Brooklyn man arrested after state police say he extorted $102K from Beaver County victim
A Brooklyn man is being held in the Beaver County Jail after state police say he stole more than $100,000 from a person in Aliquippa. State police charged Xinhua Chen, 35, with felony counts of theft by deception and extortion. At an arraignment Saturday morning, he was denied bail as...
Beer ‘brings people together’ at 1st of Pittsburgh Brewing’s Oktoberfest days in East Deer
Gus Scalo didn’t win a stein-holding competition at Pittsburgh Brewing in East Deer on Saturday, but he showed that beer who the boss was by chugging it after bowing out. “It looks a lot easier than it is,” he said. “I’m feeling it, man, I’m feeling it.” The stein-holding competition...
2 taken to hospital in Swissvale fire
Two people were taken to the hospital after a fire broke out in Swissvale on Saturday afternoon, according to an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher. The blaze was reported after 12:30 p.m. at the 500 block of Smokey Wood Drive, the dispatcher said. The fire department was still on the scene...
Kiski Township man, 19, dies in North Apollo crash
A 19-year-old man died in a crash in North Apollo late Friday night. The Armstrong County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Jace Albert Hoe III, of Kiski Township. The crash, at Pegtown Avenue and River Road, was reported shortly before 10 p.m., an Armstrong County 911 dispatcher said. Hoe...
Couple displaced by massive Squirrel Hill fire try to help others while recovering themselves
Jonahcharis Brown was certain her wedding dress had been in her apartment when a massive fire ripped through the building Tuesday. “We really, really thought for certain that the wedding dress was in the apartment,” said Brown, who was one of about 30 people displaced from a Squirrel Hill apartment...
Thousands celebrate Scottish heritage at Ligonier Highland Games
Wayne Bunch thinks he might have some Scottish heritage, but that’s not really what drew him to the Ligonier Highland Games on Saturday. Bunch, 41, of Uniontown, was there for the chance to try out the unique sporting events. Athletes donning kilts participated in Scottish games like the stone put...
PRT avoids service cuts, fare hikes with over $100 million in state funds
Pittsburgh Regional Transit on Friday announced it will receive over $100 million in state funds to prevent drastic service cuts and fare increases. The money will be used to plug a $100 million deficit projected in the transit agency’s budget. PRT will not need to move ahead with plans to...
Man killed in Homewood shooting
A man was fatally shot Friday night in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood. Public safety officials said the shooting occurred on Neuman Way at the intersection with Felicia Way. Officers responding to the scene found a man, who has not yet been identified, with a gunshot wound to the neck. Officers rendered...
PennDOT maintenance to restrict traffic on bridges in Westmoreland County
Motorists will encounter nighttime lane restrictions beginning Monday as crews perform maintenance on two Westmoreland County bridges. Single-lane restrictions will be in place between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday and Tuesday on the Route 30 bridge in South Greensburg. The same restrictions will occur on the Matthew Smelser Memorial...
The Stroller, Sept. 13, 2025: 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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. A-K Hope Center event...
Death of Pittsburgh man who went missing, whose body was found in river, ruled homicide
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled the death of a man who was reported missing Sept. 5 and whose body was later found in the Ohio River near Rivers Casino was a homicide. Stephen Williams, 42, was last seen leaving the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown at 11:15 p.m....
Former Duquesne Light employee faces harassment charges over threatening emails
A Sharpsburg man has been charged with six counts of harassment in connection with threatening emails sent to Duquesne Light Company’s management team. Stephen Neal, 58, of Sharpsburg, was arrested on Tuesday following a series of over 200 threatening emails sent to Duquesne Light, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)...
Longtime chief of staff to Senate leader Kim Ward resigns
A shakeup is coming to the legislative staff of Pennsylvania Senate President Tempore Kim Ward. Ward, R-Hempfield, announced Friday her longtime chief of staff Rob Ritson has resigned to take at job at UPMC. Ritson has served as Ward’s top aide for 23 years. “Rob’s professionalism and demeanor set an...
