announced Tuesday how the more than $6.3 million donated to support the victims, survivors, first responders and others affected by the Tree of Life synagogue shooting will be divided. The payments will begin immediately, David Shapira, chairman of Giant Eagle Corporation, said at morning...
Bellevue man, 24, arrested for rash of vehicle break-ins in North Hills
Police have arrested a man believed to be responsible for a recent rash of vehicle break-ins in the North Hills, officials said. Timothy Driscoll, 24, of Bellevue was detained by police after they identified him as a suspect who stole from cars in the vicinity of Lily Avenue in Ross...
North Side man charged with attempted homicide in Downtown Pittsburgh shooting
Pittsburgh police have charged a North Side man with attempted homicide and other crimes in connection with a Downtown shooting on Monday night that sent another man to the hospital with serious injuries. Investigators believe the victim, whose name was not released, was shot several times by Michael McCullough, 35,...
Volunteer firefighter, 17, dies in Fayette County car crash
A Lauren Highlands High School senior and volunteer firefighter died Sunday in a Fayette County car crash, officials said. The sudden death of Shawn Coleman, 17, was mourned Monday by his school community as well as local fire departments across the region. If you guys did not hear about the...
Police seek public’s help in finding missing 41-year-old Pittsburgh man
Police asked for the public’s help Monday in finding a Pittsburgh man who went missing a week ago. Robert Graham Ryderenski, 41, was last seen on Feb. 25, Department of Public Safety officials said. He has been known to frequent the city’s South Side neighborhood, officials said. Ryderenski stands about...
North Hills driver hospitalized after head-on collision on Thompson Run Road
A head-on collision sent one person to the hospital and snarled traffic Monday afternoon in Ross Township, officials said. Allegheny County 911 dispatchers received a report of a multi-vehicle crash near Thompson Run and White Oak roads shortly before 5 p.m., a shift commander said. At least one person was...
Landslide shuts down Bunola River Road in Forward Township, PennDOT says
A landslide has spurred the closure of Bunola River Road in Forward Township, PennDOT officials said Monday. Crews have shut down access to Bunola River Road in both directions between Pangburn Hollow and Raccoon Run roads, PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said. Detours will be posted directing drivers around the closed...
Pittsburgh Public Schools eases consequences for students caught with pot
Pittsburgh Public Schools students caught with small amounts of marijuana will no longer face an immediate suspension or risk being removed from their schools for six weeks or more. Starting this month, first-time offenders in possession of less than 5 grams of marijuana will have the option of a five-day...
Port Authority ConnectCard upgrades set for next week; riders urged to load money now
The Port Authority of Allegheny County’s ConnectCard payment system will be inaccessible to most transit riders for at least two days next week, officials said. Officials are urging customers either to load more cash or credit to their cards by Tuesday, or be prepared to pay fares in cash. Starting...
Allegheny County expands WIC access for new moms, pregnant women in A-K Valley
New mothers, pregnant women and guardians of children age 5 and younger soon can access free benefits such as baby formula and monthly food vouchers at a new location in Tarentum. The county Health Department announced Friday that it has partnered with Highlands Family Center on Fourth Avenue to expand...
Penn Hills School District is in ‘the worst financial shape’ in Pennsylvania, auditor general says
The Penn Hills School District is confronting the most severe financial crisis of the 500 districts statewide, and it’ll be nearly impossible to turn around without the Gov. Tom Wolf administration and lawmakers stepping up to bail it out, Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale told a packed auditorium Thursday night....
