Local category, Page 1827
Lower Burrell woman ordered to stand trial on charges stemming from fiery Tarentum Bridge crash
An attorney representing a Lower Burrell woman who crashed her car in a work zone on the closed Tarentum Bridge in June tried to argue Wednesday there was no proof she was drunk at the time of the crash. Brackenridge District Judge Carolyn Bengel didn’t buy defense attorney Tom McKinley’s...
Leechburg Area opens school year, masks optional, with all but a handful of students attending classes in person
Leechburg Area High School Superintendent Tiffany Nix stood outside on campus Wednesday morning, greeting students on the first day of school. “It’s so exciting,” Nix said. “Our students need to be face-to-face, and our teachers need to be with our students.” The district enrolls about 750 students. Nix said only...
Half of Pa. school districts with mask mandates are in Allegheny County, officials say
There are 59 school districts in Pennsylvania with mask mandates, officials said Wednesday. About half of those districts exist in Allegheny County. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald praised those 30 Allegheny County school districts and their school boards for instituting the mask mandates, a move meant to protect, among the...
Minor fire at apartment building on Freeport Road in Harrison shuts down several busy streets
Firefighters responded en masse Wednesday afternoon when a fire was reported at a two-story apartment building along Freeport Road in Harrison. Sean Jones, fire chief of Citizens Hose Fire Rescue and EMS, said crews initially were called out shortly after 4 p.m. for smoke in an apartment. Firefighters found heavy...
Court action threatened over Franklin Regional school mask policy, as debates rage in Pa.
An attorney representing a group of parents in the Franklin Regional School District sent the superintendent and board of directors a letter this week threatening litigation if masking is not made mandatory. It is one of many lawsuits being considered by parents on both sides of what has become a...
Hempfield man pleads guilty in prison cell vandalism, escape attempt charge dismissed
A Hempfield man was ordered to serve up to 18 months in prison for an incident earlier this year in which police said he tried to escape from the county’s lockup. Jule Aaron Mascherma, 33, pleaded guilty to a charge of institutional vandalism after Westmoreland County prosecutors agreed to dismiss...
Farm’s excess ears provide fresh corn for Westmoreland Food Bank recipientsVideo
Ideal growing conditions this summer left John and Sam Greenawalt up to their ears in excess sweet corn on their Sewickley Township farm. That overabundance now is a windfall for the Westmoreland County Food Bank and the families it serves. About 30 volunteers gathered Wednesday morning at one of the...
Hempfield retiree helps fend off attack on sheriff’s deputy in emergency roomVideo
Joseph Twigger said he didn’t think twice in the emergency room at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg this week when he saw a county jail inmate trying to grab a sheriff’s deputy’s gun. On Monday, an inmate was draped over Deputy Edgar Fink, who was pinned against a wall...
JCC of Greater Pittsburgh to require covid vaccination for members and staff
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh will require its staff, members and guests to be fully vaccinated within two months. The requirement is effective Oct. 18 at the center, based in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, with facilities also in the South Hills and Monroeville. The JCC board unanimously approved...
Westmoreland officials say no plans to accept juveniles from soon-to-close facility in Pittsburgh
Westmoreland officials said Wednesday there are no plans for the county’s juvenile detention center to accept troubled youth from the soon-to-shutter Shuman Center in Pittsburgh. Allegheny County officials announced this week the 120-bed Shuman facility would close Sept. 18, after state regulators rescinded the detention center’s operating license following disclosure...
Fugitive wanted on sexual assault charges nabbed in Sharpsburg
A man wanted on two charges of sexually assaulting a minor was apprehended in Sharpsburg on Wednesday, authorities said. Travis Gladish, 38, of Wellsburg, W.Va., was arrested just after 11:15 a.m. after deputies from the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office were tipped of to his location in the borough. Gladish was...
Quaker Valley students head back to school
In Quaker Valley School District, students in kindergarten through ninth grade started school on Aug. 25, while grades 10-12 started on Aug. 26. “At Quaker Valley, we are very excited about returning to five days a week in-person learning,” said Tammy Andreyko, district superintendent. “We have one-to-one devices for all...
