Local category, Page 1517
Man being held at Allegheny County Jail dies
A man being held at Allegheny County Jail died Thursday after he was found unresponsive, officials said. Jerry Lee Ross Jr., 48, was found unresponsive shortly before 4:30 p.m., according to information from jail spokesman Jesse Geleynse and the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. Staff performed CPR before Ross was...
Probation ordered for Mt. Pleasant man who said teen bullying led to revenge porn
A Mt. Pleasant man told a judge Friday he posted nude pictures of a former girlfriend to the internet because she and her friends bullied him years earlier while in high school. Frank Sebek II, 25, was ordered to serve three years on probation as part of a plea deal...
No covers: Millvale Music Festival emphasizes original tunes
The classic rock cover band is a staple of community festivals, particularly in the Pittsburgh area. And looking at event calendars for a good many venues, it’s clear that music fans in the region don’t mind digging into the nostalgia that the genre provides. But even with more than 300...
Westmoreland officials suit up to get firsthand look at emergency services
Westmoreland County Commissioner Sean Kertes has had to extinguish a lot of small political fires in his first term, but admitted Friday was the first time he ever entered a burning building. “I’ve never even worn this type of fire gear before,” Kertes said minutes after going through the decontamination...
Lower Burrell man faces 42 charges after neighbors accuse him of pointing loaded shotgun at group playing yard games
A Lower Burrell man faces 42 charges, including 10 felonies, because a neighbor accused him of pointing a loaded shotgun at 10 people playing games in their backyard. Bryan M. Sarnosky, 48, of the 200 block of Michigan Avenue, was charged with 10 counts of felony aggravated assault, along with...
Pittsburgh celebrating Arbor Day with event in Mellon Park
Pittsburgh will celebrate Arbor Day with a variety of activities in the city’s Mellon Park on Saturday. This year marks a milestone for Arbor Day, with the national initiative celebrating its 150th anniversary. Mellon Park became Pittsburgh’s first designated arboretum in 2021, receiving accreditation from the Morton Arboretum at the...
Lower Burrell’s zoning officer — arbiter of major projects, neighborly disputes — to retire
Lower Burrell’s longtime zoning and ordinance officer, Michael Nedley, has a plaque by his desk that reads “Love Thy Neighbor.” It’s a gift from his secretary, who knows what he’s had to deal with over the years. After more than 32 years of listening to neighbor-on-neighbor complaints about high grass...
Man accused in 115 mph Hempfield chase didn’t have valid license, police say
A Fayette County man is accused of leading state police on a chase early Friday on Route 119 with speeds that surpassed 100 mph, according to court papers. Clarence Spackman, 33, of Bullskin, is being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on charges of fleeing from police, driving under the...
Hot, in-person lunches returning to CitiParks senior centers in Pittsburgh next week
Hot, in-person lunches will again be served at CitiParks Healthy Active Living Senior Centers in Pittsburgh starting Monday, after not being offered for two years because of the covid-19 pandemic. “Supporting our seniors is integral to building a welcoming, thriving and safe Pittsburgh,” Mayor Ed Gainey said. CitiParks and other...
Pittsburgh in ‘very healthy’ fiscal position, city controller says
Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb said Friday in his annual comprehensive financial report that the city is in a “very healthy” fiscal position as it continues to rebound from the covid-19 pandemic. The report shows that the city ended last year with a surplus, thanks in large part to the...
Closing of Pittsburgh immigration office could result in more deportations, group says
The Executive Office for Immigration Review said it won’t hold hearings at its office on Pittsburgh’s South Side after Friday “due to space and personnel limitations.” This means immigrants from across Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia will have to travel to Philadelphia Immigration Court for in-person hearings. The Pittsburgh office,...
City Theatre’s Momentum New Play Festival returns as in-person event
Following a two-year absence due to the pandemic, an effective vehicle for new play development is returning to the City Theatre stages on Pittsburgh’s South Side. The Momentum New Play Festival is back for a May 16-21 run featuring public readings of three new plays in progress as well as...
