Western PA Local News category, Page 1953
‘The numbers prove it’: Allegheny County officials point to rising vaccination rates and falling case counts
Eighty percent of Allegheny County’s adult population is at least partially vaccinated against covid-19, officials said Wednesday, a rate that continues to rise as case counts and positivity rates continue to fall. “Let’s get that last 20%,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, “so we can all feel safe, we...
Business owner sues Pittsburgh police, judge after parking lot dispute
A woman who says she was unlawfully detained after she called Pittsburgh police about a person illegally parked in a Greenfield lot that she owns filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday alleging retaliation and excessive force. Marsha Simonds, and her husband, Matthew, sued the City of Pittsburgh, as well as...
New Special Agent in Charge of FBI’s Pittsburgh office talks priorities
Newly appointed Special Agent in Charge of the Pittsburgh FBI field office Michael Nordwall spoke on a range of topics in a news conference Wednesday, including the bureau’s priorities in Pittsburgh and the importance of help from the public. Nordwall comes from Washington, D.C., where he’d been serving as the...
Guy Fieri says discrimination claim stemming from Hempfield restaurant ‘has been resolved’
Celebrity chef Guy Fieri in an interview with The New York Times this week said a situation involving a former line cook who alleged racial discrimination at Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen + Bar at Live! Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield was resolved. “The situation has been resolved,” Fieri said. “And I...
Controller: Pittsburgh’s finances took hit in 2020, but population loss is bigger worry
If the reason the Pittsburgh labor force is shrinking is a decline in the city’s population, there’s reason to be alarmed, Controller Michael Lamb said Wednesday. “That’s the biggest concern to me,” Lamb said during a virtual news conference when he released the 2020 Popular Annual Financial Report. The report...
Man gets 26 to 52 years for deaths of 2 men found in burning Point Breeze home
Vincent Smith lived a wanderer’s lifestyle. He didn’t drive, traveled the country, rode his bike everywhere, loved reading Jack Kerouac and fancied discussion about Kierkegaard. At his sentencing hearing on Wednesday, a long-time friend called him nonviolent, peaceful and kind with a “gentle soul.” But Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney...
Hempfield resident John Ventre announces bid for Pa. governor
Hempfield Republican John Ventre said he’s been stewing for years, believing Gov. Tom Wolf’s “one size fits all and scorched earth policies” hurt state residents. Ventre, 64, announced Wednesday he is running for governor in 2022. Wolf, a Democrat, will leave office in 2023 because of term limits. “You don’t...
William Howard Taft sworn in as chief justice a century ago, made mark in Pittsburgh
One hundred years ago Wednesday, William Howard Taft, the 27th president of the United States, made history. On June 30, 1921, Taft was sworn in as chief justice of the United States, making him the first and only U.S. president to also serve as chief justice of the Supreme Court....
Pittsburgh Controller Lamb questions outgoing Mayor Peduto’s federal relief proposal
Pittsburgh’s top fiscal watchdog Wednesday questioned the timing of a four-year plan released Monday by outgoing Mayor Bill Peduto’s administration for the city’s $335 million federal pandemic relief money. “I think it’s premature for the mayor to suggest a four-year spending plan when there’s going to be a new mayor...
Greensburg, area firefighters bid final farewell to one of their own, Richard A. Fry
In the sweltering summer sun, the firehouse bell rang out 21 times Wednesday as firefighters from across the greater Greensburg and Pittsburgh areas lined the driveways outside their departments to honor the death of one of their own. Richard A. Fry was a member of Greensburg Hose Company No. 7...
Parts of I-79 to close from July 9-12
Parts of Interstate 79 and state Route 65 will be closed beginning July 9 at 9 p.m. through July 12 at 5 a.m. The Ohio Township Police Department announced the closure on Facebook on Tuesday. I-79 northbound will be closed at the Coraopolis exit, and all traffic will be detoured...
Shaler man wins $1 million from Publishers Clearing House sweepstakesVideo
Each time Lou Isabella of Shaler has entered the Publishers Clearing House contest during the past three years, he’s said a silent prayer in hopes of winning. Isabella believes his appeals to the Almighty were answered June 30 when a three-member Prize Patrol team knocked on his door to present...
