Local category, Page 2188
Additional charges filed against Latrobe counselor accused of sexual abuse of minors
Five more former clients of a Latrobe therapist accused of inappropriate behavior during counseling sessions have come forward with new allegations, according to court papers. Gregory Patrick Miscik, 49, of Salem was charged Nov. 6 with trafficking, sexual abuse of children, child pornography, corruption of minors, indecent assault and harassment....
Pennsylvania’s Capitol Complex to close for covid concerns
Pennsylvania’s Capital Complex will close to the public once again, citing rising covid-19 cases. Starting Monday, the complex will disallow visits and events including rallies, school or group tours, performances, receptions and other public gatherings in all interior venues. The Capitol Complex includes the Main Capitol Rotunda, East Wing Rotunda,...
Latrobe man convicted of illicit contact with a minor accused of soliciting images from girl
A Latrobe man serving time at home on electronic monitoring for illicit contact with a juvenile in 2017 was arrested again Wednesday by state police on new charges of having a girl send him explicit images through social media. Cristofer R. Dowden, 21, was arraigned on two counts of indecent...
Pittsburgh ranked among top cities for LGBTQ inclusivity
Pittsburgh is among 94 cities across the country and four in Pennsylvania that earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2020 index ranking on LGBTQ inclusion. “We have continued to make strides toward being a more inclusive and welcoming city,” Mayor Bill Peduto said in a statement. “We...
Blawnox policeman receives ‘Top Gun’ award for DUI-related arrests
Blawnox police Officer Nickalas Hawk thwarted 28 people from driving drunk on borough roads in 2019. For his efforts, Hawk was honored with a “Top Gun” award from the Pennsylvania Driving Under the Influence Association. He is among 21 officers throughout the state to be lauded for their work to...
Gateway School District moves to full-remote learning through Jan. 4
Gateway schools will remain in remote learning through Jan. 4. The announcement came through a letter to district parents authored by Superintendent Bill Short. It was posted to the district’s website Dec. 2. “Based on the metrics and data associated with significant increases in covid-19 cases and positivity percentages, Allegheny...
Kiski Township man loves his train display so much, he custom-built his house to fit itVideo
Russ Fry built a house around his beloved hobby. Fry, 86, of Kiski Township, is a second-generation train display enthusiast. He designed and constructed a new home on his rural property in Armstrong County about 10 years ago. Key to the design was including a large, custom basement and storage...
Allegheny County passes 30,000 coronavirus cases
Allegheny County on Thursday reported 1,028 new coronavirus cases and 20 new deaths. The county has seen an average of 656 new cases per day over the past seven days, while adding 4,591 new cases in that time. It took Allegheny County 166 days to hit 10,000 cases of coronavirus...
Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese pays $19.2 million to settle 224 clergy abuse claims
Signaling an end to the latest chapter in the Catholic Church’s struggle to heal from scathing revelations of child sexual abuse in a 2018 grand jury report, an independent mediator for the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced Thursday that it has completed two years of work and awarded more than...
Deer Lakes won’t resume in-person instruction until January at earliest
Deer Lakes School District will not resume in-person instruction until Jan. 11 at the earliest in response to the surge in covid-19 cases. “Our county continues to remain in a substantial level of transmission as we see dramatic increases in positive cases and hospitalizations,” Superintendent Janell Logue-Belden wrote in a...
Westmoreland County sees record 400 new covid-19 cases, surpasses 10,000 total cases
Westmoreland County added a record 400 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported, pushing the total number of cases over the 10,000 mark. The state also reported that there were six new deaths in the county. The total number of cases in the county now stands...
Pa. Supreme Court denies Mike Kelly, Parnell mail-in voting challenge
The state Supreme Court on Thursday denied an emergency motion to stay an earlier order about a challenge against Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting system. On Wednesday, attorneys for U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler, and others filed the claim last month against Pennsylvania’s governor, General Assembly and secretary of state over Act...
