Western PA Local News category, Page 1221
Christmas traditions live on at Western Pa. churches
About 20 volunteers bustled about the sanctuary of St. Bartholomew parish in Crabtree one morning this week, converting the simple country church into an elaborately decorated sanctuary. Garlands and wreaths now hang from the balcony, as a decorated tree and Nativity scene fill the space. The group of helpers, primarily...
Behind the art: ‘Night Shift’ depicts Aliquippa steelworkers at The Westmoreland
It looks cold, the men walking on a snowy street, their hands stuffed in jacket pockets heading into work. “Night Shift” is more than that though. The 1936 painting by Ernest Fiene that depicts men walking to a steel plant in Aliquippa came at a formative time for U.S. labor...
Caretaker accused of stealing $30K from Greensburg man
A former caretaker for an elderly Greensburg man is accused of stealing $31,600 from him between May and September, according to court papers. Gede L. Stewart, 48, of Greensburg was charged Thursday with forgery, theft, financial exploitation of an older adult or care dependent person, access device fraud and related...
International students enjoy Christmas celebration in Westmoreland County
It rarely snows in Tokyo. So it was “really cool” for Sohta Miyagawa, a Japanese student who is attending Penn-Trafford High School, to see a layer of snow blanket the ground in Western Pennsylvania. “I’m looking forward to Christmas (in America),” Miyagawa said this week at a Christmas party hosted...
Westmoreland law enforcement agencies get $1.5M in grants
Five law enforcement agencies in Westmoreland County have been awarded $1.5 million in state funding that will help at least two of them make technology upgrades. The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office received the largest share of the five, $497,000, from the local law enforcement support grant program through the...
Vintage blow mold figurines are hot this holiday season
It didn’t take long for the angel blow mold Christmas decoration Laura Kochasic dropped off for sale at L&L Fleatique II in Adamsburg to find a new home — someone bought it the same day. The vintage hollow plastic holiday light-up figures have resurged in popularity this year with retailers...
Concrete falls from Downtown Pittsburgh building, police say
A piece of concrete fell from a building under construction in Downtown Pittsburgh on Friday and damaged a nearby building, Pittsburgh police said. The concrete piece was part of a building in the 650 block of Smithfield Street, police said. The extent of damage caused by the piece of concrete...
Plum telethon raises more than $57,000 for Make-A-Wish Foundation
Everyone involved with Plum Borough School District’s 22nd annual Make-A-Wish Telethon figured the 2021 event would be a tough act to follow. After a year’s hiatus, the 2021 telethon returned to an enthusiastic response that took its cumulative fundraising total over the $1 million mark. Donors’ generosity continued in 2022,...
Lower Burrell police accuse woman of harassing neighbors, felony charge filed
A Lower Burrell woman was charged with a felony after police said they received multiple complaints that she was harassing her next-door neighbor. Shannan Lee Marie Dotto, 44, of the 7200 block of Guyer Road was charged by summons with felony and misdemeanor counts of stalking. She also was issued...
South Hills Lights festival celebrates Hanukkah
This year’s Hanukkah celebration has a special significance for Rabbi Mendel Rosenblum and, by extension, Jewish communities throughout the world. In leading the annual South Hills Lights festival on Dec. 19, Rosenblum told a story related to him by a fellow rabbi, Eliezer Chitrik of Nuremberg, Germany. In 1938, the...
Mt. Washington struggles with rise in car break-ins
After someone broke into Emily Shaheen’s Chevrolet Spark outside her Mt. Washington apartment around Thanksgiving, the marketing director and Point Park University alumnus didn’t fret much. After all, they mostly just scored some loose change. “I didn’t even bother going to the police because there was nothing they were going...
Rotary, Franklin Regional club reach out to social service nonprofits for the holidays
Murrysville-Export Rotary member Theresa Gutierrez didn’t have to look far to find a worthy recipient for a holiday donation drive. “Theresa is a resource parent for us,” said Annette Gross, foster care director at Wesley Family Services in O’Hara. “The Rotary had me come out to speak with them about...
