Western PA Local News category, Page 1223
Westmoreland happenings: Tour of Ireland, Christmas Eve services
Submissions from nonprofit organizations for Briefly Speaking can be emailed to Carol Pinto-Smith at cpinto-smith@triblive.com or mailed to Briefly Speaking, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084. Include a complete address and daytime phone number. Submissions are due at least two weeks before the event. Each announcement is printed once; there...
Westmoreland emergency services prepare as cold temps approach
As well-below-freezing temperatures approach Western Pennsylvania, emergency assistance services and cold-weather shelters in Westmoreland County are gearing up to help anyone who needs it. United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania encourages people who find themselves without heat to call the 211 hotline, a call center, chat, text and web resource for...
Holiday religious services, events at Sewickley area places of worship
Beth Samuel Jewish Center Shabbat Morning Services are held every Saturday at 10 a.m. in person and on Zoom. Beth Samuel Jewish Center is at 810 Kennedy Drive in Ambridge. For more information, visit bethsamuel.org. Christ Church at Grove Farm On Dec. 23, a traditional candlelight communion service will take...
The holiday spirit: Delmont man’s day filled with kind gestures from others
At 91 years old, Emidio Gallucci has seen his share of “Scrooges” during Christmastime. But this year, Gallucci, a Delmont resident, has plenty of holiday spirit after a day running errands just kept going in his favor. After a recent stop at Macy’s in Hempfield to find a gift for...
Washington County man killed in head-on crash
A Washington County motorist was killed in a head-on collision Wednesday in North Strabane. Joseph Neil Ayre Jr., 37, of Avella was pronounced dead in the Canonsburg Hospital emergency room, according to Washington County Coroner Tim Warco. The crash was reported at about 8:45 a.m. on Thomas Road. Warco said...
Franco Harris fans remember on-field finesse, off-field generosity
Longtime Steelers fan George Muentzer has missed the chance to have his prized photo of Franco Harris autographed by the Steelers Hall of Famer, whose unexpected death overnight was reported Wednesday. But he still can treasure his many memories of encounters with Harris during his faithful yearly attendance at the...
Defense accuses government of providing empty tubes for DNA testing in Tree of Life case
Defense attorneys in the Tree of Life synagogue shooting said in a court filing this week that 11 of 17 plastic tubes of evidence provided to them for independent DNA testing were empty when they arrived at the lab in England. Attorneys for Robert Bowers are asking the federal judge...
Woman accused of setting Harmar apartment fire on her eviction day faces charges
The woman who lived in the first-floor apartment of a house in Harmar that caught fire Tuesday has been accused of intentionally setting the blaze. Allegheny County Police say Marrisa Ash Szczpinski, 25, admitted to starting the fire in her apartment after being evicted for falling behind in her rent...
Where to find emergency shelter in the blistering cold
Anyone who finds themselves without heating, warmth or shelter this weekend as temperatures plunge into the single digits can get help and a safe place to stay at warming stations in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Allegheny County’s winter shelters will be open at Second Avenue Commons, 700 Second Ave. and...
Brackenridge Salvation Army plays Santa for more than 200 families
Georgetta Field said she was like a kid in a candy store when a truckload of toys was delivered to the Salvation Army in Brackenridge ahead of the group’s Christmas shop on Wednesday. “We got such nice things,” said Field of Brackenridge, who volunteers year-round at the site with her...
Former Steeler Ryan Shazier brightens holidays of 4 people with spinal cord injuries
Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier continues his mission to support those affected by spinal cord injuries. Shazier arrived Wednesday morning at the Giant Eagle Market District in The Waterworks shopping center near Aspinwall to welcome four people with spinal cord injuries who were invited to participate in a free...
Greensburg, police union spar in court over retirement savings plan switch
A Westmoreland County judge is deliberating whether to grant a preliminary injunction to delay Greensburg from implementing a new tax-deferred retirement savings plan for city workers. The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 56 contends the city violated union’s existing five-year labor contract with the city when it unilaterally moved to...
