At least 2 pets unaccounted for after house fire in Turtle Creek
Emergency crews battled a house fire in Turtle Creek late Wednesday. Firefighters were called to the 500 block of McMasters Avenue, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. Allegheny County dispatchers said there were no injured people taken from the scene. Turtle Creek Fire Department First Lt. Mike McAllister told WTAE...
Reversal brings back 900 federal workers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Nearly 1,000 federal employees laid off by the Trump Administration last April from the agency meant to protect workplace safety will be able to return to the job. Terminations from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health were overturned Wednesday, meaning a return to the office for scientists, engineers...
Fox Chapel traffic signal upgrade replaces obsolete equipment
Traffic is expected to be flowing more safely near a major Fox Chapel traffic intersection. A $300,000 project to modernize the traffic signals at Fox Chapel and Field Club roads wrapped up in December, following several months of work. The equipment replaces original signals that were obsolete, borough Manager Julie...
Harrison Hills to spruce up park, playgrounds
Playgrounds are getting an upgrade at Harrison Hills Park. The Allegheny County-owned facility in Harrison will see several projects this year, including new walkways, play equipment with safety surfaces, landscaping, signs and items to help with accessibility. Harrison Hills encompasses more than 500 acres of woods, streams, waterfalls and ponds....
Portion of walking trail closed at O’Hara Community Park
Walkers who use the trail at O’Hara Township Community Park will be forced to detour for a couple of months. A portion of the trail is closed through at least early March. It is necessary for work to be done on a Sycamore Run retaining wall, which supports the upper...
EMS authority meeting postponed for Harrison, Tarentum, Brackenridge
A special meeting scheduled tonight to form a paid ambulance authority in Harrison, Tarentum and Brackenridge is postponed. Eureka Fire-Rescue personnel posted to Facebook, apologizing for the short notice....
More sexual assault charges filed against former Highlands teacher Sean Dicer
An adult graduate of Highlands School District has come forward, accusing former teacher Sean Dicer of indecent assault and adding to the onslaught of sex-related allegations against him. In the latest allegations, the incidents are said to have happened inside a classroom at the former Fairmount Elementary School about 20...
Court date looms for former Harrison funeral director accused of pet cremation fraud
Tina Moore has been counting the days, for nearly a year, until former Harrison funeral director Patrick Vereb has his day in court. Vereb, 71, of Hazelwood was charged by the state Attorney General’s Office with taking money for pet cremations and disposing of the animals in landfills. He also...
Future of Fawn EMS coverage remains uncertain
Fawn is the final holdout of a proposed paid, regional ambulance authority — leaving the future of the township’s EMS coverage up in the air. Supervisors must decide whether to join the Alle-Kiski Emergency Services Authority, expected to move forward this fall, or look elsewhere for 911 service. “We haven’t...
Shoppers lament Macy’s closing at Pittsburgh Mills, others hopeful for recreation or entertainment venue
Julie Ravotti grew up in Beaver County and remembers trekking to Pittsburgh Mills for family shopping adventures after the Frazer mall opened in 2005. “We traveled to see all the new stores and it was bustling, so promising,” said Ravotti, who moved to Leechburg nine years ago. “Fast forward to...
Fox Chapel Area telethon tops $101,000 to benefit local nonprofit
A nonprofit that helps Fox Chapel Area children and families has found itself on the receiving end of community outreach. Fox Families Care was awarded $101,000 over the holiday season as the beneficiary of the Fox Chapel Area School District telethon. The 36th annual fundraiser on Dec. 23 involved students...
Harrison’s new trash hauler, Noble Environmental, asks for patience
Some Harrison residents are questioning the township’s move to a new garbage hauler after what they say was a bumpy first week of collections. But Noble Environmental is ensuring that kinks in the new collection routes will be ironed out quickly. And they are asking for patience. “We’ve been inundated...
Blawnox woman recounts parents’ harrowing Holocaust ordeal
The daughter of two Holocaust survivors will share her parents’ poignant account during a program Tuesday in Fox Chapel. Deborah Leuchter Stueber of Blawnox will be the guest speaker at the Holocaust Remembrance event, hosted by the Fox Chapel Area affiliate of the American Association of University Women. The daughter...
