Western PA Local News category, Page 1993
New refugee director coming to Jewish Family and Community Services
One of the organizations that helps Pittsburgh’s refugee populations will have a new director in August. Jewish Family and Community Services announced Thursday that Ivonne Smith-Tapia will become the new director of refugee and immigrant services. Leslie Aizenman, the longtime director, will step down at the end of July, having...
Legal expert: Public apology could quell DA Zappala controversy as some call for resignation
A leading expert in the field of prosecutorial ethics said that if Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. were to apologize for his actions in prohibiting plea deals to a Black lawyer who criticized his office, it is likely that any potential disciplinary action taken against him would...
Passenger numbers soar at Arnold Palmer airport; air show proceeds likely to disappoint
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport closed May 2021 with the highest passenger numbers during that calendar month that it has seen in six years. But the Unity airport also ended the month with an air show that was hampered by poor weather and ticket sales that turned out to be less...
Scalp, bone fragments among evidence presented in Greensburg man’s homicide trial
Investigators found what appeared to be part of a human scalp, bone fragments, charred jewelry and clothing in a pile of ash at a secluded Derry Township camp site identified by a witness as the location where Ronny Cable was killed and her remains burned in February 2017, police detectives...
Peduto, Frankel want local communities to be able to enact gun lawsVideo
With gun crimes surging in Pittsburgh, Mayor Bill Peduto and state Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, led a group of community leaders speaking out Thursday against state laws preventing municipalities from enacting their own gun laws. Appearing before media gathered under a tent in Schenley Park, Peduto and Frankel expressed...
Damaged electrical cord cited as source of Tarentum high-rise fire
A damaged electrical cord attached to a portable heater caused Wednesday afternoon’s fire in an apartment on the top floor of a Tarentum high-rise, according to the Allegheny County Department of Emergency Services. The fire at Rachel Carson Hall, reported shortly before 2:30 p.m., was ruled accidental, emergency services Chief...
Tarentum street-paving list firmed up, late utility fees waived this month due to new billing system
West Tarentum is the focus of Tarentum’s road paving this year. Roads included in the project are the intersections of West Sixth Avenue and Center Street; Center Street at West 12th Avenue; the 200 block of West 12th; Hill Street, from Bakerstown Road to Locust Street; Locust Street, from Hill...
Quaker Valley junior raises money for Mr. Smalls Theater in Millvale
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Duquesne to require covid-19 vaccines for students this fall, but Western Pa. colleges’ requirements vary
Duquesne University on Thursday joined a group of Western Pennsylvania colleges that will require covid-19 vaccines for all students returning to campus this fall, but policies remain varied depending on the university. The American College Health Association, which represents health and wellness professionals at 550 U.S. colleges and universities, recommends...
DA Zappala says office halted plea deals with Black attorney to avoid ‘false claims of racism’
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr., under fire this week for his May 18 email in which he prohibited his prosecutors from making plea offers to a Black attorney who complained of “systematic racism” in the DA’s office, says he did so “to ensure that this office makes...
Plum High School graduation moved to Friday due to weather concerns
Plum School District officials have moved commencement to Friday evening due to expected inclement weather tonight. The announcement was posted on the district’s website and social media pages. School board president Mike Devine said officials were monitoring the weather forecasts and decided to move the ceremony based on the reports....
Investigators: Electrical system failure caused Gulf Tower fire last month
An electrical failure caused the fire last month at Pittsburgh’s Gulf Tower, fire investigators have determined. The May 19 fire was caused by “a failure of the secondary phase Gulf Tower’s electrical system,” authorities wrote on social media. They emphasized that the electrical system is not part of the Duquesne...
Kayaks to be provided for Kiski River Sweep volunteers
A local outfitter will provide kayaks to Kiski River Sweep volunteers on Saturday so they can cover about a 5-mile stretch of the river from North Vandergrift to Leechburg. For about a decade, the River’s Edge Canoe and Kayak rental in Gilpin has been offering up its vessels for volunteers...
Pittsburgh penthouse on 9th Street with 4 views of the city on the market for $1.5M
Fireworks from PNC Park seem to be at eye level from the spacious penthouse on Ninth Street in Downtown Pittsburgh. The two-level loft, perched high above the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts school, has four views on different angles of the city. “I can see the fireworks from right here,”...
Allegheny County’s finances weathered pandemic, Controller Wagner says
Allegheny County’s finances came through the covid-19 pandemic “relatively unscathed,” Controller Chelsa Wagner said Thursday as her office released its annual report on the county’s finances. The county spent $54 million less in 2020 than it did in 2019, which compensated for a $38 million decrease in county revenue during...
Latrobe’s Mister Rogers Family Days expands to weeklong format
Latrobe again will celebrate the legacy of native son Fred Rogers with activities and entertainment in the town where the iconic television host grew up. Inspired by the classic “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” series and today’s animated “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” show, weeklong activities from Monday through June 12 will include a...
Edgeworth Elementary holds parade to celebrate grant-funded ‘Hack a Bag’ projectVideo
Edgeworth Elementary kindergarten and first-grade students were able to parade in style June 3, showing off their newly “hacked” canvas bags. Seven classes participated in the parade, walking in a circle around the school’s lobby area as teachers waved and cheered while music played in the background. Kindergartener Mary Holland...
Port Authority OKs $3.3 million makeover for McCandless Park & Ride
Port Authority’s Park & Ride in McCandless won’t get a whole lot bigger when a $3.3 million renovation project is completed, but it will certainly be a lot less dismal. Allegheny County’s transportation agency has given the green light to increase the lot’s capacity from 350 to 400 spaces, said...
Coin toss will decide Democratic nominee to run for commissioner’s seat in Ross
The winner of a tied race for the Democratic nomination to run for Ross Township’s Ward 8 commissioner seat will be determined by a flip of a coin, according to county officials. In the race for the Democratic nomination in the May 18 primary, candidates Lauren Hergert and Denise Rickenbrode...
Allegheny County’s covid hospitalizations dip below 100 for 1st time since October
Nearly all covid-19 numbers in Pennsylvania continue to drop to levels not seen since before the fall surge. On Thursday, Pennsylvania added 656 new covid-19 cases to its total, with nearly 20% of them coming from one county: Philadelphia (123). The next highest reporting county was York with just 36...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: June 4-6
‘Quarantine’ album release Neon Swing X-perience will be live from 6-9 p.m. Friday at Bella Terra Vineyards in Hunker. The evening will be a CD release show for the retro horn band’s new album, “Live in Quarantine: A Virtual Evening of Originals.” Recorded at a livestreamed show a few months...
5 things to experience at Pittsburgh Pride this weekend
Pittsburgh Pride returns this weekend after a year off because of the pandemic. Pittsburgh Pride Group will be hosting virtual and in-person events. According to Pittsburgh Pride Group, it helps create wellness, equity and justice for LGBTQ+ people in communities across southwestern Pennsylvania. Dalen Michael, of Bellevue, one of the...
Neighbor Spotlight: Penn Hills cheerleader coach has lived a life worthy of a book
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Neighbor Spotlight: Hampton residents convert school bus into tiny home on wheelsVideo
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
Neighbor Spotlight: Pine-Richland grad turns personal battle against Crohn’s disease into advocacy for others who suffer
Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...
