Local category, Page 1489
PennDOT plans bridge closure, line painting along I-70
PennDOT plans to close a North Belle Vernon bridge that crosses Interstate 70 on Monday, the day when line painting also is scheduled to begin on the interstate. The Fayette Street bridge, slated for replacement, is expected to remain closed to all traffic through mid-September, depending on weather that might...
Ghost towns dot Western Pa., Pittsburgh landscape and history
When Ron Ross was 8, he used to climb up a hill overlooking his family’s Westmoreland County farm and watch houses being moved from the small village of Cokeville. “It was like watching a ballgame,” said Ross, 78, of Blairsville, who lived in a 13-room, three-story farmhouse. The procession was...
Police: West Deer man arrested on felony gun charge during domestic dispute
A West Deer man who is prohibited from owning a firearm was charged with a felony after police officers responding to a dispute said they found a loaded shotgun next to his nightstand. David Meadows, 33, , was charged with one count of illegal possession of a firearm along with...
Andy Warhol Museum plans $60 million expansion on North Side
The Andy Warhol Museum and its supporters have apparently come to the conclusion that the museum named for the visionary Pittsburgh artist has outgrown its space. On Friday, the Warhol announced that the museum will embark on a $60 million expansion encompassing a six-block section of its North Side neighborhood....
Black Forge Coffee to close Allentown coffee shop
After nearly seven years slinging coffee in Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood, the heavy metal-themed coffee shop Black Forge Coffee is closing down its original store. According to a Facebook post, Black Forge Allentown will have limited hours starting on May 23, and June 30 will be the final day of business...
Family of man who died after falling through South Park skylight files lawsuit
The wife of a man who died while doing restoration work on Agricultural Hall in South Park last year filed a lawsuit against the county and contractor Thursday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Kelly A. Scabilloni filed the complaint as the administrator of Frank Scabilloni’s estate. It includes claims...
As population continues to decline, the fate of some communities could be in jeopardy
Bob Davis spent only seven years of his childhood in Adamsburg before his family moved to Greensburg in 1966, but the borough made an impression. Davis lived in an old farm house along Main Street. He fondly recalls a bustling town filled with several businesses. There was a service station...
Allegheny County Jail returns to modified lockdown as covid cases rise
Rising covid-19 cases at Allegheny County Jail prompted officials to return to a modified lockdown Friday, with nearly half of the facility’s housing pods in isolation status. There were 91 positive cases among incarcerated people as of Wednesday, officials said. Twelve of 28 housing pods are in isolation, and 29...
Gilpin man arrested after girl, 17, found at his house tested positive for drugs
A Gilpin man was charged with a felony after a county child protective services caseworker told police they believed a teen girl who was living with him was in danger. Police said the 17-year-old tested positive for multiple drugs after being taken to a residential youth facility. Dennis Kreashko, 57,...
Port Authority: Service cuts coming next month will lead to more reliable service
Port Authority of Allegheny County will reduce its weekly service hours by 4% next month to account for a driver shortage and ridership that has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, officials said this week. Seventy-five employees, including 43 bus operators, have been fired for violating the authority’s covid-19 vaccine...
Turnpike delays expected Saturday at Allegheny Tunnel in Somerset County
Motorists traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset County Saturday should be prepared for possible delays at the Allegheny Tunnel as single-lane, two-way traffic patterns will be in place, the turnpike commission said. The westbound tunnel is slated to close from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday. Two-way traffic will...
Kody the Steller’s Sea Eagle is back in newly renovated home at the National Aviary
Kody, the wayward Steller’s Sea Eagle who escaped from the National Aviary last year, is back in his newly renovated home at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh. On Friday, the aviary unveiled Kody’s new home as well as a renovated space for the aviary’s two bald eagles, Flinn and Independence....
Hempfield school board to continue discussion of books available to high school students
The Hempfield Area School Board will discuss next month tweaking a policy related to reevaluating course materials. It’s part of a monthslong conversation that stems from the challenging of two books available to high school students. The board’s policy committee on Wednesday decided not to move forward with any immediate...
