Western PA Local News category, Page 1201
Leetsdale police officer suspended, borough officials mum
A Leetsdale police office is suspended and another resigned. The officer’s suspension was unanimously approved at this week’s council meeting. Council President Patricia Lee and police Chief Daniel Raible said they could not comment on personnel matters. Other council members also declined comment. Borough solicitor Daniel Conlon would only confirm...
Bolivar man charged in attempted Ligonier Township kidnapping
A nearly weeklong search ended Friday when a Bolivar man was arrested in connection with the attempted kidnapping of a female jogger at gunpoint in Ligonier Township. Frank Springer, 56, was taken into custody by Westmoreland County detectives and Ligonier Valley police and charged with attempted homicide, attempted kidnapping, aggravated...
Rivers Casino reopens after being closed due to leak
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh temporarily closed Friday after a cracked refrigeration pipe leaked onto the gaming floor. The casino on the city’s North Shore reopened around 8 p.m., according to a staffer who answered the phone. Repairs were made and crews cleaned up the area after the break, said Jack Horner,...
4% price increase effective Sunday at Pennsylvania liquor stores
The prices of more than 3,500 of the most popular items at state liquor stores will increase by 4% Sunday, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board announced. In a statement, the LCB cited 40-year record-high inflation as the reason for price hikes. “These increases will allow the PLCB to generate revenues...
Pittsburgh Land Bank scales back goals after losing $3M in proposed ARPA funding
Pittsburgh’s Land Bank is now expecting to buy and sell fewer properties than officials initially hoped, after the city pulled $3 million of the bank’s proposed $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding. While Mayor Ed Gainey had initially proposed giving the Land Bank a $10 million infusion from...
Pittsburgh police resuming traffic stops for minor infractions
Pittsburgh police are once again able to pull over drivers for minor, secondary infractions, as city police have put a hold on training officers about a city ordinance that banned traffic stops for minor infractions. Pittsburgh City Council voted in late 2021 to bar police from pulling over drivers for...
Sewage backup prompts early dismissal at Franklin Regional Senior High
Students at Franklin Regional Senior High were dismissed from classes early Friday afternoon after a sewage backup prompted closure of the school’s bathrooms. Students were dismissed beginning at noon and teachers also were permitted to leave since bathroom facilities weren’t available, according to district Superintendent Gennaro R. Piraino Jr. Piraino...
Electrify Your Symphony returns to Bethel Park for rock-style concert
Addressing a stage full of young musicians, Greg Byers was all about encouragement. “You sound great,” he told students gathered in the Bethel Park High School auditorium. “We’ve got to look great, too. Bring the energy.” The ensemble of mostly stringed instruments was rehearsing the afternoon of Jan. 6 for...
New Ken-Arnold pledges to keep next school year’s taxes within state-imposed inflation limit of 6.1%
The New Kensington-Arnold School Board has committed to not increasing the district’s property taxes for the 2023-24 school year by more than its state-imposed inflation limit. New Kensington-Arnold’s limit for the 2023-24 school year is 6.1%, up from 5% for this school year. It’s the highest limit the district has...
Sociologist sees ‘haunting’ similarities between 20th, 21st century pandemic responses in U.S.
The last time Tom Soltis spoke to the American Association of University Women’s Murrysville chapter, it was during the emergence of the omicron variant of the covid-19 virus. Soltis recently retired after a career teaching sociology and anthropology at Westmoreland County Community College. He also is the author of “An...
Former WDVE, WXDX radio host ‘Max’ talks addiction on his ‘Recovery Cast’ podcast
When WDVE radio hired Oxford, Ohio, native Pawley Bornstein to be a nighttime disc jockey in the mid-1990s, it was a dream come true. But, that dream contributed to the nightmare of addiction Bornstein was dealing with at the time. Bornstein, 52, has been clean and sober for 16 years...
