Western PA Local News category, Page 1242
Richland man accused of stealing pistol faces multiple felony charges
An employee at the Dunham’s sporting goods store in Richland was arrested after he was recorded on video surveillance stealing a pistol from a storage room, according to authorities. ZackaryAllen Hill, 19, of the 3600 block of Crestview Drive in Richland, was charged by Northern Regional Police with felony counts...
Pitt faculty members protest slow contract talks
About 75 University of Pittsburgh faculty members, frustrated by the slow pace of trying to secure their first union contract, protested Wednesday outside the provost’s office in the Cathedral of Learning. They did not manage to get a face-to-face meeting with Provost Ann Cudd, Pitt’s chief academic officer. Instead, the...
Bare bones Sharpsburg budget still requires 30% tax hike
A bare-bones Sharpsburg budget will still require a 30% property tax hike for residents next year. Several council members said it was a challenge to balance needs and costs. Council approved the $4.6 million budget in November, with member Jon Jaso voting against the plan. The 6-1 budget vote increases...
Allegheny Township man suffered head, back injuries when struck by tree limb
An Allegheny Township man was injured when part of a tree fell on him Saturday afternoon, according to authorities. Police Chief Duane Fisher said the 69-year-old man, who police did not identify, was helping a neighbor trim tree limbs at a home in the 100 block of Lynn Lane at...
Pittsburgh International Airport to get new flight to Southern California
Pittsburghers who love Disneyland, beaches, and sunshine can rejoice. Pittsburgh International Airport is getting a new flight to Orange County in Southern California. The low-cost carrier Breeze Airways announced Tuesday it will be flying nonstop between Pittsburgh and John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif., starting on March 31. Breeze...
Allegheny Township’s proposed budget includes no tax increase
Allegheny Township residents won’t see a property tax increase next year. The 2023 proposed budget includes a general fund budget of $4.27 million, according to the budget presentation by township Manager Greg Primm. The tax rate will remain at 13.35 mills. “I’m pleased that for the 13th consecutive year our...
Gatto’s eyes former Brackenridge fire hall for storage facility
A former fire hall along Morgan Street in Brackenridge could become a storage facility for Gatto’s Cycle Shop. Owner George Gatto hopes to purchase the building at 922 Morgan St. to store cars. He said a boat also would be kept there in the winter. “We don’t have room for...
‘City of Steel’ lets former workers chronicle the rise and fall of Pittsburgh steel industry
When Bruce Spiegel was a child, he would look out his Greenfield window at the heart of American industry: the U.S. Steel Homestead Works. “I would look out into the night and watch the Homestead furnaces blowing blue flames,” Spiegel said. “I thought steel-making was never going to end.” In...
Westmoreland happenings: Basket raffle, live Nativity, Christmas concert
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...
Police say Penn Hills man’s Facebook car ads were a setup to steal buyers’ cash
Pittsburgh police said a man used Facebook marketplace to set up four purported vehicle sales around Homewood and then robbed potential buyers of the cash they brought, according to court papers. Alan Green, 29, of Penn Hills is facing nine charges of robbery and three counts of conspiracy that were...
No tax increase expected in Springdale Township’s 2023 budget
No tax increase is anticipated in Springdale Township’s 2023 budget despite an increase in expenditures. The roughly $1.2 million proposed budget, with taxes to remain at 6.5 mills, marks a 30.4% increase over the 2020 budget, which came in at $907,000. But that increase might seem misleading, as a large...
Frazer approves budget with 40% tax increase
Frazer property owners can expect a 40% tax hike next year after supervisors unanimously approved the 2023 township budget Tuesday. The $1.3 million budget calls for a property tax increase from 2.5 mills to 3.5 mills, which officials have said is necessary to bolster the police department and to cover...