Orthodox Christmas to be celebrated Wednesday across region
The Christmas season isn’t over, at least not for the handful of Orthodox Christian churches that follow the Julian Calendar and are celebrating Christmas on Wednesday with special liturgies, dinners and holiday decorations. “Universally, it’s accepted as Christmas, but, in our faith, it is really called the Nativity of the...
Highlands Family Center gets food pantry boost
Highlands Family Center in Tarentum is getting some much-needed help to address a surge in food needs in the wake of the federal government shutdown and state budget stalemate late last year. The organization, run by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, was awarded $5,000 from The United Way and Heinz Endowments....
Website aims to boost community involvement in plans for paid EMS authority
Officials trying to start a regional, paid EMS service are hoping a new website explaining the plans will bolster public involvement in the creation of the service. The authority will cover Brackenridge, Harrison and Tarentum and aims to continue 24/7 ambulance service by merging Eureka Community Ambulance in Tarentum and...
Authorities unable to determine cause of fatal Tarentum fire
The cause of a Dec. 13 fatal fire in Tarentum remains unclear, authorities said. Kasey Reigner, spokesperson for the county’s Department of Emergency Services, said the fire was investigated by the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office and the “origin and cause will remain undetermined.” The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office...
10 ‘unsafe’ structures could come down in Tarentum
Tarentum is targeting 10 homes for demolition this year, all of which are deemed unsafe by borough officials. The structures are abandoned and in such disrepair that it would be cost prohibitive to rehab them, according to a memo by Anthony Bruni, code enforcement officer. The list includes: • 913,...
Faces of the Valley: 6-year-old BMX racer from Tarentum climbs to No. 1 national ranking
Not long after she began to walk, Elliana Zimmerman learned to pedal. The Tarentum youngster, now 6, went from a Fred Flinstone-style balance bike to pedaling — quickly — around a bumpy BMX track, according to her mother, Alexis. “When she was little, it made me nervous,” Alexis said. “She...
Duquesne Light restores power to nearly all impacted by outages
Power outages that had impacted thousands of Duquesne Light customers in Allegheny County on Sunday were mostly resolved by shortly before 6 p.m., according to the utility. Earlier in the day, outages were affecting about 1,500 customers in the areas of Mt. Oliver, Allentown and the South Side slopes. About...
The Cadet Restaurant in Manor Township, along with mascot Cowboy Sam, bid farewell
Patrons of The Cadet Restaurant in Manor Township are wondering what will become of its 30-foot-tall cowboy mascot once the eatery closes on Wednesday. Owners shared the announcement on social media that the restaurant along Route 422 near Kittanning will close at 3 p.m. after more than seven decades in...
Crews battling house fire in Whitehall
Emergency crews are fighting a house fire that broke out early Sunday in Whitehall. Whitehall Fire Company posted to Facebook, asking people to avoid the area of Oakridge Drive. The company, along with several mutual aid partners, are staging in the 4800 block of Oakridge Drive. “Please avoid Oakridge between...
Allentown shooting leaves man in critical condition
Police are investigating after a man was shot multiple times early Sunday in the city’s Allentown neighborhood. Emergency crews were called at 4:15 a.m. to the 900 block of Manton Way where they found a man in the street suffering gunshot wounds to his head and abdomen, according to Pittsburgh...
West Mifflin police find missing teen
West Mifflin police say a teenage girl has been found safe after being reported missing early Saturday. The borough’s police posted to its Facebook page, asking the public for information regarding Angelina Hall, 16. Police later reported Angelina was found safe....
Former Rockette teaches aspiring dancers at Greensburg workshop
Bright lights and big kicks were the order of business Saturday for aspiring dancers in Greensburg. The Spectacular Holiday Dance Workshop, held at Seton Hill University and The Palace Theatre, welcomed students of all ages to step into the magic of Broadway with a 2½-hour class taught by former Radio...