State Sen. Pittman opens new district office in New Kensington
State Sen. Joe Pittman opened a new district office Thursday in New Kensington. The office is in Suite 102 at the Burrell Business Center, 2400 Leechburg Road. The new office is a result of redistricting, which saw New Kensington changed from the state Senate’s 45th District, represented by Democrat Jim...
Vintage lures and more available at Tri-County Trout Sport Show & Flea Market
After a two-year hiatus during the height of the covid-19 pandemic, the Tri-County Trout Club is back for its 17th Sport Show & Flea Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The club moved the show from Arnold Volunteer Engine Company No. 2’s social center to Patterson Hall at...
Penn-Trafford running track to close during summer for renovations
Joggers, athletes, and local residents accustomed to using the track at Penn-Trafford High School may have to find somewhere else to walk this summer. The track will undergo renovations starting soon after Memorial Day and will be closed to the public for about two months, according to business manager Brett...
Greensburg Salem aims to help more students claim college credits for advanced courses
About 80% of Greensburg Salem High School students enroll in courses that are eligible to receive college credits. But only about 10% of those students pay the fees associated with actually receiving those credits, district Superintendent Ken Bissell said. The district plans to use a $45,000 grant from the Richard...
Repair costs undetermined for Westmoreland courthouse waterline break
Two weeks after a broken pipe caused water to cascade into four floors at the Westmoreland County Courthouse, officials still are assessing the cost of repairs. Crews worked for nearly 24 hours to fix water damage caused when sub-zero temperatures led to a waterline break the evening of Dec. 25,...
5 thing to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Jan. 13-15
Local flavors “Taste of Westmoreland” is the theme for Art on Tap 2.0, from 6 to 8 p.m. today at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main St., Greensburg. The 21-and-older happy hour will feature libations and light bites from local vendors, including Bella Terra Vineyards, Salem Spirits...
Police say intoxicated woman hit garbage truck driver in Mt. Lebanon
A Waste Management driver was transported to Mercy Hospital on Wednesday after being struck by a car in Mt. Lebanon, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. Police said a 34-year-old garbage man on his route was bringing a trash can to the truck when he was struck along Kenmont Avenue...
Worthington businessman defends billboard messages some consider hate speech
The man behind a Butler County billboard displaying what some consider disturbing messages said his intent is to rally “Americans to take back the country.” John Placek of Worthington rented an electronic billboard at the intersection of Route 422 and Bonniebrook Road in Summit Township to lobby against issues he...
Orders being accepted for annual Daffodil Days fundraiser
The American Cancer Society has announced the start of its annual Daffodil Days fundraiser. The society will be sending flowers to show appreciation for those who donate. All proceeds will go to research, programs and services of the American Cancer Society. “Cancer touches all of us in one way or...
Route 380 crashes in Murrysville: ‘You can’t eliminate human error’
Eleven crashes, eight injuries and one death in four years. Those are the traffic statistics Murrysville police recorded going back to the start of 2019 for the section of Route 380 — barely a mile of roadway — between routes 286 and 366. A number of factors come together to...
Families of local fallen police officers are helped — then they do the helping
David “Mogie” Magill plans to add fallen Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire to his Back the Blue T-shirt, which he will sell for a fundraiser concert to help local police departments in June. McIntire’s name and badge number, 1501, will join other local police officers who were shot to death...
5 Things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Jan 13-16
For many folks, this is a three-day weekend due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day federal holiday on Monday. So, topping the list are some things that tie in with the importance of the holiday. Author Jacqueline Hamer Flakes book discussion Jacqueline Hamer Flakes is the daughter of civil...
The Stroller, Jan. 13, 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 cancer screenings offered at Allegheny Valley Hospital Allegheny Health Network...
1 arrested following SWAT standoff in Garfield
A man was taken into custody Thursday following a standoff with police in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood. Police said they were called to a home in the 5000 block of Columbo Street around 3 p.m. after receiving reports that a man had barricaded himself inside with a 4-year-old child. A woman...