The Stroller, Dec. 22, 2022: 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. Winners named in Tarentum holiday light contest Tarentum Recreation Board has...
Delmont man charged with witness intimidation in sexual assault case
A Delmont man faces witness intimidation charges after police said he repeatedly made contact with a victim in violation of his release conditions in a criminal case. Brandon J. Pyle, 26, of West Pittsburgh Street was arrested Wednesday and charged prior to a preliminary hearing on sexual assault, simple assault...
Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel selects California educator as head of middle school
Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel has selected a California educator to head its Middle School, according to an announcement on Dec. 19 from SSA President Bart Griffith Jr. Michelle Merson will become the academy’s head of Middle Shool, effective July 1, 2023, to replace Amy Nixon who has announced...
Floor plans for a proposed Quaker Valley High School in Leet approved, more detailed design work continues
Quaker Valley School District officials have approved floor plans for a proposed high school in Leet Township. The board voted 8-0 at a special meeting Wednesday night to move forward with designs crafted by BSHM Architects and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects. Board member Daniela Helkowski was absent. Floor plan approval...
Man arrested after fatal January shooting, hit-and-run in Pittsburgh
Nearly a year after a fatal shooting and hit-and-run in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood, police have arrested a suspect. Alec Stefanovits, 27, faces criminal homicide charges after, police say, he shot two people early Jan. 23 in the the 300 block of Minton Street. When police arrived at the scene, they...
Dozens of bridges maintained by Pittsburgh in need of repairs within 6 months, report says
Structural issues with dozens of bridges maintained by the city of Pittsburgh are significant enough that they should be addressed within the next months, according to a report commissioned by Ed Gainey. Gainey called for the report when he unveiled his plans for a new Comprehensive Bridge Asset Management Program...
Bethel Park honors service members with Wreaths Across America ceremony
The weather may have been wintry, including a light dusting of snow, but that hardly deterred a healthy gathering at Bethel Park’s Wreaths Across America ceremony. “This is the second year for this event, and I am very overwhelmed with the response,” organizer Lisa Jenkins said as she greeted guests...
Fans flock to Immaculate Reception marker, airport to remember Franco HarrisVideo
Lifelong Steelers fan Don Kinnamon, 65, came all the way from Santa Cruz, Calif., with plans to attend ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception on Friday afternoon. Then, he planned to witness the retirement of Franco Harris’ No. 32 at the Steelers-Raiders game Saturday at Acrisure Stadium....
Pitt’s chancellor, top deputies receive 4.25% raises
Ten top University of Pittsburgh officials will receive 4.25% raises next year, boosting their base salaries to between $260,625 and just more than $1 million. The Compensation Committee of Pitt’s board of trustees approved the raises for Chancellor Patrick Gallagher and nine of his top deputies in a unanimous vote...
Pedestrian identified who was killed by dump truck in Hazelwood
The woman who was killed Wednesday when a dump truck hit her as she crossed a road in Hazelwood has been identified. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Cynthia Haskell, 73, of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh police, EMS and fire crews responded to the accident in the 5000...
One of Franco Harris’ last public appearances was at North Allegheny’s Ingomar Middle School
Just moments before Franco Harris’s surprise appearance to students at Ingomar Middle School on Dec. 12, as he walked toward the doors of the auditorium, he was warm, approachable and genuine with the few who were waiting in the lobby. Harris was vibrant and enthusiastic. And it clearly generated with...
Defense requests 2 phases of sentencing if Tree of Life suspect is found guilty
Attorneys for the man charged in connection with the killings of 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill believe that his sentencing proceeding should be separated into two phases so that jurors in the potential death-penalty case are not improperly influenced by victim impact testimony. The...
Pitt committee approves up to $10M for land deal in BioForge project
A panel of University of Pittsburgh trustees on Wednesday authorized spending up to $10 million to acquire a piece of property in Hazelwood Green to develop a cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility. The three-acre property known as Lot 18 would become home to BioForge. “BioForge will be designed to...