Hempfield Area middle school students’ return to daily in-person classes delayed
Hempfield middle school students hoping to return to in-person classes full time beginning early next year will now have to wait a few more weeks as covid-19 cases continue to spike. Superintendent Tammy Wolicki recommended that students return to in-person classes five days a week beginning Jan. 19 rather than...
O’Hara to have special meeting to interview candidates for council vacancy; holiday food drive on tap
O’Hara council will have a special meeting Monday to interview candidates for the 3rd Ward vacancy. The township needs to appoint someone to serve the balance of Scott Frankowski’s term through 2021. Frankowski resigned from council in November after taking a job that prohibits him from serving in local politics....
Shaler Area, teacher’s union reach 1-year contract extension
Shaler Area teachers will see a 3.9% pay increase in the 2021-22 school year, according to a contract extension approved Dec. 2 by the school board. The teacher’s union and the board agreed to a one-year extension of their contract, which was set to expire on Aug. 15, 2021. Highlights...
North Park and South Park ice rinks to open
Skaters can take the ice at North Park and South Park ice rinks beginning Friday. Face masks and social distancing are required. The Allegheny County Parks Department announced the ice rinks will open Friday, with the season running through mid-March, weather permitting. There will be several restrictions and operational changes...
State loan could help add jobs at industrial park housing former Volkswagen, Sony plants
A state loan of $2.25 million could bring more than 100 new jobs to the RIDC Westmoreland industrial complex near New Stanton. The low-interest loan from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority to the Regional Industrial Development Corporation of Southwestern Pennsylvania will help with a proposed $5.6 million renovation. The work...
Pittsburgh museums receive state grants for support during pandemic
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Carnegie Science Center and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh were among several local museums to receive grants to support them during the covid-19 pandemic. The three museums, along with the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, each received a $40,000 grant from the Pennsylvania...
Collaborative efforts in Penn Hills help prevent burnout in volunteer fire departments
As one of nature’s elements, fire will never burn out. But the ones who volunteer to fight it might. It’s a problem that in recent decades has only grown. In Penn Hills, the number of volunteer firefighters has dwindled for years. The municipality closed one of its seven fire stations...
Hampton’s 2021 budget mirrors current spending plan, no tax hike proposed
Hampton Township’s preliminary budget for 2021 features few surprises — the tax rate for property owners will remain the same and no significant spending cuts are planned. In addition to maintaining services, the township plans to “be aggressive” with its road paving program by spending about $1 million to resurface...
Penn Hills school board retains its current president, appoints new vice president
Erin Vecchio and Jackie Blakey-Tate were named Penn Hills school board president and vice president, respectively. The board unanimously voted at its Nov. 1 reorganization meeting to keep Vecchio in her leadership role for the fifth straight year. She is in her fifth nonconsecutive term on the board. She was...
Allegheny County Jail announces new programs to expand access to books, technology
The Allegheny County Jail announced new programs to expand access to books and technology for inmates. The jail and Carnegie Library said their expanded partnership will offer access to additional eBooks and audiobooks. The jail and library had an existing relationship that included work readiness programming, book and movie discussions,...
The Stroller, Dec. 3, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your church or organization going to host a community holiday event? Send information to The Stroller at vndnews@tribweb.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Festival of Trees raffle supports projects Allegheny Valley Hospital Auxiliary is hosting its annual Festival of Trees raffle to benefit patient care projects at the...
Norwin covid-19 cases top 100; 21 new cases reported
Norwin School District officials said Wednesday the district has 21 new covid-19 cases among its students and staff, pushing the total number of cases since school began Aug. 31 to more than 100. The reports of 21 new cases, pushing the total to 114 cases of the coronavirus, is the...
Hempfield to continue with hybrid model of learning next week
The Hempfield Area School Board reaffirmed students will return to in-person classes every other day starting next week after they completed a week of remote learning after the Thanksgiving break. Students will return to in-person classes through the hybrid model Monday after district leaders said they returned a formal notice...
