Local category, Page 1537
Washington, D.C., man stops in Pittsburgh on his 3,400-mile e-bike journey to raise money for charity
The wooden shoes on the back of the trailer attached to the electric bicycle are more than footwear – they symbolize the home country of the rider. And the clogs are making a 3,400-mile trek with him. Gregory Maassen, a native of the Netherlands, is riding an e-bike from Washington,...
Volunteers sought for Harrison rain garden cleanup
A rain garden installed near Highlands Middle School has done its job of helping to eliminate a swampy lawn at the campus in Harrison. But it needs help to remain effective. “We pruned back a lot in the fall, but we need a group to go in there and really...
North Hills Home Show scheduled April 22-24 in Hampton
Plenty of fresh ideas and advice on home improvement, decorating and landscaping projects will be offered at the North Hills Home Show, scheduled for April 22-24 at the North Park Sports Complex Hampton. More than 150 exhibits and demonstrations and how-to clinics will educate and entertain visitors who are interested...
Norwin area: Pirates game, car cruise planned
‘Norwin Knights at PNC Park’ event planned Tickets are on sale for the “Norwin Knights at PNC Park” outing at 1 p.m. May 1. The Pittsburgh Pirates take on the San Diego Padres at the game. Noah Czajkowski and Ty Stecko will throw out the honorary first pitch. The Norwin...
Penn-Trafford area: Bushy Run Market, barbecue chicken sale, more
Bushy Run Market resumes at battlefield site The Bushy Run Market featuring a collection of crafters and vendors who sell their wares the fourth Sunday of the month from April through September will return to the Bushy Run Battlefield site along Route 993 in Penn Township on April 23. The...
Hampton second-graders receive pysanky demonstration
After learning about a traditional Ukrainian art form during library and art classes, second-graders at Hampton’s Central Elementary School were paid a visit on April 13 by local artist Laurie Gonzalez, who demonstrated how to make pysanky. Pysanky is a Ukrainian tradition that has been practiced for hundreds of years....
North Huntingdon man accused of creating, uploading child porn
A North Huntingdon man accused by state police of creating child pornography and putting it online was arrested Thursday and jailed without bail. James C. Gockel, 39, is charged with numerous counts of child pornography and related offenses. Troopers said they were notified by the National Center for Missing and...
Sharpsburg seeks nearly $25 million in federal grant money to aid private developer
Sharpsburg officials have applied for a $24.4 million federal grant to help with transportation infrastructure for the Allegheny Shores development. Council unanimously voted at a special meeting April 9 to seek the grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s RAISE program, which stands for Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and...
Hempfield man gives back to Westmoreland County with food, book donations
Jeremiah Washburn loves taking walks and going on car rides. Now, he gives back to the community while enjoying these pastimes. Washburn, who has an intellectual disability and autism, gathers used books and nonperishable food items and donates them to Little Free Libraries and food pantry drop-offs throughout Westmoreland County....
2 years into pandemic, the Brackenridge Salvation Army still churning out free meals
The lunch menu Thursday at the Brackenridge Salvation Army was far more elaborate than its grab-and-go description. Fresh out of the oven was a nutritious meal of baked tilapia with garlicky lemon butter, mac and cheese, and green beans. It was free and waiting for the first 100 people to...
Greensburg orders new Seagrave fire truck
The Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department will soon have a new fire truck, replacing a 25-year-old apparatus at the city’s Hose Co. No. 6. Council members on Monday unanimously approved the purchase of a Seagrave model TB50CT Marauder Pumper for $779,114. “It’s a better truck all around, something that definitely we...
Jeannette native killed in Phoenix; police charge husband with homicide
Police in Arizona arrested the husband of a Westmoreland County native, accusing him of fatally shooting her at their Phoenix home last month, according to police and news accounts. Investigators said family members of Amy Jo Jacobelli Malobicky, 54, reported she and Paul A. Fratella, 43, had been involved in...
Proposal would create formal partnership between Pittsburgh, school district
Legislation introduced to Pittsburgh City Council would form an official partnership between the city and Pittsburgh Public Schools in an effort to address the learning gap resulting from the covid-19 pandemic and the pre-existing racial achievement gap in the city’s schools. The legislation explains that the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission...
