Western PA Local News category, Page 1270
Part of Route 356 reopens in Allegheny Township
Portions of Route 356 reopened to motorists Tuesday evening in Allegheny Township. Allegheny Township Supervisor Jamie Morabito confirmed the reopening about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The road is open in both directions. He said the road will remain open until PennDOT resumes construction in the spring. It’s estimated the road will...
Route 28 ramp closure in Frazer planned for Wednesday
A ramp closure on northbound Route 28 in Frazer Township is planned for Wednesday, weather permitting. PennDOT officials said it is scheduled for 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. for concrete patching on the Pittsburgh Mills Boulevard on-ramp (Exit 12A). Ramp traffic will be detoured. The detour is as follows: •...
Pittsburgh sets goal to clear roads within 24 hours of snowfall
Pittsburgh officials outlined the city’s plans for snow removal efforts this winter in a virtual meeting Tuesday evening, saying they hope to have all of the city’s roads cleared within 24 hours of snowfall. “We’re going to do all we can to make sure these streets (are clear),” Pittsburgh Mayor...
Man dies after stabbing in West Mifflin
A man was stabbed to death Tuesday afternoon in West Mifflin. At around 4:30 p.m., first responders found the man with stab wounds in the area of Midway Drive. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Allegheny County homicide detectives are investigating. Anyone with information on the stabbing can anonymously...
Attorney for Irwin man denies sex crime allegations
The lawyer for an Irwin man charged with sex crimes against a 10-year-old girl on Tuesday told a Westmoreland County jury his client denies any wrongdoing. Justin Hartung, 40, is charged with two misdemeanor counts, indecent assault and indecent exposure, based on allegations from a now 14-year-old girl who claimed...
Fire causes heavy damage to house in Buffalo Township, no injuries reported
A house in Buffalo Township sustained significant damage after a fire broke out on Tuesday morning. Multiple departments responded to the fire in the 500 block of Fleming Road at about 8:15 a.m., according to an Armstrong County 911 operator. There were no injuries reported, according to authorities. First responders...
Winter shelter to open for homeless in Downtown Pittsburgh
A winter shelter for people experiencing homelessness was scheduled to open Tuesday evening in Downtown Pittsburgh, Allegheny County officials said. The seasonal, low-barrier shelter is slated to open temporarily to provide cold weather shelter until Second Avenue Commons — a new 45,000-square-foot, year-round shelter built Downtown — is open. The...
Tree of Life names Zawatsky inaugural CEO of new re-imagined building
The new national institution dedicated to ending antisemitism housed at the site of the worst antisemitic attack on U.S. soil has named Carole Zawatsky its first chief executive officer. Zawatsky is tasked with leading a re-imagined facility designed to be part memorial, part museum and part worship space, according to...
Proposed 2023 Pine budget keeps property tax unchanged, likely to again be lowest rate in the county
Pine Township supervisors approved a preliminary budget for 2023 that keeps the property tax rate unchanged and likely will allow the municipality to continue to have the lowest tax rate among Allegheny County’s 130 municipalities. The more than $14.98 million general fund budget proposed for 2023 is 8.53% higher than...
Holiday events planned at McCandless Crossing
McCandless Crossing in McCandless will kick off the holiday season with two signature events. The annual Christmas Tree Lighting celebration will be Monday, Nov. 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. The sights and sounds of the season will fill the Town Green with Santa’s arrival as well as musical and...
Bethel Park district judge guides young people toward productive choices
With surgery scheduled to repair a torn ligament, baseball player Nick Arnoni knew he’d be in for plenty of pain afterward. He also knew that certain types of prescribed medications were causing major problems across the country because of their strong potential for addiction. So leading up to his operation,...
O’Hara’s 2023 preliminary budget contains no real estate, earned income tax hike
O’Hara officials plan to hold the line on real estate taxes with next year’s budget. Council voted 5-0 at a combined workshop and regular meeting on Nov. 9 to approve the first reading and advertise its preliminary 2023 budget. Council President Robert Smith and Councilman Richard Hughes were absent. The...
