Local category, Page 1687
Covid cases create ‘desperate’ situation at Westmoreland hospitals
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the omicron variant of covid-19 has eclipsed delta in terms of transmissibility, rising caseloads have created a “desperate” situation at local hospitals, according to the medical director of Westmoreland County’s 911 center. In an email addressed Monday to all county...
Penn Township woman arrested for 2 DUIs in 19 hours, police say
A 63-year-old Penn Township woman was accused of drunken driving after crashes on Sunday and Monday nights, township police said. Mary Anne Brennan also has two previous DUI convictions, police said. The Sunday crash happened about 10:30 p.m., when she crashed on Hyland Road and the car she was driving...
Group launches website to provide news, give voice to Black community in Pittsburgh
A Pittsburgh-based group of artists and activists has launched a website aimed to amplify the city’s Black voices. The group behind the site, 1Hood Media, uses its platform to raise awareness for social issues. In launching BlackPittsburgh.com, 1Hood Media hopes to become a destination for news, events and resources catered...
Deputies arrest Pittsburgh man wanted in connection with Wilkinsburg shooting
Police in Allegheny County tracked a man accused in a shooting last week to his workplace on Tuesday, where they surrounded his vehicle and, after a brief scuffle, took him into custody, authorities said. Montrez Blanks, 32, of Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood, was wanted in connection with a Dec. 6 shooting...
Pittsburgh approves parking code with non-resident permits, hybrid areas
After multiple tweaks to the legislation, Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved a change to the city’s parking code that now creates hybrid residential parking permit areas and non-resident parking permits. The legislation, introduced by Councilman Bobby Wilson in October, paves the way for the creation of hybrid parking permit...
Pittsburgh looks to designate 6 new city parks
Pittsburgh could be gaining six new parks, if a measure to designate several greenways and adjacent vacant properties as city park space is approved. The proposal would take six greenways — areas of “permanent, passive open space” meant to benefit nearby neighborhoods — and vacant properties near them, and designate...
Quaker Valley School District still requiring masks
Students, staff and visitors will still need to wear masks when inside Quaker Valley School District buildings, despite the recent Pennsylvania State Supreme Court affirming a lower court ruling that Pennsylvania’s acting secretary of health didn’t have the authority to issue a mask mandate for schools earlier this school year....
Doric Lodge #630 in Sewickley gives gifts to families in need
Each year, the Sewickley YMCA invites underprivileged families to pick up free Christmas gifts for their children. For the past several years, Doric Lodge #630 has raised money and purchased presents to support the event. In a continuing effort to present Masonry in a positive light in the community, the...
Westmoreland casino expansion plans include poker room, more gambling options
More than a year after establishing itself as an anchor at Westmoreland Mall, Live! Casino Pittsburgh is being upgraded. On Tuesday, officials unveiled several new attractions, including a poker room, event center, electronic gaming tables, a FanDuel FanCave and a reconfigured high-limit room. Those features are in addition to the...
90-year-old man charged with threatening to shoot social worker, assaulting Kiski Township police officer
Kiski Township police charged a 90-year-old man with aggravated assault and making terroristic threats after, they say, he pulled a gun on a social worker who was checking on a report that the man was neglecting his wife, who requires in-home hospice care. Kay Leland Dunmire, of Ridge Road, Kiski...
Indiana County woman killed in wrong-way collision with dump truck, troopers say
An 82-year-old Indiana County woman was killed and a female passenger was seriously injured Tuesday morning after her car collided with a dump truck in a wrong-way collision along Route 422, state police said. The driver of a 2000 Ford Focus sedan was from Homer City, as was a 78-year-old...
Woman accused of cutting, biting former boyfriend and his roommate in Greensburg
A woman who called police to report an assault early Monday after a night of drinking with a former boyfriend and another man at a Greensburg apartment is wanted by city police on charges she assaulted both men, according to court records. Greensburg police are asking people for help in...
Tarentum Council schedules special meeting for budget vote, no tax increase expected
Tarentum Council spent the past several weeks tweaking its proposed $11 million budget for next year, but one thing has remained the same: Residents should not see a real estate tax increase. The property tax rate is expected to remain at 5.48 mills, the same as it has been for...
