Suffering together bonds those daring to brave Rachel Carson Trail Challenge
Trekking 37 miles with temperatures approaching 90 degrees Saturday sounds like it would be a grueling challenge for anyone. But Morgan Kiebler and Wade Endress said it was premarital bliss to take part in this year’s Rachel Carson Trail Challenge. The couple plan to wed July 16 in Maine. “It’s...
Where to beat this heat? Here are some places to cool down
Even the most Pittsburgh of dads is ready to turn the air conditioning on as the first heat wave of 2025 is underway. For those who lack some form of a/c, here’s a roundup of cooling centers and their hours for Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. For those seeking other options:...
Royal Canadian Air Force’s Snowbirds dazzle Westmoreland air show crowd
Craig Monstrola sat in the shade beneath a military plane’s 95-foot wingspan — and watched a bit of history unfold on a seemingly unending stretch of tarmac. Monstrola was anxious to catch the Royal Canadian Air Force make its Snowbirds pirouette in the sky Saturday above Arnold Palmer Regional Airport...
Man in critical condition after being shot in the head in Lincoln-Lemington
A man was hospitalized in critical condition early Saturday after being shot in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood, authorities said. Pittsburgh police were dispatched to the 7000 block of Churchland Street shortly before 1:30 a.m. for reports of gunfire, a police spokeswoman said. Police found a man in the driver’s seat of...
1 shot, another injured after falling in Wilkinsburg shooting
Two people were treated at local hospitals late Friday after a shooting in Wilkinsburg. County dispatchers sent police to the 800 block of Wallace Avenue around 10:10 p.m. after a report of a shooting, an Allegheny County Police spokesman said. Responding officers found one spent bullet casing on the ground...
UPMC St. Margaret opens urology lab, streamlines prostate cancer testing, treatment
A new urology lab with advanced diagnostic testing is up and running at UPMC St. Margaret Hospital to deal with a slow but steady increase in the number of prostate cancer cases diagnosed each year. The second-leading cause of cancer death in men, prostate cancer impacts one in eight men,...
PennDOT concrete work to restrict overnight, weekend traffic on I-70 in Westmoreland
Single-lane restrictions will be in effect beginning Monday on a stretch of Interstate 70 in Rostraver and South Huntingdon townships and during several weekends, beginning this weekend, on a segment of the interstate in North Belle Vernon and Rostraver. PennDOT said concrete pavement work will trigger overnight restrictions from 7...
From conservationist to coach, New Kensington-Arnold honors 8 distinguished alumni
From conservationist to chaplain to researcher to coach, this year’s distinguished alumni class recognized by the New Kensington-Arnold School District covers a bit of everything. The eight distinguished graduates from Valley High School and its predecessors will be recognized at Valley’s homecoming football game Sept. 26, said School Director Sarah...
Greensburg Central Catholic adjusts staffing amid declining enrollment, rising costs
Greensburg Central Catholic Junior-Senior High School will undergo staffing changes heading into 2025-26 as the school faces declining enrollment. The private, parochial school’s enrollment spiked following the covid pandemic — jumping from 345 in the 2020-21 school year to 373 in 2021-22. The student population remained relatively consistent across the...
Deep-rooted Lincoln Beach community in Upper Burrell celebrates 100 years
Marcella Moore says her Upper Burrell neighborhood embodies the phrase, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Tucked behind Puckety Creek off Greensburg Road, Moore’s neighborhood, Lincoln Beach, is a historic, if often bypassed, group of homes and businesses with a century of stories and a reputation of caring...
The Stroller, June 21, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Saxonburg to welcome annual...
Solstice sizzle: Western Pa. braces for a surge in summer heat
Grab your water bottles. Summer’s officially here, and a uncanny stretch of consecutive days with temperatures in the 90s will accompany the solstice. For the first time in June since 1994, the Pittsburgh region is expected to have five or more days of temperatures in the 90s. And they’re coming...
Franklin Regional will take over management, maintenance at Murrysville’s Haymaker Park
Haymaker Park in Murrysville is old enough that baseball legend and Western Pennsylvania native Honus Wagner once played there. “It was here way back when they were planting the trees for the ‘Murrysville’ tree sign that overlooks the field,” said Charles Conway of Murrysville, a board member with nonprofit Communities...
