Local category, Page 1747
Excela unveils $10 million robotic surgical center with focus on cancer
Excela Health unveiled a new $10 million surgical institute Wednesday with a focus on cancer treatment at the health system’s Latrobe Hospital. Officials said it will allow residents in the region to receive state-of-the-art robot-assisted surgery and care at the local facility. The robot-assisted surgery that has been performed the...
Family doctor guilty of giving patients opioid painkillers, Xanax in exchange for sex
A family doctor who practiced in Westmoreland and Fayette counties has pleaded guilty to illegally prescribing opioid painkillers in exchange for sex, federal prosecutors said. Emilio Ramon Navarro, 60, also pleaded guilty to health care fraud for billing the federal government to pick up the tab for illegal prescriptions, Acting...
Kiski Township couple charged with beating toddler, lying to police
A Kiski Township woman was arrested by township police, accused of spanking a 3-year-old girl so hard that red marks and swelling were still visible days after she was struck, according to police. The woman’s boyfriend, who is the father of the child, also was arrested in connection with the...
Somerset County prosecutor’s law license suspended
Somerset County’s district attorney has temporarily lost his law license in the wake of sexual assault charges filed against him last month. The Disciplinary Board of the State Supreme Court on Wednesday announced the temporary suspension of Jeffrey Lynn Thomas’ law license. The board noted that the ruling does not...
PICT Classic Theatre returns live with Shakespeare tale of love, laughter
After an 18-month pandemic intermission, PICT Classic Theatre will return to live, in-person performances with William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” “As our opening production, we wanted to give our audience something to lift the spirits, and ‘As You Like It’ fits the bill perfectly,” said Alan Stanford, PICT artistic...
Jeannette police, school officials ‘actively addressing’ incident with student
Jeannette City School District officials are working with police and a junior high student and his family after the student was removed from the cafeteria Tuesday by the school resource officer, according to Superintendent Matt Jones. He and Police Chief Donald Johnston Jr. said the issue stemmed from a disciplinary...
Westmoreland leaders set to hear from public about how to spend covid relief money
Westmoreland commissioners will conduct two public sessions Thursday to hear recommendations as to how the county should spend $105 million in federal funds allocated for coronavirus recovery programs. “We just want to hear from residents who have opinions and what thoughts they have,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes. Both sessions will...
Brackenridge homeless shelter clears zoning hurdle
The recommendation by Brackenridge Zoning Hearing Board for a former personal care home to operate as a homeless shelter is a step toward much-needed housing support in the Highlands School District, a former school board member said. “We need to lift people up when they are down,” said Misty Woody,...
Police: Monroeville man taped phone to shoe to take ‘upskirt’ photos at Murrysville Sheetz store
A Monroeville man is accused of taping a smartphone to his shoe to take inappropriate photos and videos under two women’s skirts at a Murrysville Sheetz, police said. Brandon Scott Bass was charged after a monthlong investigation into a Sept. 27 incident at the Route 22 convenience store where a...
Microphone disinfection turns into TikTok gold for Highlands seniorsVideo
Who would think a video of a guy spraying disinfectant on a microphone is hilarious? Millions of TikTok users, that’s who. The simple gesture to keep everyone safe during a school talent show is a viral TikTok sensation for two Highlands High School seniors. When Alli Love saw Noah Kessler...
October covid deaths exceed 100 in Allegheny County
More than 100 people in Allegheny County have died from covid-19 so far this month, a number that will likely increase, health director Dr. Debra Bogen said Wednesday. “These are mostly preventable deaths,” she said of the 105 deaths since Oct. 1. A breakdown of deaths by age and vaccination...
On the move: Knights of Columbus earn award, Lutheran church welcomes new pastor, more
Manordale Valley Council of the Knights of Columbus was chosen from more than 500 councils across the country as recipient of the national Knights of Columbus’ “Leave No Neighbor Behind” award. The Manordale council was recognized for its community work throughout the covid-19 pandemic including hosting several blood drives, supporting...
