Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Feb. 6-8
Between the Olympics and the Super Bowl, this is a big weekend for all types of sports fans. But for those who aren’t interested — or those who need a break — this is a big weekend for events in Westmoreland County, too. Here are a few options. ‘Chicago: The...
Ohiopyle State Park dotted with ice formations ahead of Winterfest
Ohiopyle State Park is dressed in its winter finest in preparation for Winterfest this weekend. Snow-related activities will be held 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Sugarloaf recreation area, 950 Sugarloaf Road. There’s 10 inches of snow near the park offices along Route 381, or Main Street, and...
Make-A-Wish grants Super Bowl dream for Pittsburgh teen
Connor Hennick, a 14-year-old, has dreamed of going to the Super Bowl for as long as he can remember. Now, the self-declared lifelong Steelers fan is headed to the San Francisco Bay Area for the Super Bowl LX through Make-A-Wish. The Hennick family, of McCandless, arrived at their hotel around...
Independence Health continues to narrow operating losses
Hefty losses have slowed for Independence Health System in the months leading up to its acquisition by West Virginia University Health System. The five-hospital network said Wednesday its operating losses fell to $7.3 million in the second half of last year, down from $16.3 million over the same span in...
Oakmont Bakery harassed over ICE arrest
It appears no one is safe from public ire when it comes to the nation’s debate over immigration, not even a popular local bakery. Marc Serrao, co-owner of Oakmont Bakery, said his business has faced harassment on social media and via telephone since the arrest of Oakmont resident Jose Flores...
Moving goal post: Lawyer thinks Oakmont ICE arrest the result of new immigration priorities
It appears politics, not immigration law, sparked the arrest of Jose Flores in Oakmont last week, the man’s lawyer suggested. “Jose’s legal posture in the country is one that allows him to remain and work lawfully in the U.S. while his case is being adjudicated and, for the last 30...
Scott Township man detained by ICE in Plum being held in West Virginia jail
Vishavdeep Singh, the Scott Township man detained by ICE agents in Plum on Wednesday, is being held in Northern Regional Correctional Facility and Jail near Moundsville, W.Va., according to ICE records. Singh, 22, was detained at the office of District Judge Mike Doyle after, police say, he attempted to flee...
Pino’s gets shoutout in ‘The Pitt’ as ‘the best Italian in town’
The owners of Pino’s Contemporary Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar in Point Breeze were met with an exciting surprise last week: Their restaurant was mentioned on an episode of the hit HBO Max show “The Pitt.” “We did a double take,” said Jen Mico, who owns the restaurant with her...
After $82K Pittsburgh airport cash seizure, woman takes TSA to court
Six years ago, security officers at Pittsburgh International Airport seized $82,000 from Rebecca Brown’s carry-on luggage as she tried to fly home to Boston to set up a bank account for her father. What began as a daughter trying to help her father spiraled into a legal battle with the...
79 stolen guns, 8 teens arrested, more than 1,400 charges
Authorities have arrested eight teenagers they say stole dozens of guns in “smash-and-grab” robberies at Pittsburgh-area gun shops last year — weapons later linked to multiple shootings, including the death of a 7-year-old boy. The suspects, seven of them juveniles, used stolen cars to travel between break-ins at gun shops...
Pittsburgh man dies after jumping from Route 28 bridge in Buffalo Township
A Pittsburgh man died after jumping from the Route 28 bridge over Buffalo Creek. State police are investigating the public death of William I. Tegethoff, 45. Armstrong County Coroner Brian Myers said Tegethoff died from multiple blunt force trauma. Myers ruled his death a suicide. Tegethoff jumped from the high-level...
State budget plan includes $30M performance-based fund for Pitt, Penn State
The state’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year includes $30 million in performance-based grants to be distributed among the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University and Temple University, through a new state-related university performance fund. General support appropriations, however, remain flat for Pitt, at $151.5 million, and Penn State,...
State board suspends license of Torrance hospital nurse
The State Board of Nursing has temporarily suspended a Westmoreland County nurse’s license in connection with allegations that she had sexual relations with a patient at Torrance State Hospital, according to documents filed with the Department of State. Dana R. Coxon, 40, of Penn Township was licensed as a registered...
