Allegheny County News category, Page 86
Sewickley company helps save family legacies 1 snapshot at a time
Shelley Murray saves memories. She collects messy boxes of images, documents and newspaper clippings and sorts, organizes, cleans and scans or digitizes them to curate a legacy history for future generations. “We transform your memories by bringing your story to life, while also preserving that story,” Murray said while in...
Shaler commissioners table Mt. Alvernia development discussions amid community concerns
After a more than two-hour meeting with extensive public engagement, Shaler commissioners voted March 11 to table a zoning ordinance that would have advanced a plan to redevelop the Mt. Alvernia property. The property, which straddles the border of Shaler and Millvale, was once the campus of the Sisters of...
Pittsburgh man charged in double homicide in Duquesne
A Pittsburgh man has been charged with fatally shooting a man and a woman on Jan. 20 at a home in Duquesne. The suspect, 28-year-old Ishmeil Muhammad, periodically stayed at the residence in the 100 block of Commonwealth Avenue, which was the home of one of the victims, Catherine Lawing,...
Mary Roberts Reinheart Park officials dedicate time and love to keep it thriving
A little park with a big name is considered by many to be the hidden horticultural gem of Glen Osborne. The Mary Roberts Rinehart Nature Park was born from an overgrown and trash-filled steep ravine. Thanks to decades of community cooperation, hard work and dedicated volunteers, the public park welcomes...
Giant Eagle set to close North Versailles supermarket
Giant Eagle announced it will be closing down its North Versailles supermarket and pharmacy on May 31. The company didn’t respond to TribLive’s inquiry about the reason for the closure but noted in a statement that it was a “difficult, but necessary decision.” It suggested that pharmacy customers at the...
Morning Roundup: Car crashes off Route 28 ramp to Highland Park Bridge; driver walks away
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, March 13: Driver walks away after car crashes off Route 28 ramp A man did not suffer any apparent injuries after his car on Wednesday flew off a Route 28 ramp to the Highland Park Bridge, landing roughly...
Monroeville welcomes new assistant manager, looks forward to mall redevelopment plans
Monroeville officials hired an assistant manager who will work alongside municipal manager Alex Graziani. Council hired Makayla Zonfilli-Lang, who was introduced as its February voting meeting. Zonfilli-Lang has a master’s degree from Penn State, graduate and paralegal certification from Duquesne University and an undergraduate degree in political science. She is...
Gateway sophomore earns Eagle Scout rank
Keegan Parady, a member of Lackawanna District’s Troop 220, earned his Eagle Scout rank in January. For his project, the Pitcairn resident purchased and installed shelving for Gateway High School’s food pantry. The Eagle Scout award is the highest honor available to Boy Scouts of America youth members. Only about...
Former McKeesport police captain charged with stealing $260K from evidence room
A former McKeesport police captain has been charged after a monthslong investigation with stealing more than $260,000 from the department’s evidence room. Christopher Halaszynski, 54, of McKeesport was charged Wednesday with theft and receiving stolen property and immediately waived his case to Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. He was released...
U.S. Steel claims rival, union conspired to sabotage Nippon merger
Attorneys for U.S. Steel argued in federal court in Pittsburgh on Wednesday that statements by rival Cleveland-Cliffs and the head of the United Steelworkers union amounted to an illegal conspiracy intended to sabotage their merger with Nippon Steel. But the defendants’ attorneys argued what their clients said about the potential...
Baldwin-Whitehall will rename district offices to honor former superintendent
Baldwin-Whitehall school directors will rename the district’s administration building to honor longtime superintendent Charles H. Faust, who filled the role from 1986-2004. Current Superintendent Randal Lutz said Faust, a native of Ruffs Dale in Westmoreland County, was fully dedicated to his job at Baldwin-Whitehall, and even recalled seeing Faust sit...
Dress for Success public warehouse sale in Sharpsburg benefits women entering work force
When Monica Nixon moved from Tulsa, Okla., to Pittsburgh post-covid, her resources were lacking. “My job shut down and I finally got a position that would elevate me after all of that craziness that most of us went through,” Nixon said. But she needed a helping hand to put her...
