Local category, Page 1603
Blawnox seeking code enforcement officer
Blawnox is seeking a part-time code enforcement officer to help with the borough’s efforts to maintain safe properties. The job entails making sure homeowners keep up with cutting grass, keeping properties free of junk cars and shoveling snow in a timely manner. The position is for six hours a week....
Murrysville officer escapes serious injury after patrol vehicle struck by DUI driver, troopers say
A Murrysville police officer escaped serious injury over the weekend after the marked patrol vehicle he was driving was rear-ended on Old William Penn Highway by a DUI driver, according to state police. Troopers reported Murrysville police Sgt. James Chafin was stopped, sitting in a marked 2019 Ford Explorer conducting...
Ross commissioners president defends police chief after ‘no confidence’ vote from union
Dan DeMarco, president of the Ross Board of Commissioners, defended his police chief at Tuesday night’s meeting following a “no confidence” vote from the township’s police union. A letter sent earlier that day from the executive board of the Ross Township Police Association announced that 27 officers voted in favor...
1 killed, 3 injured in Fayette County crash
One person was killed and three were injured in a crash Tuesday in Fayette County, according to state police. The driver of a Kia Forte crossed over the center line of New Salem Road in Menallen around 7:30 p.m. and slammed into another vehicle, troopers said. The driver of the...
Pittsburgh man sentenced to nearly 4 years in federal prison for heroin trafficking
A Pittsburgh man has been sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for his involvement in a heroin trafficking ring, federal officials announced Tuesday. David Joyner, 26, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. US District Judge William S. Stickman IV sentenced him...
Pittsburgh man sentenced to more than 3 years in federal prison for drugs, guns
A Pittsburgh man has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison for violating federal narcotics and gun laws, federal authorities announced Tuesday. Prosecutors say Don Eric Copeland, 20, possessed illicit drugs with intent to distribute them — crack cocaine and a mixture containing cocaine and fentanyl. Pittsburgh police seized...
Jeannette woman’s conviction for false report to police overturned
A judge Tuesday overturned a guilty verdict issued against a Jeannette woman who prosecutors said made false reports to local police. Deborah Samulski, 62, served more than three months in jail after she was convicted last summer of two misdemeanor charges of filing false reports with a local gas company...
Baristas at Coffee Tree Roasters vote to unionize in Allegheny County
Baristas and employees of local coffee chain Coffee Tree Roasters voted to unionize Tuesday. Workers at five coffee shops across Allegheny County voted to join Local 1776 of the United Food and Commercial Workers labor union, according to UFCW Local 1776 President Wendell Young. “This is a great win for...
Hempfield man convicted of killing Pitt student Alina Sheykhet withdraws appeal
The Hempfield man who pleaded guilty to brutally killing his ex-girlfriend at her apartment in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood in October 2017 withdrew his appeal request Tuesday. After extensive questioning by both attorneys involved in the case, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski allowed Matthew Darby, 25, to withdraw...
International forces costing American drivers $375M more every day on gas, analyst says
Americans are spending about $375 million more on gasoline every day compared to a year ago, as prices continue to rise in the Pittsburgh area and across the nation, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. While there are concerns about how Russia’s actions in Ukraine could...
Hempfield man pleads guilty to lesser charges in connection with knife attack
Westmoreland County prosecutors this week dismissed assault and strangulation charges against a Hempfield man accused in the stabbing of a woman during an argument over rent. During guilty plea hearing for Franz Nute Wade Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Echard told Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger that “evidentiary issues”...
Ross police union members cast ‘no confidence’ vote for chief
For a second time, members of the union representing police officers in Ross have taken a “no-confidence” vote in the leadership of Chief Joe Ley. A letter sent on Tuesday from the executive board of the Ross Township Police Association announced that 27 officers voted in favor of the no...
Fox Chapel teen, emergency responders and dispatcher honored for saving boy’s life
New Year’s morning began with a crisis for the Stephany family of Fox Chapel. Their youngest member, Max, 11, was found unconscious inside their Riding Trail Lane home. Parents Rob and Molly Stephany tried all they could to wake him up. However, Max did not respond and was not breathing....
