Western PA Local News category, Page 1008
North Allegheny begins celebrating 75th birthday
In 1948, a loaf of bread was 15 cents, a movie ticket was 60 cents, the average cost of new house was $7,700, historical archives say, and the North Allegheny School District was born. The district officially turned 75 on June 10. There’s been much growth since its inception in...
Divine Grace in Cranberry hosts summer festival
Divine Grace Parish in Cranberry Townsip is hosting a three-day parish festival Aug. 11-13 at its St. Ferdinand Church location, a community event open to the public that has historically drawn from 15,000 to 20,000 people. St. Ferdinand Church is located at 2535 Rochester Road. The festival will offer carnival...
The Stroller, July 21, 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. Fun and Freedom Youth Sports to host golf fundraiser A golf...
$25 million in upgrades underway at Highlands schools
With the start of school just over a month away, Highlands is readying its buildings with safety upgrades such as lighting and new sidewalks in time for the first class bell. Projects are underway at all four campuses as well as the community center. The cost is about $25 million....
Tarentum targets 3 abandoned properties with holes, mold and rodents
Three abandoned Tarentum homes that officials say double as raccoon and rat refuges could come down as early as next month. “All three are in severe disrepair. They have holes, mold and are a nuisance to their neighborhoods,” code enforcement officer Anthony Bruni said. Work could start by late August...
St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Arnold helps children orphaned by war
With help from the Catholic community in Arnold and beyond, Ukrainian children orphaned by war now have day camps and new friends to look forward to. A campaign by the Rev. Yaroslav Koval at St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church sought donations to assist a youth group in his native country....
Zoning update to bring significant changes in West Deer
West Deer residents can expect significant changes as a new zoning ordinance progresses, completely overhauling the zoning map. The new ordinance draft is not yet accessible to the public. “This is a very comprehensive zoning update. Many new definitions have arrived, and an entirely new zoning district was created,” township...
Hempfield closes on former state prison property, bulks up security
Hempfield officially received a full box of keys to the former SCI Greensburg state prison facility after closing on the property last week. “There are a lot of keys to a prison, I found out,” township manager Aaron Siko joked at a meeting this week. The township supervisors announced the...
North Huntingdon moves step closer to residential rental registry
Landlords renting homes and apartments in North Huntingdon will have to register their buildings and tenants and pay a fee, if township commissioners approve a proposed ordinance. Commissioners on Wednesday authorized the township solicitor to write an ordinance requiring the registration of residential rental properties, despite concerns by some landlords...
Greensburg police officer pleads guilty in 2022 assault case, resigned from force
Editor’s note: Former Greensburg Kenneth Burke pleaded guilty Friday to an amended misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and summary harassment. The charges to which he pleaded guilty were incorrect in the original version of this story. A suspended Greensburg police officer has been forced to resign after pleading guilty Friday...
Johnstown couple charged in death of man whose body was found in Indiana County
A Johnstown couple has been charged in connection with the shooting death of a man whose body was discovered July 14 along an Indiana County road. State police have charged Justin Allen Green, 41, with homicide and robbery in the death of Daryl Vincent Lee Jr., 44, of Johnstown. Green...
Independence Health announces 4 members of leadership team
Independence Health System officially has a new leadership team, composed of four longtime department heads from the system’s component parts of Butler Health System and Excela Health. On Thursday, Independence introduced Dr. Carol Fox as chief medical officer; Dr. David Rottinghaus as president of Physician and Provider Network; Karen Allen...
Murrysville man will sing national anthem at PNC Park
Joe Hnath of Murrysville is making his mother proud at a pretty rapid rate these days. Hnath, 24, is on the autism spectrum and was diagnosed at age 2 with Asperger’s Syndrome. His mother, Lisa, is a volunteer education advocate with the nonprofit East Suburban Citizen Advocacy, which is dedicated...
Pittsburgh’s South Side not getting more violent, crime stats show
Though some have voiced concerns that Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood is more dangerous, crime data from Pittsburgh police indicate violent crime there is decreasing. From January through June, the neighborhood saw eight aggravated assault charges, 21 simple assault charges and four criminal mischief charges, according to crime statistics provided by...
Circle of Courage Awards scheduled in Monroeville
The 13th annual Pittsburgh Circle of Courage Awards is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Aug. 4 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 101 Mall Blvd., Monroeville. Awards honor individuals who show faith and courage in their respective careers. Award categories include religion, government, education, business, medicine, art, media, military, missions and sports....
Police try to ID suspect in East Huntingdon quick-change scam
State police are looking for a man who they said turned a water bottle purchase into a $1,000 theft at the East Huntingdon Walmart in a quick-change scam. Troopers released a surveillance image of the suspect on Thursday. They said he scammed the cashier on July 10 out of $1,000...
Local author, illustrator to host children’s book signing in Murrysville
Murrysville author Nina Damato and Kiski Area graduate and artist Rebecca Ehalt Svetina will host a book signing to mark the release of their new children’s book on July 22. “The Extraordinarily Ordinary Kittens,” released in mid-June, tells the story of Damato’s two adopted blind cats, Bocelli and Louise Braille,...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: July 21-23
Sunset soiree Experience Fort Ligonier at twilight with a sunset tour from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the historical site at routes 30 and 711 in Ligonier. Guests will enjoy a guided tour of the fort’s museum and a wine, cheese and dessert reception on the education center patio....
Murrysville area: Blood drive, local summer festivals, National Night Out and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Music night at Newhouse Park The Delmont Recreation Committee will host a music night July 27 at Newhouse Park. The committee will host a 5 p.m. community picnic with live entertainment by Flyin’ Oaks and Company. Red Barn Winery will be on...
East Deer plans Baileys Run Road waterline improvements
A problematic water line in East Deer is being addressed by township officials. Commissioners recently approved a nearly $500,000 loan from PennVEST — the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority — to complete the project to fix a waterline on Baileys Run Road. “This is a section of waterline that has the...
Norwin area: Irwin seeks money to improve town sign; car cruise at West Hempfield church; book signing party and more
Irwin seeks money for sign improvements, paving Irwin Borough’s informational sign along Pennsylvania Avenue near the Irwin Park entrance is being targeted for improvements, funded by the borough’s anticipated allocation from its 2024 Community Development Block Grant. Council could earmark $122,500 to upgrade the sign so that it can display...
PennDOT secretary, Pittsburgh officials call for transit funding during budget impasseVideo
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration met with local officials Thursday in Downtown Pittsburgh to stress the importance of transit and infrastructure funding as the state and region looks to repair hundreds of roads and bridges. PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll met with officials on the Smithfield Street Bridge, a 140-year-old span undergoing...
UPMC appoints physician to senior vice president role
UPMC has named Dr. Oscar Marroquin as senior vice president, UPMC, and president of UPMC Physician Services Division, including president of University of Pittsburgh Physicians. He will oversee UPP and Community Medicine, which includes more than 5,000 employed physicians and staff. Marroquin is currently UPMC’s chief health care data and...
‘We need homes, not vacant lots’: Pittsburgh council hears public land bank support
Pittsburgh City Council on Thursday heard public support for legislation that aims to make it easier for the city’s land bank to take the city’s blighted properties and bring them back to reuse. The proposed legislation deals with what city officials refer to as the tri-party agreement, which outlines how...
Expert details Pittsburgh synagogue shooter’s troubled childhood ‘laden with trauma’
Time and again, Robert Bowers’ mother was told her young son needed help. When he was an infant, both parents threatened to kill him. When he was a toddler, his speech regressed so much he stopped talking altogether. When he had a rash as a young boy, a doctor thought...
