Western PA Local News category, Page 16
Former TGI Friday’s in Hempfield to become Bank of America branch
A former TGI Friday’s restaurant off Route 30 in Hempfield is set to become a Bank of America branch. Township planning manager Matthew Pernelli said there will be minor facade improvements, a drive-thru ATM added and updates to landscaping and the parking lot. The restaurant closed in late 2024, and...
Club Cafe launches GoFundMe after costly repairs, unexpected closures
Club Cafe launched a GoFundMe campaign Tuesday to preserve the historic music venue. Owner Danielle Mashuda said donations will help recoup major repair costs incurred over the past year. The venue on Pittsburgh’s South Side required HVAC and freezer repairs and fixes for Club Cafe’s signature neon sign, which was...
Students return to Shaler Area Middle School after fire alarm prompts evacuation
Shaler Area Middle School was briefly evacuated Wednesday morning when an automated fire alarm went off, a district spokeswoman said. The alarm at the school on Mt. Royal Boulevard went off about 8:44 a.m., spokeswoman Carrie Butler said. A high water sensor, along with dust from work being done on...
Thousands expected as Greensburg Night Market kicks off 8th seasonVideo
The Greensburg Night Market is expected to draw as many as 7,000 visitors downtown this week as the popular event resumes its outdoor schedule. Organizers will kick off the market’s eighth season Thursday with about 150 vendors selling their wares along four city blocks that make up much of Greensburg’s...
YouTube prankster facing charges after sneaking onto NFL Draft stage in Pittsburgh
A YouTube personality with a prank channel is facing charges after using fake credentials to get onstage during the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh last week. Fred Beyer, 24, of Venice, Fla., was cited for criminal trespass on Monday. In Beyer’s video, seen below, he documents being turned away from one...
Morning Roundup: FBI executes 4 drug-trafficking warrants in Pittsburgh; $1 million lottery ticket sold in Salem
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, April 29: FBI executes 4 drug-trafficking warrants FBI officials, working with local and state law enforcement partners, executed four federal arrest warrants across the Pittsburgh area on Tuesday morning. A fifth warrant was executed in the state of...
The Stroller, April 29, 2026: 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. 5K Run planned in...
Police express concern about safety, visibility of electric bikes, scooters
Police and municipal officials are looking at ways to harness e-bike and electric scooter ridership as police are noticing some riders aren’t following laws of the road. That was the case over the weekend in Harrison after police said an e-bike rider failed to stop at an intersection and was...
War and uncertainty in Iran fail to cool a red-hot U.S. stock market
Gas prices are higher. Grocery prices are higher. And the stock market is higher, a combination that, at a glance, wouldn’t seem to make much sense. While the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz roil international commerce, technology stocks have jumped nearly 20% this month...
$3M state grant to help support redevelopment of Mt. Alvernia in Millvale, Shaler
A $3 million state grant will support the $100 million redevelopment of Mt. Alvernia in Millvale and Shaler. The money comes from the state Department of Community and Economic Development’s mixed-use revitalization grant program. Created in 2024, the program provides grants and loans to help with increasing mixed-use development across...
‘Every day is a good day’: Spunky soon-to-be O’Hara centenarian credits the simple life for longevity
Taking a simple approach to life has apparently paid off for Betty Logan of O’Hara. The spunky 99-year-old former homemaker recently welcomed TribLive into her home to chat about her life, daily habits and upcoming plans as she prepares to celebrate her 100th birthday on May 6. Dressed neatly and...
Ligonier Township supervisors reject fire department zoning change; Country Market still seeks a home
The Ligonier Country Market will need to search for a new home this year now that the Ligonier Township supervisors rejected a request Tuesday from the Waterford Volunteer Fire Department to rezone its property for commercial use. That would have allowed the market vendors to sell their their wares there....
Allegheny County Council condemns multistate power grid operator for slow approval process
Allegheny County Council issued a letter to PJM Interconnection on Tuesday criticizing the multistate power grid manager for failing to upgrade its approval process after it received a federal citation. PJM, the power grid operator that manages Pennsylvania’s electricity grid along with a dozen other states, was cited by federal...
