In brief: Happenings across the Hampton Journal area
Community invited to holiday Sparktacular Hampton will host its Santa’s Sparktacular holiday event from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Hampton Community Center, 3200 Lochner Way. There will be photos with Santa, compliments of the Rachael Schafer Team of Berkshire Hathaway, and a festive fireworks display. Food trucks,...
Missouri teen driving stolen pickup arrested after chase with state police in Washington County
A Missouri teen driving a stolen pickup hit a truck and backed into a state police vehicle while trying to flee a traffic stop in Washington County on Tuesday, according to state police. State police said Kemari Kerney Flowers, 19, of Saint Peters, Mo. was arrested and would be charged...
Woman taken to hospital for evaluation after crashing into Washington Township business
A woman was taken to a hospital for evaluation after driving her vehicle into the Pittsburgh Technologies building in Washington Township. Township police Sgt. Vincent Surace said officers responded to a report of a vehicle into a building shortly after 4:30 p.m. Tuesday along the 1000 block of Hunt Valley...
Indictment says accused cyberstalker blames ChatGPT for condoning behavior
A Whitehall man accused of threatening and stalking more than 10 women on social media and in person was indicted in federal court on Tuesday on 14 counts. Brett Dadig, 31, is accused of cyberstalking, interstate stalking and interstate threats. According to the grand jury indictment, Dadig said he interacted...
Allegheny County Council unanimously OKs budget without tax hike
Allegheny County Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $3 billion budget for next year that does not raise taxes or lay off workers. The budget is balanced — neither dipping into the county’s reserve fund, which will have about $84 million at the end of this year, nor growing it...
Man arrested in Springdale Township sting on scam charges escapes custody
A Chinese national charged in connection with a large-scale scam in Springdale Township walked away from an alternative housing facility last month after being released there from jail. Zhudi Chen, 40, whom police have accused of stealing more than $100,000, left the facility in Pittsburgh using a fourth-floor fire escape,...
Crash that killed pedestrian in Aspinwall spurs lawsuit against driver
The daughters of a woman fatally struck by an SUV earlier this year in Aspinwall are suing the driver. Patricia A. Doane, of McDonald and Priscilla Pasikowski, of Shaler, filed the lawsuit as co-executors of their mother’s estate. Judith A. Mierzwa, 83, of Aspinwall, was struck Feb. 5 around 7:08...
Pittsburgh School Board elects new officers amid financial uncertainties
The Pittsburgh School Board elected new officers for the 2026 fiscal year. The board members were sworn in on Monday at the district’s Board Organization Meeting. New to the board of directors are Tawana Cook Purnell (District 1), Eva Diodati (District 7) and Erikka Grayson (District 3). Purnell grew up...
Stumping the dump: Pittsburgh mulls ban on waste transfer stations near homes
A Pittsburgh councilwoman wants to keep waste transfer stations away from residential areas where neighbors could be disrupted by frequent garbage truck trips and air pollution. Councilwoman Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield, proposed a zoning bill that would prohibit such uses within 500 feet of residential areas, elementary or secondary schools, parks...
New Kensington man held on charges in 2 fentanyl deaths
Four men who were incarcerated at the time of a drug overdose death at the Westmoreland County Prison had varying degrees of memories from that time in September 2023. Two of the men testified Tuesday they were treated for drug overdoses before learning Terry L. Brumley Jr., 33, was found...
Seven Springs set to open its slopes
As the first significant snowfall of the season rolled through Western Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Seven Springs Mountain Resort announced its official season opening. The Somerset County resort, which received its first snow of the season Nov. 10, will open for skiing Saturday. A celebration will include a live DJ, cookies,...
East Huntingdon man sentenced for shootout with state police
An East Huntingdon man, convicted last fall of firing shots at two state police troopers, was sentenced Tuesday to serve up to 44 years in prison. James R. Miller Jr., 63, declined to speak and presented no witnesses on his behalf during the court hearing in which prosecutors said his...
