Western PA Local News category, Page 1956
Fourth of July celebrations in Carnegie, South Fayette area
Carnegie Carnegie Park will host an Independence Day Celebration beginning at 2 p.m. July 3. There will be live music, food trucks, games, fireworks and more. The Pitcher Party Skate Tournament will take place at 2 p.m. for those under 17 and at 3 p.m. for those over 18. A...
Police: Man last seen in Highland Park no longer considered missing
UPDATE: Pittsburgh Police said Wednesday that “new information has come to light” and Paglia is no longer considered missing. Pittsburgh police are seeking help in locating a man who has been missing since Monday afternoon. Luke Paglia, 50, is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. He has...
Pizza delivery driver carjacked at gunpoint in Perry South
A pizza delivery driver was carjacked at gunpoint in the city’s Perry South neighborhood late Monday night, police said. Officers from the Zone 1 station on the North Side responded to a 911 call in the 2500 block of North Charles Street shortly before 11:15 p.m. The victim told investigators...
Man grazed by bullet during early morning drive-by shooting in Manchester
A man was grazed by a bullet during a drive-by shooting early Tuesday morning in Pittsburgh’s Manchester neighborhood, police said. Officer’s from the city’s Zone 1 station responded to a “Shotspotter” gunshot-detection notification shortly after 1 a.m. for multiple rounds fired in the 1200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, according to...
Westmoreland commissioner urges municipalities to apply for funds by Wednesday
Eighteen Westmoreland County municipalities could collectively be leaving nearly $2.5 million on the table if they don’t apply for pandemic relief funds by this week’s deadline, according to county Commissioner Doug Chew. Chew learned that, as of Friday, 18 local communities had not applied for their share of funds from...
Bethel Park School District approves 2021-22 budget, raises taxes about 3.5%
Bethel Park School District officials approved their 2021-22 budget with an estimated 3.5% tax hike. The board voted 8-1 at its June meeting to set next school year’s millage rate to 22.5272, an increase of 0.7618 mills. Board member Russ Spicuzza dissented. The hike equates to about a $116 increase...
Saint Vincent College campus reopens after police investigate bomb threat
A bomb threat prompted temporary closure of the Saint Vincent College campus Monday evening. College officials said the campus was cleared to reopen just before 10 p.m., after state police determined the threat wasn’t credible. At about 7:30 p.m., officials were notified of a threat involving the Saint Vincent Archabbey...
Dancing, live entertainment a big part of Oakmont Greek Food Festival return
Dancing is a major part of Michelle Kotsagrelos’ life. The Bethel Park resident has instructed many a soul in the traditional steps from the mainland and islands of Greece for more than 30 years. “It is so much a part of our lives,” said Kotsagrelos, assistant director of the Grecian...
Plum junior fire academy graduates 27 cadets from multiple communities
Trent Blum has aspirations to become a firefighter. “I like being outside, (and) I like being able to help people,” said Trent, 14. “Having the opportunity to do all that would be quite amazing.” The Bethel Park teen heads into his freshman year of high school with a strong head...
Pilot, passenger injured when small plane crashes in rural Washington County
Two people were injured when a small plane crashed Monday evening in rural Washington County, according to authorities. Officials learned of the crash-landing in a large pasture near School and Short Cut roads in Somerset Township around 6:15 p.m., according to state police. Several ambulances, fire trucks and medical helicopters...
Temporary parking acceptable use of former Apollo nuke site, DEP says
The state Department of Environmental Protection said a company that temporarily stored RVs on a former nuclear fuels plant site in Apollo didn’t violate terms of a covenant for the property. “The temporary use of this site for the parking of vehicles will not present any radiological concerns, though substantial...
Longtime Greensburg firefighter dies
Gov. Tom Wolf ordered state flags at all commonwealth facilities, public buildings and grounds in Westmoreland County to fly at half-staff in honor of a longtime Greensburg firefighter who died over the weekend. Richard A. Fry, 77, was found in his vehicle June 24 after participating in the Mt. Pleasant...
