Local category, Page 2068
Former Southwest Greensburg part-time cop to stand trial on oppression charge
A Connellsville woman testified Wednesday that she feared for her safety when an off-duty police officer pulled her over in East Huntingdon in his personal car. Kelsie Provance said she wouldn’t roll down her window when James Edward Shaw, 54, of Mt. Pleasant Township twice approached her Kia Soul on...
McKeesport Council meeting postponed amid complaints that it locked out public
A McKeesport City Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday evening has been postponed following allegations that the municipality has violated the state Sunshine Act. The meeting can be rescheduled, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge John McVay found Wednesday, once council makes arrangements to allow public participation. Four community members filed a...
Vandergrift website remains dark, officials mum on details
Vandergrift residents still don’t have a functioning borough website, and some residents are seeking answers from council. The website went offline more than a week ago. The outage was brought up by Councilwoman Karen McClarnon during Monday’s virtual council meeting. Visitors to the disabled website encounter an oversized message stating...
Former cop in North Braddock, Blawnox will serve a year of probation for theft
When the state police suspected in 2019 that a Blawnox police officer was stealing money from vehicles he was sent to investigate, they set up an “integrity test” for him. Trooper Jonathan Eberhardt put $225 of marked money in a pill bottle in the cup holder of a car, entered...
New Kensington-Arnold to interview 7 candidates for superintendent
New Kensington-Arnold School Board will soon begin interviewing candidates for district superintendent, including the man who has been serving as the district’s acting chief since last summer. The district in December hired the Pennsylvania School Boards Association to help it find a replacement for former Superintendent John Pallone, who resigned...
Franklin Regional National Science Bowl team advances to national competitionVideo
Last year, Franklin Regional’s National Science Bowl team made it to the semi-final round, finishing in third place after a loss to North Allegheny Cyber School. Last month, the team — including many of the same members as last year — overcame the same opponents, only this time it was...
Coroner IDs woman, 88, killed in Hempfield crash
An 88-year-old woman was killed in a two-vehicle crash in Hempfield on Wednesday afternoon. Elizabeth R. Anderson, of Hempfield, was pronounced dead shortly after 2 p.m., according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office. The crash occurred at about 1:50 p.m. at Racetrack and Wilson Fox roads, near Hempfield’s border with...
Police say cash from wallet stolen at Westmoreland courthouse used to pay court fine
A Hempfield man was charged with the theft of a wallet from an X-ray scanner at the front entrance of the Westmoreland County Courthouse. Park Police said Verne Klingerman II, 54, used money from the stolen wallet to pay a $30 fine one floor above in the county’s Clerk of...
3 UPMC St. Margaret nurses honored with Pitt’s Cameos of Caring award
For their bedside manner and for giving priority to patient care, three UPMC St. Margaret nurses were honored with the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing’s Cameos of Caring award. Meghan Jones of Edgewood, Amber Cole of Verona and Karen Coyne of Burgettstown were chosen for the top honors. “Cameos...
Ed Gainey announces $130K in fundraising as incumbent Peduto gains support from teachers union
Pittsburgh mayoral candidate Ed Gainey has raised more than $130,000 since January, his campaign announced Wednesday. The money, which totals $134,286, , comes from 764 contributors from every ZIP code in the city. It was made public in advance of his filing with the Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board, where the...
Allegheny County reports 186 covid cases, 17 deaths
Allegheny County saw 186 additional coronavirus cases and 17 deaths reported on Wednesday, according to the county’s health department. Those cases — 105 confirmed and 81 probable — bring the county’s total to 77,239 since the pandemic began last March. Daily case totals have dropped significantly in the past three...
Pittsburgh home health care agency to pay $1.6M in wages, damages for ducking overtime
A Pittsburgh home health care agency is required to pay more than $1.6 million in back wages and damages to hundreds of employees — as part of a settlement — after it misclassified them and failed to pay overtime. The U.S. Department of Labor filed a complaint against Christian Home...
