Western PA Local News category, Page 1449
History of Ross Park Mall to be explored at McCandless heritage center
Ross Park Mall isn’t just a shopping destination, it transformed the economy of the region, said local historian Scott Baret. A History of Ross Park Mall will be presented at the McCandless Northern Allegheny Heritage History Center on July 21 at 7 p.m. Admission is free. The history center is...
Sharpsburg Community Library revamps free adult art program
Sharpsburg Community Library has rebooted one of its programs offering adults an opportunity for artistic expression. The library, at 1212 Main St., hosts Art After Dark the last Monday of the month at 6 p.m. “It’s a relaunch,” library branch manager Sara Mariacher said. “When (program coordinator) Alison (Babusci) was...
It’s official: Corey O’Connor named Allegheny County controller
Former Pittsburgh City Councilman Corey O’Connor has been appointed Allegheny County controller. O’Connor took to Twitter on Friday to thank the state legislators who supported him. “My family and I are humbled by the opportunity to serve as Allegheny County Controller and the support that we’ve received,” the post read...
Ex-Monessen man sentenced to 5 years in prison on drug charges
A 27-year-old former Monessen man will spend five years in a federal prison for attempting to distribute cocaine in Monessen last year, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh. Shaiquane Harrison was sentenced Friday by federal Judge William S. Stickman in Pittsburgh after he pleaded guilty on March 2...
What does the proposed abortion constitutional amendment mean for Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Senate passed a constitutional amendment proposal Friday that, if enacted, would ensure the state constitution does not grant rights to abortions. The passage doesn’t have any immediate effect on the state’s abortion laws. The process for this amendment started late Thursday night, when Republicans proposed the change with...
Police: Woman arrested on warrant faces felony for trying to conceal heroin in her underwear
New Kensington police charged a woman wanted on an warrants with a felony after they said she lied about having drugs in her possession when she was arrested for driving with a license that was suspended for DUI. Ashley Rae Karns, 38, was charged with felony possession of contraband by...
Upstreet Diner takes over former Pamela’s spot in Squirrel Hill
Start your day with the “Ben-Eddict-Ive.” It is eight layers of a thin dough cheese pastry, two over-easy eggs, topped with hollandaise aioli and served with a side Israeli salad. Dishes such as that are on the menu at the newest eatery in Squirrel Hill. Upstreet Diner is located in...
Arnold Furniture founder Gene Miller remembered as ‘a great man’
Gene and Dorothy Miller decided to go into the furniture business after she was hurt in a car crash and unable to continue working as a nurse. Using money from their family vacation budget, they started Arnold Furniture in 1975 — now in its third generation of family ownership and...
Hempfield man sentenced to house arrest, probation for DUI where party-goers were hurt
A Hempfield man was sentenced to six months house arrest and five years probation on drunken-driving charges stemming from a 2020 incident in which he ran over three people in Derry Township. Dominic G. Bellone, 22, was acquitted during a February nonjury trial of several felony offenses related to the...
Monessen man acquitted in alleged sexual assault
A Monessen man was acquitted Friday in connection with a 2019 reported sexual assault. Deandre Frezzell, 23, was found not guilty of rape, sexual assault, indecent assault and strangulation. A Pitcairn woman had accused Frezzell, who she met through a friend, of raping her at his home in May 2019...
‘Don’t pull over’ in the midst of a road rage incident, trooper advises
An angry honk and hand gesture might be the extent of it. But sometimes an aggressive driving situation fuels a motorist’s anger and it escalates into a potentially dangerous encounter. Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Adam Reed said such incidents can carry serious legal ramifications, ranging from a summary citation to...
Pa. drug, alcohol program secretary seeks insight at Sage’s Army in Hempfield
Groups whose mission is to help addicts recover from substance abuse still face many obstacles, a state drug and alcohol programs official said during a visit to Hempfield this week. Those obstacles may include establishing access to treatment, maintaining a workforce of recovery specialists and finding housing for those in...
Overdose deaths in Allegheny, Westmoreland counties hit highest level since 2017 peak
Overdose deaths in Allegheny County rose last year to the highest level since they peaked in 2017, mirroring trends in Westmoreland County and Pennsylvania as a whole, according to statistics released Friday. In 2021, 719 people in Allegheny County died of drug overdoses, accounting for a quarter of all cases...
