Local category, Page 2255
Larry Mills Park in Plum to host a free drive-in Halloween movie night Oct. 24
Plum plans to have a Halloween drive-in movie night a week before the holiday. Movie night is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24 at Larry Mills Park. The borough presents “The Addams Family,” the 2019 animated version from directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan. It is based on the characters created...
Police investigating abduction of 2 girls from Penn Hills, juveniles safely returned
The two teenaged girls abducted at gunpoint in Penn Hills on Oct. 14 and found later that evening were not targeted randomly, Allegheny County police said. After the girls, both age 17, were found unharmed in Brighton Heights around 5 p.m., a car was found in Oakland by University of...
Plum officials approve ‘town center’ plans, need state permit before seeking contract bids
Plum officials are seeking developers for a proposed municipal center. The so-called town center would house a police station, municipal offices, gym, a plaza and a community center — essentially an all-in-one government service center — near the public works and EMS buildings along Old Mine Road. The current Plum...
Irwin promotes acting chief to top spotVideo
In an expected move, Irwin Council named the borough’s acting police chief as the new leader of the police department. Sgt. Daniel Wensel, who was named acting chief on Aug. 20 when former chief Roger Pivirotto resigned, was hired Wednesday by a unanimous vote. Wensel will continue to serve as...
2 more Port Authority employees test positive for covid-19; overall count reaches 54
Two Port Authority of Allegheny County employees have tested positive for covid-19 in the past week, officials said Wednesday. The employees, based at garages in Collier and in Ross, bring the public transit agency’s coronavirus total count to 54, according to Port Authority spokesman Adam Brandolph. The majority of workers...
Plum High School remains open after 2 students test positive for covid-19
Plum High School remains open in a hybrid learning model despite two students testing positive for covid-19. District officials said they were notified Wednesday of two students from the same family at the high school having positive cases. Principal Joe Fishell said via letter that the district’s conducted contact tracing...
Pine-Richland High School blood drive going virtual due to the pandemic
A Pine-Richland High School student-driven blood drive is going virtual this year due to the covid-19 pandemic. The school usually hosts three to four drives a year for the Central Blood Bank in Pittsburgh. Its latest effort is scheduled for Oct. 25 through Nov. 8. Senior Max Romano, one of...
$1.3 million in exterior repairs proposed for Sewickley Public Library
A $1.3 million repair project has been proposed for the Sewickley Public Library. Library development associate Michelle Cleary said renovations are needed to the exterior of the original 1923 portion of the library along Thorn Street. They include a new roof, new windows and a new HVAC system for a...
Live wires impede crash rescue efforts on Route 130 in Penn Township
First responders shut down part of Route 130 in Penn Township Wednesday night as they worked to free a person from a vehicle surrounded by live wires, according to Westmoreland County 911. The crash near the intersection of Pleasant Valley Road happened around 8:25 when the vehicle struck a power...
Man suspected of Sheraden Park assault surrenders after SWAT standoff
A police chase of an alleged assault suspect culminated in a SWAT standoff in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood Wednesday night, officials said. A woman called 911 from a residence to report that she was assaulted in Sheraden Park at about 5 p.m., Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said. The woman...
Medical examiner IDs North Side woman killed in Perry South crash
A 28-year-old North Side woman died Tuesday when her vehicle struck a tree in Pittsburgh’s Perry South neighborhood. Shronda Watkins was identified as the driver in the crash, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said. The crash, which did not involve any other vehicles, happened at about 10 p.m. Tuesday,...
Veterans Affairs: Direct deposit, periodic review recommended to get most out of benefits
U.S. Veterans Affairs officials are urging those who receive veterans benefits to sign up for electronic deposits to avoid extra fees and lower the risk of identity theft. During a dial-in virtual meeting Wednesday, Under Secretary for Benefits Paul Lawrence told former military members in Pennsylvania to consider switching from...
