Local category, Page 13
Burst water pipe at Riverview Senior Living in Harrison forces some residents to move
A burst pipe Monday night at Riverview Senior Living in Harrison flooded lower-level units and forced a number of residents to leave. Some residents left to stay with family members and others were moved to higher floors. Township firefighters were dispatched around 7:50 p.m. to the apartments at 1330 11th...
An unexplained departure and a triumphant return to the U.S.Video
On Aug. 13, 2021, Marc and Jane Fogel pulled away from their white colonial-style home in Oakmont to drive to New York City. There, they boarded a plane to Moscow to begin their final year teaching at the Anglo-American School, an elite institution built for the children of western diplomats....
The Marc Fogel story: An unexplained departure and a triumphant return to the U.S.
For months, Marc Fogel had just been going through the motions of his captivity in the Russian prison system more than 5,000 miles from his home in Pittsburgh. After being left behind in a massive, multi-nation prisoner swap in August 2024, Marc’s mood had turned foul. He no longer cared...
Pitt women’s basketball coach sued by former players alleging hostile environment
Six women who previously played basketball at Pitt are suing coach Tory Verdi and the school, alleging he created a hostile environment, abused players psychologically and retaliated against them after they complained. The individual lawsuits were filed Friday in federal court in Pittsburgh. They include claims for violations of Title...
Brentwood man remains in ICE custody after hospital stay, 1st hearing
Maklim Gomez Escalante remains in federal custody after returning from a hospital last week to the Moshannon Valley ICE Processing Center in Clearfield County, his family says. Gomez Escalante, 35, of Brentwood in Pittsburgh’s South Hills, was taken by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Jan. 20. His family...
Oakmont man arrested by ICE is home, but being monitored; future unclear
Jose Flores, the Oakmont man arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents late last month, is home with his family again, but not necessarily out of the woods. Flores, 47, originally from Nicaragua, was taken into custody by ICE agents the morning of Jan. 29 in front of his home...
Owner of Ruthie’s Diner dies nearly 3 weeks after fire destroyed longtime Ligonier Township restaurant
Doris Ruth “Ruthie” Stevens, owner of Ruthie’s Diner, died at 92 on Saturday — nearly three weeks after the Ligonier Township restaurant was destroyed in a fire. Stevens died in her home in Jenner, Somerset County, according to an obituary. She was born in Addison, also in Somerset County, in...
Dan Kinross, longtime Ross commissioner, remembered for a life of serviceVideo
Dan Kinross may have been the most powerful politician to ever come from Ross, longtime township Commissioner Chris Eyster says. “His forte was campaigning, especially in elections not involving himself,” Eyster said. “He was an indefatigable campaigner for Democratic candidates. He was a tremendous leader in the party and well...
Homicide trial opens for 2 charged in St. Clair woman’s murderVideo
Alice Robson had been missing for more than two days in December 2023 when a dog from the Greensburg Bloodhound Team found her body stuffed in a crawl space underneath a porch at her St. Clair home. It took Lucy, the dog, 6 minutes to locate the 71-year-old woman’s body,...
Ice dams can build as temperatures rise, putting homes at risk for water leaks
Roof repair and replacement company Roof Gutter Now keeps busy in the winter, fielding 60 to 80 calls a day to melt piles of snow, ice and water sitting on top of homeowners’ rooftops. But owner Nathaniel Davis says the calls should pick up even more on Tuesday as warmer...
Fatal crash ends search for suspect in McKees Rocks shooting
A suspect in a weekend shooting in McKees Rocks was found dead Monday after a car crash in nearby Kennedy. Allegheny County Police said they identified Edward Sparrow, 22, a suspect in a Saturday night shooting that critically injured a woman in the 100 block of McKees Rocks’ Jane Street....
Burrell basketball coach accused of draining $246K from Montgomery County nonprofit
Authorities in Montgomery County have charged Burrell High School’s boys basketball coach with stealing more than $246,000 from a nonprofit group where he formerly served as treasurer. Michael Fantuzzo, 40, faces theft charges from allegations stemming from when he served as volunteer treasurer of the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association, a...
