Local category, Page 2267
Spruce Flats Bog plant species include 2 insect-eaters
The soil in a bog consists largely of slowly decaying plant matter. Along with being acidic, it is oxygen- and nutrient-poor, limiting the types of plants that will thrive there. Sphagnum moss provides the living plant layer atop the waterlogged environment. Other common bog plants include reeds, sedges, cranberries, blueberries...
Spruce Flats Bog an often-overlooked natural wonderVideo
Paul Nieman of Ligonier and his yellow Lab, Lily, hike all around Forbes State Forest, but one spot they visit repeatedly is Spruce Flats Bog. On a late summer trek around Laurel Summit State Park, Nieman was going to skip it, but Lily insisted on leading him down the ¼-mile...
The Stroller, Oct. 5, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Valley News Dispatch is compiling a list of autumn events and Halloween parades, parties and trick-or-treat nights. Send an email to cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Haunted Hustle planned Oct. 31 in Lower Burrell The Valley Points Family YMCA Haunted Hustle 5K and 2K Spooky Sprint will be from 9 a.m. to noon...
News briefs: Free flu shots, trail & treat event, restaurant guide, class reunion, pumpkin carving
UPMC St. Margaret and St. Margaret Foundation are hosting a free flu vaccination event for senior citizens and people 18 and older with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease. This is a drive-thru event from 8 to 10 a.m. Oct. 10. Participants should stay...
News briefs: AVETS breaks ground on new facility; recycling event scheduled
Allegheny Veterinary Emergency, Trauma, and Specialty broke ground on its new, 19,000-square-foot veterinary hospital Sept. 24. The building will be located at 2674 Monroeville Blvd., less than two miles from the existing site on Northern Pike. Officials expect the new pet hospital to be operational by early summer 2021. It...
News briefs: Plum announces its 2020 Homecoming Court
The Plum High School Homecoming Court was announced during halftime of the Mustangs’ football game against Highlands High School on Oct. 2. It features Francesca Beighley, Emmalee Karns, Keegan McLean, Julia Vargo, Mia Pampena and Abby Lewis. GOP event planned A GOP Get Out the Vote gathering is set for...
News briefs: Farmers market rolls on in Verona
Verona’s farmers market continues every Thursday through Nov. 19 from 2 to 7 p.m. in Railroad Park next to the borough building along East Railroad Avenue. Vendors include Schramm Farms & Orchards, Jewelry by Susi, Tom’s Candy Co., Up in Suds, Crafted Treasures and Designs by Becka. More vendors are...
News briefs: Free flu shot event scheduled for those with chronic health conditions
UPMC St. Margaret and St. Margaret Foundation are hosting a free flu vaccination event for senior citizens and people 18 and older with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease. This is a drive-thru event from 8 to 10 a.m. Oct. 10. Participants should stay...
4 firefighters hurt battling blaze in Pittsburgh’s South Side
Four firefighters were injured Sunday while battling a blaze on Mt. Oliver Street in Pittsburgh’s South Side, according to public safety officials. Crews responded to a call about 8 p.m., where they rushed to extinguish flames in a third-floor apartment. Firefighters found heavy flames in the back of one of...
Former Homestead church, now an agility course, is still a place to reach a higher powerVideo
When you’re 17 feet in the air about to take a step onto a tight rope, you might need some inner strength. That fortitude is something that can be brought out of you at the Dragon’s Den. Housed in the former historic St. Mary Magdalene Church in Homestead, this ropes...
Frazer police arrest 2 alleged drug dealers, charge 1 with sexual assault, at Pittsburgh Mills hotel
Frazer police arrested two alleged drug dealers at a hotel inside the Pittsburgh Mills mall complex after an employee called 911 to report a woman screaming for help, according to a criminal complaint. Michael Joseph Battaglia, 44, of Wilkinsburg and Andrew Gilbert, 27, of Pittsburgh remained Sunday in the Allegheny...
Pa. agency websites back online after weekend technical issue
A technical issue that affected the online services of multiple state agencies over the weekend appeared to have been fixed as of early Monday. Online Voter Registration and other services on the Department of State, Department of Revenue, Department of Human Services and the Liquor Control Board websites were having...