Morning Roundup: 2 injured in Elizabeth Township house fire; Rivers Casino data breach
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, March 12: 2 injured in Elizabeth Township house fire Two people were injured and taken by ambulance for hospital treatment after a fire broke out early Wednesday at a home in Elizabeth Township. The fire was reported at...
Fire marshal: Woman dies in a house fire and explosion in Penn Hills
An 84-year-old woman died Tuesday in a fire in Penn Hills that officials say was set off by a propane gas leak. Allegheny County medical examiner personnel were called to the scene of a fire and explosion in the 300 block of College Street. The victim will be identified by...
On the runway: Cancer survivors show their style at 412 Thrive fashion fundraiser
When Alayna Gallagher was asked to help with a fashion show for cancer survivors she immediately thought of her best friend in college — Lindsay Freed. “I keep Lindsay’s spirit with me every day,” said Gallagher, who lost Freed to cancer at 28 years old. “I immediately said I would...
Police signal all clear after grenade donation forces evacuation of Goodwill store in Penn Hills
The Goodwill store and donation center in the Penn Hills Shopping Center briefly shut down Tuesday afternoon after somebody donated a grenade. “One of our employees at this location was going through a gaylord (box) when she noticed what appeared to look like really large bullets,” said Brian Minefield, an...
6 people scammed after card skimmer found at 7-Eleven in Etna; more people likely affected
Several customers at a 7-Eleven location in Etna have reported fraudulent charges on their accounts after a card skimmer was found Monday on one of the store’s registers. Etna police Chief Tim Rodman said his department has received fraud reports from six residents so far, though it is likely more...
McKeesport police officer sues over racial discrimination, retaliation claims
A Black McKeesport police officer is suing his employer and the city’s mayor over claims of racial discrimination in how the police department promotes and disciplines. Julian Thomas, 38, of McKeesport, alleges the city has long ignored its own civil service rules, resulting in mostly white officers being promoted by...
Brentwood-based refugee group celebrates International Women’s Day
When it comes to longevity, consider that International Women’s Day has taken place each March 8 for more than a century, dating back to before the 19th Amendment to the Constitution gave American women the right to vote. Celebrating the day is a longtime staple of the Brentwood-based Bhutanese Community...
North Hills Ebony Women celebrate Black history with special meal, keynote message
North Hills Ebony Women Inc. held its annual Black History Month celebration March 2 at La Roche University’s Zappala Campus Center to further the 45-year-old nonprofit’s mission of “recognizing and promoting African American identity, heritage, education and unity.” During the event, guests shopped with several local vendors, heard musical performances...
‘You stole my world’: Killer of Pittsburgh club security guard gets up to 50 years in prison
Akeyba Sanchez tried to explain away the crime he’d committed by saying it had been a bad day. “I’m sorry this happened,” he said Monday in court. “I regret it. It wasn’t supposed to go down like that.” But, the prosecutor said, what Sanchez really meant was, he shot the...
5 years after covid struck, Pennsylvanians assess the pandemic’s impact
Five years ago this month, Pennsylvania’s chief executive scrambled to manage a global health crisis for which no one in the world was prepared. As leader of the nation’s fifth most-populous state, then-Gov. Tom Wolf found himself winging it like everyone else. He had no playbook for covid-19. “It looked...
University of Pittsburgh housekeepers union reaches 1-year contract, says university fears federal funding cuts
The union representing University of Pittsburgh cleaners, housekeepers, grounds crew, and movers and receivers says it has agreed to a one-year contract as the result of uncertainty in education funding from the federal government. The union, 32BJ SEIU, is a branch of the Service Employees International Union. In a press...
DA withdraws all charges against bookkeeper in $580K Mon View Heights theft case
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office on Friday withdrew charges against one of three men accused of stealing nearly $600,000 earmarked for a West Mifflin subsidized housing complex, with the prosecutor apologizing to the man as he left a preliminary hearing for the defendants. Jonathan Liani, 39, of New York...
Projectiles launched, zombie art composed at annual Shaler Area STEAM competition
Teams from 16 schools applied their knowledge and creativity in a series of challenges Friday during an annual STEAM competition hosted by Shaler Area High School. The competition, which began several years ago with just six schools, features a daylong sequence of science, technology, engineering, art and math trials in...
