Western PA Local News category
Astrobotic’s latest lunar lander on track for 2026 launch
Pittsburgh’s Astrobotic is closing in on the launch of its Griffin-1 lander, a 15-foot-wide spacecraft that will deliver two state-of-the-art rovers to the moon. CEO John Thornton said Wednesday the lander is nearing completion and should be ready for takeoff on a SpaceX rocket by the end of the year....
Two Pagans motorcycle gang members held in jail on bail after preliminary hearing
Two Lower Burrell men, who police say are members of the Pagans motorcycle gang, are being held in the Westmoreland County jail on $300,000 bond following a January assault at Mogie’s Irish Pub. Robert Browne, 27, and Devin Colucci, 25, face charges of assault, robbery, theft, harassment, disorderly conduct and...
Mt. Pleasant man pleads guilty to paying for videos of monkey torture
A Mt. Pleasant man pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to paying people overseas to torture monkeys and record the acts on video. Joseph Garrett Buckland, 44, was charged with conspiracy to create and distribute animal crush videos in February. The videos, which are illegal to sell or exchange,...
New Kensington man pleads guilty for baseball bat assault
A New Kensington man was ordered to serve at least four years in prison for the assault of a house guest with a baseball bat. Brian Mikesell, 51, pleaded guilty to one felony count of aggravated assault in connection with an incident at his home on March 12, 2025 that...
Fundraiser, funeral services announced for Chartiers Valley junior Trinity Irwin
Trinity Irwin, a Chartiers Valley High School junior remembered as an exceptional student and deeply involved in the community, has died, the school district has announced. Members of the Chartiers Valley community have established a GoFundMe online fundraiser to support Irwin medical and funeral expenses. A viewing will be held...
Death row inmate Kevin Murphy appeals to Pa. Supreme Court in Westmoreland triple murder case
A Loyalhanna businessman on death row for 16 years is asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to hear an appeal for a new trial. Lawyers for Kevin Murphy are challenging a ruling last month by Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio that upheld his triple homicide convictions. Bilik-DeFazio previously...
How Hempfield Area’s high school $119M renovation will impact students
Hempfield Area students will not have to attend classes in temporary trailers during the upcoming $119 million high school renovation. Instead, a 2023 decision to move freshmen to the former Harrold Middle School has provided enough available space to keep all students in permanent classrooms after work begins June 1....
Former Freeport Council president accused of assaulting man after traffic collision
Former Freeport Council President — and current tax collector — Richard Fennell is facing an assault charge after, police say, he punched a man during a traffic incident. Fennell, 57, had served on council since 2024 before resigning in January to take up the borough’s vacant tax collector position. On...
Balance Brewing opens in Ross, enlarging space of former craft brewer Necromancer
A desire for balance — in life and in beer — has lead three partners to open their own craft brewery in Ross. “A good beer is balanced in its sweetness and bitterness,” said Rob Houston, co-founder and operations manager for Balance Brewing, whose philosophy of balance extends to his...
What you need to know if you’re going to the Pirates home opener
The Pittsburgh Pirates open their 2026 season at PNC Park Friday with a matchup against the Baltimore Orioles. Continuing tradition, the first pitch is set for 4:12 p.m., a tribute to Pittsburgh’s 412 area code. The Pirates started the season losing two of three games to the New York Mets...
Pittsburgh biotech company Lipella Pharmaceuticals files for bankruptcy protection
Lipella Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood, filed for bankruptcy protection Monday following more than two decades of developing medications that never made it to market. The drugmaker is winding down operations just 10 months after being delisted from the Nasdaq stock exchange, which choked off access to...
Pittsburgh looks to charge $5 an hour for on-street parking near NFL Draft
Anyone seeking on-street parking Downtown or on the North Side during the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh later this month can expect to pay extra. City Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, this week introduced legislation that will raise the cost for coveted on-street parking spots near the event footprint. The...
Forecast is cloudy with a chance of baseball for Pirates’ home opener
Meteorologists predict that it will be pleasantly warm but potentially rainy when the Pittsburgh Pirates play this season’s home-opener Friday afternoon at PNC Park. But forecasting the game’s outcome based on the elements doesn’t bode well for the Buccos. “Let’s start with the fun part of the forecast for Friday,”...