Westmoreland commissioners settle federal lawsuit filed by jail nurse
Westmoreland County commissioners have agreed to settle a federal discrimination lawsuit filed by a former nurse at the county jail. Commissioners unanimously approved a $8,500 payout to Sophie Puskar, who sued the county and Wexford Health Sources, the private medical provider at Westmoreland County Prison. Puskar contended she was sexually...
Pittsburgh claims damages exemption for cop who beat up teen caught smashing pumpkins
The state Supreme Court must decide if the City of Pittsburgh should be responsible for paying a $75,000 jury award against an off-duty Pittsburgh police officer who chased down and assaulted a teenager who had been smashing pumpkins in his neighborhood nearly 10 years ago. The appellate court heard arguments...
Lawmaker calls on state to again reject application to draw water from Big Sewickley Creek for fracking
A lawmaker is once again asking Pennsylvania’s top environmental official to turn down a plan by PennEnergy Resources to draw millions of gallons of water a day from Big Sewickley Creek and one of its tributaries for fracking. In July, state Rep. Robert Matzie, D-16th, sent a letter to state...
Allegheny County, Pittsburgh launch hygiene kit drive for Ukraine
The war in Ukraine has created shortages of just about everything in many parts of the besieged country, including items used for basic personal hygiene. But now, with a nod toward the region’s vast Ukrainian heritage, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County officials have jointly announced a hygiene kit drive to help...
New Pittsburgh Zoo CEO wants to make Somerset conservation space more welcoming
SOMERSET — Since its debut 15 years ago, Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium’s International Conservation Center near Fairhope has often made great strides with little fanfare toward the preservation of the African elephant. Somerset County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ron Aldom noted Wednesday that people often don’t believe him...
Don’t mess with momma: Hays bald eagle defends nest against intruderVideo
Dining on a meal of Monongahela fish just after 6 p.m., the Pittsburgh Hays bald eagle mom fed her three eaglets. Then — bam! A large predatory bird swooped the nest and the Hays’ mom sprang into action. She outstretched her wings, which can span six feet or more, over...
Mattress Factory names Pittsburgh curator as new executive director
Following a five-month, nationwide search, the Mattress Factory found its next executive director close to home. David Oresick, the current executive director and chief curator of Silver Eye Center for Photography, will begin his new role May 16 at the contemporary installation art museum in Pittsburgh’s North Side. ”David exemplified...
Police: Tarentum couple accused of child abuse after 5-month-old found to have broken bones
A Tarentum couple has been accused of child abuse after a doctor treating their 5-month-old son for a shoulder injury told police the boy suffered 10 previous fractures for which he did not receive medical treatment. Ryan Scholl, 22, and Breanna Airgood, 26, of the 400 block of West Ninth...
Quaker Valley School District to raise real estate taxes 2.9%
Quaker Valley School District property owners should expect to see an uptick in real estate taxes of 2.9% as a result of next school year’s budget. Board members unanimously voted to approve the 2022-23 proposed final budget on April 12. Its formal adoption is scheduled for May 18. The budget...
Fox Chapel Area Adult Education adds tech lessons to help eliminate digital clutter
Fox Chapel Area Adult Education has a perfect class this spring for tech novices who accumulate thousands of emails or for people who yearn to shoot better photos with an iPhone. Private lessons for Apple devices, taught by Plum resident Emily McNeil, are part of the spring offerings that launched...
Pittsburgh region’s economy rebounding from pandemic more slowly than other metro areas
The Pittsburgh region has the slowest employment growth coming out of the pandemic among the nation’s 40 largest metropolitan areas, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Pittsburgh’s labor force participation remains nearly 5% below what it was before the pandemic and is well below the U.S....
Northern Regional Police department promotes first woman to rank of sergeant
It was on one of their first calls together when Northern Regional Police Chief John Sicilia knew he had a keeper in Jennifer Abbondanza. Sicilia was a sergeant at the time, and Abbondanza was new on the job, the last officer he trained before becoming captain. They were looking for...
