Local category, Page 1005
Pair accused of defrauding SBA, banks of $14 million in covid-related aid
A Pittsburgh woman and a Detroit man have been accused of defrauding the U.S. Small Business Administration and at least two lenders of about $14 millions by obtaining fake loans for hundreds of companies from a program designed to help business recover from the covid-related financial losses, the U.S. Attorney...
Smoke from Canadian wildfires prompts events to move indoors
Smoke from wildfires in Canada is again impacting air quality in Western Pennsylvania and affecting how people work and play, and will continue to do so on Thursday. The state is advising young children, the elderly and people with respiratory problems to limit outdoor activities Wednesday because of unhealthy pollution...
Gilpin family celebrates million-dollar lottery win in Allegheny Township
A Leechburg Area High School senior is having a summer to remember. Summer St. John, 17, celebrated the news Tuesday of her mother’s million-dollar lottery win with a commemorative check presentation at the Giant Eagle in Allegheny Township. Summer and her parents, Paul and Tricia St. John, shared hugs, smiles...
South Greensburg woman to stand trial on aiding suicide charge in ex-boyfriend’s death
State Trooper Phil Dern testified Tuesday he believes it is clear that a man took his own life at a Hempfield apartment in 2021 because he repeatedly was told to do so by his former girlfriend, Mandie R. Reusch. Dern said the man posted messages he received from Reusch, 35,...
Camp Invention tradition continues at Gateway High School
The future of Camp Invention at Gateway High School was in question after James Pottinger stepped down as director after the 2022 session. “I saw how the kids didn’t want camp to end. They loved it so much,” Chris Jordan, a camp instructor at the time, said. “And I thought,...
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh looks to expand in Lawrenceville
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is looking to build an addition at its Lawrenceville campus to house its growing Heart Institute. Hospital leaders presented plans Tuesday to the city’s Planning Commission that showed a 50,000-square-foot addition atop an existing parking structure. Diane Hupp, the hospital’s president, said the new addition...
Marc Fogel Act seeks transparency in wrongful detainment designations for Americans
A bipartisan group of Pennsylvania congressmen on Tuesday introduced the Marc Fogel Act, a bill named for an Oakmont teacher who was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison for possessing a small amount of medical marijuana. The lawmakers said the legislation would require the State Department to be...
It’s official: Harrison has a new police chief
Harrison police Sgt. Brian Andrew Turack officially is the department’s new chief. Turack was sworn in at Monday’s commissioners meeting. He has been serving alongside retiring Chief Michael Klein since May, when commissioners appointed Turack to the chief’s post. Klein has been the chief for the past 29 years. His...
Pittsburgh to spend $39M on new police equipment
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved a 10-year contract worth more than $39 million to buy body cameras, in-vehicle cameras and Tasers for city police. The proposed contract originally came in at around $45 million, but officials said they negotiated a lower amount without losing any necessary equipment or services....
Experts debate brain imaging of Pittsburgh synagogue shooter
An MRI of Robert Bowers’ brain shows an unusually large number of white matter lesions that could be indicative of schizophrenia, an expert testified Tuesday. But those types of lesions also can be caused by uncontrolled high blood pressure, migraines or heavy smoking, the expert said. Dr. Murray A. Solomon,...
Hills Snack Bar food truck gets OK from health inspector
The return of the Hills Snack Bar is now one step closer to becoming reality. Just last year, Jason Powell of Aliquippa revealed he was bringing back a version of the famed snack bar from Hills department stores in the form of a food truck. On Tuesday, Powell announced that...
Gateway hosts Special Olympics event after Summer Games cancellation
What was supposed to be a special day for Special Olympics athletes ended before it began. “They were on their way on the buses, and we had to call all of them and say, ‘Turn around.’ It broke our hearts,” Jessie Merckle said. As sports director for the Three Rivers...
Pittsburgh’s ‘The Jungle’ basketball court has shot at full renovation in online contestVideo
A basketball court nicknamed “The Jungle” in the North Side is currently in the running with three other courts to receive a full renovation. Every Court Has A Story hosted the voter-based competition on its website. Video previews of the four courts — one each in Pittsburgh and Kansas, with...
‘June Boötid’ meteor shower will peak in Pittsburgh area tonight
The annual June Boötid meteor shower will stick around until July 2, but its peak — and the best chance to catch a glimpse — will be tonight. In the Pittsburgh area, the shower will be visible from dusk well into the night. But what is it, and why is...
State teacher’s union blasts proposed school voucher scholarships
Pennsylvania’s teachers union is protesting a proposed program that would shift funding from public to private schools. The initiative would provide state-funded “lifeline scholarships” to eligible students at schools identified as “low-achieving.” The program could come to a vote in the Senate this week amid the state budget approval process....
Hempfield board adopts budget with 2.3 mill tax hike
Property owners in the Hempfield Area School District will be paying more in real estate taxes after board members adopted a 2023-24 budget by a 6-2 vote. The budget includes about $106.9 million in expenditures, which amounts to a 2.3 mill property tax increase. The increase will help close a...
Industrial development agencies finalize venture to redevelop New Kensington park
Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp. and the Regional Industrial Development Corp. finalized a joint venture to redevelop the New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park. Westmoreland County commissioners and IDC directors Sean Kertes, Doug Chew and Gina Cerilli Thrasher approved the partnership with RIDC, which has agreed to the terms. “We’re extremely...
Breeze Airways adds low-cost flights from Pittsburgh to Tampa
One of the newest airlines operating out of Pittsburgh International Airport plans to add flights to Tampa early this fall. Breeze Airways, which launched service in Pittsburgh in July 2021, announced that it will begin offering nonstop flights between Pittsburgh and Tampa International on Oct. 5. Round-trip flights will be...
Morning Roundup: Penn Hills police seek 2 suspects who shot at Amazon driver
Here are some of the latest news items from Tuesday morning: Penn Hills police seek 2 suspects who shot at Amazon driver Penn Hills police are searching for two men who they say attacked an Amazon driver and fired a shot at him while the driver was making deliveries. Police...
Man fatally shot in Pittsburgh’s East Hills
A man was killed Monday night in Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood, according to police. Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert around 9 p.m. in the 2200 block of Wilner Drive and found with a man with a gunshot wound to his neck, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the...
The Stroller, June 27, 2023: 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. ‘Encanto’ to be featured Friday at Hartwood Acres The free Allegheny...
Westmoreland officials pledge to reopen juvenile detention center
Westmoreland officials on Monday pledged to reopen the county’s juvenile detention center upon the conclusion of state investigations launched this month when two youths were injured at the Hempfield facility. “As soon as the investigations are done, we hope to be up and running. As soon as we can get...
With increased interest in self-defense classes, instructors focus on situational awareness
Fourth-degree black belt Bob Makowski doesn’t mind scaring students in his self-defense classes. The harder he grabs their attention, he said, the better chance they learn tools that can thwart danger. “About 65% of assaults occur with someone you know and also happen indoors,” said Makowski, owner of a martial...
Hempfield to purchase former state prison site, demolish buildings
Hempfield will buy the former SCI Greensburg state prison and plans to work with the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation to demolish the complex. Supervisors on Monday approved spending $3.5 million to buy the 96-acre property on Route 119 between Youngwood and Greensburg. The medium-security prison was originally built to...
Activists call on Pittsburgh Public Schools to stop issuing citations against students, cut back on suspensions
A rally Monday outside the Pittsburgh Public Schools administration building in Oakland highlighted concerns about students being pushed out of schools because of summary citations and suspensions. Spearheaded by 412 Justice, an organization focused on economic, environmental and educational justice, the rally brought attention to what organizers described as school...
