Western PA Local News category, Page 1817
Fatal Armstrong County crash victim identified
An Armstrong County woman died after losing control of her vehicle and hitting an embankment in Perry Township. Alisha Diets, 34, of Parker was pronounced dead at the scene by Deputy Coroner Timothy Graham. The crash occurred along Knox Road around 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Diets was traveling south in a...
Steelers, U.S. Steel team up to teach Franklin Regional students about steel and sustainabilityVideo
Heavy metal — one metal in particular — was the focus Thursday afternoon for Franklin Regional Middle School students, who learned all about recyclable steel with the help of a former Pittsburgh Steeler and an assist from team mascot Steely McBeam. Former Steeler Will Allen was joined by officials from...
Man, 35, dies after being shot in McKees Rocks residential area
A 35-year-old man was shot and killed Thursday afternoon in McKees Rocks, officials said. The shooting happened shortly before 4:30 p.m. in a residential area on Fair Oaks Street, near Friendship Avenue and Meyers Ridge Park, according to emergency dispatchers and Allegheny County Police. First responders arrived to find a...
Ohio businessman responsible for $59M in losses to Indiana County bank gets 3½ years federal prison
An Ohio businessman who wrote more than $118 million in bad checks over four days to try to cover payroll and expenses was sentenced Thursday to serve 42 months in federal prison. Harold Sosna, 68, of Cincinnati, also was ordered by U.S. District Judge Marilyn J. Horan in Pittsburgh to...
$800M Southern Beltway to open for bikers, walkers in preview
South Fayette is becoming more connected. The Southern Beltway is opening on Oct. 15, creating the second major interchange for the community of more than 16,000 residents. The new section of the beltway starts at Interstate 79 near the Allegheny and Washington county line and goes to Route 22. It...
Allegheny Township police charge man with strangling, beating woman during dispute
An Allegheny Township man has been charged with strangling and beating a woman during an argument on Tuesday, according to authorities. Robert Fouse, 70, of Velvet Lane is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison after failing to post $30,000 bond set during his arraignment before District Judge Cheryl Peck...
Kentucky doctor admits health care fraud, receiving kickbacks from Hempfield lab
A Kentucky psychiatrist is the latest to plead guilty in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh to health care fraud in a kickback scheme for referring patients to a now-defunct drug testing lab in Hempfield. Varanise C. Booker, 66, of Louisville, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior U.S. District Judge...
Bass & Bennett Trading Co. bringing unique furniture from around the world to Pittsburgh’s Strip District
A lifetime of travel is bringing Matt Bass and his business, Bass & Bennett Trading Co., to a storefront in Pittsburgh’s Strip District where he’ll sell unique furniture and home decor from around the world. “We travel around the world and find one-of-a-kind or few-of-a-kind items,” said Matt Bass, who...
Hearing postponed for man accused of inappropriately touching himself at GetGo in Ross
A Pittsburgh man accused of inappropriately touching himself in a GetGo parking lot in Ross over the summer is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in January. The hearing for Kinsey Basko, 38, on charges of open lewdness and indecent exposure had been scheduled for Wednesday but was postponed,...
2 candidates vie for Oakmont mayor’s seat
With election season almost upon us, one of the more important elections in the local is area is for Oakmont mayor. With incumbent mayor Christopher Whaley deciding not to seek reelection, this is a two-person race with Democrat Sophia Facaros running against Republican Mark Springer, according to the Allegheny County...
Proposed 2022 Jeannette budget won’t increase taxes
No property tax increase is expected in 2022 for Jeannette residents, according to chief fiscal officer Ethan Keedy. But city officials do have some work ahead to make spending cuts in an effort to balance the proposed 2022 budget. During a public session Tuesday, members of council and city government...
Shaler’s annual Fall Fest draws crowd
Cooler temperatures and the smell of hay, campfires and grilling hot dogs set the scene for Shaler Township’s yearly celebration of the change of seasons, Fall Fest. Large crowds gathered on the evening of Oct. 2 at the Kiwanis Park, where a hay maze, bounce houses and booths with food...
