Western PA Local News category, Page 1241
Speaker series highlights Westmoreland County’s ‘hidden treasures’
There are people who go about their work quietly, making positive differences in the community without getting much public recognition. The Westmoreland Diversity Coalition intends to shine a light on some of those people, and their diverse backgrounds, through its new Hidden Treasures Speaker Series. Maria LaVelle, CEO of Pheple...
Greensburg Salem School Board names meeting room for longtime solicitor
Greensburg Salem School District had some surprises in store Monday evening for longtime solicitor John Scales. Shortly before the school board meeting, the district threw a 90th birthday party for Scales. Afterward, the board further honored him by naming its meeting location the John N. Scales Legislative Meeting Room. “It’s...
‘Monticello Lights’ fundraiser will benefit Project Bundle-Up, Delmont police this yearVideo
Clark Griswold’s got nothing on the residents of Monticello Drive. Between a dozen of them, they will invest more than 200 hours and use more than 500 strands of lights as they decorate their Delmont homes and yards for the annual Monticello Lights fundraiser. “We’ve added lights, repurposed some things...
No tax increase planned in Gilpin
Gilpin residents won’t see a township property tax increase next year. The tax rate is expected to remain at 11 mills. Township supervisors recently approved their preliminary 2023 budget, which includes $810,300 in projected revenues. “Far too long has the Public Works Department and its equipment been put on the...
Meet Charlie: Highlands School District’s first-ever therapy dog
Trotting through the halls at Highlands Middle School in Harrison, an 8-month-old Labrador retriever is the district’s newest tool to help improve student success. The puppy, Charlie, will be tasked with more than looking cute. “He will increase the overall well-being for students,” said the dog’s owner, Principal Becky Bragan....
New Kensington-Arnold fires security guard accused of assaulting 5-year-old student
The New Kensington-Arnold School Board fired a security guard who had been accused of assaulting a 5-year-old elementary school student last year. Lori Ann Waltonbaugh, 59, of Greensburg entered a negotiated guilty plea Sept. 29 to a charge of recklessly endangering another person, according to court records. She was sentenced...
Pittsburgh man gets 28 months in federal prison for fentanyl, gun offenses
A federal judge on Wednesday noted the prolific distribution of powerful opioid fentanyl around the Pittsburgh region before sentencing a city man to federal prison for possessing the drug and others, along with a gun, according to federal prosecutors. Senior U.S. District Judge David S. Cercone sentenced 31-year-old Clarence Thomas...
Over-the-counter medications tough to find this cold, flu season
Demand for over-the-counter medications to ease suffering related to a spike in colds, flu and covid has left shelves empty and shop owners frustrated in recent weeks. “It’s the trifecta,” said Ed Christofano, owner of Hayden’s Pharmacy stores in Youngwood, Mt. Pleasant and Donegal. The Centers for Disease Control and...
Holiday happenings in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Santa Claus and his helpers will be visiting many locations in the Alle-Kiski Valley. Here is a list for you to check twice: Allegheny Township Photos with Santa will be from 10 a.m. to noon at Taco Bell, Route 56. The first 150 children 10 and younger will receive a...
The Stroller, Dec. 8, 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. Springdale students to present, ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ The Springdale Jr.-Sr....
Police say Greensburg man starved dog to death
A Greensburg man is accused by police of letting a dog die in the basement of an apartment where he had been living, according to court papers. Timothy J. Steinman Jr., 43, was charged Wednesday with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and a single charge of animal cruelty....
O’Hara adds social worker to provide residents another service
A new social worker in O’Hara is helping residents access to mental health and other services. Jalen Byrd began working in the township about a month ago. So far, he has helped homeless people with temporary housing, assisted with several referrals from the police department and township administration and been...
New president leads Hempfield Area School Board
The Hempfield Area School Board has a new president. Director Paul Ward took the helm on Wednesday after former President Tony Bompiani served in the leadership role for three years. Directors unanimously approved Ward, who was the sole nominee. Director Scott Learn will continue to serve as vice president. Ward...
