Local category, Page 19
Pittsburgh council confirms O’Connor’s picks for police chief, public safety director
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved Jason Lando as police chief and Sheldon Williams as public safety director. The pair have been serving in their roles in an acting capacity since Mayor Corey O’Connor took office last month. A Squirrel Hill native and veteran of Pittsburgh’s police force, Lando...
Valley High School to offer girls flag football
Girls at Valley Jr.-Sr. High School will have a new sport to play this spring. The New Kensington-Arnold School Board on Tuesday unanimously approved adding a flag football program. “We’ve had so many girls that have wanted it for so long,” board President Jane Graham said. “It is definitely something...
Lawsuit claims Allegheny County Jail failed to care for man who died of pneumonia
A lawsuit filed in federal court last week accuses Allegheny County Jail staff and the contractor that runs the medical unit there of failing to properly care for a man who had pneumonia and later died at a hospital. Joseph King Jr., who had been incarcerated starting in 2023, died...
Penn-Trafford School Board renews superintendent contract for 5 more years
Superintendent Matthew Harris will lead the Penn-Trafford School District for another five years following a vote by the school board this week. Harris came to the district in 2007. He worked in various administrative roles — including assistant principal of Level Green and Harrison Park Elementary schools, director of student...
Porter Street revamp ahead for Tarentum
A large swath of Porter Street in Tarentum might soon be open for new development. Three homes that sit in a row will be demolished this year. One was destroyed by fire in September, one of the others is condemned and another is abandoned. Council held a property hearing in...
Westmoreland County Community College to launch 2-year engineering program shortly after opening makerspace
Matthew Reed, vice president for academic affairs at Westmoreland County Community College, didn’t plan for the launch of the school’s new engineering program to coincide with the opening of its makerspace. “It’s kind of a happy accident,” he said with a laugh. The college’s board of trustees approved the two-year...
Morning Roundup: Washington County barn lost in overnight fire; South Park police warn of scam
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Feb. 4: Washington County barn and livestock lost in fire A barn in New Bethlehem was destroyed by fire late Monday night, “All of our heritage and rare breed sheep were in the barn. They were due to...
French classes cut at Valley High School; district will add in-house English as a Second Language programming
Say adieu to the French program at Valley Jr.-Sr. High School. The New Kensington-Arnold School Board on Tuesday voted to phase out its French programming and create an in-house English as a Second Language program, following enrollment declines in French and the rapid growth of students needing ESL services. Board...
The Stroller, Feb. 4, 2026: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Musical alumni concert set...
Harrison native keeps Super Bowl streak alive, plans to attend his 60th matchup in Calif.
At 84, Harrison native Tom Henschel won’t let a stroke — or disappointment in his beloved Steelers — keep him from celebrating at the Super Bowl this weekend in Santa Clara, Calif. After all, why break a 59-year streak? The football enthusiast will be in the stands at Levi’s Stadium...
Shelter from the storm: Pittsburgh-area homeless community finds relief from brutal weather
A Greyhound bus dropped Drezon “Dre” Pankey in Downtown Pittsburgh two weeks before a winter storm shut down the city with 14 inches of snow. Born in Ohio and raised in Florida, the former high school football running back knew no one here. He carried everything he owned, including a...
Oakmont Council to vote on non-cooperation resolution with ICE
Tensions ran high and anger boiled to the surface during Oakmont’s council meeting Tuesday in the wake of a borough resident being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Jose Flores, 47, was taken by ICE agents Thursday morning after being approached in front of his Oakmont home while preparing...
ICE agents take Brentwood man, leaving family seeking answers
Maklim Gomez Escalante texted his wife at 12:50 p.m. Jan. 20, letting her know he had arrived at the Magisterial District Court in Baldwin to testify as scheduled at 1 p.m. The text was followed by one more: “ICE agents are here.” She didn’t hear from him again that day....
