Western PA Local News category, Page 1489
DNA match from Greensburg man leads to arrest in Hempfield bank robbery
Authorities used DNA gathered from an index card to charge a Greensburg man with a Nov. 24 bank robbery in Hempfield, according to court papers. Jonathan Smith Jr., 29, wore a distinct red “DoorDash” covid-19 mask and dark ski cap in an attempt to hide his identity when he passed...
Quaker Valley High School graduates 174
The 174 members of Quaker Valley Senior High School’s class of 2022 received their diplomas on June 6 during a commencement ceremony at Quaker Valley High School Stadium. Student speakers were Eleanor Schlick and Sara Ruhl, and the Quaker Valley High School Concert Band, Vocal Ensemble and Concert Choir all...
The best places in Western Pennsylvania to see mountain laurel in full bloom
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2018. Pennsylvania’s official state flower, the mountain laurel is in full bloom throughout the Pittsburgh region. Although most people are familiar with the laurel’s relatives — rhododendron and azaleas — the official state flower is plentiful but in select environments, mostly rocky,...
Charges filed in 2020 fentanyl overdose death in Sewickley Township
A Butler County man is accused of selling the fatal dose of fentanyl that killed a Sewickley Township man. Matthew S. Steinbook, 41, of Seven Fields supplied three stamp bags of fentanyl to Todd A. Shaak, 40, according to state police Trooper Shane McClelland. Shaak was found dead in the...
Pittsburgh poised to reallocate money meant for police training to Penn Circle project
Pittsburgh City Council seems to be poised to reallocate funds originally earmarked for a public safety training facility in the city’s Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood to a project to convert Penn Circle into a two-way roadway. Council was initially expected to take a final vote on the measure Tuesday, but delayed to...
Upper St. Clair doctor develops workout bench with injury prevention in mind
While attending Upper St. Clair High School, Joel Klein was an exemplary athlete, earning a total of six varsity letters in baseball and basketball, and serving as team captain in both sports. After he graduated, Klein continued to play baseball at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, when he could. “I was injured...
Prime Stage kicks off children’s programming with ‘The Amazing Lemonade Girl’
Pittsburgh’s Prime Stage Theatre is planning to bring literature to life for children and their families through its new Prime Stage Sprouts programming. The inaugural Sprouts production, “The Amazing Lemonade Girl,” is set for June 16-19 at the New Hazlett Theatre in Pittsburgh’s North Side. The play by Jim DeVita...
Man enters plea in 1995 fire that killed 3 Pittsburgh firefighters, maintains innocenceVideo
A man accused of setting a fire at his home on Bricelyn Street in 1995 that killed three Pittsburgh firefighters continues to claim his innocence. But on Wednesday, after fighting for 27 years, Greg Brown Jr. entered a guilty plea, finally bringing the case to conclusion. Brown, 44, entered what...
4 children injured in truck rollover crash in Fawn
Allegheny County Police detectives are investigating a pickup truck rollover crash in Fawn that resulted in four children being taken to the hospital. Fawn police Chief Timothy Mayberry said officers were dispatched at 9:40 p.m. Tuesday to a one-vehicle crash on Route 908 and Lardintown Road. He said six people...
PennDOT to close portion of Rochester Road in Franklin Park for slide repairs
PennDOT is asking motorists to use caution on Rochester Road in Franklin Park because a portion of it will be closed beginning Thursday, June 9, weather permitting, for slide repair work. Rochester Road will be closed between Nicholson Road and Wexford Bayne Road Thursday at 7 a.m. Through traffic will...
Police: Peters man charged in infant’s death said he tripped on a grocery bag
A Peters man told police his infant son sustained fatal head injuries when he tripped on a grocery bag while carrying the child last month, according to the charges against him. Jordan Clarke, 36, is charged with homicide in connection with the death of the infant, referred to in the...
Delmont man to remain in jail as judge seeks answers to mental health questions
An 82-year-old Delmont man’s mental health struggle has left him behind bars for more than two years, and a Westmoreland County judge this week said he is at a loss as to what should happen next. “I think anything would be better than him spending his last years in jail...
