Local category, Page 1594
Pittsburgh police: Missing girl last seen Saturday
Pittsburgh police seek help finding a missing girl. Taylor Wilson, 13, was last seen on Saturday. She is described a standing 5 feet 7 inches tall, with blue eyes and brown hair. Police said she is known to frequent Ross, Fineview and Westwood neighborhoods. Anyone with information on Taylor’s whereabouts...
New Kensington-Arnold teachers rally for new contract, threaten strike vote
First grade teacher Mick Dombroski feels like he’s living in the movie “Groundhog Day.” Over and over again, he said, the New Kensington-Arnold School District can’t approve a new contract with its teachers union until after the previous deal has expired. Most districts settle on new contracts before that happens,...
Quaker Valley COG selects permanent glass recycling spot in Sewickley
Quaker Valley Council of Governments officials have selected a Sewickley site for its glass recycling program. The municipal government cooperative has been mulling over where to put a permanent bin to serve its 15-member communities for quite some time. Sewickley officials made a suggestion last month to use a portion...
Hempfield Girl Scout receives national honor for coming to grandfather’s aid after serious fallVideo
When Ashley Bensur found out her grandfather had fallen 10 feet from a balcony at his Hempfield home the morning of July 11, 2020, there was no doubt in her mind that she had to help. Rather than waiting to hear an update on his condition, Bensur, then 12, tagged...
1 killed after opening fire on police in South Connellsville
South Connellsville police shot and killed a man after they say he fired at them during a welfare check early Tuesday evening in South Connellsville. Police were called to a home on the 2100 block of Second Street in Connellsville shortly after 4:30 p.m., after a request to check on...
Pittsburgh gang member sentenced to federal prison for drug, firearm conviction
A Pittsburgh man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison after he was convicted of violating federal drug and firearms laws, officials announced Tuesday. Devonte Parker, 26, became the latest member of Darccide/Smash 44, or DS44, a neighborhood gang involved with significant drug trafficking in the city. U.S....
Mac Martin, Pittsburgh-area bluegrass musician ‘known ’round the world,’ dies at 96
Bluegrass musician Mac Martin had his roots in Pittsburgh, but his music was known around the world, according to other bluegrass musicians and fans who knew him. “He was known all over the world. He played in a bar in East Liberty (Walsh’s Lounge) in the 1950s, and people would...
Freeport Area High School to present Disney’s ‘High School Musical’
In a case of art imitating life or life imitating art, Freeport Area High School will present Disney’s “High School Musical,” running Thursday through Sunday at the district’s middle school. The story centers on two East High students, Troy and Gabriella, and their audition for a school musical in which...
Allegheny County 911 dispatchers authorize strike on day of St. Patrick’s Day parade
After previously protesting what they described as long shifts and low pay, unionized Allegheny County 911 dispatchers have authorized a one-day strike for March 12. The strike date coincides with Pittsburgh’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. Al Smith, business manager for Service Employees International Union Local 668, said workers sent...
Greensburg man guilty of recording teens in basement bathroom
A Greensburg man was convicted of criminal charges related allegations that he recorded pictures of teen girls in a bathroom with a smart phone. Following a nonjury trial this week, Carlos Alvarado, 49, was found guilty of one felony charge of attempting to record illicit images of a child and...
Former Mt. Pleasant, Perryopolis doctor gets prison for illegally prescribing drugs, having sex with patients
Dr. Emilio Navarro told the court he made a mistake. It was a mistake that he made dozens of times over four years. A federal indictment against Navarro, a longtime family physician who practiced in Mt. Pleasant and Perryopolis, said he wrote prescriptions for painkillers and Xanax to two patients...
Hempfield man pleads guilty to raping girls, faces up to 12 years in prison
A Hempfield man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges that he had sex with two young girls. Police said Kilian A. Thomas was 20 when he met the girls, ages 13 and 11, through social media in late 2019 and arranged multiple encounters in which they had sex in his...
