Local category, Page 1369
Community Day at McCandless set for Sept. 10
“The Voice” alum Chris Jamison will perform at McCandless Community Day on Sept. 10, which will feature entertainment, festival fun and fireworks. The celebration is expected to kick off at 4 p.m., at the Devin Field and the town hall parking lot off of Grubbs Road with the McCandless police...
Owners of Trump House in Youngstown not liable for 2016 crash, appeals court rules
The owners of a shrine to former President Donald Trump in Youngstown are not liable for a vehicle crash nearly six years ago that injured two people, a state appeals court has ruled. The Pennsylvania Superior Court this week affirmed a previous ruling by Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Chris...
Penn-Trafford to explore school mergers, new construction
The Penn-Trafford School board has authorized two studies to explore the district’s future, which could include closing underused facilities and building larger schools to accommodate rising enrollment. Board members agreed to pay two companies about $18,000 each for a demographic analysis of the district and the feasibility study examining consolidation...
All charges dismissed against Westmoreland jail guard union leader
The president of the union that represents corrections officers at Westmoreland County Prison will remain off the job pending an internal investigation although charges related to a July domestic dispute were dismissed Wednesday. Scott Kennedy, 40, of North Irwin, was charged this month with strangulation, terroristic threats, simple assault and...
Man charged with abuse of corpse for driving McCandless woman’s body around after fentanyl overdose, leaving body in car
McCandless Police have charged a Richland man with abuse of a corpse, accusing him of driving a vehicle around Pittsburgh that contained the body of a McCandless woman who suffered a fatal overdose and leaving the vehicle outside her apartment building without telling anyone she was inside. Patrick W. McCurry,...
Highland Park Bridge ramp to Route 28 North reopens in Aspinwall
Good news for motorists who cross the Allegheny River to get to northbound Route 28. The ramp carrying traffic from the Highland Park Bridge to Route 28 North opened to traffic at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The ramp has been closed since late March to enable crews to do reconstruction work,...
Students get fresh, free, back-to-school haircuts at New Kensington barbershop
The chairs at Urban Image were full Wednesday afternoon as a steady stream of area students stopped by the New Kensington barbershop for free haircuts just in time for the start of school. The haircuts, by appointment, were paid for by Carrie for PA — Carrie Lewis DelRosso for Lt....
Doctor testifies about treating UPMC head of cardiothoracic surgery with suboxone
The doctor who continues to treat UPMC’s head of cardiothoracic surgery with suboxone testified Wednesday that he kept no patient records of his interactions with Dr. James Luketich. Dr. David Wilson also testified that he never reviewed Luketich’s previous treatment records or saw records from an addiction treatment facility where...
Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council maps promote neighborhood art scenes
Having a hard time keeping track of all of Pittsburgh’s art and culture opportunities? Now, there’s a map for that. The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council has developed maps that highlight more than 145 art venues and organizations in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas — Downtown (including Lawrenceville); East End (including The...
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...
