Local category, Page 1919
West Deer Police Chief Jon Lape set to retire, supervisors name Robert Loper to replace him
After 18 years, West Deer is getting a new chief of police. Chief Jonathan Lape is retiring at the end of June, and the township supervisors have appointed Sgt. Robert Loper as the new chief. “There are few people who will have as wide an impact as Chief Lape has,”...
EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler race returns to in-person event Nov. 7
The Pittsburgh Marathon may have been canceled as in-person event for 2021, but the EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler is a go for Nov. 7. Runners will have the option of showing up at the starting line or running virtually, organizers say. The 2020 version of the race was a virtual...
Tarentum’s revitalization kicks into gear with Depot groundbreaking
A long-awaited business broke ground Thursday in Tarentum. The Depot, owned by Faith Community Partners, has been in the works since the building’s purchase by Executive Director Dave Rankin in 2015. Construction on the building on the 300 block of Fifth Avenue officially began Monday. Developers of The Depot plan...
‘Hole in our hearts’: Beltzhoover man sentenced for shooting death of 3-year-old girl
Chassity Clancy was just 3 years old, but she brightened every room she entered. She loved Barbies and the song, “Let It Go.” She liked to play with hair grease — but hated having her hair done. “She could make you laugh and smile just the way she looked at...
Anonymous $2 million gift to Shady Side Academy will help student transitions
An anonymous $2 million gift to Shady Side Academy will help newly enrolled students that might have a challenging educational or cultural transition, officials announced. It is the largest programmatic donation in school history. Money is earmarked for the academic and social support of students at the private Fox Chapel...
Fayette undersea warfare systems company will expand in North Union, add 36 new jobs
A Fayette County manufacturer of undersea warfare systems will add more than 30,000 square feet to its North Union facility and add nearly 40 jobs, state officials announced Thursday. Advanced Acoustic Concepts, which provides undersea warfare, or USW, solutions for USW systems, sensors, weapons and trainers including the U.S. Navy,...
Troopers say tips from public led to arrest of Scottdale man on animal cruelty charges
State police said a Westmoreland County animal rescue’s social media posts seeking information on the abuse of a stray dog this week helped lead them to a suspect Wednesday. Devin Jacob Eli Rugg, 19, of Scottdale, was arrested on two counts each of aggravated cruelty to animals causing serious bodily...
Advocacy groups gather in Pittsburgh to call for divestment in policing, reinvestment in community needs
Advocacy groups met in Downtown Pittsburgh on Thursday to call on lawmakers and leaders to divest in police resources and invest in community concerns they say are the root cause of violent crime. “The safest communities are not the communities with the most police,” said Jasiri X, co-founder of the...
News and briefs in the greater Murrysville area for the week of June 17, 2021
Here are just some of the things happening in the Star’s coverage area in the coming weeks. To submit an event or a news brief, email pvarine@triblive.com. Murrysville enters into new trash contract Murrysville council voted 6-0 on June 16 to enter into a new five-year hauling and recycling contract...
Report: Pennsylvania casino revenues top $413 million in May
Pennsylvania casinos saw a more than $9 million revenue increase in May compared to the previous month, recently released figures show. Combined gambling revenues last month exceeded $413 million compared to $404 million reported in April, according to data from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. A comparison was not provided...
Medic One among ambulance companies providing vaccines to homebound residents
When Excela Health, the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety and the United Way began implementing a program to bring the coronavirus vaccine to homebound adults, Murrysville Medic One officials jumped in with both feet. “The medics have to be trained on how to do them and complete the paperwork,”...
CMU language technology professor a finalist for $250,000 prize
English-speaking people sometimes take certain things for granted. For example, when they ask a question or give a command to Alexa and Siri, they can expect to get a desired response because those cloud-based voice services work great in English. But what happens when someone who speaks one of the...
Highlands considers girls volleyball program at middle school
Highlands School Board will vote at its regular meeting Monday on whether to create a girls volleyball program at Highlands Middle School. The board agreed to place the proposal on next week’s agenda after hearing a presentation from Athletic Director Drew Karpen. Karpen said that the creation of a middle...