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis stumps in Pittsburgh for boosting 211 help line budget
About a decade ago, Erica Evans was a single mother who had just lost her job as an at-home caregiver. She was living on the streets of Downtown Pittsburgh, where someone handed her a card for 211, the statewide phone line that connects people with a variety of public and...
Federal bill sends $7M to Western Pa. transportation projects
Nearly $7 million in federal funding is headed to eight Western Pennsylvania communities for transportation and development projects. On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed the spending bill, which will provide more than $6.8 million for projects in Penn Hills, Mt. Lebanon, Carnegie, Aspinwall, Crafton, Churchill, Sewickley and Ben Avon. In...
Chartiers Valley Dance Troupe places 2nd at national competition
For the second time in program history, Chartiers Valley High School’s dance troupe placed second at a national competition, remaining one of the top high school dance teams in the country. The team competed at the National Dance Team Championship at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla.,...
Carlynton takes out $24.46M bond for Carnegie renovation, high school projects
A $24.46 million bond, taken out by Carlynton school directors Feb. 2, will support a building renovation at Carnegie Elementary and other projects at Carlynton Jr.-Sr. High School. District officials say the bond financing provides long-term funding to address aging infrastructure, improve safety and accessibility, and modernize classroom spaces. Directors...
McCandless family turns snow event into teaching moment for young sons with DIY igloo
Robert and Mickey Kunkel of McCandless decided to create some nice ice when Mother Nature recently dumped record-breaking snowfall and below-freezing temps on Western Pennsylvania. Mickey Kunkel, a busy homemaker raising their two toddlers, Ernie, 3, and Cedric, 2, initially saw a video about making at-home igloos on the internet....
1970s water lines to be replaced on Bull Creek Road in Fawn
A $2.4 million water line project along Bull Creek Road in Fawn is expected to alleviate frequent line breaks that have become an issue for Fawn-Frazer Water Authority. The authority plans renovation and construction this year on an original line that stretches from its connection in Brackenridge and runs for...
Arnold man sentenced to 13 years for heroin, fentanyl trafficking
An Arnold man who led police on a high-speed chase with a child in the car was sentenced to 13 years in prison on a federal fentanyl and heroin trafficking charge. Kevin Watson, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy. His sentence will be followed by five...
Jail informants testify Stanko admitted to killing Cassandra Gross
Two jailhouse informants testified in Westmoreland County court Monday that, while they were incarcerated together, Thomas G. Stanko confessed to the 2018 killing of Cassandra Gross. The alleged jailhouse confessions highlighted the sixth day of Stanko’s homicide trial. Stanko, 55, is charged with criminal homicide and reckless burning in connection...
Reserve renews garbage contract for 2 more years
Reserve residents will see another 8% increase in their quarterly garbage bills while keeping the same hauler. Commissioners voted unanimously Feb. 4 to extend the township’s contract with Noble Environmental for two more years. The township’s garbage contract runs from July 1 to June 30 of each year. The township...
Freeport Council appoints former manager to vacant seat
Zachary Filous has returned to the Freeport Borough Building. The small borough’s former manager was appointed to a vacant seat on Freeport Council earlier this month. The vacancy was the result of former Freeport Council President Rick Fennell vacating his seat last month to take up the borough’s tax collector...
Northern Westmoreland students’ SpongeBob pedal car wins big at competitionVideo
A SpongeBob SquarePants-themed pedal car and months of work paid off for Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center students — not only for a recent competition, but also for their future careers. Students in the school’s Auto Body Collision Repair and Refinishing Technology program placed first in the 65th World...
Police identify driver killed in wrong-way crash on Parkway West
Police have identified the man killed in a wrong-way crash Sunday on the Parkway West as Serghei Ganaciuc, 45, of Pittsburgh. Ganaguic was traveling east in the westbound lanes of Interstate 376 in Collier just before 4 a.m. when his Toyota Prius collided with a Mercedes-Benz GLB SUV, Pennsylvania State...
Morning Roundup: Code Orange issued in Mon Valley; woman shot in McKees Rocks
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Feb. 9: Code Orange alert issued Several Mon Valley communities are under a Code Orange air quality alert Monday by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Clairton, Glassport, Lincoln, Liberty and Port Vue may see pollution levels that...