Irwin mom nets prison sentence for leaving 7 kids in dirty home
An Irwin woman was sentenced Monday to serve at least six years in prison for leaving seven children in a home riddled with trash, human waste and no water. Marah S. Urch, 34, pleaded guilty in January to seven counts of child endangerment and two charges of aggravated cruelty to...
Loved ones remember Apollo woman killed in Parks Township shooting as a caring mother
In the days since Jessica Hilliard was shot to death outside a bar in Parks Township, Rachael Meising said she’s been looking toward the sky and speaking with her best friend. “I didn’t want her to be alone during her first day in heaven,” said Meising, 31. Hilliard, 34, of...
Last defendant sentenced in stabbing death of mentally ill man in Pittsburgh
A judge Tuesday sentenced the last of three defendants in the fatal 2024 stabbing of a mentally ill man at an abandoned Pittsburgh house. Carlena Wells, 20, was sentenced to 2½ to 5 years in prison on a conspiracy to commit aggravated assault charge in the March 2024 death of...
Intermittent stoppages on Route 28 starting for wrong-way detection testing
Intermittent stoppages along various Route 28 ramps in Allegheny County will begin this week for wrong-way detection testing. PennDOT said stoppages spanning about 15 minutes will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday while the testing takes place. Wrong-way detection systems use radar and cameras...
Pittsburgh likely spent more than it will receive for 2026 NFL DraftVideo
The 2026 NFL Draft drew about 805,000 people in Pittsburgh last week, according to the NFL — but that’s likely not the most staggering number linked to the three-day event. City officials are still calculating how much the city spent to play host to the league’s largest off-season event, but...
Judge denies bond for Connellsville man accused in shooting outside Planet Fitness
A Connellsville man accused of shooting and pistol-whipping his estranged wife’s boyfriend in a gym parking lot will remain jailed pending trial, following a court ruling Tuesday. Steven Heald, 39, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and stalking in connection with the Jan. 13 shooting outside the Planet Fitness...
NFL Draft food recovery effort exceeds 30,000 pounds
More than 30,000 pounds of NFL Draft leftovers have been rescued by nonprofit 412 Food Rescue, which scoops up fresh surplus food and redirects it to people who need it most. Josh Weiland, 412 Food Rescue’s vice president of operations, said even more food is expected to be recovered in...
West Allegheny unified track meet provides opportunities for life skills students — and their peers
When Carlee Lash started her senior year at West Allegheny High School this fall, the thought of entering a career in special education never crossed her mind. That’s until she got involved with the school’s new Unified Partners in Sports program, where students build relationships with their peers in life...
Sharpsburg fills council vacancy with nonprofit leader
Sharpsburg officials recently added a local nonprofit leader to council bringing the seven-member panel back to full strength. Council voted 4-0 on April 23 to appoint Amber Lapp. Council members Sarah Ishman and Roman Mason were absent. Lapp takes over for Corey Ochai, who resigned in March. Family commitments were...
Pittsburgh councilman seeks to spur redevelopment in North Side through tax breakVideo
A Pittsburgh councilman is hoping a tax break could spark conversion of empty offices into affordable housing in part of his North Side district. Councilman Bobby Wilson on Tuesday introduced legislation that would offer a sliding scale of tax breaks, depending on how much affordable housing or how many full-time...
Mon Valley Independent marks 10th anniversary in printVideo
The Mon Valley Independent in Monessen will mark 10 years since it reshaped itself from its predecessor, the Valley Independent, and published its first edition on May 2, 2016. The newspaper will host a 10th-anniversary celebration this weekend. After the Valley Independent ceased publication at the end of 2015, Moe...
All 3 Smokey Bones restaurants in Southwestern Pa. close
Three local locations of Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill abruptly closed Tuesday. Employees from the barbecue chain’s restaurants in Hempfield, Cranberry and Frazer (within the Pittsburgh Mills shopping complex) told TribLive they were informed of the closures without notice Tuesday morning. The chain’s official website also shows the locations...