Upscale eatery 1844 Restaurant reopening in Gilpin
The upscale 1844 Restaurant in Gilpin is set to reopen after remaining closed for more than a year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The family-owned and operated restaurant is scheduled to welcome diners again on July 9. The pandemic forced owner Bob Gorelli, 78, to close in March 2020. He...
Prison sentence imposed for rape of Vandergrift child
A Greensburg man will serve up to eight years in prison for the rape of a 5-year-old Vandergrift girl. Eric Jermain Emory, 35, pleaded guilty last week to one count of rape of a child for repeated sexual assaults of a girl in 2019 and 2020 and three additional charges...
Lawyer’s alleged disclosure at issue in Arnold homicide case
The lawyer for a Churchill man charged in a fatal shooting in Arnold last summer told a judge that statements made to police by another attorney should not be used as evidence at his upcoming homicide trial. The trial for Devon Askew, 26, is scheduled to begin Nov. 15. Westmoreland...
Excela Health posts $72 million net income for 1st 9 months of fiscal year
Excela Health saw its net income jump to $71.9 million from July 2020 through March 31, a $100 million turnaround from the $34 million loss it posted from July 2019 through March 2020, according to a hospital report. The Greensburg-based health system, with hospitals in Greensburg, Latrobe and Mt. Pleasant,...
Commonwealth Court judge recuses himself from Murrysville fracking appeal case
A Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania judge whose previous career included helping craft state fracking legislation has recused himself from a case involving local fracking laws. Judge J. Andrew Crompton issued an order Monday granting the Murrysville Watch Committee’s request that he recuse himself from the panel adjudicating its appeal. The...
2 coronavirus cases reported at Westmoreland prison
Two Westmoreland County Prison inmates have active coronavirus infections but the facility’s warden on Monday said there is no sign of an additional outbreak at the Hempfield lockup. One inmate developed an infection while in quarantine and another tested positive after he was placed in a general population unit, said...
Unity man accused of assaulting, choking woman in Latrobe
A Unity man is charged by Latrobe police with breaking into a city residence and assaulting and choking a woman. Aaron M. Klingensmith, 38, was arraigned on multiple criminal charges including burglary, harassment, simple assault and strangulation after the alleged assault at 1:45 p.m. Sunday at a residence along Wagner...
Pitt enrolling participants for covid-19 booster shot trial
The University of Pittsburgh is enrolling participants for a trial of booster shots that mix vaccines against covid-19. The goal is to see, for example, if a dose of Pfizer after a round of Moderna gives people stronger and broader protection. Pitt’s Pittsburgh Vaccine Trials Unit (PVTU) is one of...
Alt-rock band Cracker happy to be back on the road, heads to Harmar this week
It’s a long way from performing socially distant, one-man private acoustic shows in driveways to being back on stage with a full six-piece band. But that’s the road David Lowery, front man for the classic alternative rock group Cracker, has traveled in just one month of pandemic time. Cracker, led...
2 seriously injured in Route 30 crash in Hempfield, ambulance officials say
Two people were seriously injured in a multi-vehicle crash Monday that prompted the temporary closure of a portion Route 30 west in Hempfield, according Mutual Aid Ambulance personnel. The collision occurred about 1:50 p.m. at the highway’s intersection with North Greengate Road, a 911 dispatcher reported. The crash closed the...
Grass-cutting dispute led to assault in Hunker, troopers say
A Hunker man is headed to court next week after state police said he assaulted a neighbor with the butt end of a knife during an argument over cutting grass, according to court documents. Troopers last week arrested Ian Christian Cartia, 28, on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly...
Peduto, Pittsburgh council release proposed plan for $335 million in federal relief
Pittsburgh will use more than half of the $335 million in federal relief money to make up for revenue losses projected through 2024, according to proposed allocations released Monday by Mayor Bill Peduto’s office. The money from the American Rescue Plan will be received in two $167.5 million installments, one...
Freeport Area School District seeks applicants for business manager as theirs departs for Plum
Freeport Area School District is looking to replace its departing business manager, who has accepted a position at Plum School District. Ryan Manzer has served as Freeport Area’s business manager for the past eight years. Before that, he served as assistant director of finance for Pine-Richland School District for three...
