Western PA Local News category, Page 2008
Family business resurrected with Periwinkle’s Bakery & Cafe in O’HaraVideo
When the late business tycoon “Billy Kay” Kratsa would venture out, he always had a cigar in his mouth and armfuls of breads and pastries to distribute to friends and strangers. “If he was going to a doctor’s office, he would bring enough for all of the nurses and staff,”...
StarKist to move headquarters from Pittsburgh to Virginia
StarKist says it plans to close its corporate headquarters on Pittsburgh’s North Shore next year. Known for its packaged tuna, StarKist will be moving to Virginia in the Washington, D.C., metro area. The Pittsburgh headquarters will close March 31, 2022. The company “will maintain a presence in the region,” the...
Brentwood hires Stephanie DeLuca as coordinator of curriculum
Brentwood Borough School District hired Stephanie DeLuca for the position of coordinator of curriculum, instruction and professional development at the May 17 school board meeting. DeLuca is currently serving as the assistant to the superintendent for elementary education in South Fayette School District. She acquired a well-rounded educational portfolio with...
Spate of thefts in Saltsburg under investigation
State police are investigating a spate of thefts in Saltsburg, just over the border from Westmoreland County. Trooper Clifford Greenfield said items were taken overnight during the weekend. Unlocked vehicles were targeted in some of the thefts on Hemlock Way and Salt, Walnut and Washington streets. Police were looking at...
DUI checkpoint planned for Belle Vernon area
State troopers from the Belle Vernon station in Rostraver are planning a sobriety checkpoint for Memorial Day weekend somewhere in their coverage area. That includes parts of Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties, according to a news release. Troopers said they’ve identified primary and alternate locations for the checkpoint based on...
Artist Vanessa German to lead Pittsburgh walk for George Floyd, others lost to violence
Vanessa German is going for a walk to pay tribute to George Floyd and other people of color lost to violence. German, a citizen-artist from Homewood, will lead The Blue Walk on Thursday. It is what she called “a reckoning ritual.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by...
The Stroller, May 25, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, 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. Boaters bash planned July 10 in New Kensington Lighthouse Marina, New Kensington, will host a Rockin’ For Lockin’ Boaters Bash from 1...
Harmar police urge residents not to take selfies with bears following rash of sightings
Harmar police are warning residents not to try to take photos or videos with black bears after a rash of sightings in the township. “We are asking that you enjoy viewing the bear from a safe distance. So that means please do not attempt to take a selfie with the...
3 dead in double homicide-suicide in Washington County identified
Three people were found shot to death in what is believed to be double homicide-suicide in Washington County, according to the county coroner’s office. Those found dead Monday night inside a McDonald home on Valley Street were Suzanne Faingnaert, 57, and 27-year-olds Christina Garove and James Garove, according to the...
Penn Hills council considers forming citizen committee for covid grant money guidance
Penn Hills officials are considering forming a citizens committee to help decide how to spend the $18 million in covid relief grant money the municipality will receive this year and next. The stimulus grant money was not on the agenda for Monday’s council meeting but Councilman Jim Getsy brought up...
Pa. wildlife officials swamped with callers who have picked up or taken in wild animals
Wildlife centers and the Pennsylvania Game Commission say they have been deluged with calls from people who have picked up wild animals, often in an attempt to help them. Game Commission spokesman Seth Mesoras said the agency has received a number of calls from people who tried to take in...
New bereavement support group meeting in Penn Township
After an Irwin area bereavement support group stopped meeting during the coronavirus pandemic, Harrison City resident Nancy Lohr and members of the New Life Presbyterian Church sought to create their own. The new bereavement support group will have its first gathering from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on June 8 at...
Missing Pittsburgh twins found safe, police say
Missing 12-year-old twin boys were found safely, Pittsburgh police said. Dreemare and Dreemah Matthews had last been seen Friday in the city’s West End. At 5 p.m. Tuesday, police said they had been safely located. No other details were provided. Police thanked the public for its help....
