Local category, Page 1839
Pitt volunteers slammed with requests from panic-stricken Afghans seeking escape from Taliban rule
Nearly 7,000 miles from the chaos embroiling Taliban-controlled Kabul, volunteers at the University of Pittsburgh are working around the clock to assist Afghan civilians who fear they’re in danger because of their work for the United States. Tens to hundreds of thousands of Afghans now are desperately seeking help, from...
Penn-Trafford, support staff union divided over contract terms, fact-finder’s recommendations
Penn-Trafford School District and a union representing 83 support staffers remain at odds over contract terms after the district rejected recommendations in a fact-finding report. Wages are among the issues where the two sides differ. The Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ contends that its members who are charged with...
Penn-Trafford makes masks optional inside district schoolsVideo
Wearing face masks will be optional this school year for Penn-Trafford students, staff and visitors inside district buildings. The school board adopted its policy Monday after hearing from residents on opposing sides of the issue. Assistant Superintendent Scott Inglese said the district will look into the possibility of seating students...
Norwin cafeteria workers say proposed pay raise ‘an insult’Video
Norwin School District’s food service workers are upset over the school district’s offer of annual raises of 20 cents per hour during negotiations on a new two-year contract, the union said. “We deserve more than a 20-cent-an-hour rise. That offer is an insult,” cafeteria worker Loni Davis told the Norwin...
Verona’s 25th annual car cruise draws record crowd and vehicle participationVideo
Mark Salerno Jr. of Plum hopes to one day hand down the keys to his 1948 Harley Davidson panhead much like the fathers before him. The motorcycle was acquired by Salerno’s great grandfather, Ernest Salerno Sr., in its model year. He passed it on to his son, Ernest Salerno Jr.,...
Masks to remain optional in Highlands School District
Face masks will remain optional when Highlands School District students return to classes next week. After hearing from residents for and against requiring students to wear masks Monday night, Kristie Babinsack was the only school board member wanting to reverse the board’s 5-4 decision in July that makes wearing masks...
Oakmont officials want false alarms to stop
Oakmont officials have had enough of false alarms going off and draining police and fire department resources. Council on Aug. 16 unanimously approved advertising an ordinance to address the issue. “False alarms in any community are a challenge,” borough Manager Scot Fodi said. “This is one mechanism that we have...
IUP requires face masks for indoor public settings
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is requiring all students, staff and visitors on campus to wear face coverings indoors in public settings, the school announced Monday. The masking rule is in effect for everybody, regardless of vaccination status, starting Tuesday at 8 a.m., officials said. “IUP is continuing its plan to...
Plum EMS to host car seat safety check at Holiday Park fire station
Plum EMS officials know making sure a car seat is properly installed in a vehicle and a child is safely secured prior to travel can be a challenge. That is why borough emergency responders are providing an opportunity to show parents and caregivers how to overcome that challenge this weekend....
Officer Brian Shaw motorcycle run expected to be biggest one yet, organizers say
Organizers of Saturday’s fourth annual Officer Brian Shaw motorcycle run expect this year’s event to be the biggest yet, attracting more than 700 riders. “It’s probably going to be the largest charitable motorcycle ride in Western Pennsylvania this summer,” said Eric Felack, a spokesman for the event. Proceeds from ShawRide...
CDC: Allegheny, Westmoreland counties now considered to have high spread of covid-19
Allegheny, Westmoreland and several surrounding counties now have a high level of covid-19 transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC defines a “high” covid-19 transmission level as more than 100 cases per 100,000 people or a 10% positivity rate in a particular county over seven...
East Vandergrift making headway on rat problem
East Vandergrift officials appear to be making progress in the ongoing war against a rat infestation in the borough. Council voted last June to hire a commercial division of Terminix in Bridgeville for 10 weeks at a cost of $1,525 after fielding numerous complaints from residents about rats. The Terminix...