St. Emma’s to host Lantern Saint Tour on monastery grounds Friday
Greensburg Catholic Schoolhouse and St. Emma Monastery on Friday will host the first Lantern Saint Tour. The lantern-lit walking tour around the grounds of the monastery, located at 1001 Harvey St. in Hempfield, will feature live saint portrayals in honor of the feasts of All Saints and All Souls. All...
Federal prosecutor nominated to become U.S. Attorney in Pittsburgh
President Joe Biden on Wednesday nominated a current federal prosecutor to become U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Cindy K. Chung, 46, has been with the office in Pittsburgh since 2014. She has served as deputy chief of the major crimes section and acting deputy chief of the...
2 boys to be charged in vandalism at Jeannette public works garage
Police said they plan to charge two boys after mowing equipment and items in the Jeannette public works garage were vandalized during the weekend. The pair went to the building on North Fourth Street Saturday and were seen on surveillance cameras discharging two fire extinguishers in the cab of the...
Police: Text messages lead to baseball bat attack, shooting in Arnold
One man’s attempt to assault another man with a baseball bat backfired when the other man pulled out a gun and shot him three times, according to Arnold police. Arnold police this week charged both men they say were involved in the incident that happened shortly before midnight on Sept....
Hempfield supervisors approve development that includes 52 duplexes
Several duplexes are coming to Hempfield after supervisors this week granted final conditional approval for second phase development plans at Grandview Estates. Supervisors unanimously approved the project, which would bring 52 duplex lots and one single-family home to the township near Swede Hill Road. Mark Nikoula, co-owner of Cherry Hills...
Woodland Hills officials investigate social media threats, students return to remote learning
Woodland Hills High School administrators said Wednesday that they received notice that a student threatened on a live social media post to bring a gun to school. Later in the day, school officials said that students would return to remote learning Thursday and Friday. Fights inside the school prompted the...
2 Sharpsburg council members vie for mayor’s office
Sharpsburg voters will see two familiar faces on the ballot for mayor. Brittany Reno and Joe Simbari, both current council members, are competing for the office. The current mayor, Matthew Rudzki, is not running for re-election. Reno won the Democratic nomination in the May primary. Simbari got the Republican nomination...
Pittsburgh City Council renews push for rental registration, inspections
Pittsburgh City Council has reintroduced a proposal to create a rental registration and inspection schedule for the city’s rental units, a measure that was stopped by a judge when officials previously tried to implement it. The proposal, advanced unanimously by council, would allow the city to identify all of Pittsburgh’s...
Pine keeps it clean, boosts community pride with trolling for trash program
When your town is named after a tree, it only makes sense to find ways to keep the environment as pristine as possible. But keeping trash from piling up along Pine’s miles of streets and roads is no simple task. So officials have created several ways for residents help preserve...
Pittsburgh considers converting all streetlights to LED in proposed $16M project
A proposed $16 million project would upgrade Pittsburgh’s streetlights to more efficient LED lights, though two council members said they’ve already heard pushback from residents. The city has identified The Efficiency Network, an independent energy services company, to handle the proposed citywide project. The company would survey the city’s streetlights...
Writing center in the works for Plum Senior High School
For college students, one of the perks is having a writing center and tutors available on campus. This isn’t limited to just helping a student write a report, but anything that can benefit from having a peer’s opinion. This is something pretty unique to colleges though and not typically found...
El Diablo eatery brings wood-fired pizzas, grilled entrees to Greensburg
On opening day at El Diablo Brewing Co. & Wood-Fired Kitchen in Greensburg, Sierra Barner had a build-your-own pizza with white sauce, pineapple and sausage. She proclaimed it “fantastic.” The Greensburg resident had been watching signs of progress at the site for months when she visited the nearby Aerobic Center...
Holy Family Parish, ACCESS get senior parishioners to church
Seniors in the Holy Family Parish have a new way to get to Mass thanks in part to the parish’s Serving Our Seniors Ministry. Any senior member can get a free ride to church through ACCESS Transportation Systems. ACCESS is sponsored by the Port Authority of Allegheny County, but it...
