Big Sewickley Creek VFD recognizes Wayne Fortuna for 13-year tenure as fire chief
Not many people would volunteer to enter burning buildings in the middle of the night, but for Wayne Fortuna, the call to serve as an unpaid firefighter for the Big Sewickley Creek Volunteer Fire Department is one that he never regretted. “I still don’t know why I do it,” Fortuna...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Jan. 22-29, 2026
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, TribLive’s “Scenes from the Valley” photo package brings to life activities and moments happening in your backyard. To have a photo considered as a “Scenes from the Valley” candidate, please...
Laurels & lances: Digging out & digging in
Laurel: To real-life learning. When winter storms dropped more than a foot of snow across Southwestern Pennsylvania, young people responded the same way — by getting to work. Members of Valley Jr.-Sr. High School’s ski club traded skis for shovels, spending afternoons clearing heavily used bus stops in New Kensington...
Letter to the editor: Fixing our broken immigration system
Last Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It’s worth remembering that King’s dream was never meant to be recited once a year — it was meant to be practiced. Right now, one of the most urgent places to practice it is immigration policy. Our system is broken in ways...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Jan. 29, 2026
High schools Basketball Boys Thursday’s results Class 6A Section 2 Upper St. Clair 55, Connellsville 33 Class 5A Section 1 Laurel Highlands 51, Franklin Regional 36 Class 4A Section 1 North Catholic 81, Highlands 43 Class 2A Section 1 Clairton 86, California 37 Section 2 Eden Christian 97, Leechburg 25...
High school roundup for Jan. 29, 2026: Geibel Catholic’s Emma Larkin threatens WPIAL single-game scoring record
Emma Larkin scored the second-most points in a game in WPIAL girls basketball history Thursday night, finishing with 62 in a 106-19 Geibel Catholic victory over Mapletown (2-17, 1-10) in Section 2-A. Larkin’s total tied with Wilkinsburg’s Maude Searcy (1990), just behind the 65 scored by Clairton’s Iyanna Wade in...
Trump’s options for Iran strike grow even with goals unclear
WASHINGTON — The arrival of a U.S aircraft-carrier strike group in the Middle East has given President Donald Trump new, more forceful options to carry out his threats to attack Iran, but the choices carry serious risks of retaliation from Tehran. At the same time, Trump’s shifting messages about his...
Back to business: Local shops, restaurants come back to life after snowstorm
Small business owners say they’ve weathered a storm that left 10 or more inches of snow on downtown streets this week. It took a mix of snow shovel handiwork, municipal plow trucks and private contractors with backhoes and tri-axle dump trucks to bring business districts back to life. “This storm...
Waymo vehicle hits child near Santa Monica elementary school
LOS ANGELES — A Waymo self-driving taxi struck a child near a Santa Monica elementary school during drop-off hours, triggering an investigation into the incident by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The child sustained minor injuries, Waymo said. There were other children, a crossing guard and several double-parked vehicles...
Unbeaten Penn State wrestlers stick to their process during 82-match winning streak
When it comes to Penn State wrestling during Cael Sanderson’s time in State College, the numbers associated with the Nittany Lions’ program are dizzying. Penn State left Philadelphia last March with its 12th NCAA team title, 10 All-Americans in 10 weight classes and a pair of champions — five-timer Carter...
Penn State coaches, players ready for outdoor hockey games at Beaver Stadium
When Guy Gadowsky was hired as the Penn State men’s hockey coach, one of the first things he asked was when a hockey game would be played in Beaver Stadium. Fifteen years later, his Nittany Lions are preparing for Hockey Valley’s Winter Classic weekend and a game against a Big...
Penn State’s Nick Singleton looking to rebuild NFL draft stock at Senior Bowl
MOBILE, Ala. — The pre-draft process feels like a clean slate for Penn State’s Nick Singleton. Singleton had a record-setting career with the Nittany Lions, finishing his fourth and final season as Penn State’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns and all-purpose yards. But the 2025 season didn’t go to plan,...