Animal Friends of Westmoreland dance-off returns live to The Palace
Amateur and professional dancers will once again tread the boards of The Palace Theatre, as the popular Dancing With the Celebrities competition returns live on May 6. A signature fundraiser of the Animal Friends of Westmoreland, the dance-off was canceled in 2020 and presented in virtual form in 2021. “It’s...
1-woman play embodies Therese Rocco, Pittsburgh’s 1st female assistant police chief
Do it, but do it with grace. That is the way Therese Rocco, a trailblazer with the Pittsburgh Police Department, has always lived her life. For more than four decades, Rocco overcame gender barriers and created a path for women. She was Pittsburgh’s — and the nation’s — first female...
Free community garden set to bloom in Aspinwall
A new free community garden is coming to Aspinwall. A vacant lot located at 215 Delafield Road, across from UPMC St. Margaret Hospital, is slated to become the Aspinwall Community Garden. Project organizer and Aspinwall resident Amy Lima said use of the lot has been donated by owner Marshall Barbour,...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: April 29-May 1
Friday evening music The Friday Evening Music Club of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra will present a recital titled “April in Paris” at 7:30 p.m. Friday at First United Methodist Church of Greensburg, 15 E. Second St. The program includes: • Pianist Dr. T.J. Maroon, first movement of Debussy’s “Suite Bergamasque”...
Student news: Quaker Valley distracted driving event, college news and more
Distracted driving event Quaker Valley High School students gathered on April 21 to learn more about distracted driving and take a pledge not to be distracted behind the wheel of a vehicle. Students signed a distracted driving awareness banner, which is now displayed in the high school where other students...
Pine teen’s covid-interrupted mission trip back on with more hands on deck
It’s been more than a decade since Matt and Lori Fenton of Pine and their 14-year-old son Austen had a life-changing experience when they were invited to participate in a mission trip to Nicaragua. Over the years, those trips have become a family tradition that is spreading. “I can’t express...
2 men beaten with baseball bat in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights
A man was in critical condition Friday morning after being assaulted with a baseball bat in Brighton Heights, according to Pittsburgh police. Officers were dispatched to the 3600 block of California Avenue around 1 a.m. for reports of a violent attack on two men. One of the victims was taken...
Sewickley Academy computer science students open an escape room
Thirteen members of Sewickley Academy’s junior and senior classes are planning an escape, and they’re hoping to involve as many of their classmates, teachers and parents as possible. It’s not an escape from school, in fact, this project has them especially excited for class as they spend their days building...
Police warn of uptick in catalytic converter thefts across Pittsburgh region
Thefts of catalytic converters are on the rise across the Pittsburgh region, and police are urging residents to stay aware of suspicious activity. Catalytic converters bring in big money on the underground market because they are made of the metals platinum, palladium and rhodium. Often, thieves can easily cut the...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: April 29-May 1
It’s marathon weekend. Here are some things to do – but be aware of multiple street closings. Go for a run The Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, half marathon and relay race returns in person on Sunday. There will be several race-related events throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday. More than...
The Stroller, April 29, 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. Please include a daytime telephone number. Youngsters invited to attend Camp Cadet Applications are being accepted for the 2022 Armstrong County Camp Cadet Program, July 24 to...
Donations sought for families of East Deer apartment fire
A group is collecting donations to assist at least three tenats left homeless when fire destroyed their apartment building late Thursday. The Western Pennsylvania Search and Rescue Development Center is seeking food, clothes and toiletries, among other items that might help families who lived in the multi-story apartment building along...
East Vandergrift working to revitalize long-neglected Kiskiminetas River Park
East Vandergrift officials are moving forward with plans to revitalize Kiskiminetas River Park. The public park, constructed in 1990, is along the banks of the Kiski River at the end of Elm and Kennedy streets. Several years ago, vandals spray-painted over existing security cameras and painted graffiti on the cement...
