Western PA Local News category, Page 1678
AHN patients possible victims of data breach
The data of Allegheny Health Network Home Infusion (AHNHI) patients may have been improperly accessed after the data breach of a vendor, officials said Friday. Vantage Healthcare Network, Inc., a vendor of Pittsburgh-based AHNHI, was the victim of a ransomware cyber-attack in October. AHNHI is now in the process of...
Westmoreland sheriff’s department sergeant testifies fugitive attempted to grab gun during struggle
A Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department sergeant testified Friday that a fugitive repeatedly tried to grab his gun as the pair struggled on the floor of a St. Clair Township mobile home where the man was found hiding last month. Sgt. Irvin Shipley testified that a search team of four sheriff’s...
Federal judge rejects request to reinstate universal masking in Upper St. Clair School District
A federal judge Friday afternoon denied a request by parents suing the Upper Saint Clair School District to reinstitute a mandatory masking policy. In a 32-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Williams S. Stickman said that the families of five medically fragile children in the district who sought the temporary restraining...
Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO gets raise, $184K bonus
The Allegheny County Airport Authority board on Friday granted a major pay raise and bonus for CEO Christina Cassotis. The board unanimously voted to give Cassotis a 23% salary increase over what she was expected to earn in 2022, bringing her annual salary this year to $534,000. She also was...
Hempfield ice fisherman says of pursuit: ‘It’s addictive’
On a bitter cold day when most people would rather be inside, Ryan Parker of Hempfield not only wants to be in the elements, but he patiently sits out in them. Parker is one of that breed of angler who do not put away their rod and reel when winter...
Norwin teacher, husband in court over participation in ‘Frozen Jr.’ performance
Lawyers for a Norwin middle school teacher and her husband on trial for charges they did not comply with child safety laws told a Westmoreland County jury on Friday no crimes were committed. Tobitha Sasso, 42, and Brad Geyer, 39, both of Greensburg are on trial for misdemeanor charges related...
Former football coach Eric Kasperowicz drops lawsuit against Pine-Richland, hopes to reclaim job
Former Pine-Richland football coach Eric Kasperowicz is dropping his defamation lawsuit against the school district and its administrators in hopes of reclaiming his coaching job. Kasperowicz in August filed a federal lawsuit against the district and several top officials claiming they damaged his reputation by publicly accusing him of knowing...
Pa. covid-19 data follows recent trends in South Africa, U.K., but hospitals remain busy
While Allegheny County’s numbers still are headed in the wrong direction, covid-19 figures posted throughout Pennsylvania are in line with predictions that the U.S. could be nearing the downward curve of the recent surge brought on by the omicron variant. In Allegheny, the weeklong average in hospitalizations is up about...
Police continue search for suspects in killing of Pittsburgh high school studentVideo
Police on Friday continued to search for two suspects connected to the killing of a 15-year-old waiting in a school van in Pittsburgh. Marquis Campbell was sitting in the van waiting to go home after school about 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday outside Oliver Citywide Academy. The school, in Marshall-Shadeland, is...
Hempfield’s covid numbers higher because its tracker covers 14-day period
Despite more than 180 cases being reported on the Hempfield Area School District’s covid tracker, a large number of students and staff who make up those cases could already be back in school after new quarantine guidelines were released last month. The tracker covers a 14-day rolling period and reflects...
Frigid temps don’t stop outside work, though some escape to sunny Florida
Mother Nature threw a bit of shade over Western Pennsylvania early Friday, with cloud cover warming up temperatures to a balmy 8 to 12 degrees in most places – well above what was expected to be closer to zero. “If we would have stayed clear last night with the snow...
‘SignTasTic!,’ game show featuring sign language, filming in Pittsburgh
A unique new game show aiming to raise awareness about American Sign Language and the deaf community is being filmed in Pittsburgh. Each episode of the show, dubbed “SignTasTic!,” features two contestants who have to learn 50 sign language words before the show. The show then tests how well they’ve...
