Western PA Local News category, Page 2103
Westmoreland commissioner says county voters want end to no-excuse mail-in ballots, another disputes that
Drawing criticism from county Democrats, Republican Westmoreland Commissioner Doug Chew on Tuesday told a Pennsylvania Senate committee that his constituents want to eliminate no-excuse mail-in voting. Chew testified before the Senate committee on election integrity and reform that more than 20,000 county residents were potentially disenfranchised during the 2020 presidential...
Patrick W. Quinn, Allegheny County court administrator and youth coach, dies
Over the last few days, Patrick Quinn’s children have been inundated with messages paying tribute to him. Some thank him for teaching them how to play football, baseball or basketball through youth sports in Mt. Washington and Brookline. But most of them praise him for teaching them to be good...
Pittsburgh police receive state grant for Youth Connections program
Pittsburgh Police received a grant from the state of more than $120,000 that will go toward the bureau’s Youth Connections program. The grant, worth $126,718, is from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. In addition to the Youth Connections program, the money will also go toward providing implicit bias...
Pittsburgh residents ask officials to support campaign to cut national defense spending
Forty-four Pittsburgh residents have petitioned for a hearing before City Council to ask for a local resolution to support a movement that calls for reduced defense spending. The Move the Money to Human Needs! campaign is a national movement that calls for unspecified cuts in the $740.5 billion national defense...
Aspinwall, Shaler police urge people to lock doors after recent thefts
A rash of thefts from cars and homes has local police urging people to lock their doors. It’s a reminder that’s issued often and is a frustrating problem because it is easily preventable, officers said. In Aspinwall, police responded to two incidents Monday, one a theft from a home and...
Drive-thru Easter events, in-person 5K race planned in Latrobe area
Drive-thru Easter events are planned this year in the Latrobe area, as officials observe health precautions during the covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, runners will have the choice of participating in person or virtually in an annual Easter-themed race. Repeating the format of its successful drive-thru visit with Santa three months ago,...
Women’s Board of Pittsburgh raises $90,000 for children’s programs
Up against a pandemic, the Women’s Board of Pittsburgh hosted a virtual edition of its annual fundraiser and found that support still flooded in. “Even in these unprecedented times, very generous sponsors and a large group of supporters from the Pittsburgh area helped make this event a big success,” spokeswoman...
New Kensington-Arnold to offer students 4 days of in-person instruction
New Kensington-Arnold School District will extend in-person instruction to four days beginning April 6, according to a letter to district families from acting Superintendent Jon Banko. Banko said the decision to expand face-to-face instruction is supported by the school board, but he did not specify how that was done. “I...
Hempfield supervisors to hire township fire inspector
Hempfield is hiring a fire inspector. During Monday’s meeting, township supervisors unanimously voted to advertise for the position. The successful applicant will be responsible for inspecting commercial properties to ensure there are no fire related issues, according to township manager Jason Winters. The person hired will be a township employee...
Cal U offers tuition discounts to Westmoreland Community College grads
Hundreds of Westmoreland County Community College graduates — past and future — may be able to reap significant savings on a four-year degree thanks to a new discount program at California University of Pennsylvania. The university, about 20 miles from the community college’s main campus, is offering a 20% tuition...
Seton Hill details commencement that celebrates class of 2021 and last year’s graduates
After last year’s ceremony was largely upended due to the covid-19 pandemic, leaders with Seton Hill University are working to ensure the class of 2020 will be celebrated during the 2021 commencement ceremony. In a letter sent to members of the Seton Hill community, university President Mary Finger said, “While...
Westmoreland Co. prosecutors claim anti-bullying advocate threatened police
Correction: This story published Feb. 8, 2021, on TribLIVE.com contains information from a court hearing in which Westmoreland County prosecutors successfully argued to modify the pretrial bond of Justin De La Cruz Martinez, who is charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing for an incident police said occurred Nov. 7, 2019,...
Changes to Hempfield’s EMS underway, Rescue 14 to close next week
Rescue 14 EMS in Adamsburg will officially close next week as part of the station’s merger with Greensburg-based Mutual Aid Ambulance Service. Hempfield fire Chief Tony Kovacic confirmed the entity will stop responding to calls on April 1, when Mutual Aid will take over. Township leaders also are in the...
