Western PA Local News category, Page 1292
Pittsburgh community comes together for Tree of Life 4th-year commemorationVideo
Pittsburgh gathered to remember on Thursday, a bright, mild and sunny day that provided a stark contrast to the gloomy, rainy day when 11 worshippers were shot to death at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill on Oct. 27, 2018. An estimated 500 members of the Pittsburgh community...
Penn Hills School District hires Lazaron as chief of school police force
The Penn Hills school board made a bold new change to the district’s safety capabilities on Oct. 27 when they approved the hire of new chief of school police/school resource officer Keith Lazaron. Lazaron comes to the district with 21 years of experience and was working as a School Resource...
Allegheny Valley Hospital hosts Howl-O-Ween pet parade featuring therapy dog team
Staff and patients at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison got a chance to forget about their daily stresses and concerns for a short time while a team of therapy dogs donned their favorite costumes for a Howl-O-Ween parade. “Nothing brings a smile to the face of a patient or employee...
Butler-Freeport’s ‘little trail that could’ celebrates 30th anniversary
In October 1992, Franco Harris, WPXI news anchor Della Crews and Belgian horses were on hand for the grand opening of the Butler-Freeport Community Trail. Then some unhappy landowners filed lawsuits, which took about a decade to settle. “Among other managers, our trail is known as the ‘little trail that...
Council delays vote on trash collection contract in Hampton
At its Oct. 26 meeting, Hampton Township Council delayed a vote until next month on a trash collection contract that would increase residents’ bills by about 33% because of a discrepancy with the bidder, Waste Management, regarding prices. Christopher Lochner, municipal manager, said that while township officials knew Waste Management...
Design work to begin on $22M expansion of IUP’s growing Academy of Culinary Arts
Design work for a $22 million project in Punxsutawney to expand and renovate Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Academy of Culinary Arts is expected to start now that funding to develop drawings has been approved. The $2.9 million for that work, included in the State System of Higher Education’s recently adopted...
Man hid camera in Frick Pittsburgh bathroom, police say
Pittsburgh police are looking for a man suspected of hiding a camera inside a city museum’s bathroom to spy on museum-goers. The man is believed to have taken “multiple pictures and video of victims (ranging) from children to senior citizens” at The Frick Pittsburgh on South Homewood Avenue in Point...
Police departments, sheriff’s office collecting unused meds Saturday
The Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department along with police in North Huntingdon, Penn Township and Murrysville are participating in the federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The departments will take unused, unwanted or old pills and liquids at the following locations....
Pittsburgh’s soaring homicide rate leaves officials baffled
Pittsburgh police said Thursday its officers have investigated 59 homicides to date in 2022 — the highest rate in at least seven years and a 25% spike year over year. There have been nearly 700 homicides in Pittsburgh since 2010, county records show. Homicides in Pittsburgh hit 60 in 2015...
AG’s office announces sex charges against 4 men; Butler suspect kills himself before arrest
A Butler County man who was about to be arrested Thursday morning on charges of rape and sexual abuse killed himself in the bathroom of his home, officials said. Eric E. Eleam Sr., 61, of Butler, was one of four men facing charges in connection with a statewide investigating grand...
Plum hires new school police officer
Plum Borough School Board unanimously approved the appointment of Officer James Miller to the school district’s police department. Miller, whose was hired at the board’s Oct. 25 meeting, will be stationed at Holiday Park Intermediate School for the remainder of this school year. He has been a resident of Plum...
Great Scott! Westmoreland Performing Arts stages ‘Rocky Horror Show’
As much fun as actors might have on stage, sometimes performing is just a job. That’s not the case for those involved in the Westmoreland Performing Arts production of “The Rocky Horror Show.” “There are shows that actors do because they’re actors, and there are shows they do because it’s...
Pittsburgh City Council looks to revamp permiting process for athletic facilities
Athletic associations in Pittsburgh may have an easier time getting field time if legislation before City Council is approved. The legislation would revamp the prioritization process for permits at city athletic facilities. “During covid, (athletic associations) helped keep 10,000 kids off the streets in the city of Pittsburgh when recreation...