Sprawling data center campus proposed next to old Bruce Mansfield power plant in Beaver County
The data center boom has arrived in small-town Beaver County with little of the fanfare that’s accompanied similar proposals across Southwestern Pennsylvania. Shippingport Council granted several zoning modifications last week that allow Texas-based Aligned Data Centers to build a sprawling campus — dubbed “Project Phoenix” — next to the old...
Harrison police still trying to resolve mystery of metal shards on roadways
The mysterious metal shards that littered Harrison roads remain a head-scratcher for police. Chief Brian Turack said officers continue to investigate after his phone lines were flooded Wednesday with reports of sharp fragments causing flat tires. Social media saw dozens of people saying their vehicles fell victim to the uniform-shaped...
New Kensington fire ‘appears to be electrical in nature,’ chief says
A New Kensington home sustained “a good bit of damage” following an electrical fire Wednesday night, according to New Kensington Fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. Crews responded to the 600 block of Clyde Street in the Valley Heights section of the city just after 11 p.m., Saliba said. “Police got...
Westmoreland happenings: Soup and sandwich lunch, clothing sale, art show, more
Art The watercolors and pastel paintings of artist Tami Krusper will be on display through March 11 at the Greensburg-Hempfield Area Library, 237 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Greensburg. A free opening reception will be held 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 6 at the library. Fundraisers • Olive Branch Baptist Church, 296...
Innamorato launches Housing Investment Fund to ‘address full spectrum of housing needs’
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato on Thursday signed an executive order creating a new housing strategy, including a fund aimed at investing in affordable and workforce housing. Dubbed HOUSING for All, the order directs county agencies to work with nonprofit, municipal and private partners to “address the full spectrum of...
Walnut Capital seeks exception from inclusionary zoning mandate in Oakland apartment project
Pittsburgh developer Walnut Capital is asking the city’s zoning board to allow it to build a new apartment complex in Oakland without earmarking any units as affordable housing. Oakland is one of several neighborhoods — along with Lawrenceville, Bloomfield and Polish Hill — where Pittsburgh’s inclusionary zoning ordinance mandates that...
Tarentum native finds passion helping veterans
Tarentum native Jessica King has found her passion helping veterans secure their future. As a VFW-accredited service officer, King manages and trains about 35 staffers who help veterans and surviving family members navigate the Veterans Administration benefits system. “Knowing that they’re not fighting for a paycheck anymore, that brings me...
Murrysville area: School board schedule changes, bingo, fundraisers, more
Email event listings and news briefs to pvarine@triblive.com. School board meeting changes The Franklin Regional school board has changed its meetings dates for the next few months. Monthly combined committee of the whole and voting meetings will be held on Feb. 18, March 23 and April 27at 7:30 p.m. at...
Nonprofit donates old Miner’s Clinic property to New Kensington
The former Miner’s Clinic property in New Kensington is now in the city’s hands. Nonprofit groups Keystone Hope Development and Westmoreland Community Action donated about 8 acres of land off Powers Drive, on both sides of Martin Avenue, City Clerk John Zavadak said. In the 1950s, the Russellton Medical Group...
Quaker Valley High School football players start team activities with community service
A snow day turned into a community service opportunity for Quaker Valley High School football players. The district was closed Jan. 26 following a winter storm that brought about a foot of snow to the area. Off-season workouts that were expected to start that week also were canceled. Coach Thomas...
TV sales up during Super Bowl week as customers chase bargains
Super Bowl-related television sales typically bring a bit of a boost at a time of year when there can be a lull in sales, said Craig Kantoris, co-owner and project manager at ConnectedLife Designs By The StereoShop in Greensburg. A handful of recent customers looked to upgrade their screens in...
Prosecutors reveal last images of Cassandra Gross, attempt to link boyfriend to her killing
An image of Cassandra Gross in a black-and-white-striped sweater with a bag of work documents under her arm marks the last time she was seen alive, her high school friend testified Thursday. Westmoreland County prosecutors contend Thomas G. Stanko, 55, of Unity killed Gross, 51, after she was to meet...
