Western PA Local News category, Page 1182
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...
Westmoreland Bar Association plans free clinic on child custody issues
A free clinic in Greensburg next month is aimed at helping with child custody legal issues and questions, which are among the top reasons people call the Westmoreland Bar Association, according to Executive Director Alahna O’Brien. Often, those callers can’t afford an attorney or a fee to get a consultation...
Car topples gas-station pump in East Pittsburgh
A car crashed into a gas station parking lot early Monday, toppling a gas-station pump. An 18-year-old woman was driving along Lincoln Highway in East Pittsburgh when, just before 2 a.m., she lost control of the car, spun counter-clockwise and struck a gas-station pump, knocking it over, state police said....
Lunch crowd slowly finding its way back to challenged Downtown restaurants
When Wiener World opened on Smithfield Street in Downtown Pittsburgh in 1965, the disc jockeys in KQV radio’s storefront studio a block away were only in their second year of playing Beatles records, Lyndon Johnson was president and the U.S. was still four years away from landing a man on...
Mon-Fayette Expressway’s next phase will help test innovative road concepts
Paul Metzler of Murrysville isn’t confident that truckers will voluntarily limit their use of “jake brakes” on the stretch of Route 22 situated down the hill from his home in Manordale Farms. “Between the ribbed concrete that the highway is made of and the increase in trucks that all use...
New physical therapy business in Allegheny Township partners with Kiski Area School District
A new physical therapy business in Allegheny Township has partnered with the Kiski Area School District. East Suburban Sports Medicine Center opened Jan. 2 at 451 Hyde Park Road in Hyde Park Plaza. ESSMC, the official sports medicine provider for Kiski Area, signed a three-year athletic training contract with the...
Greensburg YMCA plans job expo to remedy staffing shortage, curtailed programs
The Greensburg YMCA is planning a Job Expo on Wednesday to help fill available openings ranging from child care teachers to lifeguards and custodians. CEO Suzanne Printz said the nonprofit organization is looking to hire about 50 people as it copes with staff shortages that have been a problem since...
Narcan training in West Deer aims to bolster awareness, knowledge of opioid overdoses
Esther Whittinger doesn’t know anyone who takes drugs. She doesn’t have any loved ones she thinks might overdose. But she still attended a free Narcan training clinic and took with her a few doses of the drug, which reduces the effects of opioid overdoses. “I’m just interested in the aspect...
Hampton area happenings, week of Jan. 30, 2023
Work continues on Route 8 Gas line work on Route 8 in Hampton is continuing through late February, according to PennDOT District 11. Lane restrictions will occur weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on northbound Route 8 between Anderson Drive and Wildwood Road, weather permitting. Crews from W.A. Petrakis...
The Stroller, Jan. 30, 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. Free advice available for those with financial troubles Allegheny Valley Association...
As pandemic tax credits fade, prepare for shrinking tax refunds
The clock has started ticking for people to file their tax returns but this year, there’s one thing to brace for — smaller refunds. That’s because many of the benefits put in place to help people weather the pandemic — such as boosting the child tax credit and earned income...
Bushy Run draws support after state halts annual reenactment
In Rob Malley’s opinion, Bushy Run is experiencing its third battle. The first battle occurred in August 1763 between the British and Native Americans during Pontiac’s War. The second happened in 2009, when the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission threatened to close the historical Penn Township park that memorializes the...
Greensburg Country Club hosts first antique show since before pandemic
Dozens gathered at the Greensburg Country Club on a rainy Sunday to view and buy antiques at the club’s 2023 Antique Show and Sale. It was the club’s first show since the pandemic. Items for sale included Iranian rugs, an elegant doll house and intricate paintings among other things....
1 injured in Wilkinsburg shooting
A man was injured in a shooting on Sunday afternoon in Wilkinsburg. Allegheny County police responded to a report of a shooting at the Get-Go on Penn Avenue at 3:43 p.m. First responders found a man there suffering multiple gunshot wounds, officials said. Police said further investigation revealed the shooting...
No injuries reported after shots fired in Downtown Pittsburgh overnight
No one was injured after gunshots were fired in Downtown Pittsburgh early Sunday morning, public safety officials said. Police officers in the area of Sixth Avenue and Smithfield Street reported hearing multiple gunshots just after 1 a.m. that they believe were fired into the air, officials said. The shots damaged...
The River Community Church Pastor Dean Ward went from diving for golf balls to growing the church’s mission
Serving an estimated 1,100 visiting police officers for funeral events for fallen Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire was just another facet of The River Community Church in New Kensington and its pastor, Dean Ward. Ward, 56, of New Kensington isn’t your typical pastor. He built a business diving for golf...
New Kensington’s Golden Dawn goes into new year under new ownership
For Gene Tommasi, becoming a new owner of the New Kensington Golden Dawn has brought his grocery career full circle — after he thought it was over. Tommasi of Mt. Lebanon and Jim Faccenda of Bethel Park took over ownership of the 60-year-old neighborhood grocery store in June. After painting,...
Fox Chapel Evening of Hope fundraiser returns after three-year hiatus
An elegant evening fundraiser benefiting Pittsburgh-area students is returning to Fox Chapel. The Boys Hope Girls Hope of Pittsburgh’s Fox Chapel Evening of Hope will be March 2 at the Pittsburgh Field Club. The event, last held in 2019, had been on a pandemic-induced hiatus. “We’re happy to be back....
Father-son firefighting leadership continues in Leechburg
The Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company has new leadership from a fifth-generation firefighter. John A. Foster was appointed chief Jan. 1, replacing his father, Tom, who was appointed chief emeritus after 36 years of serving as chief and 50 years as a firefighter. “I was 5 when my dad became chief,...
Renowned pilot honored at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport
Greensburg native and X-1 test pilot Chalmers H. “Slick” Goodlin was on the verge of making history as the pilot who broke the sound barrier. After a contract dispute, Goodlin, who flew military planes for three countries, lost his seat in the cockpit and faded into the ranks of aviation...
High school robotics teams gear up for a new season of ‘FIRSTs’Video
Franklin Regional Superintendent Gennaro Piraino wanted to know what junior Rory Messersmith considered to be more valuable to his academic future — being a member of the high school’s robotics team, or studying for the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests. “I’m not sure if I should answer that,” Messersmith...
Pittsburgh Ballet’s new artistic director returning to familiar spaces
Adam McKinney will take over as artistic director of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in March, but he says there are many ways in which he already feels at home in the role and in the city. McKinney, 46, grew up in Milwaukee but often visited Pittsburgh, where his late father, Gerald...
Artist lining up sponsors for underpass mural below Route 22 in Murrysville
As she works her way through the design of her largest mural to date, Florida artist and Export native Christina Donahoe is also lining up partners in the project, which would cover a popular spot for graffiti on a William Penn Highway underpass in Murrysville. “I’ve been in touch with...
