Western PA Local News category, Page 19
Morning Roundup: Shooting in Homewood South injures 1; dog-fighting ring suspected in Beaver County
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, March 18: Homewood South shooting A man was shot in the stomach early Wednesday in Pittsburgh’s Homewood South neighborhood, authorities said. Crews responded at about 12:45 a.m. to the 7200 block of Kelly Street for a ShotSpotter alert...
The Stroller, March 18, 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. Safety town camp planned...
Trial begins in Stowe homicide
Richard and Tianias Johnson were supposed to be picking up some pans to use for Thanksgiving dinner. Her son, Michael Dean, was expecting them. But when the Johnsons arrived at Dean’s house in the 800 block of Benwood Avenue in Stowe on Nov. 22, 2023, he didn’t answer the door....
‘Any small amount adds up’: Shaler Area’s National Honor Society raises $3,300 for Pennies for Patients
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. Shaler Area High School’s National Honor Society raised $3,300 this year through the Pennies for Patients fundraiser benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma...
Pittsburgh police union fears city’s fiscal straits could harm contract prospects
Pittsburgh police union leaders fear city officials may plead poverty Wednesday morning when they furnish new information to arbitrators preparing to set the terms of the police bureau’s next contract. Last week Mayor Corey O’Connor revealed the city’s finances were in worse shape than he knew and warned this year’s...
UPMC logo atop Downtown tower turned blue to honor fallen state trooper
The signage at the top of Pittsburgh’s highest skyscraper has been tinted blue to honor Cpl. Timothy O’Connor Jr., a Pennsylvania state trooper killed during a traffic stop in Chester County earlier this month, UPMC says. The UPMC logo was set to blue Tuesday and will remain that color Wednesday,...
Still little word from Springdale officials on ICE agreement as residents protestVideo
For the second straight council meeting, Springdale Borough officials stayed mum about the police department’s agreement to cooperate with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The cooperation agreement with ICE resulted in the arrest of a Peru-born resident, Randy Cordova-Flores, more than a month ago. Like February’s council meeting, council...
Penn State Greater Allegheny social work program earns accreditation
Penn State Greater Allegheny’s bachelor’s of social work program has earned national accreditation. Greater Allegheny’s program earned accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education’s Board of Accreditation, the university announced this month. Located near McKeesport, Greater Allegheny is the only Penn State campus where students can complete an undergraduate...
Gateway School Board hears from counselors and students, discusses roof repairs at Steward
During Gateway School Board’s study session March 16, members heard presentations from faculty and students. Middle school counselors Jaynie Edwards, Betty Howard, Kathy Johnston and Rich Taylor discussed several of the programs they have implemented as well as their daily student involvement. “What we really want to highlight quickly tonight...
Robinson man found guilty of defrauding government in defense contracts
A Robinson man accused by the federal government of making a $500,000 profit by substituting lower-quality parts to fulfill military contracts was found guilty on Tuesday of wire fraud and failure to pay taxes. Donald Smith, 75, could face federal prison when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge J....
Clairton man to stand trial after crash, hammer attack following custody exchange
A Clairton man is headed to trial on attempted homicide and related charges for striking his former paramour’s car with his vehicle following a child-custody exchange, then repeatedly hitting the woman in the head with a claw hammer. Allegheny County Police charged Vance Gibson Jr., 28, with two counts each...
Pittsburgh budget woes vindicate Controller Rachael Heisler, who issued early warnings
For two years, Pittsburgh Controller Rachael Heisler raised one red flag after another about the city’s precarious finances. She wrote letters, held press conferences and mercilessly skewered former Mayor Ed Gainey’s final budget proposal as “not an honest document.” Few took her alerts to heart. Public officials, from the former...
Pittsburgh Public Schools plan online learning during NFL Draft
Students in the Pittsburgh Public Schools will learn remotely from April 22 to 24 as the city hosts the NFL Draft. PPS officials say shifting to asynchronous learning will reduce transportation challenges, minimize disruptions to the school day and ensure students learn safely and effectively. As many as 700,000 people...
