Western PA Local News category, Page 1249
$7M contract extension considered for security at Pittsburgh’s City-County Building, other sites
Pittsburgh City Council is considering spending $7 million over five years to extend a contract with a Pittsburgh-based firm that provides security at the City-County Building and other city sites. The proposed contract would pay security guards a fraction of what guards are making at some county-owned facilities, according to...
New sustainable senior housing development opens in Penn Hills
Penn Hills seniors have a new residence option with the opening of Emerald Hills Retirement Village at the site of the former Forbes Elementary School. It was built by Sota Construction, and was built to Passive House, Energy Star, and Enterprise Green building standards. Sota is dedicated to sustainable building....
Ethical Hope: Plum resident helps world’s artisans sell products
Extreme poverty can lead to extreme measures for many of the world’s mothers. “It’s easier to sell your child for money than it is to raise your child. That’s a heartbreaking reality,” Meredith Hedeen said. “And that happens in the U.S., too.” From her home in Plum, Hedeen seeks to...
Pitt student wins big during ‘Wheel of Fortune’ College Week
University of Pittsburgh sophomore Noah Stockwell got the idea of competing on the popular TV game show “Wheel of Fortune” sort of as a joke. He wound up having the last laugh after winning a massive prize on an episode that aired on Nov. 24. “I figured it would be...
East Vandergrift set to ‘Welcome’ the holidays with community gathering
Officials and volunteers from East Vandergrift are ringing in the holidays with a new event. East Vandergrift’s inaugural “Welcome to the Holidays” community gathering will combine Christmas-themed activities with socializing. Sponsored by the Holiday Mothers, borough council and the East Vandergrift Community Foundation, the event is free. It kicks off...
Homestead man faces charges in shooting that killed man in Marshall-Shadeland
Pittsburgh police said they arrested a man in connection with a fatal shooting on Wednesday morning in Marshall-Shadeland. Jason Woodall, 29, of Homestead, faces charges of criminal homicide, robbery and firearm violations, police said. He was lodged in Allegheny County Jail and denied bail Thursday. Investigators identified the victim as...
Pedestrian, traffic safety improvements planned on Strip District’s Liberty Avenue
A portion of Liberty Avenue running through Pittsburgh’s Strip District will see major pedestrian and traffic safety improvements, according to city officials. Councilwoman Deb Gross said the city will partner with PennDOT on the nearly $1 million project. The city will be providing just $4,500 of that cost, with the...
Giant Eagle Market District, apartments, additional retail coming to Shadyside
A proposal to develop a Giant Eagle Market District, along with more than 200 apartments, additional stores and restaurants and a small park, in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside has earned Planning Commission approval. The development from O’Hara-based ECHO Realty will sit on a Penn Avenue site that previously was home to a...
Why Etna went green: ‘The community needed to fight back,’ borough manager Ramage says
Etna borough manager Mary Ellen Ramage can rattle off the names of five elderly widows who brought chocolates to office staff when they paid their water bills. That was when Ramage was a receptionist some 45 years ago. The borough, along with other government officials, honored Ramage recently for her...
2nd Pine-Richland town hall narrows down input for district strategy
Pine-Richland parents, students and community members gathered at the district’s second town hall on Nov. 29 to narrow down feedback on the district’s 2023-2027 strategic plan. About 70 people attended the town hall in person or virtually during the afternoon session at Eden Hall Upper Elementary School. A second session...
Pittsburgh police seek help identifying suspect in Downtown burglaries
Pittsburgh police are asking for the public’s help to identify a man being sought for a string of burglaries in Downtown. Authorities released a photo of a man they said they suspect in burglaries of at least four businesses and about half a dozen vehicle break-ins during the past several...
Springdale students disciplined over walkout
Springdale High School students who participated in a walkout last week over an alleged teacher shortage apparently will be punished. Last week, dozens of Springdale High School students staged a walkout to protest what they claim is a severe teacher shortage, which the Allegheny Valley School District denies. “I can’t...
