The Stroller, Dec. 6, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Festival of Trees raffle...
As budget deadline looms, pressure mounts on Pittsburgh council to reject Gainey spending plan
There’s a rebellion underway in Pittsburgh’s city hall. Frustrated with outgoing Mayor Ed Gainey’s 2026 budget proposal, City Council members are increasingly plotting how to blow up his spending plan. Gainey’s budget avoids tax increases and layoffs. But critics have derided it as dishonest and “sloppy.” As Pittsburgh barrels toward...
Norwin student recovers from serious injuries to win martial arts crown
River Pendergrass could be considered the Norwin area’s comeback kid. Less than two years after suffering severe injuries when he was hit by a vehicle, Pendergrass has become a national martial arts champion. Pendergrass was an 11-year-old sixth grader when he was hit by an SUV on Nov. 10, 2023,...
Greensburg man sentenced to jail for child porn possession
A Greensburg man was ordered to serve time in jail for possessing child pornography. Trent E. Sullivan, 26, formerly of Salem, pleaded guilty to 10 felony counts in March after police found multiple images of child pornography on his home computer and cell phone in March 2021. According to court...
21% tax increase in Brackenridge attributed to rising costs, recent $1.2M bond
Brackenridge residents will pay 21% more in property taxes next year after council approved the borough’s $1.5 million budget Thursday. The plan calls for an increase in the tax rate from 7 to 8.5 mills. The owner of a home assessed at the median value of $50,900 will pay $432, an...
Man killed in Upper Burrell vehicle crash
An Allegheny Township man died Friday morning in a two-vehicle crash in Upper Burrell. Brian Edward McCormick, 60, was driving a Nissan Sedan at 6:56 a.m. Friday near the intersection of Manchester Hill Road and Route 780 when he collided with another vehicle, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office....
Pitt committee advances BioForge biomanufacturing hub project with tax credit program
The University of Pittsburgh will borrow funds through a federal tax credit program to partially fund construction of BioForge, a $250 million cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility in Hazelwood Green. Pitt’s Finance and Budget Committee on Friday unanimously approved entering into the New Markets Tax Credit program for BioForge....
Public health experts pan vote to change hepatitis B vaccination guidance
Public health experts told TribLive on Friday they fear a federal panel’s advice to stop giving most babies hepatitis B shots immediately after birth will fuel infection rates and erode confidence in vaccines more broadly. The advisory committee voted 8-3 Friday that pregnant women who test negative for the virus...
Robert Morris University to pay $948K to settle pandemic-learning lawsuit
Robert Morris University will pay just under $1 million as part of a proposed settlement of a lawsuit filed by a student who alleged the Moon Township college breached its contract when it transitioned to online instruction during the covid-19 pandemic. Allegheny County Judge Alan Hertzberg this fall preliminarily approved...
Former Ligonier Valley police chief John Berger faces drug, theft charges after grand jury probe
Former Ligonier Valley police Chief John Berger is accused of using his position to acquire prescription pills from an alleged dealer and pocket narcotics from the
department’s drug take-back box while on duty. Berger, 53, of Ligonier Borough, and a second defendant, Michael D. Hootman, 42, of Ligonier Township, turned...
Former Leechburg police chief sees latest felony charge dropped
Former Leechburg police chief Michael Diebold’s most recent felony charge, claiming he had not reported all of the internet sites and apps he had been using, has been dismissed. After pleading guilty in December 2018 to soliciting sex online from a state trooper who was posing as a 14-year-old girl,...
Borings at Donohoe Road intersection to restrict traffic in Hempfield
Single-lane restrictions will be in place beginning Monday on Donohoe Road and Georges Station Road in Hempfield, as preparatory work begins for PennDOT’s plan to reconstruct those roads’ four-way-stop intersection as a roundabout. The restrictions are expected to continue throughout December, with flaggers controlling traffic. Traffic will be affected on...
