Local category, Page 1419

Vandergrift Council has awarded a $147,000 contract to A. Folino Construction of Oakmont for this summer’s paving program. The amount allocated for paving by Westmoreland County is $137,000. Vandergrift officials had thought that the county’s allotment would be enough to pay the whole cost, but the price of asphalt has...

A West Leechburg man was ordered to serve at least two years in prison for stealing nearly $44,000 of equipment from an Arnold landscaping business site last year. Randy D. McGuire Jr., 32, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to burglary and other offenses in connection with thefts of tools and other...

Those still in search of a prom dress are in luck: The organization Bless A Dress is holding its annual free prom gown event this week. An estimated 3,000 gently used, donated dresses will be up for grabs at the three-day event, starting Thursday, at the Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena...

After former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Alexis Johnson said she was removed from covering Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, she filed a discrimination lawsuit claiming her former employer violated her civil rights. Now, she is dropping the case. Johnson, who is Black, requested to drop her lawsuit in March. On...

Two public health advocates from Pittsburgh attended a White House ceremony Tuesday celebrating the 12th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. Amy Raslevich, a doctoral candidate at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Public Health, and Adrianne Sapienza, a Pitt alumna and diabetes educator at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh,...

Each spring, the drab colors of fall and winter are overtaken in North Park by vibrant hues of pink, as the blooms on hundreds of cherry trees planted in the park since 2009 begin flowering. But exactly when the dramatic transformation will happen is a mystery. “We’ve got our best...

Federal prosecutors say the man accused of killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill should go to trial in the fall. But defense attorneys for the accused gunman, Robert Bowers, told the newly assigned judge in the case Wednesday that they don’t anticipate being...

No criminal charges will be filed in connection with the October 2019 shooting outside a Jeannette home that left one man dead, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli announced Wednesday. Mariell McGowan, 29, an aspiring rapper and former basketball and football star at Jeannette High School, was killed and two...

A Fairfield man was sentenced to serve at least seven years in prison for a Christmas 2020 assault on his wife and another incident four months later in which police he held her captive at knifepoint. Zachery Allen Collier, 27, pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of aggravated assault, simple assault...

Sharpsburg Council will conduct a special public meeting Saturday night to address several issues, one of which involves the hiring of an interim borough manager in a closed-door session instead of a public vote. Council last month introduced former Crescent Township administrator Jason Dailey as the temporary replacement of former...

A father and son were arrested early Wednesday at their Hempfield residence on assault charges after state troopers were called there to break up a fight. The father, John M. Schein, 64, also is charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and related criminal charges after...

Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday advanced a measure to ban plastic grocery bags, after amending the legislation to drop the costs of paper bags for low-income individuals. The legislation, introduced by Councilwoman Erika Strassburger in November, would ban single-use plastic bags in most instances. Shoppers would instead have to bring...

The Pirates and PNC Park teamed with restaurants and chefs to bring a taste of Pittsburgh into the stadium this baseball season. New menu items include Fat Head’s beer from the South Side, a burger from Station in Bloomfield, and a Reuben hot dog topped with house-made corned beef from...

The U.S. Department of Justice announced a series of measures Wednesday to combat Russian criminal activity, including an operation to disrupt a malware program that officials said would have allowed the Russian government to control thousands of infected security devices around the world. The operation to disrupt the “Cyclops Blink”...

White privilege — and its impact on society — does not mean that things are easy for white people, but “you have fewer barriers,” a University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg professor said recently during a program at the downtown YMCA. “Nobody should feel bad about these privileges. If I recognize...

Craft beer fans soon will have a new option for wetting their whistles in downtown Greensburg. Yellow Bridge Brewing Co. of Delmont is working on a taproom at 33 E. Pittsburgh St., next door to Sittay’s Mediterranean Kitchen. While the opening date is not set, it probably will be early...

The thing that makes “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” so interesting for audiences also makes it challenging for the cast. “The music is everything from country-western to calypso to a pop-rock sound, and other things that go toward the classical musical theater sound,” said Christopher McAllister, executive director of...

Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said solving the 2018 disappearance of Cassandra Gross is a priority for prosecutors. “This is one of the cases that was at the forefront of my mind when I took office (in January),” Ziccarelli said. “We are very committed to this case.” She’s had...

While rock climbing has become increasingly popular at two state game lands in Fayette County, state game commission officials are restricting it to the animals that grew up there. The Pennsylvania Game Commission and state Fish & Boat Commission announced the closure of all rock-climbing activities at State Game Lands...

Ross Township is auctioning off two former police motorcycles, with the proceeds benefiting the township. The township is auctioning a 2014 Harley Davidson FLHTP former police motorcycle and a 2016 BMW R1200RT-P former police motorcycle. The online auctions are open to the public and end on April 11. Pennsylvania residents...

The trial of a former New Florence man previously acquitted of killing a police officer and now accused of assaulting a Westmoreland County deputy sheriff has been delayed until at least June. Ray Shetler Jr., 37, appeared in court this week for a procedural hearing to determine if his trial...

A former employee of a Pine bakery faces multiple felony counts after police say he burglarized the business three months after quitting, unaware that security cameras had been installed after his departure. Lloyd R. McCoy III, 53, of Latonka Drive in Cool Springs Township, Mercer County, was charged by the...

A 47-year-old woman was the victim in a fatal crash near Slippery Rock in Butler County early Tuesday morning, state police at Butler said. Ruth A. Alben of Slippery Rock was killed when the vehicle she was driving eastbound on Branchton Road went through a flashing red traffic signal without...

New Kensington Council bestowed commendations on several first responders and a marina employee who all, successfully and unsuccessfully, tried to save lives in recent tragic incidents in the city. Police officers Christian Leonarski and Jerry Hobeck and Assistant Fire Chief B.J. Kersey were honored for efforts to try to save...

Church news • Greensburg Church of the Brethren will host a night of fun and fellowship for individuals and groups with developmental disabilities from 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays at the church, 554 Stanton St. Dinner is included. Participants must be accompanied by a family member or caregiver. Donations will...