Western PA Local News category, Page 2203
Westmoreland County surpasses 500 covid deaths
Westmoreland County topped 500 deaths related to the coronavirus Wednesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The state added 11 new deaths to the county’s total, bringing it to 502. Westmoreland became the 12th county in the state to reach 500 deaths. The county’s death rate per 100,000 residents...
State Sen. Jim Brewster sworn in after 2 months of legal wrangling over results
State Sen. Jim Brewster, D-McKeesport, was sworn in Wednesday morning to his third term serving the 45th Senate District. Brewster, 72, took the oath from Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge David Spurgeon in a brief ceremony in Harrisburg with no fanfare or objection — unlike the chaos that ensued last...
Allegheny County adds 74 covid deaths, 670 new cases
Allegheny County added 74 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday but attributed the large number to a data backlog at the state level. Those deaths bring the county’s total to 1,178. The deaths ranged from Dec. 4 to Jan. 8, with 73 of them from December. The state data includes information imported...
PWSA enters plea for pumping sludge into Allegheny River
Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority isn’t allowed to raise its rates to cover $500,000 it will invest into a compliance program as punishment for seven years of illegal sludge dumping into the Allegheny River from its Aspinwall plant, according to an agreement with federal prosecutors. U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady...
Latest coronavirus numbers for Carnegie and surrounding communities
As coronavirus cases continue to surge in Allegheny County and across the country, the communities within the Signal Item coverage area have varying numbers of both positive cases and deaths. As of Jan. 12, there have been 357 total cases of the novel coronavirus in the Borough of Carnegie since...
Greater Latrobe to consider 3.11-mill cap on potential 2021-22 tax hike
Greater Latrobe School Board on Tuesday will consider capping any potential 2021-22 property tax increase at 3.11 mills. If the district agrees to stay within that maximum number, it can forgo approving an early preliminary budget for the coming fiscal year, in accordance with Pennsylvania’s Act 1 of 2006, also...
Greater Latrobe continues remote learning through Jan. 22
All Greater Latrobe students will continue to receive full-time remote instruction at least through Jan. 22, as district officials review covid-19 infection levels in Westmoreland County. Whether the district changes that instructional model to include any in-person learning for students will depend on the school board’s decision at its meeting...
Oakmont glass recycling returns with 3 events after collecting 7+ tons last year
Oakmont’s glass recycling program collected about 7.59 tons of glass last year, borough officials announced. There were glass recycling events in August, October and December with dumpsters placed at Creekside and Riverside parks for two weeks at a time to collect the glass. “We could not have collected this volume...
Alcohol is the spirit of Prohibition Pastries
When Eliza Jane Bowman volunteered at a bottling event at East End Brewing Co. in Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood several years ago, she noticed cases of barleywine sitting in the warehouse. Owner Scott Smith said it had gone flat and wasn’t worth anything. She saw a value to it. “I told...
Truck driver arrested 11 miles away from fatal I-70 crash in Washington County
A Virginia man is being held without bond after being accused of driving a tractor-trailer that fatally struck an Ohio man working on a disabled vehicle on Interstate 70 this week, according to state police. Hosea Holcomb IV, 27, was arrested after the 7:30 a.m. Monday crash in Fallowfield Township,...
Developer seeks to construct homes on closed golf course at Unity-Hempfield border
Unity officials have set in motion a proposed zoning change for the former Valley Green Golf & Country Club that would set the stage for a new housing development. Meanwhile, neighboring residents are concerned about the effect the development might have on Township Line Run, a stream that flows toward...
Delmont to begin next round of pollution-reduction improvements
Delmont Council on Tuesday hired a company to help implement its 2021 and 2022 pollution-reduction plan that is required by the county and state. Communities with municipal separate storm sewer systems, or MS4s, are required to obtain an MS4 permit. Those communities are also required to come up with a...