Gas prices near $4: What’s driving the spike in Pa.Video
Gas prices surged again Tuesday, climbing to just shy of $4 a gallon across Southwestern Pennsylvania — a fresh hit for motorists already bracing for higher costs. Lynda Lambert, a spokesperson for AAA East Central, said the spike is being driven by the escalating war in Iran, which has rattled...
Police: Toxic breast milk likely killed 15-month-old toddler in Mt. Pleasant Township
A 15-month-old boy who died from a methamphetamine overdose last year likely ingested the drug through breast milk, according to state police. “His only form of survival was to consume breast milk that was toxic,” Trooper Steve Limani said. An investigation into the Feb. 12, 2025, death of Thomas Blaesser...
Bus gunman’s blunders spur swift arrest in Pittsburgh Regional Transit shooting
Police said they were quickly able to arrest an 18-year-old for shooting a person on a Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus last weekend in part because the teen showed his face on camera and used a phone app to pay for his fare. Michael Andrews of Pittsburgh was charged with shooting...
Ross commissioners enact restrictions on vape shops, introduce regulations on massage therapy
After approving regulations restricting where vape shops can locate in Ross, commissioners are now considering regulating massage therapy businesses. Commissioners voted 8-0 March 16 to approve an ordinance governing vape, tobacco and smoke shops. Commissioner Pat Mullin was absent. After discussion, commissioners removed language that would have prohibited neon signs,...
From 70 degrees to snowfall: Pittsburgh region gets weather whiplash with high winds, snow
March madness took on a literal meaning across southwestern Pennsylvania early this week as a sudden burst of winter weather disrupted a string of springlike days. While the snowfall didn’t reach historic proportions, the region saw a wild temperature swing, dropping from a high of 70 degrees Sunday to 24...
Petition argues Republican state House candidate in North Hills is ineligible to run
A petition filed in Commonwealth Court says a Republican state House candidate in the North Hills is not eligible to run because he doesn’t meet the state’s residency requirement. The candidate, Ehab Akkary of McCandless, called the challenge “antidemocratic” and said it is a “frivolous and politically motivated attempt to...
Well Well (Market) scraps plans to open Downtown Pittsburgh grocery store
Well Well (Market), a grocery store expected Downtown, has scrapped its plans to open, the Downtown Neighbors Alliance confirmed Tuesday. The new store, first announced last July, was slated to open at 817 Liberty Ave. in time for the NFL Draft in April. John Valentine, CEO of the Downtown Neighbors...
Pittsburgh parents sue pool drain maker after suction severely injures daughter, 3, at Mexican resort
The parents of a 3-year-old Pittsburgh girl who nearly died after she became trapped by suction from a wading pool drain at a resort in Mexico last year are suing the drain’s manufacturer. Adam Quatrini and Carolina Maria Vélez, of Shadyside, filed the lawsuit on Monday in federal court in...
Daisy Troop witnesses official swearing in of McCandless’ K-9, Leroy, while learning about government
Though Leroy has been working at the McCandless Police Department since 2025, the K-9 had an official swearing-in ceremony March 12 with his handler, Officer Shawn Davis, and local Daisy Troop 21955 in attendance. District Judge Matthew J. Brungo, serving Bradford Woods, McCandless, Marshall and Pine, conducted the ceremony in...
Beaver County man accused of leaving message threatening Muslims at Allegheny County mosque
A Beaver County man is accused of leaving an expletive-laden voicemail threatening Muslims at a mosque in northern Allegheny County. Ted Steven Frank, 54, of Center Township was sent to Allegheny County Jail on Tuesday after District Judge Matthew J. Brungo denied bail. Frank is charged with felony counts of...
Weekend’s high winds lead to brush fires across region, proactive response from fire departments
High winds in southwestern Pennsylvania had first responders on high alert over the weekend, and the concerns went beyond downed trees and power lines. Brush fires were reported in Indiana Township, Tarentum, Reserve, Unity Township, Hempfield and other local municipalities. The potential for the high winds to carry a spark...
Woman pleads guilty to fatal stabbing with pocketknife in Homewood
A Homewood woman will serve four to 10 years in state prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to voluntary manslaughter for fatally stabbing a woman she knew following an hours-long argument. Maurissa Plummer, 22, did not make any statement on her behalf during a brief plea hearing before Allegheny County Common...