Passenger killed in South Side Slopes crash ID’d as 55-year-old woman
The woman killed Monday morning in Pittsburgh’s South Side Slopes after the minivan she was riding in collided with a concrete mixer truck has been identified as Roberta Leonard, 55. the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said Wednesday. A residence for Leonard was not provided in the medical examiner’s initial...
Derry lifts boil water advisory
The water in Derry is safe to drink again. The Derry Borough Municipal Authority lifted a boil water advisory on Wednesday that was put in place following a Sunday evening water main break. The break at the corner of East Second Avenue and South Chestnut Street caused some residents to...
Southmoreland High School closing due to coronavirus cases
Southmoreland High School is shutting down for five days after two people tested positive for the coronavirus, the district announced Wednesday. The district was informed of the latest positive test this week. Officials have not disclosed whether the infected people are students or staff members. The high school will close...
Westmoreland approves poll changes in wake of coronavirus concerns
Seven polling sites in Westmoreland County will be relocated for the Nov. 3 general election amid concerns related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. All 307 voting precincts will be open, but a handful — which could not meet safety protocols or are located near senior housing communities prohibited from hosting...
More businesses, music, food in store for 2nd Tarentum Night Market
There’s going to be more businesses, more food and more music at the second Tarentum Night Market on Thursday. The once-a-month event, held on the third Thursday, is intended to draw shoppers into the borough’s business district by having participating businesses stay open later, from 5-8 p.m. The first market...
Allegheny Valley schools superintendent wants K-6 students back in classroom
Allegheny Valley School District Superintendent Pat Graczyk is proposing expanded in-person learning at Acmetonia Elementary School. “I’m asking the board for our elementary students (K-6) to come back four days a week for in-person learning starting on Oct. 26,” he said. Under Graczyk’s proposal students would be in classrooms Monday,...
Westmoreland Christian Academy holds memorial 5K for late principal
Jordan Tomson found a way to combine two of his passions when he established the annual Westmoreland Christian Academy 5K. Tomson was an avid runner, and the race raised money for students at the small Hempfield private school where he served as principal for the last 10 years. On Saturday,...
Sunrise Elementary School reports 5th coronavirus case
An additional staff member at Sunrise Elementary School in the Penn-Trafford School District has tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total count to five, the district announced Wednesday. No positive student cases have been reported. Sunrise closed Oct. 8. It will stick with its plan of reopening Oct. 22 despite...
Westmoreland bus driver tests positive for virus
A Westmoreland County Transit Authority bus driver has tested positive for coronavirus, officials said Wednesday. Authority Executive Director Alan Blahovec said the driver was last worked Monday and drove an undisclosed route. Transit officials were notified Tuesday about the positive test result and the driver will remain off the job...
Allegheny County officials attribute slowed covid rise to mask cooperation
Allegheny County officials on Wednesday said they are keeping an eye on the local increase in covid-19 cases, but they aren’t panicking. “This slow increase should remind us that things aren’t getting better in Allegheny County,” Health Director Debra Bogen said Wednesday. “But they also aren’t getting substantially worse, as...
Greater Latrobe decision to keep schools open amid covid-19 cases draws flak
Greater Latrobe School District’s decision to continue in-person instruction while reporting new covid-19 cases among students has prompted an email response protesting the decision. The anonymous email, signed “The Parents of the Greater Latrobe School District,” was sent to Superintendent Georgia Teppert on Wednesday. It charged that administrators failed to...
O’Hara doctor wins 2020 Rising Star Award from Department of Veteran Affairs
A local doctor has received an honor from the Department of Veterans Affairs for her innovations in education. Dr. Deborah DiNardo, 38, the director of women’s health at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System and a resident of O’Hara, was awarded the VA’s 2020 David M. Worthen Rising Star Award. The national...
3 covid-19 cases identified in Kiski Area schools; no closures planned
Three cases of covid-19 have been identified in the Kiski Area School District in recent days. Superintendent Tim Scott said the district was in the process of consulting with the state Department of Health concerning the next step after a staff member at Kiski Area Upper Elementary tested positive. While...