New Kensington enters brownfield revitalization partnership
New Kensington officials hope a collaborative program with Westmoreland County will assist in the remediation and revitalization of its brownfield former industrial sites. The city entered into a Brownfield Revitalization Partnership with the county’s redevelopment authority, Monessen, Jeannette and Trafford, said City Clerk John Zavadak. “(This) will allow each of...
Pittsburgh man dies days after being shot in East Liberty
A man shot last week in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood died late Monday. Bryon Lewis, 36, of Pittsburgh was shot in the chest around 1 a.m. Friday outside a home in the 400 block of Omega Court, according to authorities. First responders took Lewis to UPMC Presbyterian hospital in critical...
Identification of WWII airman Sidney Burke’s remains was ‘82 years in the making,’ nephew says
For almost all of Paul Hankin’s life, the circumstances surrounding the death of his uncle, Sidney Burke, who was killed while serving in World War II, were a mystery. “We thought we would never find out what had happened,” said Hankin, 83, of Bethel Park. “I had his picture hanging...
Police search for suspects accused of trying to steal ATM machine from the Cheswick Sheetz
Allegheny Valley Regional Police are searching for several people accused of trying to steal an ATM on Monday evening from the Sheetz in Cheswick. Four people, who police believe are juveniles, used a dolly to wheel the PNC bank machine from the gas station to a waiting pickup truck outside,...
After boiler fails, Central Presbyterian’s free holiday concert moves to Brackenridge
An annual holiday concert hosted by Central Presbyterian Church in Tarentum has been moved because the building is without heat. Church administrator Dave Rankin said the steam boiler at the church along Allegheny Street is awaiting repairs. Instead, “Ave Maria,” featuring soprano Katy Williams, will be performed Sunday, Dec. 14,...
Heinz History Center asks local artists to envision ‘My America’
As 2026 draws closer, more and more signs of the celebration of America’s 250th birthday are popping up throughout Western Pennsylvania. In Westmoreland County, two replicas of Pennsylvania’s iconic Liberty Bell were unveiled in Greensburg and Murrysville, decorated by local artists to mark the country’s semiquincentennial. In Allegheny County, the...
Point Park unveils new performing arts program to enhance students’ versatility
A new program at Point Park University aims to better prepare its performing arts students with transferable skills while also making its conservatory more elite. The Downtown Pittsburgh university will launch an accelerated bachelor of fine arts degree in performance and creative industries next fall, said Keisha Lalama, interim dean...
Gateway School Board welcomes new directors; president, vice president maintain positions
During the Gateway School Board’s reorganization meeting Dec. 1, Janette Beighel, Rick McIntyre and Anthony Mock officially stepped into their posts. The new directors, along with inductee Leslie McBride, will each serve a four-year term. McBride was the only board member up for reelection. Judge Jeffrey Herbst read the Certificates...
Morning Roundup: 1 injured in Penn Hills house fire; police continue search for 2022 Swissvale shooter
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Dec. 2: 1 injured in Penn Hills house fire One person was taken to the hospital Monday evening following a duplex fire in Penn Hills. TribLive news partner WTAE said the fire was reported shortly before 11:30 p.m....
Rotary donates solar-powered picnic table to South Fayette
South Fayette Township’s Morgan Park is the latest beneficiary of the Bridgeville-South Fayette Rotary Club. The club donated a $6,900 picnic table with a solar-powered charging station at Morgan Park, Sherman Street. The table was funded by the club and the Rotary International Foundation. It has benches, a space for...
Snow blankets Western Pa. in 1st major event of the season
A group of parents got a winter weather alert Tuesday around 6 a.m. saying school was closed for a snow day. They quickly organized a text chain, swapping questions like: Who needed boots, who could borrow a sled, and who would take the first shift watching the kids in the...
The Stroller, Dec. 2, 2025: 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. Gift program benefits victims...
West View mourning death of council vice president
West View Councilwoman M. Kimberly Steele died on Wednesday, Nov. 26, following a 10-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 72. During her tenure on borough council, Steele had been president and was most recently vice president. She also had served on the West View Water Authority’s board of directors....