Expert says Moderna booster targeting omicron could be superior to current boosters
As the covid-19 pandemic has changed with the emergence of new variants, Moderna is looking to update its vaccine offerings in response. The drug manufacturer is studying an updated booster vaccine that targets the omicron variant, which they say could offer better protection as the variant spreads. “The vaccine that’s...
Westmoreland happenings: Turkey dinner, strawberry festival and vacation Bible schools
Submissions from nonprofit organizations for Briefly Speaking can be emailed to 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 is no fee....
North Side’s National Aviary celebrates World Ocean Day all summer
Pittsburgh is known as a city that cares about its three rivers, but there are things residents can do to embrace larger bodies of water. “Oceans may feel far away, but we can collectively have a positive impact on oceans and marine life from right here in Pittsburgh,” said Cathy...
Sewickley Garden Tour to showcase 5 magnificent outdoor spaces
Behind a decorative iron gate is a serene view of lush green grass surrounding an inviting pool. Lounge chairs and black-and-white umbrellas shield guests from the sun. Beautiful flowers are in bloom — from alyssum lining the walkway to hydrangeas and magnolias on the grounds. A nearby fountain features two...
Resignations, retirement leave New Kensington police short-staffed
A pair of resignations and the retirement of a longtime officer have left New Kensington’s police force short-staffed. City Council on Monday approved the retirement of Detective Sgt. Dino DiGiacobbe and the resignations of patrol Officers Jose Pantoja and Christian Leonarski. A 1982 graduate of Freeport Area High School, DiGiacobbe,...
FBI seeking information on bank robbery in Reserve
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Reserve police are asking the public’s assistance in identifying a man responsible for robbing a Standard Bank in Reserve last month. Two surveillance photographs taken at the bank at 2000 Mount Troy Road during the robbery 2:30 p.m. May 27 were released this week...
Leechburg’s Mingle on Market kicks off Thursday and runs through September
The Leechburg Area Community Association is organizing a new monthly communitywide event dubbed Mingle on Market. The event will run every second Thursday along Market Street in Leechburg. It will feature a farmers market from 4 to 8 p.m. and food and live music from 6 to 8 p.m. Businesses...
The Stroller, June 8, 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. Freeport golf outing accepting reservations Freeport College Club will sponsor a golf...
Police say Turtle Creek man sexually assaulted child; suspect arrested in Harrison
A Turtle Creek man faces charges that he sexually assaulted a child over a period of five years, according to the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office. Police arrested Jose Melendez Jr., 33, on Tuesday in the Sheldon Park public housing plan in Harrison. They had been looking for him since issuing...
New app notifies Latrobe residents of community events, incidents
Latrobe residents can access community-related information with the swipe of a smartphone. The city will use Pittsburgh-based app Savvy Citizen to update locals with events, meeting dates, emergency notifications, outages, trash pick-up delays and weather watches and warnings. Latrobe Police Community Service Officer Beth Straka encourages all Latrobe residents to...
Remember When: Soon-to-be-demolished smokestack opened in 1970 at generating station in Springdale
On July 2, 1967, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approved the construction of a new power generating plant for Duquesne Light Co. The Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale included what would be a 763-foot smokestack that became one of the Alle-Kiski Valley’s most recognizable structures when the facility opened in...
Southwest Greensburg VFD turns to federal grant to attract new volunteers
Southwest Greensburg Fire Department’s Deputy Fire Chief Ed Milliron can remember when he first joined the volunteer fire department in 1982, and the fire whistle went off “you’d literally see about 40 people pouring out of their houses running to the fire station.” Times have changed, according to fire Chief...
Harrison library welcomes children to dive into summer reading with new outdoor storytime
Riverview Memorial Park in Tarentum will transform once a week into a beachfront paradise for an outdoor summer reading program sponsored by the Community Library of Allegheny Valley. The program, “Oceans of Possibilities,” will offer a bevy of literacy activities at the Harrison library on Broadview Boulevard and for the...