‘Keep moving forward’: Squirrel Hill residents look ahead after massive apartment blaze
What saddens Matthew Stock most about the Pittsburgh fire that left him homeless this week is a baby blanket his great-grandmother gifted him on the day he was born. Stock would walk past the heirloom every day, without much thought, in the one-bedroom Forward Avenue apartment where he had lived...
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi gets 47% raise in wake of campus closure decision
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi’s base salary will increase 47% in an effort, approved Friday by the university’s board of trustees, to keep her as president until 2032. The trustees voted 34-1 to approve Bendapudi’s new compensation package, which increases her base salary from $950,000 to $1.4 million, an increase...
Penn State to close WPSU radio station
Penn State will shut down its public radio station, WPSU, after trustees voted against a proposal to transfer its operating assets to WHYY, a public media organization in Philadelphia. WPSU has depended on annual subsidies of at least $3.4 million from the university to operate the station. The university budgeted...
‘The violence isn’t acceptable’: Pitt students hold vigil for Charlie Kirk
About a year ago, conservative students at the University of Pittsburgh packed into a courtyard to hear the words of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. On Friday, the atmosphere was quieter, more solemn. Instead of debating politics, they joined in prayer, shared memories and reflected on the mark of their slain...
Springdale seeking public input on future of Veterans Memorial Field
Springdale is looking for suggestions from residents about the fate of Veterans Memorial Field. A previously formed five-member committee, appointed by Springdale Council to study potential options at the field, will host a public hearing at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Springdale Borough Building. The field has been unused since...
Charlie Kirk’s slaying has left universities reviewing safety measures for campus events
Last September, Charlie Kirk fielded questions with Vivek Ramaswamy under a pop-up canopy in the Schenley Quadrangle as University of Pittsburgh students settled into their fall semester. Almost a year later, the right-wing influencer was shot dead in a nearly identical setup on the campus of Utah Valley University. As...
Groundbreaking soon for new urgent care in Allegheny Township
Plans for an urgent care facility are moving forward in Allegheny Township. The township approved plans for Rural Urgent Care, LLC at 48 Towne Center Drive, near the magistrate’s office, according to Supervisors Chairman Jamie Morabito. Now, representatives from Rural Urgent Care are working with Westmoreland County engineers to finalize...
Greensburg tax program 1 vote from securing another decade of incentives
The Greensburg Community Development Corp. only needs one more vote of approval before its tax incentive program can be renewed for another 10 years. Greensburg Council and Greensburg Salem School Board officials voted this week to renew the LERTA, or Local Economic Revitalization Tax Abatement. The program gives commercial developers...
BNY AI lab coming to Carnegie Mellon as $10M investment in on-campus research
Bank of New York Mellon is creating an artificial intelligence lab at Carnegie Mellon University as part of a $10 million investment into research and recruiting at the school. The partnership was unveiled Thursday just before the start of Pittsburgh’s AI Horizons Summit, a two-day event for government and industry...
‘A sense of pride’: 70 years of Burrellton Garden Club’s contributions to communal gardens
When eight women met Jan. 26, 1955, at June Southern’s home in what was then Lower Burrell Township, they determined their new garden club would try to improve their own yards and the community. And generations later, the Burrellton Garden Club continues to carry on that mission. The Lower Burrell-based...
Riverview elementary PTO pitches outdoor classroom
The Parent Teacher Organization of a Riverview elementary school is leading the charge for its students to learn in a unique environment. Molly Walsh, president of the Tenth Street PTO, led a presentation to school board members about creating an outdoor classroom. She was joined by Deana Lewis, secretary of...
Decaying Latrobe theater earmarked for demolition, new plans discussed
The City of Latrobe is partnering with the nonprofit Latrobe Foundation to pursue demolition of a vacant commercial building on Main Street. Decades ago, the building at 319 Main St. was home to the Olympic Theater movie house. Most recently, it was occupied by vending machine supplier Westmoreland Amusements. The...