Murrysville set to vote on 2023 budget with no tax hike
Murrysville Council last week delayed a vote on a $15.4 million 2023 budget, which does not includes a tax hike. The vote will take place at the final meeting of the year. Chief Administrator Michael Nestico said updates to some elements of the municipality’s salary ordinance require the municipality to...
TSA finds 2 guns at Pittsburgh airport security checkpoint
Transportation Security Administration officers caught two guns Wednesday at the Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoint. The first gun, confiscated from a carry-on bag belonging to a West Newton man, was a loaded 9mm handgun. The second firearm was a loaded, antique .22-caliber handgun that belonged to a man from Clarksburg,...
Imprisonment by the Nazis could not stop Freeport’s Rod Chapman, who died Sunday at the age of 101
Freeport icon and World War II hero Joseph Rodney “Rod” Chapman, 101, died of natural causes on Sunday, Dec. 4. In addition to his military duties, Chapman was a Freeport area historian, author and a mail carrier then the chief clerk at the borough’s post office for 35 years. Federal...
Westmoreland Symphony invites concert-goers ‘Home for the Holidays’
Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra will continue its long-running tradition of going “Home for the Holidays,” with the annual concert set for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg. But there are new elements in the mix this year. As usual, the All-Star Choir of Westmoreland County will perform,...
Pittsburgh Deputy Controller Rachael Heisler to run for controller
Pittsburgh Deputy Controller Rachael Heisler announced Wednesday that she is running for city controller. She has held her current post since January 2021. “I am passionate about good government and welcome the opportunity to improve how things get done,” said Heisler, a Democrat. “I am a problem-solver and pledge to...
Uniontown man convicted for role in Capitol riot
A Uniontown man could face decades in prison after a jury convicted him for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The Department of Justice said Peter Schwartz, 49, threw a folding chair at police officers and sprayed them with pepper spray that he took from them. He...
Quaker Valley School Board reappoints president, vice president
Jonathan Kuzma and Marna Blackmer were unanimously reappointed as Quaker Valley School Board president and vice president, respectively, at the board’s reorganization meeting Dec. 6. Kuzma, a 2001 Quaker Valley grad, has been on the board since 2013. This will be his third term as president. The Leetsdale resident and...
Pittsburgh City Council won’t decide on proposed Oakland zoning changes until next year
Proposed zoning changes for Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood won’t be decided until next year. Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday postponed a vote on the proposed changes for at least six weeks to take additional time to discuss the measure. Council members could make additional amendments ahead of a preliminary vote, now...
Medical examiner IDs missing Frazer woman
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner on Wednesday identified the remains of a woman found in a wooded area in Armstrong County as those of Darlene Harbison of Frazer. The identification comes after Allegheny County Police on Monday reported that a license plate number on a motorcycle that was found and...
No tax increase proposed for Oakmont
Oakmont’s proposed 2023 budget shows the real estate tax remaining at 3.73 mills. Borough council plans to vote Dec. 19 on adopting the final version of the spending plan. In its proposed form, as council authorized for advertisement on Nov. 21, the general fund budget calls for operating expenditures of...
Plum police, Rotary Club present donations to Meals on Wheels
Some fuzzy faces in Plum’s police department are helping making Christmas brighter for people getting help from Meals on Wheels. Police Chief Lanny Conley presented a $1,340 check Tuesday to Samantha Lamorte, manager of the Meals on Wheels program at the Plum Community Center. The money came from the department’s...
Blawnox cookie tour, Night of Lights celebration draws families to the borough
A stroll through Blawnox turned very delicious for many families as the nonprofit Best of Blawnox hosted its second annual cookie tour. More than 20 businesses up and down Freeport Road participated in the holiday event Dec. 3. Bella Iarrapino, 12, of Blawnox was dressed as one of Santa’s little...