Donation from Sri Venkateswara Temple in Penn Hills to enhance local emergency response efforts
Emergency service workers in Penn Hills will now be heading into calls equipped with thermal imaging technology. Penn Hills Volunteer Fire Company No. 7, Station 227 at 125 Universal Road, was able to purchase a thermal imaging drone for various departments to use during emergency calls. According to William Jeffcoat,...
Plum High School prepares for spring musical ‘Seussical’
More than 100 Plum High School students are preparing for a spring musical that’s a remix of classic Dr. Seuss tales. Plum’s production of “Seussical” is set to hit the stage for three shows April 16 to 18. The show weaves together several familiar tales into a new story as...
Celebrate CV expo showcases student success at Chartiers Valley
Chartiers Valley School District held its interactive student expo, “Celebrate CV,” on Tuesday, March 31 at the high school. A districtwide showcase, members of the community could explore student projects, displays and performances highlighting talents and achievements of district students and staff. The event offered activities from student clubs, sports...
Oakdale teen charged in crash that killed tractor-trailer driver
Police have arrested an Oakdale teen accused of fatally striking a tractor-trailer driver standing outside his vehicle in Washington County last summer. Jaxon Ramon Farrell, 18, was charged Monday with homicide by vehicle and other counts in the Aug. 25, 2025, death of Brian Everhart on a Route 22 overpass...
Oakmont’s Riverside Park playground to close for accessibility upgrades
May won’t just be bringing flowers in Oakmont this year. It will also bring a refurbished children’s playground in Riverside Park. The park’s current playground will be closed by the end of the week to undergo significant refurbishment, according to a post from borough officials. “Anticipated to reopen by the...
5 things to know about NASA’s Artemis II mission launch
The NASA Artemis II mission — which will send astronauts around the Moon and back for the first time since Apollo 17 more than 50 years ago — is set to launch from the Kennedy Space Center at 6:24 p.m. on Wednesday. NASA’s team is counting down toward liftoff of...
Sorority chapter’s youth affiliate helps spruce up Penn Hills during spring cleanup
Members of the Penn Hills Youth Auxiliary rolled up their sleeves on March 21 for the annual Spring Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup. The auxiliary is part of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.’s Gamma Alpha Tau Zeta Chapter in Penn Hills. The young leaders took to the streets to clear litter and refresh...
Las Hachas in New Kensington to close, but maybe not for long
New Kensington axe throwing spot Las Hachas will close this weekend, but the venue’s future could still include targets and blades. The storefront owners, Brian Mangone and Brian Heidenreich, along with building owner Olde Towne Overhaul, are looking for a new tenant who wants to keep it an entertainment destination....
Sto-Rox changes school start times: later for middle and high School, earlier for elementary
Students in the Sto-Rox School District will report to school at different times next year. The school day at the Sto-Rox Primary Center will start at 8:10 a.m. and end at 2:40 p.m., about an hour earlier from this year’s school day. The Upper Elementary School will start at 8...
State police accuse Massachusetts man of sexually assaulting 2 girls in Manor Township
A Massachusetts man is facing a dozen felony charges after being accused of repeatedly forcing two girls to perform sex acts in Manor Township. Kole Anthony Glaister, 23, of Blackstone, Mass., is charged by state police with indecent deviate sexual intercourse of a person less than 16 years old, sexual...
Flag-raising ceremony at Harrison hospital part of AHN’s salute to organ donors
Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison will host a flag-raising ceremony next week to raise awareness about organ donations. The initiative takes place each April as part of National Donate Life Month and is observed across Allegheny Health Network sites. It started Wednesday at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh’s North Side...
Morning Roundup: Cops confiscate drugs, cash, gun at Penn Hills convenience store
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, April 1, 2026: Beaver County man arrested in Penn Hills with loaded gun, drugs Authorities arrested a Beaver County man Tuesday who they said was spotted carrying illegal drugs, $7,000 in cash and a loaded gun — with...