Franklin Regional students sign petition requesting more support from district
Franklin Regional school officials are asking for feedback from students about this year’s educational model, a few days after a Change.org petition titled “Franklin Regional Students Need Support” garnered more than 1,000 signatures online. High school Principal Ron Suvak said students would receive a form on Tuesday “seeking feedback on...
Westmoreland events include art exhibit, meeting
Art • The Greensburg Art Center new free exhibit, “Vision,” the annual members’ show, will open Jan. 24 and run through Feb. 27. A free opening reception will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 24 at the center, 230 Todd School Road, Hempfield. The exhibit will include paintings, sculpture,...
2nd suspect arrested in Nashville killing of Butler County native
Nashville police arrested a second suspect in the killing of Caitlyn Kaufman, a Butler County native who was shot on her way to work as a nurse at a Tennessee hospital. James Cowan, 28, was arrested at a Nashville area apartment complex, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department. BREAKING:...
The Stroller, Jan. 13, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s meetings, fundraisers and community events in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Community Library of Allegheny Valley honored by Pa. Library Association Community Library of Allegheny Valley in Harrison was named a Gold Star Library...
Josh Gibson Foundation hosts Negro League Centennial webinar series
With the pandemic making it difficult to hold a proper celebration of the Negro Leagues Centennial Anniversary, the Josh Gibson Foundation is holding a series of webinars this year featuring a lineup of all-star speakers. The series, “Negro Leagues Matter: A Centennial Celebration,” will debut on Saturday, Jan. 23 and...
‘Vertical farm’ in Braddock to serve as Penguins’ official greens partner
The Pittsburgh Penguins are partnering with a local farm that will provide greens for the team during the upcoming season. Fifth Season, a “vertical farm” based in Braddock, will serve as the official greens provider for the Penguins during the 2020-21 season. Team chef Geoff Straub will use Fifth Season’s...
Pleasant Hills property owners to pay more in real estate taxes due to garbage collection
Pleasant Hills property owners will pay more in real estate taxes this year. Council recently passed its 2021 spending plan with a one-mill tax hike. The new tax rate is 7.75 mills. The median home value in the borough is about $143,500, which means that property owner will pay about...
Sewickley has a new mayor, George Shannon
Sewickley has a new mayor. George Shannon was appointed by council Tuesday night to fill the seat vacated by Brian Jeffe, who resigned as mayor last month. His term is set to expire at the end of this year. Shannon would have to run in the upcoming municipal election if...
Rankin man’s death by train last year ruled accidental
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Tuesday that the death of a man hit by a train in Swissvale last year was accidental. Walter Gunter, 45, of Rankin died as a result of injuries sustained from the accident around 5 p.m. Jan. 6, 2020 near the corner of South...
Controversy over comments on election, Capitol attack rocks debate at Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie Mellon University officials on Tuesday issued a harsh statement condemning speech that may have incited last week’s attack on the U.S. Capitol, as debate over comments by some of its leading scholars raised eyebrows in academic circles across the country. In a letter issued to the university community, a...
Westmoreland Democrats call for GOP congressmen to step down
Westmoreland County’s Democratic Committee called on two local Republican congressmen to resign in response to their votes last week objecting to Pennsylvania’s presidential election results following the violent riot at the U.S. Capitol. Committee chairwoman Tara Yokopenic said in a statement released late Monday that Reps. Guy Reschenthaler and John...
State police: Harrison man who fled traffic stop was delivering meth
A Harrison man accused of fleeing from a traffic stop Monday night was delivering methamphetamine to someone before he was pulled over, according to state police. Police said a trooper tried to pull over a car driven by Sergio Andreal Davis, 28, because he was speeding and weaving on Route...
Pennsylvania officials give update on vaccine distribution
Nearly 17,000 Pennsylvania residents were vaccinated for covid-19 since Monday, Health Secretary Rachel Levine said Tuesday afternoon. That puts the statewide total at 311,477 total doses administered across the state. Pennsylvania officials provided an update on the state’s progress vaccinating members of Phase 1A in the federal guidelines, which includes...