Hempfield to lift emergency declaration next month
After more than a year under an emergency declaration put in place in response to the covid-19 pandemic, Hempfield supervisors voted to lift the order starting next month. The declaration first went into effect March 16, 2020, as some of the first coronavirus cases were being reported in the state....
Police: Teen’s body found outside abandoned Penn Hills home
A young man was found shot to death Monday evening outside an abandoned Penn Hills home. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the victim as Jason Hubert Jackson Jr., 17, of Pittsburgh. Police Chief Howard Burton said residents along Gibson Street reported hearing multiple gunshots around 7:15 p.m. Responding officers...
Unity’s return to regional rec board will reduce costs for Latrobe, other members
Latrobe will recognize a cost savings after welcoming neighboring Unity back as a partner in a regional recreation organization. City council this week approved an intergovernmental cooperation agreement that reinstates Unity as a member of the Latrobe-GLSD Parks and Recreation organization after an absence of six years. Township supervisors signed...
Lawsuit: Greater Latrobe wrestling team members were retaliated against and left unprotected by district
The mother of an eighth-grade wrestler filed a federal lawsuit Monday against Greater Latrobe Area School District, alleging it failed to protect her son after he was questioned about witnessing hazing and misconduct among the team and coaches. According to the lawsuit, the boy — identified only by initials —and...
Pittsburgh woman pleads guilty to lying about wanted husband’s whereabouts
A former Allegheny County 911 dispatcher pleaded on Monday guilty to lying about her husband’s whereabouts as federal agents searched for him in connection with a murder-for-hire plot. Janine Lanese, 47, of Pittsburgh’s Overbrook neighborhood, will be sentenced on the misdemeanor count by U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon on Sept....
Tarentum Bridge to close for improvements, affecting thousands of motorists
Motorists who use the Tarentum Bridge will need to find another way across the Allegheny River for roughly half of June. PennDOT said a 16-day closure of the bridge will begin at 7 a.m. June 9 and continue until late in the day June 25. About 30,000 vehicles use the...
Weekly spread of covid slows in North Huntingdon-Irwin area, as of May 24, 2021
The weekly spread of covid in the North Huntingdon-North Irwin-Irwin area was below 1% for the third consecutive week, according to data the state Department of Health released on Monday. There were 24 additional confirmed cases of covid from May 17 to 24, just a .7% increase in the spread...
In-person visits set to resume at Westmoreland prison as inmate vaccinations begin
In-person visits with inmates at the Westmoreland County Prison will resume in June as officials ease restrictions enacted last year during the coronavirus pandemic. Inmates have been limited to video visits with friends and family as the coronavirus surged through the community and inside the Hempfield lockup. Warden Bryan Kline...
11 new covid cases reported in Penn-Trafford area, May 17-24, 2021
The number of new covid-19 cases reported in the Penn-Trafford-Jeannette area have remained steady, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. In all, 11 new covid cases were reported between May 17-24 for the six ZIP codes covering most of the area, the same amount reported between May...
McCandless set to kick off $1 million road paving program
Potholes beware — McCandless is coming for you. The town is set to kick off its annual road paving program this week with nearly $1 million worth of work along 34 streets. The $999,492 contract was awarded to Youngblood Paving of Wampum, Lawrence County, which was the lowest responsible bidder....
Covid vaccination clinic in Franklin Park booking appointments online
A covid-19 vaccination clinic has been set up at the Franklin Park municipal building for people 12 and older. The clinic is being operated by California-based Curative, which began operating in the region earlier this year with a series of mobile coronavirus testing sites, including one in North Park in...
Race for Hampton council looks to be competitive
Six candidates will seek three available positions on Hampton council this fall. The highly contested race saw the slimmest of margins among the field in the May 18 primary. According to unofficial results from the Allegheny County Office of Elections, Democratic nominee Bethany Blackburn earned 1,402 votes, followed by Julie...