West Deer couple, neighbor invite people to come and see their haunted housesVideo
If you ask Greg McWilliams why his West Deer house looks like a Halloween paradise, he’ll give you a simple answer: It’s for the kids. “If it was just me and (my wife), we probably wouldn’t do it. It’s all for our kids,” McWilliams said. “We love seeing the smiles,...
Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley holds pet blessing ceremony as new building nears completionVideo
Construction of Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley’s new $1.9 million shelter is nearing completion after being delayed because of the coronavirus. On Sunday, about two dozen dogs and their owners turned out for a pet blessing ceremony at the shelter’s new home along Church Street in New Kensington. Officials with...
Westmoreland County adds 63 new coronavirus cases for 2 days
Westmoreland County saw 63 new cases of covid-19 added to its total Sunday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported. The new cases are for the past two days. The state Department of Health said a technical issue caused a delay in Saturday’s reporting and the need to report a two-day...
Report: Sen. Pat Toomey may not seek reelection
Sen. Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania’s highest-ranking Republican in office, is expected to talk about his future plans Monday. A spokesman for Toomey, R-Lehigh Valley, would not confirm or deny a Sunday report by the Philadelphia Inquirer that he will not seek re-election to the Senate. Toomey will make an announcement at...
Child advocate, horse rescue ranch partner to promote healingVideo
As a survivor of child sexual abuse, Nicole Cermak of Murrysville found herself making an instant connection with Sunday, a 15-year-old mare she fed and worked with as a volunteer at the Pleasant Valley Rescue Ranch. Sunday was about to be sold to a slaughterhouse in the spring of 2017...
Firefighters bring youth prevention message to the streets of GreensburgVideo
Greensburg children got a special visit from firefighters Sunday and a lesson in fire prevention brought right to their doorstep. Volunteers with the city’s fire department delivered plastic fire hats, coloring books and other items to help children learn how to stop fires before they even start. It’s a lesson...
Coroner: Indiana County man run over, killed by heavy equipment
A Northern Cambria-area man was killed Friday when he was run over by heavy equipment at the Indiana County used car dealership where he worked, authorities said Saturday. Randall Scott Mack, 39, whose listed address was in the 1400 block of Tipperary Road, Northern Cambria, died of blunt force trauma,...
A changing story by police on a rural Pa. shooting helped fuel white vigilantes and misinformation
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter. SCHELLSBURG, Pa. — It was a bit after 11 p.m. in late August when Frank Nitty and a group of...
Allegheny County posts 204 coronavirus cases, no deaths over past 2 days
Allegheny County on Sunday reported 204 new coronavirus cases with no new deaths for the past two days. The county has generally stopped posting updates on Sundays, but the daily report was not available Saturday, so a report was issued on Sunday. With the new cases, the county’s total number...
Derry Township man accused of attempted homicide after trip wire found at top of basement steps
A Derry Township man is accused by state police of installing a trip wire at the top of his basement steps this weekend in hopes that a woman there would fall down the wooden staircase, according to court papers. William Joseph Dankesreiter Jr., 60, was jailed Sunday morning on charges...
1 resident, 1 staff coronavirus case added at Westmoreland Manor
One more resident and a staff member at Westmoreland Manor tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday, according to county Commissioner Doug Chew. That brings the total number of affected residents to 83, about a quarter of the population. The Pennsylvania National Guard was brought in last month to take...
4 displaced, 1 firefighter hurt in back-to-back Pittsburgh blazes
A Pittsburgh firefighter was hurt Saturday and four people displaced as city firefighters spent the afternoon battling two residential fires in the Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood, according to Pittsburgh Police. The first fire was reported just before 1:15 p.m. on Lincoln Avenue, according to spokeswoman Cara Cruz. Four people were treated at...
Level Green Elementary closes for 14 days after 2 more coronavirus cases
Two more staff members at Level Green Elementary School have tested positive for the coronavirus and the building will be closed for 14 days, according to Penn-Trafford School District Superintendent Matt Harris. In a message sent to parents Saturday, Harris said the new cases bring the total count at the...