Westmoreland County covid hospitalizations rise, sit at 5th highest in state
Westmoreland County covid-19 hospitalizations increased for the second straight day on Wednesday, with the county having the fifth-most coronavirus patients hospitalized in the state. The county added four more patients to bring its total to 120, rising from 116 Tuesday and 111 on Monday. Westmoreland sits behind Philadelphia (249), Allegheny...
Churchill Valley Greenway project nearing finish line with $630,000 funding gap
The Allegheny Land Trust has until March 31 to raise another $630,000 in order to close on a deal to preserve 148 acres of vacant land at the defunct Churchill Valley Country Club. Despite nearly two years of raising money to reach the $3 million price tag, crossing the finish...
What will Brentwood’s Fourth of July Celebration look like this year?
Brentwood’s annual Fourth of July Celebration will happen this year – but the form it will take is still up in the air. “We will not have a completely silent Fourth of July like we did last year,” said AJ Doyle, vice chairman of Brentwood’s Fourth of July Committee. Doyle...
Oakmont plans to construct a pump track through state purchasing program
Oakmont officials plan to skip the traditional project bidding process in favor of a state-approved contractor to create a pump track in Creekside Park. Borough Manager Scot Fodi said council is expected to hire American Ramp Co. through the state Department of General Services’ COSTARS program at its March 15...
Dormont Pool to reopen this summer
Get ready to splash around again in the Dormont Pool. One of the more depressing aspects of the pandemic has been the limits put on recreational activities. The Dormont Pool was one of last summer’s casualties, sitting empty for all of 2020 because of the covid-19 pandemic. But that will...
Westmoreland news includes super bingo, safe driving class
Classes • A Seniors for Safe Driving class will be offered from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 13 at Circleville United Methodist Church, 11600 Parkway Drive, North Huntingdon. The PennDOT-approved class is for drivers who are at least 55 years old. Safe drivers can receive a 5% discount on...
Pet store Petagogy grows customer base, plans move to downtown Greensburg
Owners of a local pet supply store found a paws-itively purr-fect new location to set up shop, in downtown Greensburg. Petagogy will wrap up business April 18 at its Hempfield location, on Route 30 across from Ferrante’s Lakeview banquet facility, with plans to reopen on April 21 on Greensburg’s East...
Fundraising efforts strong to repair fire-damaged ArtHouse in Homewood
As the fire was burning on Valentine’s Day, Vanessa German walked toward the house. Firefighters stopped her. “They said, ‘You can’t go in there,’ ” said German this week, standing outside the house — the ArtHouse on Hamilton Avenue in Homewood. This was the place she founded. The place for...
Glenshaw church hosting Fill-A-Truck food fundraiser to benefit Etna food bank
Members of Glenshaw Presbyterian Church are campaigning for an even larger than usual turnout for their Fill-A-Truck event to help feed the hungry. The increased need for food pantry services during covid-19 has caused a 33% spike in the number of patrons at Bread of Life food pantry in Etna,...
Duquesne Light Company starts construction on transmission line spanning Plum, Monroeville, Penn Hills
Duquesne Light Company has started construction on an electric transmission line spanning five miles through Plum, Monroeville and Penn Hills. The project, dubbed the Universal-Plum Reliability Project, was split into four areas, and construction began the first week of January, according to a website dedicated to the endeavor. The Pennsylvania...
DEA’s April Drug Take Back event returns after being canceled last yearVideo
After being canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s spring Drug Take Back Day will be held April 24. The nationwide event serves as a way for citizens to turn in unwanted, unused or expired prescription medication in an effort to keep it out of...
Woman claims she was bitten by rat at Allegheny County Jail
Chavail Futrell got picked up on a bench warrant for missing court and was held at Allegheny County Jail on Feb. 8. Even though there were holds on her for minor drug charges out of Allegheny and Fayette counties, both were lifted by Feb. 10. Still, Futrell, 35, wasn’t released....
Pittsburgh police cracking down on off-road vehicles riding on city streets, tip line set up
Pittsburgh public safety officials have created a tip line to crack down on people riding off-road vehicles on city streets and sidewalks. Authorities said the increase in so-called “flash mobs” and “ride-outs” that involve groups of people riding all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles on city streets and...