Leaning wall at Springdale field only likely to get worse
The Allegheny Valley School Board is pondering what it will do next to halt movement of a wall at Veterans Memorial Field in Springdale. The board heard an engineering assessment about the wall, which runs along the Lincoln Avenue side of the facility, where the varsity football team plays its...
Police: Teen girl missing from New Kensington since April back home
A teenage girl from New Kensington who had been missing since late April returned home. New Kensington police on Friday morning issued a news release and posted on social media that Sarah Chessario, 14, is home. At the time Chessario went missing, police were seeking the public’s help locating another...
Bushy Run Battlefield race to aid fight against human trafficking
Runners will have a chance to compete in a 3.1-mile race at the Bushy Run Battlefield along Route 993 in Penn Township on June 18 and raise awareness of human trafficking, sexual abuse and assault, and homelessness in the region. Those participating in the race, Colors for a Cause, will...
Economic recovery tops the agenda in 33rd District state House race
With a victory for the Democratic nomination in the state House 33rd District race, Fox Chapel resident Mandy Steele is poised to take on Republican nominee Ted Tomson of Fawn in what both are calling a race significant for regional revitalization. “People in this district see how sticking to the...
Hempfield Area middle school consolidation, timeline topic of meeting
Leaders in the Hempfield Area School District are hosting an informational session this week to discuss possible middle school consolidation plans. The session is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday in the Harrold Middle School auditorium, 1368 Middletown Road. Officials will discuss consolidating sixth, seventh and eighth grade students into Wendover...
Greensburg Salem OKs proposed budget with no tax hike, locks in electricity rate
Greensburg Salem School District property owners won’t have to dig deeper into their pockets to pay their 2022-23 tax bill, according to a proposed district budget approved Wednesday at a school board meeting. The board unanimously approved a $49.2 million spending plan that would hold the tax rate at 89.72...
Compass Inn goes rogue — blacksmiths and ‘scoundrels’ featured at Laughlintown site
Visitors to Laughlintown’s Compass Inn Museum will find a gathering of blacksmiths on Saturday. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. , as many as 25 area blacksmiths will be demonstrating their skills on the grounds of the historic Route 30 inn, which has been restored to its prime 1830s appearance....
Exhibit tells harrowing immigrant story of Pittsburgh artist at Heinz History Center
John Kane was a boxer, and that training was instrumental in having to bounce back many times in his life. His story of rebounding from hardships is being shared at the Senator John Heinz History Center in the Strip District. “Pittsburgh’s John Kane: The Life & Art of an American...
Monessen woman ordered to pay $66K in restitution in pandemic unemployment fraud case
A Monessen woman was sentenced to 18 months in a federal prison after, authorities said, she received $66,240 in fraudulent pandemic unemployment assistance. Amanda Fairfax, 37, was ordered to spend three years on supervised release after the prison term. Fairfax pleaded guilty in January to five counts of mail fraud....
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: May 20-22
Here’s your sign Grammy Award-nominated comedian Bill Engvall brings his “Here’s Your Sign ‘It’s Finally Time’ Farewell Tour” to The Palace Theatre for shows at 6 and 9 p.m. Friday. The tour takes its name from Engvall’s 1996 platinum debut album, “Here’s Your Sign,” based on a routine in which...
Richland supervisors discuss disc golf, approve easement for Armstrong Utilities
There may be a new sport taking over the land in Richland Township Community Park. Resident Cody Winget proposed the installation of a disc golf course at Richland Township Community Park as a way to utilize the large open space there during the May 18 board of supervisors meeting. “I’m...
Teen charged in drive-by shooting death of Washington woman
Police have charged a 15-year-old boy with homicide and are looking for two others in the drive-by shooting of a 58-year-old woman in Washington earlier this month. Tyriq Xavier Moss of Washington was arraigned Thursday on multiple charges, including criminal homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, reckless endangerment and...