Norwin happenings: Tobacco use ordinance, chicken barbecue and more
North Huntingdon bans tobacco use in parks North Huntingdon wants to put an end to people using tobacco products in the township’s parks. Commissioners on June 6 authorized advertisement of an ordinance that would prohibit the use of tobacco products in township parks and would allow police to cite violators....
Woman diagnosed with mental illness sentenced to 18 months for Pittsburgh bank robbery
On June 26, 2020, Gloria Anderson, who had a long history of mental illness, made her way to Point State Park and told a police officer on bike patrol she was going to rob a bank. She also said she was going to kill herself. Officers took the 36-year-old homeless...
Live! Casino Pittsburgh to host craft beer, wine and music festival
Officials with Live! Casino Pittsburgh are gearing up to host their first festival as a celebration of the start of summer. Summerfest Live! is scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. June 26 in a parking lot adjacent to the Hempfield facility at Westmoreland Mall. The festival will feature craft beer,...
Penn-Trafford happenings: Super Seniors meet, retirements set
Super Seniors to meet in Harrison City The Super Seniors of Westmoreland County will meet at noon July 6 at the Community United Methodist Church, Route 130, Harrison City. Ventriloquist Cindy Speck provide the entertainment. Lunch will be $6 and non-members must make reservations by calling Linda at 724-744-3993. Reservations...
Write-in votes create potential race for Sharpsburg Mayor
Sharpsburg residents could have a choice for borough Mayor in the November election. The two-way race for the Democratic nomination between Brittany Reno and Joe Simbari, both current council members, went Reno’s way. The vote count was 380-287, according to the Allegheny County Elections Department. Simbari, however, won the Republican...
Westmoreland commissioners restructure election bureau; director’s job in limboVideo
Westmoreland commissioners on Thursday overhauled the county election bureau to add a layer of management, increased pay for staff and, for the first time, acknowledged a potential change in leadership of the department. The move comes a month after numerous operational and administrative issues plagued the bureau the days before...
Quaker Valley High School sophomore part of team that won 1st place in CGI I.T. Girls Challenge
The idea of creating an app to help students connect with each other virtually helped two students win scholarship money from a competition in early May. Paige Frank, a Quaker Valley High School sophomore, and Oluwatomisin Olaore, a Pittsburgh CAPA junior, won first place in the CGI I.T. Girls Challenge...
Greensburg police getting 2 new dogs
Two new police dogs are being added to the Greensburg Police Department’s roster. City council on Monday unanimously approved the purchase of the dogs, which will cost $11,000 plus $2,800 for shipping. The purchase will be covered by funding received from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, officials said. According...
Wexford Garden and Pond Tour back in bloom with 11 inspiring sites
After a two-year hiatus, the Wexford Garden and Pond Tour is blooming again. Discover the rich landscapes created at 11 outstanding properties during self-guided tours on July 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A bonus night tour of three select properties will be held from 8 to 10 p.m....
Concerns over removal of Harvison Road bridge unlikely to save Penn Township span
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will remove the bridge on Harvison Road in 2023, a move Penn Township residents and emergency responders oppose. The bridge, which crosses over the turnpike and connects to Pleasant Valley Road, will be eliminated as part of the commission’s $300 million Total Reconstruction and Widening Project....
Household hazardous waste will be accepted at special Westmoreland Cleanways collection
Registration is open for a June 26 household hazardous waste collection event at the Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling site, but those planning to drop off items should first check the lists of materials that can and can’t be accepted. “The things we do not take include explosives, like flares, medical...
Greensburg Salem debates use of pandemic funding to restore librarians
Greensburg Salem School District officials are debating using federal pandemic relief money to temporarily cover restoration of recently eliminated librarian positions, which aren’t otherwise provided for under the 2021-22 budget, set to be approved Wednesday with no tax increase. According to district Business Manager J.R. Dzurica, Greensburg Salem received about...