Man arrested at North Huntingdon Sheetz accused of spitting on officer, damaging jail cell
North Huntingdon police on Thursday arrested an Olean, N.Y., man after he was accused of damaging a video surveillance camera inside a Sheetz store, stealing merchandise, spitting on an officer and damaging a holding cell at the police station, according to court documents. Richard A. Braithwaite, 35, was arraigned on...
Mutual Aid expanding ambulance service in Derry Township
Mutual Aid is expanding its ambulance services in Derry Township. The Greensburg-based nonprofit ambulance provider will now serve the entire township after supervisors approved the move this week. Mutual Aid had been serving 60% of residents there. Director of operations Lorenzo Garino said the change will take effect in early...
Resident complains of bedbugs in Vandergrift
Uninvited guests on Lowell Street in Vandergrift have some residents complaining to borough officials. Mattresses left outside at the steps of an empty apartment building at 502 Lowell St. on Tuesday morning were marked with signs saying they are infested with bedbugs. In a social media post Wednesday, resident Tiffany...
‘Breaking the Cycle’ event aimed at bringing awareness to domestic violenceVideo
A coalition of Westmoreland County organizers hopes to bring awareness to domestic violence through a community event at Greensburg’s St. Clair Park. The Breaking the Cycle event, held by organizers of Unity in the Community rallies, is scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday. It will bring together speakers like...
Uniontown man gets life for 2017 slaying in Pittsburgh’s Hill District
A Uniontown man will serve life in prison with no chance for parole after he was sentenced Thursday for killing a man in 2017 in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. An Allegheny County jury found Tevin Patterson, 27, guilty of first-degree murder in the Aug. 8, 2017, shooting death of Calvin Turner,...
Suspect in mail carrier’s fatal shooting in Collier thought victim was poisoning him, feds say
The man suspected of gunning down a mail carrier Thursday in Collier told investigators he believed the carrier had poisoned him, according to charges filed in federal court. Eric Kortz, 53, of Pittsburgh, is charged with murder of an employee of the United States and possession of a firearm, court...
Mon Valley artist, 95, gets career retrospective at Rivers of Steel in Homestead
Kathleen Ferri has seen a lot of history. Now 95, she first picked up a paintbrush at age 58 and began painting “memory scenes” from her life in the Mon Valley. Rivers of Steel in Homestead has gathered those vignettes into a career retrospective that includes a number of Ferri’s...
Prosecutors offer guilty but mentally ill plea deal to Fox Chapel man accused of killing 2 men
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s office has offered a Fox Chapel man accused of killing two men in separate incidents a deal that would call for him to serve concurrent life sentences in exchange for a plea of guilty but mentally ill to two counts of first-degree murder. Adam Rosenberg,...
Tarentum church kicks off concert series with ‘Todo Tango’
Central Presbyterian Church will launch the return of its concert series on Sunday with tango music, an upbeat show that gets people dancing in the aisles after the series’ extended pandemic-related hiatus, organizers said. “Todo Tango” will feature Argentine singer Ada Lis Jimena performing classics with pianist Tom Roberts and...
Pa. beer and wine producers get $2M in grants from PLCB
Pennsylvania’s liquor industry has had to deal with several economic challenges during the pandemic. Gov. Tom Wolf this week had some good news for beer and wine makers, announcing the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board approved nearly $2 million in grants to increase production of beer and wine made in the...
3rd annual Vandergrift Halloween Party kid-geared, but open to entire community
An annual community Halloween party in Vandergrift is growing in popularity. The third annual Vandergrift Halloween Party, organized by Vandergrift resident Heather Miller, is scheduled for Oct. 16 at The Center on Franklin. The free party welcomes all ages, but Miller said the festivities are geared with youngsters in mind....
Auction slated for Ligonier Beach items; demolition of 2 buildings planned
Memorabilia and furnishings from the shuttered Ligonier Beach swimming pool and restaurant will go on the auction block Oct. 23 in preparation for plans to demolish two structures there and clear the way for revitalization of the Ligonier Township landmark. Mark Ferry Auctioneers of Unity will conduct the 9 a.m....
New Florence man jailed without bail for pointing gun at 3 relatives
A New Florence man was jailed without bail Wednesday after state police said he pointed a gun at three family members, one of whom had just picked him up from police custody, according to court papers. Corey Kaufman, 49, is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment, harassment and...
