Homestead category, Page 7

A woman spent hours held captive in her ex-boyfriend’s West Mifflin home Wednesday, forced into the basement when police responded to her texts seeking help, according to charges filed Thursday. Demetrius Pirl, 51, faces a slew of charges, including kidnapping, rape, false imprisonment and sexual assault. The ordeal left a...

The Richard King Mellon Foundation on Thursday announced its largest ever grant — $150 million to Carnegie Mellon University. Half of the historic investment — $75 million — will go toward the construction of CMU’s long-awaited, cutting-edge $210 million science building on Forbes Avenue, adjacent to the Carnegie Museum in...

All three bald eagle nests along the Monongahela River and Youghiogheny River near McKeesport in Allegheny County have chicks this spring, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. At the Youghiogheny River nest, near McKeesport, there is at least one young bird on private property, said Douglas Bergman, a game warden...

Kennywood Park announced Friday that fully vaccinated visitors do not have to wear masks, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s easing of restrictions. The park posted on Facebook on Friday that fully vaccinated patrons do not have to wear a mask, and those who have not been vaccinated...

3 Rivers Comicon will return to the Pittsburgh area in a “LITE” version May 22-23 at The Waterfront in Homestead. The convention, featuring comics, toys and other “nerdy things,” will set up outdoors in the overflow lot between Farmer’s National Bank and Steak ‘n Shake, near New Dimension Comics. Hours...

Kennywood Park kicked off its 123rd season Saturday — two months earlier than last year’s delayed opening because of the covid-19 pandemic. Some rides and attractions, including Noah’s Ark, Skycoaster and the 4D Theater, still remain closed as the West Mifflin park follows safety protocols recommended by the Center for...

Charlie and Blue are more than a man’s best friend. The German shepherds are lifesavers. If Dan Smith’s blood sugar is approaching dangerous levels at night, Charlie, who sleeps on a cot next to Smith’s bed, wakes him up. Right before Shar’Ron Harris is about to have a seizure, Blue...

Summer cannot be far away. The official opening of Kennywood in West Mifflin is May 8. Sandcastle in West Homestead and Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier aren’t far behind. They are planning for a May 29 debut. After shortened schedules last year because of the pandemic, the parks are focused...

Kennywood, Sandcastle Waterpark and Idlewild & SoakZone announced Friday the three parks will be raising the hourly rate for most workers from $9 to $13. Hourly pay rates at Kennywood and Sandcastle for employees at least 18 years old, or graduating high school seniors —will be $13 an hour. For...

Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...

As of Tuesday afternoon, Giant Eagle’s mass vaccination clinics at Heinz Field on Thursday and Friday are full. Giant Eagle spokesperson Dick Roberts said that while additional clinics will take place, he cannot comment on how many more there will be. Appointments are required. Only those eligible under Pennsylvania’s Phase...

Irish eyes will be smiling at this news. The 30th annual Pittsburgh Irish Festival is being planned as an in-person event. Its return was announced Tuesday, the day before St. Patrick’s Day. “We are trying to be creative,” said Mairin Petrone, the festival’s executive director. “Our slogan is ‘Irish eyes...

A jitney driver is accused of stabbing another man outside the Waterfront Giant Eagle, leaving the man with eight wounds, including one stab wound to his head, according to court documents. Homestead Police responded to the grocery store about 9:30 a.m. Friday for a report of a fight followed by...

Tanikka Pinnix and her daughter weren’t actually supposed to be on the Homestead Grays Bridge on a chilly Thursday morning last month. Pinnix and her teenage daughter, Layla Gooden, took an unplanned detour across the bridge on Jan. 28. There they saw a woman beginning to climb over the rail...

When Nahki Johnson committed to Pitt in the early days of the summer of 2019, he was barely removed from his sophomore year at West Mifflin. Two more seasons of high school football lay ahead. There were still 18 months before he could sign a binding letter of intent with...

Spring is a month away, summer is a distant four months away, but work is being done now to ensure the roller coasters and rides at Kennywood are ready for the new season. On Tuesday, the park shared on social media several photos of track being replaced on the Racer...

A former Macy’s department store now known as the Waterfront Technology Center has been bought by one of its current tenants. Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA), an online education platform, has finalized a deal to purchase the redeveloped office complex from M&J Wilkow and BIG Shopping Centers, which bought the 140,000-square-foot...

A Braddock man is set for arraignment Wednesday in federal court after police reported finding drugs in his possession that authorities have linked to overdoses in the area, according to court records. Deshaun Curtis Jones, 29, was ordered detained pending trial on drug and weapons violations. North Huntingdon police on...

A Homestead man will serve 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to selling heroin and fentanyl that killed one person and almost killed another. Clayton Murphy, 45, was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Mark Hornak as part of a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty in September...

West Mifflin Police are asking for help searching for a 15-year-old boy last seen two weeks ago. Derek Kendrick was last seen around 1 p.m. Jan. 8, according to a notice from police. He is about 5-feet 9-inches tall and was last seen wearing a red hoodie, blue jeans and...

In June 1980, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank opened its doors in the Hill District. The once-thriving steel industry, which had been in a slow, steady decline for nearly 30 years, began to rapidly deteriorate during the early 1980s. In January 1983, the region’s unemployment rate hit 18.2 percent,...

The bread will no longer rise at Mantsch Blue Bonnet Bakery after Thursday. The longtime Homestead staple for fresh bread, homemade buns and tasty sweet treats from doughnuts to cakes to cookies is closing on Christmas Eve. “It’s time to retire,” said owner Michael Mantsch, 66, of West Mifflin, who...

A 52-year-old man who was in critical condition after a shooting in Homestead earlier this month died Friday afternoon, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. William P. Wright of Homestead was pronounced dead at an area hospital after he was involved in a Dec. 4 shooting, officials said....