Western PA Local News category, Page 1181
Highlands to implement new tools to combat student vaping
Highlands administrators will get an edge in their battle against the popular — but unhealthy and illegal — teen habit of vaping. Detectors will be installed in restrooms at the middle and high schools in the coming weeks to notify officials when students are puffing inside the stalls. “Vaping is...
Animal Friends pet food drive planned at Edgeworth Elementary
Edgeworth Elementary students and staff want to repay the kindness shown by Animal Friends during a difficult time with a pet food drive. The K-5 school in the Quaker Valley School District will be collecting wet and dry cat and dog food, treats and cat litter Feb. 13-17. Counselor Jessica...
Allegheny County child welfare algorithm faces Justice Department scrutiny
PITTSBURGH — The Justice Department has been scrutinizing a controversial artificial intelligence tool used by a Pittsburgh-area child protective services agency following concerns that it could result in discrimination against families with disabilities, The Associated Press has learned. The interest from federal civil rights attorneys comes after an AP investigation...
Morning Roundup: 1 killed, 1 injured in Beaver County crash
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023: 1 killed, 1 injured in Beaver County crash A teenager was killed and another injured in a crash in Beaver County early Tuesday, according to state police. Troopers said a 15-year-old passenger in a Hyundai...
Coming soon to West Deer: Almost 170 new homes in 2 housing plans
A housing development in West Deer will proceed following approval of the plan of lots by township supervisors earlier this month. The Kingston Plan, formerly known as the Unionville Plan and located at 292 East Union Road, was approved by township supervisors Jan. 18. The subdivision calls for lots to...
Sticker shock: High heating bills from December have more seeking help
Henry and Holly Johnson of Greensburg did what they could during the cold days of December to keep their heating bill manageable, to a degree that others might not find comfortable. “We keep the (thermostat) temperature at 67 degrees,” Henry Johnson said. And if family and friends visiting over the...
Architecture of shuttered Westinghouse lab in Churchill to get closer look at webinar
An aerial view of the former George Westinghouse Research and Technology Park in Churchill reveals a nod to the company’s early ties to the railroad industry. The corporate campus was designed to look like a locomotive. But workers at the now-empty Churchill site, which opened on 150 acres in the...
Kayak Pittsburgh to open kayak rentals in Sharpsburg for a 2nd season
The outdoor nonprofit Venture Outdoors will return for a second season of kayaking in Sharpsburg. Sharpsburg Council voted 6-0 Jan. 26 to allow Venture Outdoors to use the James Sharp Landing for a Kayak Pittsburgh rental site this summer. Councilwoman Kayla Portis was absent. Venture Outdoors launched a pilot rental...
The Stroller, Jan. 31, 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. Tickets on sale for murder-mystery dinner in Leechburg A murder-mystery dinner...
Doing our part for diversity and inclusion at the Tribune-Review
“Be deliberate.” Those words served as a theme in the Tribune-Review’s participation over the past six months in an experimental Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) cohort with the American Press Institute and other Pittsburgh news outlets. Our mission in joining the program was to create various goals for increasing...
Federal limits proposed for lead levels in infant food
Newly released draft guidance from the federal Food and Drug Administration calls for manufacturers to limit lead levels in infant food, but it also cautions parents that they don’t need to panic or make major changes to their little ones’ diets. The draft, released last week, would set FDA “action...
South Greensburg church team recognized for recycling program
Recycling is a matter of faith as well as good citizenship for a group of volunteers at St. Bruno Parish in South Greensburg. The Creation Care Team’s drop-off recycling program for materials including metal cans and glass containers has been embraced by local residents. The effort also has garnered praise...
McKeesport mayoral candidate pardoned for 1993 drug convictions faces new drug charges
A McKeesport mayoral hopeful who was previously pardoned for a 1993 drug conviction is now accused of being part of what the state Attorney General’s Office called a major drug ring in Allegheny County. Corry J. Sanders, 52, was one of seven men charged on Dec. 30 following an 11-month...