Norwin director claims assignment on racism was critical race theory teaching
A Norwin school board member claims that a high school social studies teacher gave students an assignment on systemic racism in America, which was an example of critical race theory instruction, despite the school administration’s previous assertion that it was not being taught in the district. Director Shawna Ilagan contended...
Renovate or build a new school? That’s the question being posed in Hempfield Area
Officials with the Hempfield Area School District are gearing up to make a decision next month on whether they will renovate or build a new high school. School board members this week unanimously voted to retain PNC Capital Markets LLC as underwriters once a project is chosen and hired Krakoff...
Speed limits in most Pittsburgh parks dropping to 15 mph
Pittsburgh City Council voted Tuesday to reduce the speed limit in the city’s parks to 15 mph, down from 25 mph. The measure allows the city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure to make exceptions. Councilman Bobby Wilson, who sponsored the bill, said there will likely be higher speed limits on...
Pittsburgh recognizes February as Mayor Ed Gainey Month
Pittsburgh City Council announced Tuesday that the city is dedicating February as Mayor Ed Gainey Month. “I can’t imagine recognizing Black History Month without recognizing our own mayor in the city of Pittsburgh,” said Council President Theresa Kail-Smith. Gainey, of Lincoln-Lemington, became the city’s first Black mayor when he took...
Documentary about opioid addiction crisis to be screened in GreensburgVideo
A documentary film about the drug addiction crisis being screened Friday in Greensburg is relevant to the entire community, said Richard Jones, executive director of Sage’s Army. It’s “very short-sighted” to think addiction doesn’t affect Westmoreland County as a whole, he said. “The truth is this applies to all of...
Monessen man jailed on $75K bond after accused by police of assaulting 3 children
A 34-year-old Monessen man is in the Westmoreland County Prison on $75,000 bond after city police arrested him on accusations he assaulted three children left in his care, according to court records. Darrelle D. Mott is accused of assaulting the children Feb. 17 at a residence. Police said they were...
Pittsburgh City Council approves $12.8M allocation for Bus Rapid Transit project
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday allocated $12.8 million to Port Authority of Allegheny County’s proposed Bus Rapid Transit project. Port Authority has touted the BRT project as a “high-quality, bus-based transit system that delivers fast, comfortable and cost-effective services via dedicated lanes and frequent operations.” The plan for the Downtown-Uptown-Oakland-East...
Alta Via restaurant to expand into Pittsburgh’s Market Square
The Downtown Pittsburgh hospitality scene is buzzing again and adding another popular restaurant to the neighborhood. Alta Via, an Italian restaurant inspired by California cuisine, is expanding from its original home and into Market Square, according to the big Burrito Restaurant Group. The group owns the Mad Mex chain and...
Former Leechburg police chief Michael Diebold ordered to prison for failing to register as sex offender
Despite an impassioned plea to serve his sentence on house arrest, former Leechburg police Chief Michael Diebold will spend 18 to 36 months in prison for failing to properly register as a sex offender. Diebold, 44, pleaded guilty in December 2018 to soliciting sex online from a state trooper posing...
Police: 15-year-old girl hurt after running into car on West Seventh Avenue in Tarentum
A 15-year-old girl was flown to a hospital from Tarentum on Monday after police say she ran into the side of a car on West Seventh Avenue. The driver, a man from Tarentum, remained at the scene and is not facing any charges because he did not commit any violation,...
Pittsburgh protester gets 2 years of probation, social media ban
A prominent protester from Pittsburgh will serve two years of probation after pleading guilty Tuesday in six separate cases. Shawn Green, who goes by the name Lorenzo Rulli, also must also stay off social media as part of the agreement. Rulli, 20, of the city’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood, pleaded guilty to...
Pine Community Center programs offer path to personal fitness
Pack on some unwanted pounds during the coronavirus shutdown that are still difficult to shed? Or maybe that New Year’s resolution to finally get in shape is still gnawing at you. Whatever the reason, if fitness is your goal, there are a host of programs being offered at the Pine...