Man with ties in 3 counties jailed in Westmoreland on accusations of possessing meth in Salem motel
Three days after a transient man was released on bond from the Armstrong County Jail last month, he was arrested in Westmoreland County for possessing methamphetamine in a Salem motel, according to court documents filed Tuesday. Ryan J. Fredericks, 27, who has lived in Johnstown, Apollo and Derry Township, was...
Sewickley Academy lower school students hold Winter Olympics
To coincide with the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, Sewickley Academy hosted its own Winter Olympics for the Pre-K through fifth-grade students. Each class was assigned a country and their Olympic events – speedskating, biathlon, curling, slalom skiing and hockey – were held during physical education classes Feb. 9-17. Student-athletes...
Pittsburgh adopts measures intended to strengthen focus on city’s infrastructure
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved several measures intended to improve the way the city investigates, reports on and provides funding for its infrastructure needs. The measures come in the wake of the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park in January, which has brought heightened awareness to the...
Jeannette officials aim to stop trespassers at crumbling former brewery
Notices discouraging anyone from entering the former Fort Pitt Brewery property in West Jeannette were put up last week after city officials received reports of trespassing, according to code enforcement officer Bill Whetzel. He said the city was notified that adults and children were inside the abandoned property and that...
Leechburg student creates website ‘How to Support Ukraine’ with roster of charities
A Leechburg Area High School honors student with Ukrainian heritage has created a website to showcase charities benefiting Ukrainians and encourage people to contribute. Jasa Oliver, a junior from Gilpin, grew up hearing stories about her great-grandfather Dimetro Buriak’s journey from Ukraine to America. When the invasion by Russian forces...
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank gets protein boost from Giant Eagle, Dietz & Watson
People served by the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will receive a protein boost, thanks to a donation of more than 5,000 pounds of fresh deli meats, sausages and cheese from Dietz & Watson. The Philadelphia-based deli company presented the donation Tuesday at the food bank’s Duquesne headquarters, along with...
Nonprofit seeks Allegheny County residents to form solar co-op
The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Solar United Neighbors is looking for about 80 Allegheny County residents interested in joining a co-op to get better bargaining power when it comes to pricing on solar equipment. And for the first time in Pennsylvania, the nonprofit is providing a limited number of free solar...
Toomey calls for tougher sanctions on RussiaVideo
As the war on Ukraine continues, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey is calling for tougher sanctions on Russia. As a ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, Toomey holds considerable influence. President Joe Biden has led the international response to Russia’s invasion with severe sanctions targeting the Russian economy and against...
Westmoreland County to expand mobile crisis unit for mental health emergencies
Westmoreland County is getting a $372,000 grant to expand its mobile crisis unit that responds to mental health emergencies as a “988” number expected to be rolled out this summer could lead to an increase in need. Westmoreland Community Action, which operates a local crisis hotline and unit with Westmoreland...
Pittsburgh’s rental registration program to begin in May
Pittsburgh’s Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections said Tuesday that the city’s rental registration program will go into effect May 29. The program, approved by City Council in November, will allow city officials to inspect rental properties in an attempt to ensure they meet “the minimum standards for safe living...
Part-time Harrison manager resigns; township seeking replacement
Harrison commissioners are seeking a new manager for the township after Rich Hill resigned Monday. Hill, part-time manager for about three years, submitted a letter to the board in which he cited the pursuit of new opportunities. Hill could not be reached for comment Tuesday. His resignation is effective March...
Peter Adams appointed to Sharpsburg Council
Sharpsburg officials have tapped a health care professional as their next council member Peter Adams, an administrative fellow at UPMC, was recently appointed to fill the vacant seat of Brian Kozera, who moved out of the borough. Kozera was elected to his first term in November. Adams’ appointment is for...
Tapas Talks returns to Sewickley
Tapas Talks is back for the 2022 season. More than 100 friends and neighbors attended the initial event Feb. 17 at Allegheny Country Club. The program, “Food Passion: A Journey to Sewickley,” was provided by three individuals very familiar with food and Sewickley — Nick Ambeliotis of Mediterra, Barbara McKenna...