Public input sought for Parks Township dump cleanup plans
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conducting a five-year review of the project to clean up the former NUMEC nuclear waste dump off Route 66 and Kiskimere Road, formally known as the Shallow Land Disposal Area. It’s the second such review, designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the cleanup...
Photos from around the world to our backyard
From the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania to far-flung corners of the globe, TribLive’s gallery captures the world in motion — one frame at a time. Shot by photographers near and far, these images tell stories of place, connection and the quiet beauty of everyday life. More than a look...
Letter to the editor: Defund ICE until it follows the law
This week, the country faces another shutdown due to congressional inaction. This has become the norm no matter the party in charge. This potential shutdown vote has one issue that is potentially more important than the shutdown itself, and that is continuation of funding for a group that is not...
The Stroller, Jan. 29, 2026: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Benefit concert to aid...
Westmoreland happenings: Soup sale, stuffed chicken breast dinner, bake-off, more
Fundraisers • Herald Zion Lutheran Church, 671 Baltzer Meyer Pike, Hempfield, will host a soup, chili and bake-off competition from 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 31 at the church. The public can sample entries and then vote for their favorites in each category. Donations will be accepted at the door...
Editorial: Why phasing out French is a lesson in local control
Public education is at the intersection of individual growth and collective responsibility. Schools exist to help students become their best selves while also preparing them to contribute to the economic and social life of their communities. That balance is not always comfortable. Serving one goal can feel like sacrificing the...
Letter to the editor: ICE reminiscent of Gestapo, 1930s Germany
Let’s call ICE what they truly are: President Trump’s private army of thugs. They are the Gestapo of today, violent and dangerous. To paraphrase: “those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.” It’s like we are now in the Germany of the 1930s. We have a president in...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Jan. 28, 2026
High schools Basketball Boys Wednesday’s results Class 6A Section 1 Woodland Hills 60, Butler 52 Fox Chapel 44, North Allegheny 43 Section 2 Norwin 66, Imani Christian 49 Class 5A Section 1 Penn-Trafford 45, Latrobe 43 Uniontown 55, McKeesport 50 Section 2 Hampton 54, Indiana 48 Kiski Area 48, Armstrong...
High school wrestling roundup for Jan. 28, 2026: Top-seeded Franklin Regional marches into WPIAL Class 3A semifinals
Sal Nassif won an overtime decision in the third bout of the match at 133 pounds, giving top-seeded Franklin Regional the lead for good in a 50-16 victory over Thomas Jefferson in the WPIAL Class 3A team quarterfinals Wednesday night. Michael Ruane (152), Jordan Perks (160), Ethan Cartwright (189), Evan...
High school basketball roundup for Jan. 28, 2026: Sewickley Academy takes down Obama Academy in WPIAL-City League clash
Mamadou Kane scored 14 points to lead Sewickley Academy to a 50-37 boys basketball victory over Obama Academy in a matchup of top teams in the WPIAL and City League on Wednesday night. Drew Steals added 13 for the Trib HSSN Class 2A No. 1 Panthers (16-0), who jumped out...
Trump nominates U.S. prosecutor as top national fraud investigator
President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the nomination of a veteran federal prosecutor to lead a new Justice Department unit focused on fraud, as the administration looks to refocus attention on the justification for its immigration crackdown in Minnesota that has grown increasingly unpopular. Trump, in a post on his...
West Virginia librarian arrested for alleged Trump assassination plot
A West Virginia librarian was arrested for allegedly using social media to recruit someone to assassinate President Donald Trump. Ripley resident Morgan Leigh Morrow, 39, was taken into custody after she engaged in the “social media recruitment of individuals to pursue and assassinate President Trump,” the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department...
Federal unions ask court to halt FEMA position cuts
WASHINGTON — Federal worker unions have asked a judge to halt Trump administration actions that they say includes plans to cut 10,000 positions from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The new allegations, filed Tuesday, add onto an ongoing lawsuit filed by unions last April, which sought to undo widespread government...