No tax increase planned in West View
There is no tax increase planned for West View residents next year, as commissioners prepare to vote on the 2023 proposed budget, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. at their Council Chambers at 441 Perry Highway. The tax rate is proposed to remain the same at 6.30 mills. The last time...
Franklin Park proposed budget open for review
Franklin Park’s proposed 2023 budget contains no tax increases and anticipates spending of nearly $13.3 million next year, a roughly $1.1 million increase from 2022. The budget is scheduled for adoption Dec. 21. “The borough real estate tax rate of 1.29 mills, (which is) $129 for every $100,000 of your...
The Stroller, Dec. 1, 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. Events set to kickoff holiday season There are many holiday happenings...
All aglow: More homeowners, businesses hiring pros to put up holiday lights
Justin Rushin still remembers advice he received at the start of his venture into holiday decorating as owner of Christmas Decor of Pittsburgh. “(The instructor) said one thing that really stuck in my mind: ‘You will never be able to look at a house the same and not think about...
Quaker Valley area residents weigh in on Allegheny County judge’s ruling of a proposed high school project
Quaker Valley area residents have mixed reactions to an Allegheny County judge’s ruling on a zoning issue for a proposed Quaker Valley High School. Senior Judge Joseph James issued his six-page opinion Monday overturning a Leet Township zoning board decision to deny a special exception for the 167,000-square foot project....
Penn Hills paramedic remembered as an eager public servant
Penn Hills resident Nicholas Theofilis dedicated his life to public service. The Eagle Scout had dreams of working in the medical field, and while in high school, already had begun training as an emergency medical technician. Those dreams were cut short when the 23-year-old paramedic died Nov. 27 while on...
Police look for hit-and-run driver who injured bicyclist in Indiana County
State police are looking for a hit-and-run driver who struck and injured a bicyclist Wednesday morning in Indiana County. The cyclist, a 31-year-old Saltsburg man, was treated for moderate injuries at Indiana Regional Hospital. Police said he was riding in the area of Rose Street and Robertshaw Drive, near the...
Citing competition and cost, Penn State looks to reunite its 2 law schools
Penn State University’s two separately accredited law schools would be reunited into one under a recommendation from university President Neeli Bendapudi. She and other leaders Tuesday cited an “extremely competitive legal education marketplace” and a desire to better focus resources in explaining the plan to combine Penn State Dickinson Law...
East Huntingdon landfill seeks OK for expansion plans
The state is seeking responses to an East Huntingdon landfill operator’s air quality plan for handling emissions from a proposed 82-acre disposal site. Approving the plan would extend the life of the 620-acre landfill outside Scottdale by 18 years. The state Department of Environmental Protection is taking comments until Dec....
Guns seized at Pittsburgh airport down from record levels, but still a problem, TSA says
Traffic is gradually returning to normal at Pittsburgh International Airport, but the number of firearms seized at the airport’s checkpoints doesn’t appear to be going back to pre-pandemic levels. The Transportation Security Administration wants to keep it that way. On Wednesday, agency officials held a news conference at the airport...
Stroke in people Kris Letang’s age, condition not as rare as one might think, experts say
Medical experts Wednesday were not surprised to hear the details of Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang’s stroke, saying it might even be considered commonplace for people built as he is. Dr. M. Shazam Hussain, a board- certified neurologist and the director of Cleveland Clinic’s Cerebrovascular Center, estimates one in every...
Nostalgic 3-day festival offers holiday fun in Vandergrift
When people call Denise Lewandowski “Crazy Christmas Lady,” she considers it a compliment. Lewandowski, of Vandergrift, proudly embraces her holiday moniker. She wore a sweatshirt with that phrase on it while preparing Wednesday for a big holiday event this weekend in Vandergrift. She talked about her passion for all things...
Arnold Palmer airport gets extra $2 million in state funds
The state has given a $2 millon boost to the proposed project to double the size of the terminal at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport near Latrobe. The Westmoreland County Airport Authority has been awarded an extra $2 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funding, increasing the state’s commitment to...