Court won’t force Pittsburgh to turn over taser death report to DA’s office
An Allegheny County Common Pleas Court judge has denied a motion by the district attorney’s office to force the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police to turn over an internal report examining the October death of Jim Rogers. The DA’s office initially asked the city to produce the 15-page executive summary of...
Kentucky firm to dismantle Cheswick Generating Station for potential redevelopment
The Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale Borough, slated to close on April 1 after more than 50 years of operation, has been purchased by a Kentucky firm that specializes in remediation of coal-fired power stations. Charah Solutions, based in Louisville, said Thursday it will dismantle the plant and potentially use...
Student hospitalized after fight at Pittsburgh’s Brashear High School
A fight Friday at Brashear High School sent one student to the hospital, according to a school spokeswoman. The student’s condition was not immediately available. Brashear High School is on Crane Avenue in the city’s Beechview neighborhood, and it serves just under 1,100 students. Video of the incident appears to...
Federal prosecutors seek to keep former Greensburg dentist detained in Zambia murder case
A former Greensburg dentist accused of killing his wife during a safari in Zambia “has a reason to take the money and run,” according to federal prosecutors in Colorado hoping to keep him detained until trial. Prosecutors pointed to $27 million in assets and firearms expertise in describing Lawrence Rudolph,...
Pennsylvania casinos shatter record, generate $4.7 billion in revenues in 2021
Pennsylvania casinos in 2021 shattered year-over-year records, generating $4.7 billion in combined revenues, state regulators said. Casinos saw $2 billion more last year compared to 2020 when $2.6 billion was collected from slot machines, table games, sports betting, iGaming, video gaming terminals and fantasy contests, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming...
Churchill residents challenge Amazon distribution facility in court
A group in Churchill has filed a court challenge to block the approval of a new Amazon warehouse approved by borough council last month. Churchill Future, which lobbied against the proposal, said in an appeal filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court that the project fails to meet a number...
Police: Woman had protection order against ex accused of killing her with her own gun in Bellevue
Rachel Dowden did all the things she was supposed to do to protect herself from an ex with a history of abuse. She received a protection from abuse order (PFA) that was in place for three years, police said. She carried a legally purchased handgun. On Wednesday, she was shot...
Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar opens in Station Square
Even in a town like Pittsburgh, where people put french fries on just about everything, it would seem a bold move to open a restaurant where featured items include heirloom grits with goat cheese and chicken and waffles stuffed with macaroni and cheese. But that’s the approach Tupelo Honey Southern...
Jeter Backyard Theater students win national award during theater festival
Students representing Jeter Backyard Theater in Gibsonia won a Freddie G Award for Excellence in Music and earned other recognition at the 2022 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta (JTF Atlanta). The Jan. 14-16 event is dedicated to celebrating student-driven musical theater programs. It was held in Atlanta. During the festival’s Direct...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Jan. 21-23
It’s the weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. Shen Yun “Shen Yun: China Before Communism” is at the Benedum Center, Downtown. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. The production features classical Chinese dance as well as orchestral...
NFL great Herschel Walker to receive St. Barnabas Hance Award
St. Barnabas Charities honors Herschel Walker at the 121st St. Barnabas Founder’s Day Celebration to be held April 28 at the Pittsburgh Marriott North in Cranberry. Herschel Walker will receive the 2022 St. Barnabas Hance Award. The Hance Award was named in honor of St. Barnabas founder Gouverneur Hance, who...
‘It’s hip to be square’ at Valkyrie Doughnuts in Bellevue, a vegan bakery
Square doughnuts? At Valkyrie Doughnuts in Bellevue, they strive to be different. That begins with not making round-shaped offerings and it ends with not-your-typical ingredients, either. The shop, which opened two months ago, features square-shaped treats that are plant-based — no egg or dairy products. They also use soy flour....
Edgeworth officials tap O’Hara company for stream bank project
Edgeworth officials have approved a contract with an O’Hara Township company to reduce pollution in an Ohio River tributary. Council voted 6-0 on Jan. 18 in favor of Gary Metzinger Cement Contractor for a stream bank restoration project along Creek Drive. Councilman Daniel Wilson was absent. The tributary is colloquially...