Pittsburgh’s bike-share program to get upgrade with electric bikes, mobility hubs
With electrified bikes and mobility hubs, Pittsburgh’s bike network is set to get an upgrade. Mayor Bill Peduto — along with the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure and Healthy Ride — announced the Pittsburgh Bike Share Electrification and Mobility Hubs Project, an initiative to upgrade the city’s bike-share system. Currently,...
Project to bring over 50 kiosks to help pedestrians navigate Pittsburgh
A new Pittsburgh initiative aims to make it easier for pedestrians to navigate the city’s streets and find local landmarks with the help of informational kiosks. The Pittsburgh Pedestrian Wayfinding Project will establish a system that highlights key landmarks and makes it easier for residents and visitors to navigate four...
Police: Parks Township woman grabbed for cop’s gun while being arrested
A Parks Township woman is accused of grabbing a police officer’s gun while being arrested for allegedly assaulting her partner during a domestic dispute, according to police. Although she didn’t get control of the gun, Leah Rachelle Wuchevich, 31, is charged with a felony count of disarming a law enforcement...
Scott man gets federal prison for throwing objects at police during George Floyd protests
A Scott man will serve 41 months in federal prison for throwing concrete and pipes at police officers during last year’s George Floyd protests Downtown. Andrew Augustyniak-Duncan, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab on June 2 to one count of obstruction of law enforcement during civil...
Norwin group seeks nominees for Distinguished Alumni honor
The Norwin Alumni & Friends Association, in cooperation with the Norwin School District Community Foundation, is accepting nominations for the 2022 Class of Distinguished Alumni. The class will feature a maximum of 12 alumni who have had careers of distinction since graduating from Norwin High School or its predecessor schools,...
Worker flown to hospital after fall from Valley High School auditorium ceiling
A contractor working above the drop ceiling in the auditorium at Valley High School in New Kensington was injured after falling about 30 feet, according to authorities. Emergency responders were dispatched to the high school on Stevenson Boulevard shortly before 10:30 a.m., according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. No...
Leechburg Area School District to take closer look at student emails via Google service
Leechburg Area School District officials plan to take a closer look at student emails. District technology director Katie Robson said the district will be looking for safety concerns such as online predators, adult content, cyber bullying, drug use, depression, suicidal thoughts and more. Katie Robson said administrators will use a...
Tull Family Theater hosting holiday pop-up shop
The Tull Family Theater’s annual Holiday Extravaganza will be screening all-time holiday favorites from Dec. 17-21. Gather friends and family together for “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “A Christmas Story” and the sensory-friendly “Elf.” This year, the theater is hosting a pop-up, offering holiday shopping convenience for one-of-a-kind gifts from six...
Hempfield band still going to Hawaii despite cancellation of Honolulu Festival Video
The Honolulu Festival has been called off, but the Hempfield Area Marching Band still plans to pack its Hawaiian shirts and suntan lotion this spring. The band, which was scheduled to march in the festival parade, will instead use the time to go sightseeing or to hit the beach, said...
Latrobe keeps taxes steady as part of $6.7M budget
Latrobe property owners won’t have to dig deeper into their pockets to pay their city tax bill next yer. City Council has adopted a final 2022 general fund budget totaling $6.7 million while holding real estate taxes at 21.3 mills. An additional .2-mill tax, also unchanged, helps support Adams Memorial...
Man rescued during smoky fire conditions at East Huntingdon town home
Firefighters rescued a man from an East Huntingdon townhome Tuesday morning after smoke filled the upstairs. A small fire that started in a bedroom appeared to be accidental, said Christopher Brinker, East Huntingdon’s second assistant fire chief. It may have been sparked by a candle, he said, but state police...
Warmer temperatures across Southwestern Pa. to remain throughout the week
Unseasonably warm temperatures are in store this week for Southwestern Pennsylvania, though clouds and rain fill much of the forecast following Tuesday’s sunshine. It’s still a break from the normally blistering cold weather felt in December. High temperatures will hover in the 50s for most of the week, peaking at...
