Local category, Page 1110
Concrete base in place at Westmoreland courthouse parking, plaza project
Trucks continuously pulled in front of the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg early Saturday and through the morning to feed thousands of cubic yards concrete that formed the base for a new courtyard plaza. Some 50 laborers were directing the 4-inch hose that spewed the concrete pumped from two giant...
Fire destroys home, vacant business in Harrison
A fire destroyed a home and an empty business along River Avenue in the Natrona section of Harrison on Saturday. The blaze started at 21 River Ave. Homeowner Jeff Martinka said he was cooking home fries and went into his backyard to eat a meal. Then he turned around and...
High winds down trees, wires Saturday; Almost 17,000 still without power Sunday afternoon
The region’s two electric utility companies still have about 16,800 customers without power in Western Pennsylvania on Sunday afternoon as a result of storms that blew through Southwestern Pennsylvania on Saturday, with intense winds taking down trees that cut power lines and broke utility poles. West Penn Power in Greensburg...
A town derailed: ‘Shell-shocked’ East Palestine residents seek normalcy after train
For many people in and around East Palestine, Ohio, life changed when a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed Feb. 3 near the Pennsylvania border. The controlled burn of toxic chemicals that followed sent a large plume of black smoke into the air that could be seen for miles....
Building collapses in Mt. Oliver
A building collapsed along Brownsville Road in Mt. Oliver Friday, the borough’s fire department reported. There were no reports of injuries as a result of the collapse of the building in the 300 block of Brownsville Road. A Mt. Oliver fire department official could not be reached for comment Saturday...
Stored ammo pops as house burns in East HuntingdonVideo
An East Huntingdon house was destroyed by a fire Saturday morning, a fire official said. No one was injured in the fire that destroyed the house in the 200 block of South Quarry Street, East Huntingdon Volunteer Fire Department Chief Brian Kite said. The fire was reported about 8 a.m....
Religion Digest, April 1, 2023
Holy Week and Easter Services Brackenridge • A community Good Friday service, “The Seven Last Words of the Cross,” will be from noon to 3 p.m. April 7 at Trinity United Methodist Church, 847 10th Ave., Brackenridge. Each word will be presented by a different local minister and accompanied by...
The Stroller, April 1, 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. Comedy night to benefit American Cancer Society A night of comedy...
Training seminar teaches police how to handle domestic violence situations
For Harrison police Officer Colton Stebler, responding to domestic violence is an almost daily occurrence. “Sometimes it’s multiple calls a day,” said Stebler, who has spent six years in law enforcement. The Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center sponsored a free training seminar on domestic violence for area law enforcement officials Friday...
Free summer lunch program in Natrona at risk of cancellation
A summer lunch program that feeds up to 20 children in Natrona Community Park is in danger of being canceled after organizers claimed there is a lack of security at the concession stand, among other liability issues. The Building Block of Natrona, a nonprofit that runs the program through a...
Greensburg Salem Mini-THON exceeds goal, nets $71.5K for pediatric cancer charity
Greensburg Salem High School’s Mini-THON committee raised the bar for its fundraising goal during the 2022-23 school year. The student group hoped to generate $60,000 for the battle against pediatric cancer, an increase of more than $10,000 from the previous year’s campaign. Ultimately, the charitable effort sailed far over that...
Burrell preps for spring musical, discovers relevance of ‘Bye Bye Birdie’
You might say “Bye Bye Birdie” is a bit like Beatlemania: a unique burst of energetic stagecraft designed to capture the essence of a musical phenomenon. In this case, it’s a musical about rock ’n’ roll superstar Conrad Birdie, who is strongly influenced by Elvis Presley. The story is based...
Turtle Creek man arrested after allegedly dragging police officer last year
A Turtle Creek man accused of dragging a Whitehall police officer more than 200 feet with his car was arrested Friday by Allegheny County police after being wanted for nearly a year. Alphonso Francis, 28, was charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and a firearms violation, and has been wanted...
Meteorologist: High winds a more frequent headache for Southwestern Pa.
Ill winds have been blowing with increased frequency through Southwestern Pennsylvania this year, felling trees, causing power outages and leaving behind debris and damaged buildings. With a high wind warning in effect for the region from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, on the tail of damaging winds the previous...
Pittsburgh leaders tout efforts to stem violence
Twelve-year-old Ah’Kill Creighton was playing basketball outside one day last year when he witnessed his first murder. He recalled hearing a gunshot and seeing someone fall. “I got scared, because it was the first time I ever saw somebody die,” said Creighton, of Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood, during a news conference...
Swift-moving fire engulfs building in Leechburg
No injuries were reported in a swift-moving fire at a commercial structure in Leechburg on Friday. The blaze at Metco Supply Inc., 81 Kiski Ave., was reported just after 5 p.m. Leechburg Volunteer Fire Co. Chief John Foster said it took longer than he was hoping to attack the fire....
County begins demolition at Ligonier Beach
Ligonier area residents are saying goodbye to the remnants of the Ligonier Beach property. With the support of federal funding, Westmoreland County has officially started demolition at the Ligonier Township property in accordance with the countywide movement to fight community blight. The township applied for a blight remediation grant through...
Former Pittsburghers in Israel protesting judicial reform alongside other Israelis
Kally Kislowicz, a former Pittsburgher who now lives in Israel, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is popular in her conservative West Bank settlement of Efrat. But she said that doesn’t make Netanyahu, known as “Bibi” to most Israelis, above reproach. Controversial judicial reforms proposed by Netanyahu have triggered protests across...
Greensburg reaches $35K settlement with police officer who sued after not getting promoted
A Greensburg police officer who sued the city, claiming he was discriminated against after being passed over for the chief’s job, accepted a $35,000 settlement to end his lawsuit, according to federal court filings. W. Robert Jones on Wednesday formally accepted the settlement offer that was extended by the city...
Allegheny County had nation’s 10th biggest population loss, census estimates show
Allegheny County is among the biggest population losers in the country, according to census estimates released Thursday. The county’s population dropped by 12,192 people between July 2021 and July 2022, the estimates show. Its estimated population stood at 1,233,253 on July 1, the census said. The decrease was the 10th...
Senators reintroduce bipartisan journalism antitrust bill
Two U.S. senators are reviving a bipartisan effort to allow local news outlets to negotiate for fair compensation from large digital platforms that use their content. Senators Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, and John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, on Friday announced they have reintroduced the Journalism Competition and...
Vehicle fluid, Halloween decoration help New Kensington police track down SUV in crash
New Kensington police accused a man of crashing through a fence on Freeport Road and tearing up the yard in early November after officers tracked a fluid leak from his SUV and found a Halloween decoration from the home on the vehicle’s hood. Dillon James Lawther, 21, of the 1200...
Fortuneteller to remain in custody pending court hearing
A fortuneteller accused of bilking clients will remain in the Westmoreland County Prison after she was arrested earlier this month in Florida. Alexis Mitchell, 29, was charged with theft and other offenses after a North Huntingdon man claimed he paid her $10,000 for illegal fortunetelling services last August. Police said...
Millie’s launching flavor for Earth Month with profits going to Frick Park
A new ice cream flavor celebrating Earth Month will benefit programming at a Pittsburgh park. The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream on Thursday announced the new flavor, which will be available starting Sunday throughout the month of April. It will benefit youth educational programming at the Frick...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: March 31-April 2
Fine photos An exhibition by members of the Westmoreland Photographers Society will open with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Latrobe Art Center, 819 Ligonier St. It will run through April 28. The show will feature about 60 images from amateur and professional photographers, including fine...
