Western PA Local News category, Page 22
Away from the main stage, a different kind of Draft day unfolds in the Hill District
The NFL Draft remained free to enter Friday but thousands who flocked to Pittsburgh’s North Shore dug into their wallets to snatch up Draft-themed T-shirts featuring the city’s iconic bridges ($49.99) or down an ice-cold IPA beer ($21.25 a can). Ra’Dale Taylor was less interested in celebrating the Draft with...
WCCC president: college changes inevitable to achieve improvement
The president of Westmoreland County Community College said Friday continued efforts to improve the college’s educational programs will involve change. “We have to adapt to change,” said Kristin L. Mallory. “We are not going to stay stagnant. We are moving forward.” Mallory, 63, has been president of the 4,000-student community...
Visitors feel welcomed by Pittsburgh, making the most of draft experience
The 2026 NFL Draft marked Brennan Bach’s first trip to Pittsburgh, and the Baltimore native said the city made a lasting impression. “I like the rivers, I like the scenery — it’s really nice. The city feels pretty clean,” Bach said. “So far, everyone’s been friendly.” Outside of draft activities,...
Attending the NFL Draft comes with a hefty price tag
If ya wanna play, ya gotta pay. That’s the mindset of many 2026 NFL Draft Experience attendees who are spending plenty of dollars at the Draft. Admission to the 2026 NFL Draft may be free, but costs incurred to enjoy all the Draft Experience has to offer — like food,...
Table for who? Some restaurants see drop-off in diners during NFL Draft
With the 2026 NFL Draft taking place only a few blocks away, Peppi’s sandwich shop on Pittsburgh’s North Side simplified its menu, stocked up on ingredients and brought in extra staff ahead of what owner Jeff Trebac expected to be a hectic three days. Business on Thursday — the draft’s...
Enthusiasm continues for 2nd day of NFL Draft in Pittsburgh
Crowds lined both sides of the Allegheny River on the second day of the NFL Draft Experience, as fans poured into Point State Park shortly after the gates opened, filling the riverfront with a steady buzz and early arrivals. While Point State Park grew crowded within the first hour Friday,...
B Marshall’s Draft Bash sees minority-business owners soldier through permitting issues
In the shadow of a behemoth commercial event raking in millions while christening new millionaires from a grand stage, on Friday afternoon, a group of 40 minority business owners was just looking to make ends meet in a relatively empty nearby North Side park. The picturesque scene at day two...
North Belle Vernon mechanic to serve prison sentence for bilking clients
A North Belle Vernon mechanic was sentenced Friday to serve up to eight years in prison and ordered to repay 10 former customers nearly $37,000 for work police said he never completed. John Jeffries Jr., 60, pleaded guilty in January to more than 20 counts of theft and deceptive business...
Shuttles to the NFL Draft win over attendees
If there hadn’t been a convenient, free option to get into Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft, Isabel Papariella and her mother Rose might not have ventured out. “We didn’t want to have to pay for parking and with traffic, you never know what it’s going to be like,” Isabel Papariella...
Pair pleads guilty to $4.4M Greensburg Beverage estate theft
Jennifer Knopp knew something was wrong when her $4.4 million share of her mother’s estate never arrived. It wasn’t until she made calls from her Florida home that she learned money accrued over decades through her family’s ownership of Greensburg Beverage had been disbursed as part of a plan she...
Longvue Acres Garden Club gearing up for 76th annual plant sale
The Longvue Acres Garden Club will present its 76th perennial plant sale from 9 a.m. to noon May 16 in the lower parking lot of Northmont United Presbyterian Church, 8169 Perry Highway, McCandless. More than 800 perennials — including Pennsylvania natives and pollinators — will be available for purchase. The...
North Siders, Perry alumni to announce 224th pick in NFL Draft
Many people attending the NFL Draft this week in Pittsburgh came from all over the country. For some, it was their first time visiting the city. But the festivities were just down the road for Andrew Knight and Stalea Chapman, both of Pittsburgh’s North Side. Knight, a teacher at Pittsburgh...