St. Margaret Foundation funds free shuttle for senior citizens in Alle-Kiski Valley
Senior citizens from Tarentum to Etna can get free rides to medical appointments thanks to support from the St. Margaret Foundation. The agency last week announced it again will fund an Alle-Kiski Valley shuttle with a $90,500 grant, as well as three other shuttles that transport people between grocery stores,...
Coroner: Slick road cited in fatal head-on collision in Indiana County
A driver was killed Thursday when two pickup trucks collided head-on in Indiana County. Andrew David Johnston, 25, of South Mahoning Township, Indiana County, was pronounced dead following the wreck that occurred shortly before 8 a.m. on Route 954 in Center Township. The cause of death was pending, according to...
Spending a frigid Christmas Eve with the Steelers? Here’s what’s drawing fans to Acrisure Stadium
A frigid Christmas Eve in Acrisure Stadium will be “firsts” for some Pittsburgh Steelers fans. A 12-year-old boy will attend his first Steelers game. A devoted fan from Madagascar will go on her first blind date. A Lower Burrell insurance agent will wear a heated vest for the first time....
Tarentum gets buy-in from resident to help fight blight
Residents of West 10th Avenue in Tarentum can look forward to the cleanup of a habitual eyesore and potential hazard. A buyer plans to pour $40,000 into renovations at 208 W. 10th Ave., Code Enforcement Officer Anthony Bruni said. “This is a house that’s been vacant going on three years,”...
Penn Hills High School students place in Carnegie Mellon University coding competition
Three students from Penn Hills High School recently earned a major honor competing against other students from around the globe. Seniors Eric Cronin and Matthew Kirby and junior Caleb Lohr recently all placed in the top three in their respective divisions at the bi-annual fall 20222 Carnegie Mellon University Creative...
1 person in custody after domestic incident in Mt. Washington
One person was taken into custody after a SWAT team was called Friday morning to a domestic incident on Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh. City police initially responded shortly before 3 a.m. to a home in the 60 block of Harwood Street. A SWAT team was called in when occupants refused...
Sewickley Township woman charged in fatal crash
A Sewickley Township woman is accused of being impaired when she crossed over the center line of Arona Road, slamming head-on into another vehicle and killing its driver, according to court records. Ahna L. Malik, 43, was arrested last week on charges of homicide by vehicle while driving under the...
Cruising toward Christmas: Latrobe woman gifted car during holiday season
A 70-year-old Latrobe woman who went five years without a car after a failed inspection now has one after her longtime friend, Joseph Lanatovich, gifted her a 2000 Lincoln Town Car. For years, Angie Bush had to rely on public transit, car services and the kindness of her friends to...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Dec. 23-26
It’s Christmas weekend in Pittsburgh, and while there might not be much going on Saturday or Sunday, Friday and Monday offer some great entertainment options. Immaculate Reception 50th Anniversary Celebration Though some Immaculate Reception events have been canceled, others are set to go on as scheduled, including a gathering planned...
Florida man charged in $74,000 theft from Saint Vincent College
A Florida man was jailed this week without bail on state police accusations that he used fraudulent checks to steal nearly $74,000 from Saint Vincent College, according to court papers. Troopers said Alfredo N. Paiva Matos, 28, deposited the checks into a bank account belonging to NPM Alliance Corp., what...
Winter storm brings frigid temps, high winds, snow to Western Pennsylvania
The major winter storm that moved through Western Pennsylvania on Friday, dropping temperature some 40 degrees, will keep the region in a deep freeze on Christmas Eve and on Christmas, the National Weather Service in Moon said. People are likely to wake up Christmas Eve morning to temperatures in the...
Duquesne University to begin construction on new 11-story student apartment building next month
Duquesne University plans to begin construction next month on a new 11-story student apartment building on Forbes Avenue. The 556-bed facility will include amenity spaces, bicycle parking, a fitness area and outdoor courtyards available to residents, students and others in the community, the university said. The new building, located next...
Lamp Theatre posters to be unveiled in Irwin
Eight scenes depicting Irwin’s history and landmarks past and present will be unveiled Friday when shadowboxes are illuminated on an exterior wall downtown at The Lamp Theatre. The posters on the Lamp Theatre Community Wall will be revealed about 5 p.m. after a brief ceremony at 4:30, said John Gdula,...