Chartiers Valley girl, family sue district over alleged sexual abuse by fellow pupil in 3rd grade
The family of a student at Chartiers Valley School District is suing the district for negligence claiming officials there failed to protect their daughter from sexual harassment — and then sexual abuse — by a fellow third-grader. The abuse, according to the complaint filed Friday in Allegheny County Common Pleas...
Upper Burrell teen’s project to fill ‘significant gap’ in Holocaust education
An Upper Burrell teenager’s efforts to educate the younger generation about girls’ roles during the Holocaust is coming to fruition. Lily Sassani, 18, will launch her Holocaust Education Patch from 5 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Chatham University’s Mellon Board Room, 5799 Chapel Hill Road, Pittsburgh. The two-year initiative was...
Former Highlands teacher charged with sexually assaulting, extorting 2 minors
A former Highlands School District teacher is charged with sexually assaulting and extorting two young students at his Brackenridge home. Sean M. Dicer, 53, is accused of assaulting the boys, who are now 16, when they were 11 and 12 years old, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday. One...
Westmoreland happenings: Breakfast with Santa, live Nativity, art exhibit, more
Art • You Are Here in Jeannette is hosting an exhibit of expressionist paintings by local artist Tony Naponic at the gallery, 406 Clay Ave. Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Other hours available by appointment. Details: yah504clay.org. Christmas • St....
North Huntingdon police Chief Rizzo to retire in January
North Huntingdon’s police chief will be retiring in January. Robert A. Rizzo II, who has served as the township’s police chief since September 2018, will be leaving the force on Jan. 2, said Harry Faulk, township manager. “Chief Rizzo is the gold standard for chiefs in Westmoreland County. He is...
Jeannette City School District paves way for $2M in upgrades at McKee Elementary
Jeannette City School District directors this week approved a $2.04 million agreement for the first two phases of renovations at McKee Elementary School. The first phase of improvements is set to start in June at the building that houses students in kindergarten through sixth grade, said Superintendent Matt Jones. Directors...
Bomb squad sweeps Pittsburgh Symphony’s chartered plane in response to threat
Allegheny County Police on Thursday investigated a security threat impacting a plane chartered by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. A note “that was deemed to be potentially threatening” was found at Pittsburgh International Airport around 10:35 a.m. Thursday, Jim Madalinsky, a county police spokesman, said Friday. The county’s bomb squad swept...
2 AI skill-building programs to be offered at Point Park University
Artificial intelligence will not replace teachers, according to Point Park University School of Education Dean Virginia Chambers. But, it is imperative for future educators to know how to use AI in the classroom, and Point Park is launching two new programs to advance that plan. Point Park will offer students...
Realtor: North, South Hills real estate markets have more similarities than you’d think
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series on real estate market trends in Western Pennsylvania. Twenty-six years ago, Bob Topich broke the age-old social norm of Pittsburgh suburbanites — departing his native South Hills for a home north of the city. Topich, 65, of Franklin Park, has never...
Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired property listed for $1.5M in Upper St. Clair
Dr. Allen Axelson is preparing to bid farewell to his beloved, nature-infused home, which he designed himself in the 1970s in Upper St. Clair. Axelson drew from his lifelong admiration of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright to build a contemporary home on seven acres for his growing family. “I’m a...
Morning Roundup: 1 injured in Mt. Lebanon crash; firefighters battle East Liberty blaze
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Dec. 5: 1 injured in Mt. Lebanon crash A vehicle crash early Friday morning on the line between Mount Lebanon and Scott Township brought down a pole and sent one person to the hospital. TribLive news partner WTAE...
Ben Avon house fire victim identified
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office has identified the person who died in a Nov. 28 house fire in Ben Avon. The office said Matthew Thompson, 46, was found dead inside the house. The Emsworth Volunteer Fire Department, which serves the small borough along the Ohio River, was dispatched to...
Long-time Pine resident keeps up exercise regimen, positive attitude at 98 years young
Esther VanCura is living proof the benefit of exercising has no age limit. The 98-year-old and her wellness coach, Nick Majoris, devote part of a morning each week to strengthening the senior’s core, maintaining muscle and keeping her mind sharp. “It’s never too late,” said Majoris, who designed a program...
