Western PA Local News category, Page 1736
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...
Monroeville church hosting Service of Light for those in grief
Monroeville United Methodist Church is holding a Service of Light for those who are grieving a loss. The service will be held at the church, 219 Center Road, Monroeville, at 7 p.m. Dec. 15. Christmas can be a painful time of year for those missing a loved one who has...
Constable from Plum among 11 public employees in state fined for failing to file financial statements
A constable from Plum is one of 11 public employees fined by the state ethics commission for failing to file financial interest statements, according to the state Ethics Commission. Constable Albert F. Cafazzo was fined $250, which is the maximum penalty, for failing to file a Statement of Financial Interest...
Letters to the editor: Don’t build the new QV school on the hill, environmental impacts in our area
Don’t build the high school on the hill As residents of Leet Township who agree with the need for a new Quaker Valley High School building, we have attended the long series of our zoning board hearings. The facts and opinions expressed there by experts and citizens make it clear...
Churchill to vote this month on controversial Amazon distribution center
Churchill officials have set a date to vote on a controversial plan to turn the former George Westinghouse Research and Technology Park into an Amazon distribution center. The seven-member borough council will meet at 6 p.m. on Dec. 21 to consider a proposal from Hillwood Development to build a 2.6-million-square-foot...
The Stroller, Dec. 7, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your holiday events, club meetings and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Christmas concert fundraiser planned in Freeport A Christmas concert to benefit Fostering Music will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 11 at...
Fox Chapel Area students win O’Brien awards
Four Fox Chapel Area High School sophomores were selected to receive Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) recognition. Annalese Bartolacci, Amelia Costello, Lakshanya Rajaganapathi, and Abraham White have been chosen to attend the Pennsylvania-West HOBY Leadership Seminar June 17-19, 2022. To be considered for selection, the students submit an essay detailing...
Building the Valley: Bargain-priced clothes, housewares help people at Agape Thrift Store in Harrison
Since at least the mid-1980s, the Agape Thrift Store in Harrison has been helping people boost their wardrobes and their self-esteem. The secondhand store nestled in the basement of the Grace United Methodist Church, at 1333 Freeport Road, opens its doors from 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays. In just three...
Women’s Board of Pittsburgh benefits children across Alle-Kiski Valley with annual fundraiser
What began 30 years ago with a few friends hoping to improve the lives of local children has blossomed into an annual fundraiser that pulls in sometimes more than $100,000 to make tangible change. The Women’s Board of Pittsburgh now comprises 70 members who work year-round to help children from...
Victim of fatal shooting in Rankin identified, police seeking tips about case from public
A man who was shot to death in Rankin on Monday night has been identified. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim as Tyler Lewis Wade-Jackson, 20, of Penn Hills. The medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of his death. Officers responded...
Police investigating after dogs that got loose in Hunker found shot in New Stanton woods
State police are investigating after two pet dogs that escaped from their Hunker home last week were found dead of apparent gunshot wounds, officials said. Hunters discovered the dogs — Hagrid, 5, and Aspen, 4 — in the woods behind Calvary Baptist Church in New Stanton with gunshot wounds to...
Police: 19-year-old man arrested in connection with November fatal shooting
A man wanted in connection with a fatal shooting in Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Commons East neighborhood was arrested Monday morning, Pittsburgh Public Safety officials announced. James Washington, 19, of Pittsburgh is facing homicide and firearms charges in connection with a Nov. 13 shooting that left one man dead, officials said. Officers...