Pittsburgh Symphony to perform on 50th anniversary of the opening of Heinz Hall
Heinz Hall opened on Sept. 10, 1971. So, it’s fitting the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, which makes its home at Heinz Hall, will perform on that date five decades later as part of “Lights On! A Three-Day Celebration of Pittsburgh’s Cultural District,” Sept. 9-11. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is collaborating with...
Irwin hires cop, code enforcement officer
Irwin officials recently hired a new police officer, a new code enforcement officer and a new planning and zoning manager. Charles Hume was hired at council’s Aug. 11 meeting as the fulltime planning and zoning manager at a rate of $20.69 an hour, replacing Justin Kachmarek, who left the borough...
Former Unity group home resident pleads guilty in scissors attack
A former resident at a Latrobe-area juvenile group home pleaded guilty Monday to a charge that he slashed a fellow inmate six times with a scissors during a violent confrontation. Omar Hernandez-Vallejo, 18, told a Westmoreland County judge he was defending himself during the Feb. 20 confrontation. “I feel that...
Western Pa. hospitals, pharmacies offer 3rd dose of covid vaccine
Certain individuals with compromised immune systems are eligible to receive a third dose of the covid-19 vaccine, with UPMC, Allegheny Health Network and Giant Eagle among regional providers offering the shot. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week announced that some people...
Former Westmoreland deputy sheriff seeks dismissal of sex charges
A former Westmoreland County deputy sheriff wants a judge to dismiss criminal charges alleging that he solicited sex from female inmates during routine prisoner transfers, claiming there is not enough evidence to support the claims. In court documents filed Monday, the lawyer for Daniel Gradischek, 34, of Unity argued that...
Slippery Rock launches new College of Health Professions
Citing growing workforce needs and the popularity of a series of graduate health care and health information programs, the Slippery Rock University council of trustees approved the creation of a new College of Health Professions. The academic unit that will officially begin operating next fall will provide a central home...
Norwin cafeteria workers say proposed pay raise ‘an insult’Video
Norwin School District’s food service workers are upset over the school district’s offer of annual raises of 20-cents per hour during negotiations on a new two-year contract, the union said. “We deserve more than a 2o-cent-an hour rise. That offer is an insult,” cafeteria worker Loni Davis told the Norwin...
Sounds of the season: North Allegheny marching band camp a chance to fine-tune field performanceVideo
Student musicians and performers with the North Allegheny Marching Band dealt with extreme heat, sweltering humidity and heavy downpours that sent them indoors for rehearsal during a week-long band camp Aug. 9-13. The musicians, color guard and cheer squad fine-tuned musical selections and ran drills for their intricate field performance...
Report of Fairfield couple donning stolen ATV gear results in burglary arrests, troopers say
A Fairfield couple recently spotted aboard an all-terrain vehicle while wearing a particular brand of ATV gear that was reported stolen last spring, were questioned and subsequently arrested for burglarizing two area homes. Aaron J. Wisner, 33, and Kayla M. Hritz, 29, were arraigned on two counts each of burglary,...
South Side’s Club Cafe latest to require proof of covid vaccination for entry
A South Side concert venue is the latest to require patrons to present proof of a covid-19 vaccination for entry. Club Cafe will also require its acts and touring parties to meet the same standard. “Club Cafe is a fully vaccinated workplace and we care about all of you as...
Ex-West Penn Hospital technician gets jail for secretly recording undressed patients
The women said they felt violated. That they are no longer trusting. That they look in every vent and under every table, searching for a hidden camera that could once again disrupt their lives. All of it, they told a judge on Monday, because a medical technician at West Penn...
North Allegheny reverses policy that would have let parents decide about masks in class
The North Allegheny School District is reversing its initial plans to let parents decide whether their children wear masks when they return from summer break to full, in-person instruction on Monday. The district’s plan to leave the mask decision up to parents was developed during the summer and approved by...
Hampton Community Day to feature live music, 5k, food, fireworks
Hampton is gearing up for a Community Day celebration that organizers said will not disappoint. The Sept. 4 event offers a packed slate of activities for people of all ages, from food booths to games to live music. After last year’s cancellation for covid-19 concerns, council President Mike Peters said...