Pittsburgh partners with JCC to get app for first responders wellness needs
Pittsburgh police, firefighters and paramedics will soon be able to use a mental health and wellness application on their smartphones to get the help they need. The city is working out the details of an agreement with Cordico Inc., a Frisco, Texas-based company that works with municipalities and organizations to...
Pittsburgh police eye $52K in grant money for cold case project
City and Public Safety leaders want to use a chunk of grant money to focus on some of Pittsburgh’s unsolved cold cases, officials said Wednesday. Legislation introduced this week to city council would set aside $52,000 from the Department of Justice’s Byrne Justice Assistance Grant to go toward the cost...
Police: Arnold man wanted on child endangerment, animal cruelty charges arrested after foot chase
An Arnold man wanted on warrants in connection with child endangerment and animal cruelty cases was arrested Tuesday morning after a foot chase that ended when he stepped on a nail, police said. Court records show Trever Lamar Cue, 27, was charged with child endangerment in April after, police said,...
Pittsburgh City Council returns to in-person meetings
After more than a year of virtual meetings, Pittsburgh City Council returned to in-person meetings this week at the City-County Building Downtown. People can also continue to participate online. Councilwomen Erika Strassburger and Deb Gross are continuing to join meetings virtually because of concerns for the health of their families...
Monroeville Public Library, Recreation & Parks department to build Discovery Gardens around Monroeville
To celebrate September being “Love Your Library” month, the Monroeville Public Library and the Recreation & Parks Department will collaborate on a new project called the “Discovery Gardens of Monroeville.” “We are delighted to be partnering with the Parks and Recreation Department on a project that will bring so much...
‘Crutch’ doc featuring Pittsburgh native to be shown at local film festivalVideo
The local connections to the documentary “Crutch” make it fitting to open this year’s ReelAbilities Pittsburgh Film Festival. Presented by Film Pittsburgh, ReelAbilities celebrates the lives and stories of people living with disabilities. Pittsburgh native Bill Shannon is the subject of “Crutch,” co-directed by Sachi Cunningham, another Pittsburgh native. She...
State police charge Derry Township man with raping juvenile girl
State police on Wednesday arrested a Derry Township man, charging him with rape and sexual abuse involving a girl over eight years, according to court documents. Tyler A. Elsworth, 21, was arraigned on 30 counts of sexual assault, 20 counts each of rape and rape of a child, 10 counts...
Hempfield woman jailed on $50K bond, accused of threatening relative with knife
State police on Wednesday arrested a 35-year-old Hempfield woman on charges that she allegedly threatening to stab a relative with a 6-inch knife during an altercation. Brittany S. Wilson was arraigned on criminal charges of attempted aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, simple assault and making terroristic threats filed by...
Excela Health seeing increase in covid cases, with nearly all hospitalizations for unvaccinated people
The vast majority of covid-19 patients at Excela Health’s three hospitals have not been vaccinated against the virus, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carol Fox. “Our numbers have dramatically increased in the last month,” she said, pointing to a “tenfold” uptick in covid patients compared to the three patients...
Pro wrestling returns to Verona, ribbon cut on new concession stand at Cribbs FieldVideo
A ribbon cutting, a plaque dedication, bodies flying over the top rope and a Millvale man being taken away in an ambulance were all part of an ongoing 150th anniversary celebration in Verona. Lawrenceville-based Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) superstars competed for about 300 fans at Battle in the Borough...
Westmoreland news: Digital literacy workshops, safe driving class and virtual job fair
Art • The Greensburg Art Center will host an exhibit of 3D art Sept. 25 to Oct. 22. Sculptures, reliefs and artisan craft entries are being accepted and there will be prizes for each area. A purchase prize of up to $1,000 will be awarded for an outdoor sculpture to...
North Hills students, staff required to wear masks for return to classesVideo
The 4,700 students in the North Hills School District returned to classes for the fall semester on Wednesday for full, face-to-face instruction with a requirement that all staff and pupils wear face coverings until the county’s covid-19 transmission rate dips. Students began arriving at the high school as the sun...
Orders up: Greensburg Restaurant Week dishing up summer meal deals
Greensburg Restaurant Week is underway and will run through the weekend. The summer lineup features 21 restaurants offering specially priced menus through Sunday. And though its name cites Greensburg, the eateries are located around Westmoreland County. Local restaurants promote lunch and/or dinner specials offering reduced prices for a fixed-price menu....
