Western PA Local News category, Page 114
Valley Jr.-Sr. High School teacher accused of provoking fight between students faces charges
New Kensington police say a Valley Jr.-Sr. High School math teacher prodded students to fight during a geometry class in October. Bradley Reiher, 45, of Tarentum is charged with misdemeanor corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children. The charges stem from an incident Oct. 27 during which, police...
Arnold man accused of killing brother in New Kensington turns himself in
Steffon Ballard, the Arnold man accused of shooting his brother outside the Elks Lodge in New Kensington last weekend, turned himself in to authorities Thursday morning. Ballard, 38, is charged with homicide, attempted homicide, illegal possession of a firearm and aggravated assault in the death of Jeffrey Ballard, 46, who...
West View approves 24% property tax increase, borrowing for new municipal complex
Property taxes in West View will increase 24% after council approved the new tax rate along with the borough’s budget for 2026 on Wednesday, Dec. 10. Council approved increasing the tax rate by 1.5 mills, from 6.3 mills to 7.8 mills. It is the first increase in the borough’s tax...
Black-owned businesses host market in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District
The Black Market: Holiday Edition will showcase Black-owned businesses in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District during the holiday shopping season. The indoor pop-up will be open Thursday, running through Sunday and again December 18-21 on the ground floor of the Encore Building at 100 7th St. in Downtown Pittsburgh. Shoppers will find...
Sewage, garbage rates in Bridgeville to increase; property tax remains the same
Bridgeville property owners will see no real estate tax increase in 2026, but they will pay more for their garbage and sewage services. The budget totals about $7.53 million and maintains a tax rate of 6.5 mills on buildings and 10 mills on land. Owners of a property assessed at...
Outgoing Bridgeville councilmen recognized
Bridgeville officials recognized three outgoing councilmen with a combined 54 years of service on the borough council. Bruce Ghelarducci, Bill Henderson and Joseph Verduci were awarded with plaques from Mayor Betty Copeland, recognizing their time on council. Ghelarducci and Henderson were on council for 22 years. Verduci was a councilman...
Pittsburgh police to halt moonlighting program for dozens of businesses
Pittsburgh police plan to bar dozens of local groups and businesses that owe the city money from being able to hire off-duty officers for moonlighting work, according to an internal memo obtained by TribLive. A TribLive investigation published Sunday turned up city records showing hundreds of businesses and organizations —...
Greensburg store sells items made by Hempfield Area students
Wreaths, bracelets, ornaments and other gifts made by Hempfield Area students are on sale at a downtown Greensburg store in time for holiday shopping. Artisans of Hands and Heart, a co-op store located at 106 S. Pennsylvania Ave., is hosting Hempfield Area’s Perfectly Imperfect Boutique — featuring items made by...
Poppin’ Tags Free Store owner extends mission with funds, new business
Sonya Dembowski remembers the moment she decided to begin her Poppin’ Tags Free Store in West Deer. She was driving through Coraopolis in the height of the pandemic shutdown. She remembers seeing piles of donations left outside a closed store. Dembowski later saw on the news that, because the donations...
Pittsburgh International Airport to offer nonstop flights to Ireland
Pittsburgh International Airport soon will offer direct flights to Ireland for the first time. Irish national airline Aer Lingus will begin nonstop service between Pittsburgh and Dublin in May, local airport officials announced Thursday, further integrating the culturally and economically intertwined cities. Dublin also serves as a connector for flights...
Murrysville to move ahead with stormwater fee ordinance
Murrysville officials will move ahead with plans to implement a stormwater fee for residents and businesses, as the municipality’s state-mandated responsibilities regarding storm runoff expand. Council approved advertising the proposed ordinance and will likely vote on it at their final meeting of 2025 or early in the new year. Murrysville...
Hidden Valley, Laurel Mountain resorts set to open Saturday, 1 week after Seven Springs
Hidden Valley and Laurel Mountain ski resorts will open Saturday, one week after Seven Springs Mountain Resort. Somerset County’s Hidden Valley Resort and Westmoreland County’s Laurel Mountain Ski Resort will open at 9 a.m. An opening day celebration — featuring a DJ, complimentary cookies, prizes and giveaways — is slated...