Indiana Twp. man charged with defrauding Highmark of over $50K in security clothing
An Indiana Township man was taken into custody Tuesday amid criminal allegations he defrauded Highmark Health of more than $50,000 in connection with the purchase of clothing for security personnel. Derek Robert Dowiak, 37, has been charged with 11 counts of forgery, two counts of theft by deception, one count...
Westmoreland County, 8 jail staffers added as defendants in lawsuit over inmate beating
A federal civil lawsuit by a former Westmoreland County Prison inmate who was assaulted by a guard last year claims incident reports filed by a dozen other jail staffers contained no mention of the beating. The lawsuit was amended June 15 and asserts that the omission of the assault of...
Replenishment blood drive in honor of 8-year-old Shaler boy taking place during shortage
Tommy Wainwright, 8, was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma cancer in April 2020. After 14 rounds of chemotherapy, 20 blood transfusions, and surgery in August 2020 to remove three ribs, Tommy is cancer-free as of Jan. 11 . “Tommy is just the happiest, sweetest boy you’ll ever meet,” said Amanda Pietrone,...
Woman, whose attorney refused representation amid dispute with Allegheny Co. DA, pleads guilty to DUI crash
A Corliss woman whose case became embroiled in the controversy between a Black defense attorney and Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. pleaded guilty Wednesday to drunken driving-related charges with a new attorney by her side. Vanessa Williams, 59, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault while driving under the...
Pa. covid hospitalizations drop to levels not seen since early days of pandemic
Pennsylvania’s covid-19 hospitalizations dropped to a level not seen since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, there are 313 covid-19 patients currently hospitalized throughout the state. That’s the lowest total since March 27, 2020, when there were 252 people hospitalized. The state’s...
The Stroller, July 1, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, community events and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Annual golf outing planned by Tarentum Lions Club Tarentum Area Lions Club will host their annual golf outing July 10 at...
Unity supervisors to vote on loosened zoning requirements for electronic billboards
Unity supervisors in July will consider a zoning amendment meant to make it easier to convert conventional single-image billboards to electronic billboards in the township. The zoning change would be a win-win for the township and for local businesses that are looking to get the word out about their products...
Westmoreland news includes Independence Day celebrations, car cruise and sunset yoga
Class • Laurelville Retreat Center, 941 Laurelville Lane, Mt. Pleasant Township, will host outdoor Sunset Yoga with Find Your Fire Fitness at 7:30 p.m. July 9 atop Laurelville’s Sunset Hill. Bring a mat. In case of rain, the event will be in the Shenandoah gymnasium. Cost: $15. Tickets: visit the...
Youngwood man charged with having boy steal packages from neighborhood porches
A Youngwood man was arrested Tuesday, accused by police of directing an 8-year-old boy to follow delivery trucks around the borough and steal packages dropped off at homes, according to court papers. Alexander Leon Soroka, 39, is charged with theft, receiving stolen property and child endangerment. Troopers were called to...
‘Shocking’ study at Linn Run to help pave way to healthier habitat for trout to thriveVideo
It was a stunning scene this week in a section of Linn Run in eastern Westmoreland County. Volunteers with the Forbes Trail Chapter of Trout Unlimited sent 300 volts into the stream, stunning fish in the high-quality coldwater fishery to study the trout habitat. A few wild brook trout, some...
Carnegie public art project brightens borough
Crossing the West Main Street Bridge in Carnegie will be a brighter and more colorful experience, thanks to a new public art project. The borough’s first public art project sought to bring an uplifting voice to community spaces, and that voice was found in local artist Alicia Kesneck. She, along...
Youth artwork gala, peace pole dedication postponed in Freeport
An event celebrating youth creativity in Freeport was postponed because of thunderstorms Wednesday. The original plan was to host two Celebrating Creativity Galas — one on Wednesday evening and one on July 24. The event will now be solely on July 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., said Jennifer...
Heat, humidity to give way to rain, cooler temperatures
The Pittsburgh region is expected to get a break Wednesday from the blistering heat and oppressive humidity when storms roll through in the afternoon. The three-day stretch of hot weather began Sunday when the temperature hit 88 degrees followed by highs of 92 on Monday and Tuesday. The average temperature...