Report: 1 dead, 1 critically injured in Ellwood City shooting
A woman is dead and another person is in critical condition following a shooting late Monday afternoon in Ellwood City, city officials told Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. Ellwood City police are investigating the shooting, which took place shortly after 5:15 p.m. Monday along First Street, Mayor Anthony Court told WPXI....
Forecasters say snow to taper off — leaving cold, freezing rain behind
Snow was tapering off throughout the region Tuesday morning after rain turned into a mix of snow and icy glaze in some areas, leaving behind cold temperatures, according to National Weather Service meteorologists. “There’s a frontal boundary moving through with some warmer air aloft, and a colder surface temperature,” NWS...
Judge grants motion to separate sentencing phase in Tree of Life trial
The judge presiding over the Tree of Life mass shooting case ruled Monday that if Robert Bowers is found guilty, the sentencing portion of the case will be held in two separate phases. The decision by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Colville will require that victim impact testimony be received...
Allegheny County seeks to clarify confusion over permanent mail-in ballot applications
Allegheny County election officials are reminding voters that mail-in ballots are not sent to their homes on a permanent basis, and voters must complete an application at least once a year if they want to vote by mail. This week, the county will be sending out 300,000 mailings to voters...
No one injured in Millvale business basement fire; short-term closure in effect for Sprezzatura Café
No one was injured, but firefighters were checked for potential lithium exposure after fighting a fire in the basement of a Millvale commercial building Monday. One of the tenants of the building along East Sherman Street is the Sprezzatura Café. Firefighters were called at about 10 a.m. for a potential...
Library exhibits work of versatile Monroeville artist
While many artists tend to stick with a certain medium or two, Debbie Walker’s originals run the gamut. Her work in fabric, acrylic, pencil, charcoal and various printing techniques is on display in the Gallery Space at Monroeville Public Library, demonstrating her versatility. “I was born to be an artist,...
Pittsburgh to pay tribute to August Wilson during Black History Month
Pittsburgh officials said Monday that the city will celebrate Black History Month in February by paying tribute to August Wilson, an acclaimed playwright who was born in the city’s Hill District. The city’s Office of Special Events is partnering with the University of Pittsburgh Library System, which has acquired Wilson’s...
Woman charged in fatal hit-and-run in Ross
Ross Police arrested a woman in connection with a fatal pedestrian hit-and-run that occurred Jan. 13 on Babcock Boulevard. Erin Lee Petroski, 39, of Ross, is charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence (DUI), involuntary manslaughter, accidents involving death, DUI, driving at an unsafe speed, and careless...
Assault, harassment charges against former Pittsburgh mayoral candidate Tony Moreno thrown out
A Pittsburgh judge on Monday threw out charges against a former city mayoral candidate who police accused of threatening a man with a shotgun. District Judge Mik Pappas dismissed a simple assault charge against Anthony “Tony” Moreno, 54, the Republican nominee for mayor in 2021, and a harassment charge was...
Pittsburgh creating new office to handle events from film productions to block parties
A newly created Pittsburgh government office will be responsible for managing events ranging from large-scale film productions to neighborhood block parties. The Office of Film and Event Management will operate within the city’s Department of Public Safety. The office will receive and vet applications for small- and large-scale events and...
Gas prices heading back toward $4 after 5 weeks of increases
The average price of gas in the U.S. has increased more than 10% in the past month and could reach $4 per gallon again, according to price-tracking service GasBuddy. The national average price of gasoline Monday was $3.51 per gallon, according to AAA. That’s 9 cents higher than last week,...
Pine resident helps set record for largest pizza party
Imagine the logistics of providing one of America’s favorite foods to more than 3,000 people gathered in the same place at the same time. “It was definitely months of planning, and then it took a whole week of executing,” Nick Bogacz, owner of Caliente Pizza and Draft House, said. When...