Woman hurt after SUV strikes farm tractor in Derry Township, firefighters say
A woman was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital for treatment after her SUV struck a farm tractor and overturned Friday in Derry Township, according to first responders. The crash occurred at about 11 a.m. along Pandora Road, according to 911 dispatchers. Bradenville Volunteer Fire Department Capt. Justin Horrell said the...
Troopers: Mt. Pleasant Township man jailed after shooting woman with gun he thought was empty
A 21-year-old Mt. Pleasant Township man told troopers he thought a gun wasn’t loaded when he pulled its trigger and shot a woman in the back. Daven Lee Donaldson was jailed on $100,000 bond on multiple assault and firearms charges Thursday. He was arrested after the 2:40 a.m. incident when...
Greensburg woman found incompetent for trial in 2021 mattress fire
A Greensburg woman accused of setting a mattress on fire outside a three-unit apartment house last year was found incompetent to stand trial. Gina M. Albertelli, 55, is charged with arson, reckless burning and related offenses in the May 22, 2021, incident. She is being treated at Torrance State Hospital...
Saint Vincent Summer Theatre stages ‘Lend Me a Tenor’
There’s a lot of door slamming in Saint Vincent Summer Theatre’s upcoming production of “Lend Me a Tenor.” The frenetic action is central to the plot of playwright Ken Ludwig’s popular farce, mixing subterfuge with mistaken identity, according to SVST producing artistic director Greggory Brandt. The show will be staged...
911 dispatcher who didn’t send ambulance charged in 2020 death in Greene County
A Pennsylvania 911 operator faces a rare charge of involuntary manslaughter for failing to send an ambulance to the rural home of a woman who died of internal bleeding a day later, despite a plea from the woman’s daughter that without medical help “she’s going to die.” A Greene County...
7th suspect in New Kensington murder accused of supplying gun used in attack
A man from Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood is accused of providing a gun used in the attack that ended in the death of a man in New Kensington on Sunday. Raquan Carpenter, 18, is the seventh suspect New Kensington and Westmoreland County authorities named in the killing of Jason Donald Raiford,...
Kiski Township police cite ‘hostile work environment’ in resignation letters
Kiski Township police officers cited what they describe as a “hostile work environment” in resignation letters to the township. Four of the township’s six officers resigned Thursday or early Friday, as did the township’s police secretary. The resignations came after the department’s former officer-in-charge filed a grievance with the township...
Lower Burrell considers new recycling contract for bigger bins on wheels
With options from two companies providing six bids, Lower Burrell Council is favoring vendor-provided, 65-gallon bins with lids on wheels for residents to store recyclables and tote to the curb. Shank Waste Service Inc. of Lower Burrell and Waste Management of Moon Township submitted bids with city-supplied and contractor-supplied bins...
Pittsburgh-based autonomous vehicle company Argo AI lays off some staff
One of Pittsburgh’s autonomous vehicle companies confirmed layoffs on Thursday. Argo AI, which is headquartered in the Strip District, didn’t specify how many people were let go. The company said in a statement that the layoffs were part of prudent adjustments after aggressive hiring over the last several years. Since...
Vandergrift Council tables issue of joining Alle-Kiski Intergovernmental Council
Tight finances have prompted Vandergrift Council to delay joining the Alle-Kiski Intergovernmental Council. Action on joining the group of local communities, part of Westmoreland County’s first sub-regional plan, was tabled following a discussion at Tuesday night’s council meeting. The Westmoreland County Planning Department established the council last year to provide...
Residents could be jailed for putting furniture out with trash in Vandergrift
Upholstered furniture items are now forbidden to be put out for garbage pick-ups in Vandergrift. Council on Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance prohibiting residents from doing that. Anyone wanting to test how serious borough officials are about the ordinance should be prepared to pay a fine ranging from a minimum...
Graffiti vandals strike again in Vandergrift; artist offers to cover damage with mural
A homeowner dealing with ongoing vandalism issues in Vandergrift has an ally committed to combating negative art images in the borough with positivity. Deanna Whaley said it’s not the first time she has dealt with vandalism on her property, along the 200 block of Franklin Avenue, and she’s tired of...