All Aboard: NFL Draft draws thousands onto Pittsburgh’s T
David Covington blasted Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” from a handheld speaker as he descended the stairs Friday to the Gateway T station in Downtown Pittsburgh. It was an apt song choice for the scenes he described aboard Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s light rail system during the 2026 NFL Draft. Covington, 55,...
Tarentum aligns license plate reader technology with Allegheny County’s
Tarentum will be getting new license plate reader technology to assist police with surveillance. Council voted to pay about $2,700 a year to VIPR LLC, a company that specializes in plate recognition technology for law enforcement. The move replaces the existing PlateSmart system and aligns the borough with the Allegheny...
Pittsburgh condemns parking structure near North Shore NFL Draft site after partial collapse
A three-story parking garage attached to an apartment complex in Pittsburgh’s North Shore was condemned Thursday after it partially collapsed, trapping residents’ vehicles. A condemnation notice posted on the garage at Bracken House notes a “partial structural failure.” Cars were still parked in the garage — which was cordoned off...
Homer City power plant: Citizens group to meet ahead of DEP pipeline hearing
An Indiana-based citizens group opposing a planned power plant and data centers in Homer City plans to meet Sunday in Indiana borough. The group will share information about a May 12 hearing regarding a permit for a 5.8-mile pipeline that would feed natural gas to the plant. Concerned Residents of...
‘Underutilized’ Agan Park could see improvements as community gathers
Agan Park and its surrounding woods may soon see some changes after community members gathered in Springdale on Thursday to discuss the future of the 100-acre plot. The meeting saw Carla Lukehart, a landscape architect with Pittsburgh-based Environmental Planning and Design, present the results of a monthslong study of potential...
Tarentum Business Crawl aims to highlight specialty stores, services
Joyce McElwain said the first-ever Tarentum Business Crawl last year filled her store with new customers. “It got my name out there to so many people who didn’t even know I was here,” said McElwain, from her Yesterday’s Kidz storefront on East Sixth Avenue. The borough recreation board is bringing...
Gilpin approves $350 skill games tax
After a couple of revisions, Gilpin supervisors voted to enact an annual skill games tax in the township. Under the new tax, owners of skill game machines are required to pay a $350 annual tax per machine they have operating in the township. Township officials had previously discussed a $100...
North Allegheny junior’s gown, tuxedo made from books set the scene for library’s spring gala
Teen fashion phenom Sidney Rice spent 120 hours designing a “Phantom of the Opera”-themed dress and tuxedo made entirely out of book pages for Northland Public Library’s Garden Gala on Saturday, April 25. Tickets for the 2026 Garden Gala: Phantom of the Library are $75 and can still be purchased...
Drugmaker to seek FDA approval of Ozempic pill for diabetic kids
Novo Nordisk said Thursday it will seek federal approval to expand the use of its Ozempic and Rybelsus pills to kids and teenagers with Type 2 diabetes. The Danish drugmaker expects to file its request with the Food and Drug Administration in the second half of this year. The agency’s...
Greensburg Salem approves comprehensive plan
Greensburg Salem School Board has approved the district’s latest comprehensive plan — focusing on literacy, engagement, work-based learning and mental health. The state Department of Education requires all 500 of the state’s public school districts to submit a comprehensive plan every three years. Improving early-level literacy rates, boosting engagement among...
NFL Draft Day 2: What you need to know
Another day, another dose of the draft. Gates open at noon. Fans can participate in various fan experiences in the hours leading up to the second and third rounds of the draft, with selections starting at 7 p.m. Various players — including Damar Hamlin, James Conner, Levon Kirkland, Willie Parker,...
Yough School Board fills vacancy left by former member’s resignation
A Sewickley Township father of five has been appointed to the Yough School Board, filling a vacancy and bringing a focus on diverse learning paths for district students. Gary Wetzler, 43, was selected Tuesday during a public special meeting to replace Gregg Nogy, who resigned April 1 after serving multiple...
Tarentum awarded for improved water, electric system monitoring
Tarentum is being lauded for its efforts to improve efficiency across borough electric and water monitoring systems. It was among recipients of the Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence, announced Wednesday. The recognition is for information technology, specifically, the borough’s integrated smart utility and infrastructure monitoring system. Highlights of the...
