Local category, Page 1696
Jeffrey Manning retires from Allegheny County Common Pleas Court
Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey A. Manning, who served on the bench for more than 30 years, has retired. Appointed in 1988, Manning, who previously worked as a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office and the U.S. Attorney’s office in Pittsburgh, was elected to his first 10-year term in...
Hempfield man’s appeal in wife’s murder rejected for 3rd time
A Hempfield man’s third appeal of his first-degree murder conviction for the 2012 killing of his wife has been rejected by a Westmoreland County judge. Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Mears ruled there was no evidence to support the claims made by David Stahl that his former appeals lawyer did...
Export co-worker on trial for sale of drugs in fatal overdose
Dina Alexander knew something wasn’t right when she drove by the Murrysville restaurant where her son had worked for the last 11 years and didn’t see his car parked out front. So when he didn’t return her calls she drove over to his Export apartment and found his car parked...
‘Business as usual’ after $1.8 billion transaction involving Westmoreland casino
After more than a year in operation, the Live! Casino Pittsburgh property at Westmoreland Mall is changing hands. In a $1.8 billion deal, Wyomissing-based Gaming and Leisure Properties in Berks County will acquire three properties owned by Baltimore- based The Cordish Cos., including Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, Live! Casino...
Pittsburgh considers extending contract with nonprofit animal shelter for over $1M
Pittsburgh City Council is considering a proposal to extend the city’s partnership with Humane Animal Rescue, a nonprofit that takes in stray animals and aids in the adoption process. Humane Animal Rescue has partnered with the city’s Bureau of Animal Care and Control for about 15 years. The proposed contract...
Freeport Councilwoman Mary Bowlin resigns, citing clashes with mayor
Freeport Councilwoman Mary Bowlin has resigned. Her former colleagues were expected to accept her resignation at Monday night’s council meeting but the meeting was canceled due to a lack of a quorum. One council member was in quarantine because of covid. One was on vacation, and another was working. The...
Spending plan for Pittsburgh’s $10.8M parks tax fund unveiled
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday introduced a proposed spending plan for the fund created through the city’s new parks tax. The trust fund is projected to contain $10.8 million at the start of next year. Any money remaining in it at the end of the year can be carried over...
13 flags dedicated at Arnold Palmer airport in tribute to fallen U.S. service membersVideo
When a memorial to fallen U.S. service members was being installed more than a month ago at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, airport authority member Don Rossi saw a spontaneous addition to the V-shaped formation of 13 flags. “I drove by, and I saw two bouquets of flowers,” Rossi said. “That’s...
Westmoreland happenings: Choral concert, Christmas tree sale, Toys for Tots collection, more
Christmas events • The Lincoln Highway Experience, 3435 Route 30, Unity Township, will host a free holiday open house featuring the Westmoreland Symphonic Orchestra Quartet from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 8. There will be hot chocolate, coffee and cookies in the restored 1938 diner and unique holiday gifts by...
Police: Westmoreland prison inmate had homemade shank in jail cell
A Greensburg man in jail on charges of attempting to stab his community college teacher with a screwdriver was arraigned Tuesday for allegedly possessing a homemade weapon, or shank, in his cell. A guard reported that while on routine rounds Nov. 21, he saw a shank lying on a blanket...
Christ the Divine students share holiday joy with patients at UPMC St. Margaret
The mammoth tree at UPMC St. Margaret Hospital is dazzling with hand-made décor, thanks to students from Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy in Aspinwall. Third grade students from teacher Mira Fontana’s class and fourth graders from teacher Clare Yaksich’s class walked the few blocks from their school along Brilliant...
Greensburg doctor gets nearly 5 years in prison for painkiller scheme
A former Greensburg doctor who pleaded guilty to health care fraud and conspiracy for illegally prescribing a potent painkiller will serve nearly five years in prison. Thomas Whitten, 71, pleaded guilty in July to taking kickbacks from Insys Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company that makes Subsys, a painkiller 50 to 100...