Bystander struck by bullet in Downtown Pittsburgh, police say
A woman was grazed by a bullet in Downtown Pittsburgh Tuesday afternoon during a dispute between two men, police said. Police responded to the intersection of Smithfield Street and Fourth Avenue around 12:10 p.m. Officers found a woman with a gunshot wound to her lower leg. “The shooting occurred during...
Pittsburgh unveils plans for Light Up Night Saturday
Pittsburgh will ring in the holiday season Saturday with a Light Up Night celebration that includes the lighting of the city’s official holiday tree, four hours of music and the unveiling of the city’s annual gingerbread house display. The city will light its 107th annual Christmas tree — a 40-foot...
Sen. Kim Ward makes history as 1st female pro tempore of Pa. Senate
State Sen. Kim Ward keeps making history. On Tuesday, the Hempfield Republican became the first woman to be appointed by fellow lawmakers as president pro tempore of the state Senate. She will oversee operations of the governing body and serve as its leader in the new position, holding the responsibility...
Man who recorded child in Monroeville school bathroom gets probation
A man who lied his way into a Monroeville elementary school and positioned his phone to record a 10-year-old girl in the restroom earlier this year pleaded guilty Tuesday to multiple charges. Brian Mintmier, 26, was admitted into the intensive, Allegheny County Common Pleas Mental Health Court program and will...
Leechburg appoints Doreen Smeal as new councilwoman after resignation of Ruth Bender
A Leechburg native is the newest face serving on Leechburg Council. Doreen Smeal was unanimously appointed to council Oct. 18 after the resignation of former Councilwoman Ruth Bender. Bender of Leechburg served almost three years and cited a hectic schedule for the reason for her departure from council. “Personally and...
Demand for Murphy Building in Tarentum shows renewed interest in business district
Demand for office suites at the near-century-old Murphy Building in Tarentum is outpacing available space. The large corner building that sat vacant for eight years is breathing new life into the borough’s business district, with offices on the first floor rented at capacity. Owner Dave Rankin has kicked off a...
Handgun among items stolen from vehicles in Harrison; police seek help to identify suspect
Harrison police are seeking information on a person caught on camera entering and stealing from unlocked vehicles in the township. A handgun was among the items stolen, according to police. The suspect was captured by residential security cameras early Sunday ransacking cars along Saxonburg Road, High Street and Jefferson Avenue....
Building the Valley: Vandergrift native’s jewelry business success set in stone
Vandergrift native Bobbie Morda opened her dream jewelry store 34 years ago with a handful of necklaces and six engagement rings. Her store, Bobbie’s Jewelers, occupies a former barbershop at 173 Columbia Ave. in Vandergrift’s historic business district. “This comes from blood, sweat and tears. This was not turnkey,” Morda...
New Spinvasion ride coming to Kennywood next spring
Kennywood is getting a new ride next year, and it promises to be out of this world. The amusement park announced Tuesday an intergalactic multi-action spin ride called Spinvasion will become the centerpiece of the park’s new alien-inspired Area 412 section. According to a press release, Spinvasion will provide an...
Construction moving along on R.A. Lutz Elementary
R.A. Lutz Elementary School, which will replace W.R. Paynter Elementary, is still on track for completion by summer 2023. “We are looking to take occupancy by the end of July or beginning of August, just in time for the start of the 2023-2024 school year,” Baldwin Whitehall School District superintendent...
Man arrested after police use megaphone, flash bangs outside Latrobe home
Police used a megaphone and flash bangs Tuesday morning at a Latrobe home where they believed an armed man was holed up with a gun, blocking off the neighborhood for about an hour. Peter A. Letso, 49, came out of the Oak Street home after a police dog handler told...
Delayed $16 million senior housing project resumes in East Vandergrift
After a nine-month setback, development plans for a new senior citizen residential complex have resumed in East Vandergrift, Westmoreland County. The Morning Sun Senior Lofts project was awarded a $1.2 million grant this month from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) and $1.3 million in low-income tax credits. The low-income...
Merchants, motorists frustrated as Route 119 redo in Youngwood approaches its final year
Merchants and motorists in Youngwood are frustrated with the street closures and traffic interruptions that have been associated with reconstruction of the Route 119 corridor through town. They’ll have to bear with some disruptions for about another year, as the $24.1 million project isn’t scheduled to be completed until fall...
