Local category, Page 1012
Video calls showing off pot crop at Monessen home lead to charges against 2
Video calls showing off the progress of a marijuana crop at a Monessen home have resulted in charges against two people, one of whom authorities said participated in the calls from the Westmoreland County Prison, according to court papers. Sydney Sayles, 23, of McKeesport, and Jaamayl A. Crosby, 38, of...
Pittsburgh city government employees to get free bike-share memberships
Pittsburgh city government employees are now eligible to receive free bike-share memberships. City Council on Wednesday approved a proposal to offer employees the memberships through Bike Share Pittsburgh’s POGOH, which offers traditional and electric-assist bikes in many —but not all — areas of the city. Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side,...
Vandergrift man accused of trying to smuggle meth into Westmoreland County Prison
A Vandergrift man is behind bars after Westmoreland County detectives said he tried to take about a half pound of crystal methamphetamine into the jail after his arrest last month on drug and weapons violations. Luis Alberto Brackman, 42, was strip searched May 16 at the Hempfield lockup when jail...
Single-lane restrictions begin on eastbound Interstate 70 in Rostraver
Construction on eastbound Interstate 70 single-lane restrictions between Exit 46 Route 51 and Exit 49 Smithton is scheduled to begin in Rostraver on Thursday through the end of August. The current westbound Interstate 70 single-lane restrictions will remain in place. The single-lane restrictions are necessary to allow crews to perform...
Plum water authority reports on completed, planned projects and upgrades
Plum Borough Municipal Authority completed three projects totaling $2 million in 2022 and has plans for three more this year that are expected to cost about $1.73 million, according to the authority’s annual drinking water quality report for 2022. In the report, the authority said its drinking water meets federal...
Some Pittsburgh City Council members question URA’s city-funded affordable housing plan
Pittsburgh City Council members expressed concerns Wednesday over a proposal that would put city taxpayers on the hook for $62.5 million in bond repayments to support Urban Redevelopment Authority affordable housing programs. Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration and the URA have provided few specifics on how the money would be spent,...
North Huntingdon OKs settlement on officer’s racial discrimination suit
North Huntingdon officials narrowly approved a settlement of a lawsuit a police officer filed against the township and a former manager over alleged racial discrimination when a new chief was named in 201 and what he contended was a hostile work environment. Commissioners Jason Atwood, Eric Gass, Richard Gray and...
Plum police say 4-year-old told them mother had him hide her ‘medicine,’ heroin, during traffic stop
Police say an East McKeesport woman told her 4-year-old son to hide heroin, which he called mommy’s “medicine,” when Plum police pulled her over for suspicion of driving under the influence. Christine Lynn Kregiel, 33, faces nearly a dozen charges stemming from the traffic stop about 7:30 p.m. Sunday on...
Rostraver commissioner appeals harassment conviction
A Rostraver commissioner is appealing his conviction of three summary counts of harassment. John Lorenzo, 43, was found guilty during a three-hour May 18 summary trial for making harassing statements toward the township manager and two fellow commissioners, slapping one in the face, at a township Halloween event. Prosecution witnesses...
Pennsylvania House passes $15 minimum wage bill
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s Democratic-controlled House of Representatives approved a measure by a close vote Tuesday that would raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2026, fulfilling a long-held party campaign plank that has run up against Republican legislative majorities for years. The bill passed 103-100 with all but one...
‘You are destroying your life,’ judge tells Jeannette man at sentencing hearing
The lawyer for Jeannette man convicted for his part in what prosecutors described as a major drug distribution ring told a Westmoreland County judge his client’s turbulent upbringing and future potential warranted a mitigated prison sentence. Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger disagreed when he sentenced Damone A. Morton to five...
$13M housing project aimed at addressing jump in retiree population in Westmoreland
A $13 million, 50-unit senior housing complex is planned in Rostraver. It will be the fourth project by the Westmoreland County Housing Authority in the past decade and is part of an effort to provide more senior housing for low-income residents. The authority on Tuesday approved the purchase of a...