East Hills mother dies of injuries from shooting that killed her 4-year-old daughter
An East Hills woman died late Tuesday at a hospital, five days after being wounded in a Lincoln-Lemington shooting that killed her 4-year-old daughter. Temani Lewis, 21, had been scheduled to stand trial next month in connection with a separate shooting over the summer. The 4-year-old girl, Kaari Thompson, and...
Tarentum investigating after falling victim to online scam for nearly $140,000
Tarentum police are trying to figure out how someone managed to swindle nearly $140,000 from the borough in an online phishing scheme. Manager Dwight Boddorf said an investigation is underway after the borough was the victim of theft through email spoofing. Details of the theft were not released as the...
The Stroller, Dec. 7, 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. Church youth group to host parents night out The youth group...
Pleas issued for blood donations as supply suffers holiday season shortage
Regular blood donor Kayani Hull had an extra incentive to roll up her sleeve for a donation drive last week at the University of Pittsburgh’s Greensburg campus. “I found out that B-type blood is pretty rare, and I have B blood,” said the Pitt-Greensburg sophomore from Verona. “It makes me...
Judge dismisses charges against Jeannette man who refused to supply ID to police
A criminal case was dismissed against a Jeannette man charged with obstruction of justice based on allegations that he refused to identify himself to police last year. Jonathan Durbiano, 42, was detained by Jeannette police in the early hours of June 6, 2021, on Maryland Street. He also was charged...
Hundreds of new charges filed against Squirrel Hill man accused of hiding cameras in bathrooms
A Squirrel Hill man arrested last month for planting a hidden camera in a restroom at The Frick museum now faces a slew of additional charges for hiding the device and spying on restroom-users elsewhere. Todd Bueschen, 35, was charged Tuesday with eight counts of sexual abuse of children by...
Pittsburgh Regional employees sue over covid-19 vaccine mandate
A group of Pittsburgh Regional Transit employees and former employees filed a discrimination lawsuit in federal court Tuesday challenging the authority’s covid-19 vaccine mandate. The lawsuit, filed as a class action, seeks to represent not only employees who were terminated by PRT for failing to get vaccinated but also employees...
Recipients announced for 2023 Westmoreland tourism grants
Michael Hartung wants more exposure for the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department Museum, and, by virtue of a grant funded by Westmoreland County’s hotel tax, he now has the money to make that happen. “We’re trying to bring in people from the outside. The only people who come are firefighters or...
Pittsburgh Public Schools students, staff to get free Penguins tickets through new mentoring program
The Pittsburgh Penguins are partnering with Pittsburgh Public Schools to provide free tickets to students, teachers and staff at elementary and middle schools to attend regular season home games. The PPS All-Stars initiative, announced Tuesday, is a new mentoring program that also includes career path development sessions for students. The...
Stowe fire chief punched firefighter during blaze, police say
A fire chief is facing charges after police say he punched a firefighter at a McKees Rocks blaze the two were battling. Stowe Fire Chief Matthew Chapman was charged Tuesday with simple assault and harassment in connection to the Sunday incident. Chapman was the first to arrive on scene and...
Students from Aspinwall’s CDTCA deliver holiday cheer to UPMC St. Margaret
Students from the third and fourth grade classes of Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy helped decorate the courtyard of UPMC St. Margaret hospital with their handmade ornaments on Dec. 6. “Many of our patients aren’t sure if they will be home for the holidays,” said St. Margaret Foundation President...
‘Disney’s Frozen Jr.’ brings heart-warming winter tale to Scottdale stage
Since the movie “Frozen” was released in 2013, it’s become a favorite tale for people of all ages — and one that’s been on the “must-do” list for the Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale. Circumstances have finally converged, and the winter wonderland of “Disney’s Frozen Jr.” will take over...
Pittsburgh unemployment near record lows, but region is slow to regain workers
Pittsburgh’s unemployment rate is one of the lowest the region has seen in the past 50 years, but that isn’t necessarily a sign that the city’s economy is humming, according to a University of Pittsburgh economist. The unemployment rate for October was 4.1%, the Pennsylvania Center for Workforce Information and...
