Local category, Page 1118
Ashley Kertes, wife of Westmoreland commissioner, dead at 36
Ashley Kertes, the 36-year-old wife of Westmoreland County Commissioner Sean Kertes, died unexpectedly Friday morning. Greensburg Mayor Robb Bell said police were called to Kertes’ home shortly before 7:30 a.m., where she was found unresponsive in bed. No foul play is suspected. The cause of her death has not been...
Missing Ligonier man found safe
A Ligonier Borough man who had been reported missing was found safe in Texas, according to Westmoreland County authorities. Police on Friday enlisted the public’s help to find Michael Smidlein, 41, after he didn’t return home from work. He left his phone and wallet at home after going to work...
Greensburg couple accused of leaving 3-year-old alone with guns, marijuana in apartment
A Greensburg couple is accused of leaving their 3-year-old daughter alone in an apartment with a gun and marijuana within reach, according to court papers. Shayna Ann Barner and Patrick Anthony Brundidge told police they had left their child alone in their apartment in the morning and again in the...
Last McDonald’s in Downtown Pittsburgh expected to close
The last McDonald’s in Downtown Pittsburgh is expected to go dark by the end of April. The fast food restaurant opted not to renew the lease at the spot on Stanwix Street just outside Market Square. Nick Nicholas, who owns the building that housed the Golden Arches for about 50...
Officials identify human remains found in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar woods
Allegheny County Police on Friday revealed the identity of human remains found in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood. The remains were identified as Kaylene Oehling of Etna, who went missing in early 2020. Her remains were found Sunday by hunters in a wooded area near the 1200 block of Washington Boulevard, officials...
$4.5M bridge project would reconnect Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights with Riverview Park
A proposed $4.5 million bridge project could reconnect Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood with Riverview Park. The Civic Design Committee of the city’s Art Commission has approved plans for a new Davis Avenue bridge for pedestrians and bicyclists. Pending approval from the city’s Department of Mobility & Infrastructure, construction could begin...
Students offer raucous sendoff as Deer Lakes boys basketball team heads to Hershey for 1st state title game
Tina Cadamore couldn’t contain her pride as the Deer Lakes boys basketball team made the rounds Friday morning at the district’s four buildings. “I’m here to support my nephew, (player) Billy Schaeffer,” she said between hooting and hollering for the Lancers. Cheering students and faculty lined the hallways in a...
Zappala threatens to keep Kennywood from opening if it doesn’t comply with security demands
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said Friday he will go to court to keep Kennywood Park from opening for the season if it does not comply with his office’s list of security demands. At a news conference in McCandless, Zappala said the iconic West Mifflin amusement park...
Flooding closes several Western Pa. roads
Several roads in the region are closed because of flooding. In Westmoreland County, Route 381 in Ligonier Township is closed from Rolling Rock Lane to Route 30. PennDOT announced the closure at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. That stretch of road often is subject to flooding during heavy rains. In Washington County,...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: March 24-26
Shop the night away The Greensburg Night Market will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday in the second-floor event space at Live Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall. More than 50 vendors are scheduled to be present, offering products including foods and beverages, bath and beauty products, home decor,...
2 fish fry Fridays remain at Divine Redeemer Parish
A tradition of food and fellowship has returned to Divine Redeemer Parish’s St. James Catholic Church in Sewickley. Its Lenten fish fry is back in full force this season after an all-take-out experience in 2021 and last year’s pandemic hiatus. About 75 volunteers come together each week to make the...
Morning Roundup: Wigle Whiskey turns 11
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, March 24, 2023: Wigle Whiskey turns 11 with special release Pittsburgh distillery Wigle Whiskey is celebrating its 11th birthday by releasing its longest-aged spirits to date: Single Barrel Straight Bourbon and Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey — aged...
Rain, possible flooding projected for Southwestern Pa.
Southwestern Pennsylvania — particularly areas south of Pittsburgh — will see increased rainfall and potential flooding heading into Saturday as a cold front enters the region. The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for Western Pennsylvania, east central Ohio and northern West Virginia through Saturday, and a...
Tarentum man ordered to trial on charges he beat, burned woman
A Tarentum man was ordered to stand trial on charges that he beat a woman and repeatedly burned her while they were arguing. Brian Scott Schuller, 51, of West Seventh Avenue was charged with a felony count of aggravated assault and counts of simple assault and unlawful restraint. Schuller has...
McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority setting up for good year
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the number of calls the ambulance authority responded to in 2022. When Christopher Dell came on board last July as chief of the McCandless- Franklin Park Ambulance Authority, he said, one of its goals was for him to help “right the...
The Stroller, March 24, 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. Back the Blue concert planned Sunday at Quality Inn The Back...
$267,000 grant steps up bridge replacement in Washington Township
Washington Township supervisors are grateful for state grants that make expensive bridge projects possible for small, rural communities like theirs. The township’s former Poke Run Church Road bridge was torn down this month to make way for a box culvert bridge. The new bridge is being paid for by a...
Allegheny County public defender, legal experts question ethics of district attorney’s office
Two prosecutors in the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office said earlier this month that they couldn’t withdraw criminal charges in one case or make a plea deal in another because of politics. In both instances, the assistant district attorneys cited the upcoming primary election between their boss, six-term incumbent District...
Federal grant to pay for security upgrades in Westmoreland public housing
The Westmoreland County Housing Authority said it will use a portion of a $4.5 million federal grant to upgrade security efforts in its local communities. Money will be allocated to pay to install and upgrade security cameras throughout the authority’s public housing system as part of security enhancements that include...
Manor’s Labor Day celebration will benefit from weekend craft show
Ever since Mayor Ed Malinoski moved to Manor 11 years ago, he has heard residents reminiscing about an old borough tradition. The community’s Labor Day carnival was hosted by the local fire department for about 80 years before it finally shut down in 2002. “All I hear is, it was...
Route 30 bridge replacement in Hempfield to narrow traffic lanes on East Pittsburgh Street
Lane restrictions will begin for motorists Monday as PennDOT starts work to replace the East Pittsburgh Street bridge over Route 30 in Hempfield. Eastbound traffic headed over the bridge will be restricted to a 12-foot lane width, according to PennDOT officials. Westbound traffic exiting from Route 30 will be subject...
Westmoreland GOP boots candidate from committee for supporting his own campaign
A Westmoreland County commissioner candidate said he has been booted off the county Republican committee for backing his own campaign. Party officials confirmed this week that Paul Kosko was removed from the committee for actively campaigning against incumbents Sean Kertes and Doug Chew in the lead-up to the Republican primary...
Hempfield middle school redistricting proposal up for vote
Hempfield families will soon have some final answers about what schools their children will attend in the wake of the board’s decision to consolidate its three middle schools into two. Directors are set to vote on a proposed redistricting plan when they meet at 7 p.m. Monday. Elementary students who...
Training keeps McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority staff at the ready
Keeping up training and morale are part of the vibe at McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority. Employees had the idea to convert an unused office space at the authority’s main station on Grubbs Road into what looks like the interior of an ambulance cabin. The office is about the size of...
Pittsburgh Art Commission approves plan to redevelop East Liberty’s Enright Park
The Civic Design Committee of Pittsburgh’s Art Commission has approved plans for a major redevelopment project at Enright Park in East Liberty. The Department of City Planning in 2018 worked with community members to craft a master plan for the redevelopment of the park, which became part of a debate...