The Stroller, June 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. Amateur Astronomers plan at free star parties Amateur Astronomers Association of...
Morning Roundup: Sports standout Sam Clancy to be honored; North Braddock chief resigns; 1 injured in shooting
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, June 21: Two-sport star to be honored by Pittsburgh A former star Pitt basketball player who went on to play in the NFL will be honored Saturday by the City of Pittsburgh with a celebration and the naming...
Know how to shop at a farmers market
Shoppers come into markets hoping to gather fresh ingredients for their families and to support small businesses in the area. But shoppers shouldn’t walk into a farmers market thinking only of finding the freshest ingredients and nothing else. Just like any shopping trip, it’s important to go into a farmers...
Farm fresh? Yes, but farmers markets offerings are months in the making
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the days, times and location for the Central Westmoreland Farmer’s Market near Greensburg. Kira Karpinski’s farmers market offerings in June take root six months earlier in a sun-drenched room in her house. Not a greenhouse — her actual house. “I start...
Greensburg’s Summer in the City fun event returns with 2-part, 1-day format
Greensburg’s Summer in the City is back for a third year, with a new single-day format. Free activities for all ages — including live music, backyard games and firefighter demonstrations — are set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Pitt-Penn parking lot along South Pennsylvania Avenue. A...
Westmoreland 250: 10 unique things in Murrysville
(Editor’s note: To mark Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday this year, we’ve come up with a list of 250 things — 10 things in 25 communities — that we consider to be important to the makeup of our area. This series will appear each week through December. If you have a...
Greater Latrobe school board approves tax hike
Property owners in the Greater Latrobe School District will be paying more real estate taxes in the upcoming year after the school board adopted a 2023-24 budget with a 3 mill tax hike. The budget includes about $64.2 million in expenditures. The tax increase, approved in a 5-4 vote, will...
Bethel Park School District budget calls for tax increase
Bethel School Board is scheduled to vote June 27 on adopting the district’s final budget for 2023-24. Property owners can expect a new real estate tax rate of 24.5526 mills, or 4.8% over the current fiscal year, according to the proposed budget made available for public review. The amount represents...
‘Endless possibilities’: Students compete in first Hampton Scholastic Chess Tournament
Even though Ryan Hirsh started playing chess just a few years ago, the seventh-grader at Carson Middle School quickly outpaced his usual opponents — namely, his mom. “Ryan beats me every time we play,” Amanda Hirsch joked. “So that’s why when I saw the tournament (on Facebook), I thought, let’s...
Allegheny County Council overrides Fitzgerald veto, enacts county-worker minimum wage
Allegheny County employees will have a new minimum wage starting next year and that wage will eventually increase to $20 an hour. The law will set $20 an hour as the minimum wage for county workers by 2026. There would be incremental increases to $18 an hour next year and...
Sheetz eyes new store location on Greensburg’s East Pittsburgh Street
Greensburg soon could have another Sheetz store. The Altoona-based company is proposing to build a new convenience store and gas station at 770 E. Pittsburgh St., near the intersection of Humphrey Road at the city’s eastern border. The city zoning hearing board on Wednesday is expected to consider a request...
4 cats die in North Huntingdon house fire
Four cats died in a house fire Tuesday afternoon in North Huntingdon, according to Circleville fire Chief Craig Cochenour. Several township fire departments, police and EMS responded to the blaze on Drop Road around 3:20 p.m. No one was home when the fire started. No nearby homes were damaged, and...
boygenius fans camp out early in hopes of prime Stage AE spots
After the Taylor Swift pandemonium last weekend, more music lovers are going to extreme lengths to see their favorite performers on the North Shore. Fans were lined up outside of Stage AE early Tuesday morning in hopes of scoring a spot close to the stage to watch boygenius Tuesday evening....