Federal court hears arguments in lawsuit over Port Authority’s Black Lives Matter mask ban
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Tuesday in the federal lawsuit over a Port Authority of Allegheny County uniform policy banning Black Lives Matter facemasks and other political speech. In July 2020, an employee complained about Black Lives Matter facemasks being worn by some bus drivers, prompting...
2 men accused of breaking into Digital Foundry construction site in New Kensington to steal tools
New Kensington police have accused two men of breaking into the construction site of Penn State’s new innovation and manufacturing lab along Fifth Avenue to steal tools. Randy Dean McGuire Jr., 31, of Pipers Road in West Leechburg, and Kevin Paul Pierce, 32, of First Avenue in Hyde Park were...
Sewickley Light Up Night kicks off holiday season
Sewickley’s Light Up Night returned on Dec. 3 following a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic. Judging by the number of folks who came out, the tradition was certainly missed last year. Sewickley Police estimated that between 7,500 and 8,000 people attended, according to Sewickley councilmember and committee chair...
Highlands votes to keep mask policy in place
Highlands students will continue to wear masks through at least mid-January, regardless of an impending state Supreme Court ruling that could scrap the state mandate by Gov. Tom Wolf. The school board on Monday voted to keep masking policies in place for students, teachers and visitors on all district campuses...
Pittsburgh bans parking in bike lanes, with exceptions
Pittsburgh drivers are now barred from parking in bike lanes, with some exceptions. City Council on Tuesday unanimously passed an ordinance that forbids people from parking in the city’s bike lanes. Bike lanes are now added to a list of places drivers can’t park — with other areas including crosswalks,...
Highlands to offer covid-19 vaccine clinic; reviewing survey results on mask policy
Highlands School District will host a covid-19 vaccine clinic Dec. 14. The event is a partnership with UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. All three vaccines — Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — will be offered. “We are providing increased access to the vaccines that will enable our students to...
New Kensington-Arnold seats new school board members, fills vacant seat
The New Kensington-Arnold School Board seated four new members Monday night. Nicholas DiCarolis, Jane Graham and Sarah Yurga, all elected in November, were sworn into office by Westmoreland County Judge Anthony Marsili as part of the school board’s reorganization meeting. A former board member also was sworn in to fill...
Vandergrift Council appoints new member to fill vacancy
Vandergrift Council on Monday appointed Daisha Clayton to the seat left vacant by the resignation of Karen McClarnon last month. Clayton said she wanted to join council because she has a vested interest in the borough. “I reside here. I work here. My children go to school here. I love...
Plum home has Pittsburgh sinkhole bus decoration in yard
A neighbor alerted Joey Pierce to a growing hole in his front yard. Pierce, in turn, alerted Plum Borough officials. The ground was sinking, which created a huge crater because of a problem with a storm drain. Workers came to his yard and surrounded the hole with bright orange fencing....
Norwin to avoid mask mandate by holding school board meetings off school property
The Norwin School Board has taken a novel approach to dodging the state mandate that people wear masks when inside school buildings, an apparent concession to board members and several people in the audience this week who did not wear masks. Board members voted to hold their January meetings within...
3 new Pittsburgh Public Schools directors sworn in; Sala Udin appointed board president
Three people recently elected to serve on the Board of Education for Pittsburgh Public Schools and two members who won reelection have been sworn into office. The ceremony was held Dec. 6 for first-time board members Tracey Reed, who represents District 5; Jamie Piotrowski, District 7; and Gene Walker, District...
80 years ago at Pearl Harbor, the world changed
Eighty years ago today, at 7:55 a.m. Pacific Time, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu. The sneak attack killed 2,403 Americans, and 1,178 others were wounded. A total of 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed. Only the 9/11 attacks have surpassed...
Person taken to hospital after car collides with train in Duquesne
Police are investigating a crash involving a train and a vehicle on Tuesday morning in the city of Duquesne. Police, fire and emergency medical services were dispatched to the intersection of Grant Avenue and Duquesne Boulevard shortly before 4:30 a.m., according to an Allegheny County 911 supervisor. The supervisor said...