Route 28 crash near Millvale snarls traffic inbound
A crash near the Millvale exit on inbound Route 28 snarled traffic Thursday morning. The PA 511 traffic website reported the crash happened at 6:43 a.m. A lane was closed to traffic and was expected to be reopened by 8:30 a.m., according to PA 511. At 7 a.m., TribLive news...
Man charged in Squirrel Hill home invasion, burglary linked to Verona theft
A Pittsburgh man charged in connection to a home invasion and burglary in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood is linked to other crimes in the city and the Alle-Kiski Valley, police say. Jerry Chambers, 59, was arrested last week by Verona police on theft charges. This week, Chambers was charged in...
The Stroller, Dec. 11, 2025: 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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Gift wrapping services available...
Local municipal managers rack up state, national awards
Tarentum Manager Dwight Boddorf credits much of his leadership ability to a mindset he learned in the Marine Corps — stay calm under pressure, focus on what matters and build systems that last. Over the past several years, he has applied that approach to revitalization efforts in the borough. On...
Gordo’s Café and Cantina coming to RIDC Park in O’Hara
A scratch bakery and cantina in O’Hara will feature tavern-style pizza, fresh-roasted meats and gourmet cronuts in a prime location perched along Route 28. Gordo’s Café and Cantina is scheduled to open in the coming weeks in RIDC Park, in the home of the former Periwinkle’s Bakery & Café. “The...
Jeannette delays vote on landlord licensing program
Proposed ordinances in Jeannette for a landlord licensing program and commercial property inspections are on hold after a majority of the group decided to table the matters. “I feel like we need public input on these ordinances, and I think we need more discussion,” Councilwoman Michelle Langdon said. “Since we...
More than 200 people gather to remember loved ones at 30th Light of Love event
Nearly a year after his mother, Rose Pirollo, died on Christmas Day, Chris Pirollo of Penn Hills attended Soxman Funeral Homes’ Light of Love memorial program for the first time. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but he walked away feeling it was a “wonderful, elegant, tasteful celebration of remembrance.”...
Fox Chapel sparkles during annual Light Up event
Santa ditched the flying reindeer and sleigh for a cool, vintage VW bug emblazoned with a Fox Chapel Police logo to mark his arrival at Fox Chapel’s third annual Light Up event held Dec. 3 at the borough building. Fox Chapel Mayor Alex Scott III kicked off the Light Up...
Westmoreland happenings: Pet photos with Santa, Christmas night market, cookie walk, more
Art The Latrobe Art Center is collecting original poetry works to be displayed on a poster in shop windows in Latrobe, Ligonier and Greensburg. Entries should be less than 25 lines or 300 words long and not contain explicit content or hate speech. The author must live or work in...
Murrysville area: Delmont ‘Holidaze,’ winter heating assistance, holiday events, more
Delmont ‘Holidaze’ Delmont will host a “Holidaze” celebration from 3-6 p.m. Dec. 14 at Faith Global Methodist Church, 305 Freeport St. The afternoon will include food trucks, craft vendors, live music, children’s activities, basket raffles and a visit from Santa. There will also be a dozen new bikes and helmets...
‘So supportive to us and our families’: Norwin Elks donates $6,500 to Westmoreland autism nonprofit
The Autism Society of America’s Westmoreland County chapter hosted its monthly recreation event Nov. 17 at Hillview Bowling Lanes in Hempfield. The nonprofit covered all of the expenses, allowing attendees to bowl free of charge. A recent donation to the society from the Norwin Elks lodge in Manor is partially...
Penn Township church’s cookbook fundraiser leans on ‘history of serving really good food’
Deana Rugh looks fondly on the days of serving delicious food to the Penn Township community from First United Church of Christ’s kitchens. Penn-Trafford soccer players used to stop by the Penn Township church during its biannual country breakfast — fueling up for Saturday morning practice with eggs, pancakes, ham,...
Penn Middle donates 175 tote bags to local cancer patients
About 55 Penn Middle School students and staff packed and donated tote bags for local cancer patients in honor of late teacher, Jackie Landram. This is the third year that the school has donated items to the cancer center through their charitable initiative, Landram’s Light. The school donated 175 bags...