Murrysville area: ‘Polar Express’ reading, used book sale, walk-a-thon, more
Email news briefs and event information to pvarine@triblive.com. Events must be submitted two weeks in advance in order to make the Star’s deadline. Marathon swimmer will give library presentation Franklin Regional graduate and “Oceans Seven” marathon swimmer Darren Miller will be the featured speaker at a Nov. 15 presentation at...
Penn-Trafford area: Food drives, Veterans Day program, toy drive
Food drive planned by CommunityWomen’s Club of Level Green The Community Women’s Club of Level Green is seeking nonperishable food donations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Level Green Lion’s Club Community Building, 123 Murrysville Road. The drive will benefit the Trafford Food Bank. Items needed...
Osborne Elementary’s Race for Education raises record funds
Students ran the track squealing with joy and excitement during the morning of Oct. 20 as they participated in Osborne Elementary’s annual Race for Education. This year, Osborne set a new record, raising more than $53,000. “Our biggest total in years past was $33K,” said Tracey Hartman, Home and School...
Norwin area happenings: School fundraiser, craft show
Trampoline park fundraiser set for Andrew’s Avengers Students at Norwin’s Hillcrest Intermediate School will hold a fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m Nov. 7 at Sky Zone, a trampoline park at 60 Levin Way, Monroeville, to raise money for Andrew’s Avengers, a nonprofit that helps fund pediatric cancer research....
Maggie’s Farm Rum to expand with new distillery in Upper St. Clair
Maggie’s Farm Rum has experienced years of awards for its Strip District-produced spirits, and the distillery now is parlaying that success into a new 22,0000-square-foot production distillery, tasting room and cocktail bar in Upper St. Clair. Allegheny Distilling, which produces award-winning Maggie’s Farm Rum and Personal Day Vodka Hard Seltzer,...
Looking back at the 2018 Tree of Life attack in Squirrel HillVideo
On Oct. 27, 2018, a gunman opened fire inside the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill, killing 11 worshippers and wounding two. It was the deadliest act of anti-Semitic violence in U.S. history. Four Pittsburgh police officers were injured by gunfire as they responded to the attack. To capture...
More than half of 2022 graduates of Aquinas Academy in Hampton earn Advanced Placement awards
Thirty-two Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh’s current seniors and graduates of the Class of 2022 recently earned AP Scholar Awards from College Board for their performance on Advanced Placement examinations during their high school years. Twenty-seven awardees are 2022 graduates of the school in Hampton, representing 53% of the class. An...
Arnold grants variance for walk-in cooler at service station
Arnold businessman Mike Thakkar received an OK from the city’s zoning hearing board Tuesday on a variance request for his 1610 Freeport Road service station/convenience store. Thakkar, representing Yashvi Oil LLC, requested permission to build a walk-in cooler that would extend outside the rear of the building toward an adjoining...
Sharpsburg Community Library features Halloween-themed art exhibit
Sharpsburg Community Library hosts Danse Macabre, an art display featuring various media and a Halloween theme. The exhibit opened Oct. 22 and is scheduled through Nov. 12. Danse macabre is a medieval artistic genre celebrating the universality of death. Admission is free. Pieces are available for purchase, and 25% of...
Friends of Monroeville Public Library makes donation toward energy savings
Friends of the Monroeville Public Library has donated $5,000 toward updating the library’s 58-year old lighting system to help save energy costs and maintenance hours. The donation helps the library take advantage of a program from Duquesne Light Co., which offers a discount for energy-efficient bulbs and equipment. Friends members...
Edgeworth Elementary students learn life lessons as part of new project
Several Edgeworth Elementary students learned a thing or two about life as part of a project to make them and their fellow young Quaker Valley learners a little wiser. Learning support teacher Melissa Martinelli and academic specialist Gina Gordon worked with 10 fourth graders last year to create a Wisdom...
Crash rips wheel from Audi parked on Fifth Avenue in Arnold
An Arnold resident is shopping for a new car at probably the worst possible time given the market after his Audi A7 was destroyed in a bizarre crash. Edward Jarnagin said he bought the large luxury car new in 2016. It was almost paid off, but now it is headed...