Pittsburgh council passes ban on gators, crocodiles and certain turtles
Most people who acquire an alligator, crocodile or similar reptile don’t realize the care and caution that must be used to keep them as a pet, Pittsburgh police Officer Christine Luffey told City Council members Tuesday. Luffey was one of the authorities who responded to a spate of reptile complaints...
More than 100,000 educators in Pa. vaccinated through state initiative
More than 100,000 educators have been vaccinated through a Pennsylvania initiative using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, state officials announced Tuesday. A total of 102,161 school teachers and staff have gotten the vaccine since the initiative got started across Pennsylvania. “Vaccinating more than 100,000 teachers and staff in less than...
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania see covid hospitalizations go up again
While progress had been made for covid hospitalizations in the past month, numbers appear to be going up again. Hospitalizations in the state and Allegheny County have been generally increasing over the past week, while Westmoreland County’s numbers tell a different story, according to state Department of Health data. Hospitalizations...
Penn Area Library director stepping downVideo
Jessica Beichler will look back fondly on her time as Penn Area Library’s director, but it won’t be without a little regret, even if they were beyond her control. “We had a lot of grand plans before the pandemic hit,” said Beichler, who will leave the library post March 24...
Legendary Fallingwater cook Elsie Henderson dies at 107
She famously cooked for the Kaufmann family at Fallingwater, was the object of Frank Lloyd Wright’s flirtations and later shared her recipes on television and in print. Elsie Henderson, a lifelong Pittsburgher, has died. She was 107. Henderson served as the cook, baker and meal planner from 1947 to 1963...
Baby bald eagle hatches at Hays nest in PittsburghVideo
A fuzzy white eaglet hatched from one of three eggs in an eagle nest in Pittsburgh’s Hays neighborhood just after 3 a.m. Tuesday. The eaglet’s arrival was caught by a live webcam operated by PixCams of Murrysville and the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. This is the ninth breeding season...
Drugs, tampering with evidence, among charges handled March 15, 2021 by Monroeville Judge Jeffrey Herbst
Monroeville District Judge Jeffrey L. Herbst handled these cases March 15, 2021. Defendants will have court dates set in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. All charges were filed by Monroeville police. Held for court • Tanesha Lynne Olverson, 35, of Pittsburgh on two counts of criminal attempt, making...
Lawsuit alleges sex discrimination and retaliation at Ross/West View EMS
A Ross/West View paramedic contends in a federal lawsuit that she has been subject to repeated instances of sexual harassment spanning almost three decades by colleagues and supervisors there, including a supervisor exposing himself to her, and being touched inappropriately. In addition, Jenifer A. Swab, 57, said that she is...
1 hospitalized in Latrobe vehicle-pedestrian crash
A woman was injured Monday night after being hit by a Mutual Aid emergency response vehicle, according to Latrobe police. She was flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh area hospital, where she remained in critical condition Tuesday. The crash was reported at 9:20 p.m. on Weldon Street near its...
In Pittsburgh, a push to prioritize restaurant, hospitality workers for covid vaccines
Pittsburgh City Council members are calling on the state Health Department to add restaurant, service and hospitality workers to the prioritized group that’s receiving the covid-19 vaccines. The measure, sponsored by Councilman Corey O’Connor, was unanimously approved Tuesday as a will of council. It asks Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of Health...
Police log: Multiple charges filed by Monroeville police March 10-16, 2021
The following charges were filed March 10-16, 2021, with Monroeville District Judge Jeffrey L. Herbst. All charges were filed by Monroeville police unless otherwise noted: • Arlene R. Zuhosky, 53, of Trafford with driving on roadways laned for traffic and a DUI. Charges were filed March 10 in connection with...
Criminal mischief, drug charges among those handled in Judge DeLuca’s Penn Hills court March 8 and 15, 2021
Penn Hills District Judge Anthony L. DeLuca handled the following cases recently. Defendants will have court dates set in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Charges were filed by Penn Hills police unless otherwise noted. Held for court • April Hailstork, 44, 0f Penn Hills on charges of accident involving damage...
