Local category, Page 1369
Hampton School Board addresses concerns raised at council meeting
Hampton Township School Board held a special meeting Aug. 18 to address concerns regarding the district’s ongoing high school renovation project, as brought to the attention of township council the previous week by municipal manager Chris Lochner. The issues, primarily regarding storm sewer work, also were communicated to P.J. Dick...
Latrobe grad Austin Butler to play pro basketball in Finland
Austin Butler was going to continue his basketball career beyond college. It was just a matter of where and in what country. On Wednesday, his dreams of playing professionally came true. Butler, a 6-foot-5 guard out of Latrobe, signed a one-season contract with the Kouvot club in Kouvola, Finland. Butler...
East Vandergrift man to serve up to 5 years in prison for thefts, DUI and disarming of police
An East Vandrgrift man blamed heavy drinking and “wanting to buy things to tinker around with” as the reason he drained the bank accounts of a nursing home patient last year, according to police. John W. Ebner, 34, also stole a motorcycle and disarmed police officers trying to arrest him,...
Developer floats idea of diverting taxes to pay for road improvements in Hempfield housing project
A developer planning to build more than 260 homes at the former Valley Green Golf & Country Club is gauging if Hempfield Township, Hempfield Area School District and Westmoreland County would approve using a tax diversion program to pay for road improvements. “This is not a tax break,” said Michael...
National sheep judge impressed by Westmoreland Fair lamb show contestants
Brian Barkley has judged sheep shows throughout the United States and Canada. He called the youth participants in the Westmoreland Fair’s market lamb show “exceptionally good.” “I was really pleased with how good they were,” said Barkley, from Bedford County. Dozens of spectators filled the fair’s Small Arena on Tuesday...
‘New connections and new friends’: PTO event at Oakmont school welcomes back students, families
Many of Oakmont’s youngsters returned to school a bit early. The occasion was 10th Street Elementary School’s meet-and-greet event for returning and incoming students and their families, featuring free snow cones from Kona Ice’s truck and a menu of Mediterranean-style food for sale from Ash and Kris Kitchen. The festivities,...
Submerged pickup at Bridgeport Dam was stolen, police say, but details murky
A Chevrolet pickup truck that was pulled out of a reservoir at Bridgeport Dam earlier this month was reported stolen in 2004, according to Westmoreland County Park Police Chief Henry Fontana. But any other details about the theft remain a mystery. Fontana said police were able to get a VIN...
Men caught with hidden cellphones at Westmoreland County Prison
Two men are accused of having cellphones at Westmoreland County Prison, according to court papers. Leon D. Fair, 23, of Jeannette told authorities he sneaked his cellphone into the Hempfield jail Aug. 3 and used it to make calls to his family, to try to have bail posted and to...
Remember When: Railroads and their functioning structures left visible stamp on Alle-Kiski Valley
One of the key routes in the nation’s era of industrial prosperity cut through the Alle-Kiski Valley. The Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad, founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1897, carried iron ore and coal from Conneaut, Ohio, to East Pittsburgh. It fed Carnegie’s Mon Valley steel mills with raw materials....
Highlands looks to combat poor student attendance with rewards, repercussions
Highlands High School Principal Laura Burns said students find greater success in the classroom when they attend school regularly. But getting kids to school appears to be a problem. Administrators are fighting to buoy dismal attendance rates at the high school, as data show that only about 70% of the...
Ukrainian refugee and her daughter find a home in Sewickley
When Russia began its war with Ukraine six months ago, Katerina Boyko thought it would be over in three days. She could not have imagined that the war would still be raging half a year later, and that she and her 13-year-old daughter Alexa would end up living half a...
PennDOT to unveil plans for rehab of historic Youghiogheny River bridge in West Newton
PennDOT will hold an in-person meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 31, to display plans for rehabilitating the Route 136 bridge that crosses the Youghiogheny River in West Newton. According to project planners, the proposed rehabilitation is intended to maintain the historic significance of the metal truss bridge, which was built in...
In-depth look at Route 30 corridor key to Hempfield comprehensive plan
Hempfield leaders are taking a closer look at the Route 30 corridor running through the center of the township as they move forward with updating a comprehensive plan. Supervisors this week approved creation of the Central Westmoreland Economic District Corridor Committee, or the HT30 Committee. The group will create a...
Nature hike in Pine man’s memory to support cancer survivors group
A 3K nature hike in North Park will be held in memory of a young Pine man who died from cancer a year ago. Christian Cochran was 23 when he died Sept. 1, 2021, a little over a year after he was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the...
Westmoreland happenings: Tree and shrub sale, tea, yard sale
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...
Students in southern Butler County set to begin school year at district with new name
Students in six south Butler County communities will return to classes Thursday for a new school year under a new district name. More than a year ago, officials in the South Butler County School District began the process of changing the district’s name to Knoch School District. School officials said...
2 motorcyclists seriously hurt in Indiana County crash
Two motorcyclists were seriously hurt in a crash Saturday in Indiana County, not far from the Westmoreland County border. State police said Bruce P. Kunkle, 59, of Saltsburg and Joseph Ross, 60, of New Alexandria were traveling north on Route 286 in Conemaugh Township at 1 p.m. when Kunkle’s hat...
Pittsburgh firefighter treated for heat exhaustion at house fire in Allegheny West
A Pittsburgh firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion after battling a fire that broke out early Wednesday at a home in Allegheny West, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. Fire crews responded shortly after 12:40 a.m. to the 900 block of Western Avenue, according to Allegheny County emergency dispatchers. The...
Sewickley Academy puts an emphasis on security for the new school year
The first day of school for students at Sewickley Academy is Sept. 1. Over the summer, the pre-K through grade 12 private school put a hard emphasis on student and faculty safety. “In response to national events, Sewickley Academy has utilized the summer months to evaluate and upgrade our security...
The Stroller, Aug. 24, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15068. Please include a daytime telephone number. Super bingo to benefit Gilpin K9 officer A super bingo to benefit...
4 bridges on Route 711 targeted for replacement
Motorists on Route 711 may run into temporary detours during the 2023 construction season, when PennDOT expects to replace four bridges along the road in Westmoreland and Fayette counties. Plans for all four bridges may be viewed online through Aug. 31. Visit PennDOT.pa.gov/District12 and click on “Public Meetings/Studies” under the...
Investigation continues for car pulled from Allegheny River in Oakmont
Oakmont police are trying to find out who owns an old model Pontiac Firebird — and how it got into the Allegheny River. The submerged sports car was discovered upside down Tuesday afternoon by kayaker Ian Simmers, 13, of Verona. Ian said he was out on the river with his...
Fetterman addresses union supporters at Pittsburgh rally, but avoids media questions
Hundreds of union members held a rally Tuesday at the United Steelworkers headquarters in Downtown Pittsburgh to support Democrats that the union endorsed, including congressional candidate Chris DeLuzio, state House candidate Dr. Arvind Venkat and U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman. It was one of Fetterman’s first public appearances in Pittsburgh...
East End Kids group performs ‘Sensational Sondheim’ in Monroeville, schedules auditions in Export
East End Kids, a service-performance group, is preparing to host auditions for the group’s winter season performances. Auditions will be held at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 28 at DeStella Dance Centre, 5800 Kennedy Ave., Export. Performers ages 12 to 18 are eligible to try out for the troupe. “You never know...
Bridge inspection scheduled in Marshall
PennDOT District 11 is announcing that southbound I-79 bridge inspection work in Marshall Township will occur Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 24-25 weather permitting. Single-lane restrictions will occur as needed on the southbound I-79 bridge over Route 19 for inspection activities. Restrictions will occur from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each...