Greater Latrobe OKs junior high roof replacement, high school track resurfacing
Work to replace the leaking roof at Greater Latrobe Junior High will begin this summer and is expected to wrap up during the summer of 2026. The school board this week awarded the roof contract to Island Contracting, which submitted a low base bid of about $6.2 million. That’s about...
Rapid flow on Kiski, Yough rivers increase risks as seasoned river runners urge caution
Neill Andritz keeps a close eye on water levels and speeds on the Kiski River to see if it’s safe for his business, The River’s Edge Canoe & Kayak, to rent equipment to customers. So far this year the river, which separates Westmoreland and Armstrong counties, has been too high,...
New Kensington officials aim to improve Ninth Street corridor
With most infrastructure improvements complete on Fourth and Fifth avenues in downtown New Kensington, city officials are now planning $1 million worth of improvements to its Ninth Street corridor. “Because so many people are coming into town, we want to make it more welcoming, easily accessible and safe for people...
Canadian, U.S. Air Force pilots plan powerful, precise maneuvers at Westmoreland air show
Royal Canadian Air Force Capt. Marc-André Plante has taken his CT-114 jet through more than 50 practice runs of the demanding mirror pass maneuver. On Friday, he and eight fellow Snowbirds pilots were scheduled to complete another dry run of that pattern and other elements of the aerobatic demonstration they’ll...
Up close and personal: Kids get first hand look at critters during visit from Pittsburgh Zoo in Natrona
There’s nothing like seeing it up close. And that’s what the kids at the Summer Lunch and Arts Program at Natrona Riverfront Park got to do this week during a visit from Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium educators. The zoo staff brought some friends, of course, including Rose, the eastern pine...
Pittsburgh cancels International Parade as immigration anxieties remain
Pittsburgh has canceled its International Parade & Festival and the Pittsburgh World Cup amid concerns over a federal immigration crackdown. The International Parade, typically a multicultural affair containing vendors and music, was declared a potential target for ICE immigration raids. The Pittsburgh World Cup was intended to be a community...
Ice cream, candy shop opens in downtown New Kensington
Add an ice cream parlor and candy store to the growing repertoire of businesses in downtown New Kensington. Mark and Mandy Simon, of Winfield, opened the Lucky Duck Candy Company at 1001 Fifth Avenue on Friday at noon. “We’ve been long-waiting for this day,” Mark said. “It’s a cool and...
Highlands, St. Joe’s agree to co-op tennis, baseball and softball; now 7 combined teams
Highlands Athletic Director Katie Jo Stobert said an expanded sports co-op with St. Joseph High School is a no-brainer. The schools, both in Harrison, already field combined teams in cross country, swimming, bowling and track. This coming year, students will get even more athletic opportunities in tennis, baseball and softball....
Monroeville charter school celebrates service, achievements of 6 graduates
More than 100 people attended Spectrum Charter School’s graduation ceremony in Monroeville on May 23, when six seniors received their high school diplomas. Spectrum students, families, board of trustees, faculty and staff gathered for the ceremony and luncheon to recognize graduates J. Balf, Jackson Carney, Aiden Ferguson, Mira Shank-Koster, Jupiter...
Burrell schools to pay $999K to settle sex abuse lawsuit
Burrell School District will pay almost $1 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a former student who alleged the district failed to protect her from sexual abuse by a former swim coach. The lawsuit claimed the district also failed to supervise former assistant swim coach Raymond Novak, whom she...
Fencing considered for Tarentum Bridge after New Kensington man jumped to his death
PennDOT officials said Friday they will assess the potential of installing fencing on the downriver side of the Tarentum Bridge following the death of a New Kensington man who apparently jumped to his death from the span Tuesday. The victim was identified as Thomas Peter Link, 68, by the Allegheny...
No fare hikes in $17.9M Westmoreland transit budget
Westmoreland County bus fares will stay the same in the next year, officials said this week. Westmoreland County Transit Authority will maintain its fees for the fiscal year that begins July 1 under a $17.9 million budget, Alan Blahovec, executive director, told the authority board Thursday. The board unanimously approved...