Naked, knife-wielding man charged with assault at optician’s office in North Belle Vernon
A North Belle Vernon man is behind bars after, police say, he took two knives into an optician’s office Monday, knocked over several display cases and stabbed a couch and the walls, according to court papers. Borough police said Darnell Wesley Howell Sr., 54, was not wearing any clothes at...
Judge approves Millvale’s emergency request to borrow $1.9M
A judge on Feb. 3 approved Millvale’s emergency request to borrow $1.9 million so the borough can pay off its overdue debts as it works to right its financial ship. Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge John T. McVay Jr. said he would draft his order granting Millvale’s petition after hearing...
Trial set for daughter, shooting suspect in St. Clair murder-for-hire case
Opening statements and testimony in the trial of a New Florence woman charged with ordering the murder of her mother, along with one of the two men alleged to have fired the fatal shots, are set to begin Monday, Feb. 9. The 12-person jury and four alternates who will hear...
Jurors in Thomas Stanko trial can hear evidence that Cassandra Gross was declared dead in 2019
In a key ruling Tuesday, a Westmoreland County judge decided that jurors in the Thomas G. Stanko criminal homicide trial may hear limited evidence that his former girlfriend, Cassandra Gross, was legally declared dead in 2019. Following a hearing, Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Stewart II ruled details of the...
Pitt to lease Wellington Apartments for overflow student housing
The University of Pittsburgh will lease the Wellington Apartment building in case there’s a need for student overflow housing this fall. University trustees on the property and finance committee Tuesday approved a five-year housing lease at the Wellington Apartments, 245 Melwood Ave. Pitt Spokesman Jared Stonesifer said the university is...
Greensburg considering $1M fire truck purchase
Greensburg Fire Department is looking to turn two fire trucks into one while city council mulls a possible $1 million price tag. Councilman Randy Finfrock proposed buying a new rescue pumper for Hose Company No. 1 from Pierce Manufacturing at the fire department’s request. The price, around $1 million, is...
Work underway to make Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle shine under lights of NFL draft
Downtown Pittsburgh is undergoing a facelift before the 2026 NFL Draft shines a massive spotlight on the city in April. Efforts include modernizing Market Square, opening pop-up retail options, filling empty storefronts with art installations and fixing cracked sidewalks, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership President Jeremy Waldrup said in a virtual quarterly...
Volunteers step up for community snow shoveling effort in Sharpsburg
Sharpsburg residents and visitors are navigating sidewalks and bus stops a little easier after an effort coordinated by a community nonprofit. About 25 people responded to Roots of Faith’s call for volunteers Jan. 31. They included residents, elected leaders, a few Kerr Elementary teachers and people from a church group...
Herminie man faces charges in multiple cases in Westmoreland, Fayette counties
A Herminie man is back in jail after, police said, he broke into a Mt. Pleasant Borough home and threatened a woman with a knife. Police were called to a home on the first block of Frick Avenue about 4:30 p.m. Feb. 1 after a man called 911 and said...
Fire guts Springdale Township home
A Springdale Township home is likely a total loss after a fire early Tuesday morning, according to Allegheny Valley VFC Chief Jay Zangrille. Crews were dispatched to the scene along the 700 block of Maple Street just after 2 a.m. When they arrived, firefighters discovered a fully involved house fire...
Plum Council expected to vote on new Taco Bell
Plum’s new Taco Bell is on the horizon. Borough council is expected to vote to approve the project along Golden Mile Highway at its meeting Monday, Feb. 9. So far, developers have progressed through Plum’s planning commission and zoning hearing board, which granted them minor changes to the drive-thru and...
Pedestrian hit by bus in Oakland ‘up and walking’
A 21-year-old pedestrian who was struck by a Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus in Oakland Monday night is “up and walking” and expected to be released from the hospital Tuesday, a transit agency spokesman said. First responders took the woman, who authorities have not named, to UPMC Presbyterian hospital in critical...
