Western PA Local News category, Page 227
Green Party’s Gilliland exits Allegheny County Council race
The 2025 Allegheny County special election has one less candidate running for the County Council at-large seat, after Green Party member Theron Gilliland Jr. withdrew his candidacy following accusations of submitting papers with insufficient nomination signatures. Gilliland submitted 163 double-sided papers containing a total of 5,302 signatures supporting his running...
Plum students head back to the classroom
Students in Plum School District returned to the classroom on Wednesday for the beginning of the 2025-26 school year. Several pupils at Pivik Elementary School, which hosts kindergarteners through fourth graders, sprinted off the bus in anticipation. Over the summer, the district began planned improvements at Plum Middle School and...
Monroeville officials, residents await more details on mall redevelopment plans
Monroeville residents who want more information on the future of the Monroeville Mall property will have to wait a bit longer, municipal officials said this month. “Nothing has been submitted to the municipality whatsoever, no plans, no drafts,” said Mayor Nick Gresock of Walmart’s proposal to redevelop the 186-acre mall...
Penn Hills students return for 2025-26 school year
Penn Hills students donned their backpacks and pencil cases as they returned to the locker-lined halls on Aug. 19. Elementary, middle and high school students were greeted with open arms following a series of back-to-school welcome events leading up to the first day, including a PHamily Fun Fest on Aug....
Lifeguard recognized by Scott commissioners for response to medical incident
Carter Wells, a lifeguard at the Scott Township Swimming Pool, was recognized by the township’s board of commissioners for his care assisting a pool patron suffering from a heat-induced illness earlier this summer. Township officials awarded Wells, 16, a proclamation for his efforts during a meeting Aug. 12. Wells said...
New crisis protocols in place at Gateway School District
The first day of classes for Gateway School District students in Monroeville is Thursday, and safety was top of mind at this week’s school board meeting. Superintendent Guy Rossi discussed standard response protocol, which he described as a new language that the district is using to distinguish crisis situations, detail...
Movie producer pleads guilty to stabbing, stalking wife in South Fayette
An actor and movie producer pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to stabbing his wife nearly three years ago at her South Fayette home. John Mowod, 61, will be sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Thomas E. Flaherty on Nov. 19 on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment....
Carnegie Mellon president discusses finances ahead of town halls
Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian announced Wednesday that he will hold two town halls next month as he detailed the university’s financial status in a letter to students and faculty. “These forums will allow me and our leadership team to share more about the university’s short-term plans and long-term...
Penn Hills officials appoint acting police chief
On the heels of Ronald Como’s retirement from the Penn Hills police chief position, municipal officials have appointed an acting police chief. Officer Jason Bonace was called upon for the position. “Penn Hills has the largest municipal police force outside of the city of Pittsburgh. We have the largest municipality...
New name, new vibe on tap for Harrison’s Anchor Inn
A pair of well-known restaurateurs are setting their sights on Harrison, seeking to revive the popular Anchor Inn that closed in May. Corey Pistininzi and Sean Watson, owners of BotL in New Kensington and National Public House in Leechburg, purchased the building and are wading through details for a new...
Rosedale Beach Club prepares for 9th annual Rosedale Fall Festival
Dani Scott was raised at the Rosedale Beach Club in Penn Hills. “My parents moved to Rosedale 54 years ago. … I swear my mom picked the house because of the pool,” said Scott, 51. After being on the board for 15 years, she now serves as the Rosedale board...
South Fayette Township School District starts police force
The South Fayette Township School District has created its own police department and hired Michael Ziemianski as its first officer. Ziemianski, 41, of Canonsburg, is a major in the Army National Guard and has served for the past year as a resource officer with the Fort Cherry School District. He...
Teachers, substitutes, coaches appointed in Burrell
Burrell School Board made a bevy of personnel moves this week as it gears up for the first day of school Sept. 2. Hirings include Vanessa Bauer, a middle school math teacher who will be paid $63,979; and Kayla Farrah, a high school nurse to be paid $48,447. Nicholas Klukaszewski...
Lower Burrell Council OK’s vehicle sales, purchase
Lower Burrell Council has approved the sale of three used vehicles and the purchase of a new one. Two of the vehicles are police vehicles that brought in a total of $15,100. Both are Ford Explorer Police Interceptor models, 2017 and 2020. The winning bid of the 2020 Interceptor, submitted...
Shaler fire company suspends 3 of 5 members accused of answering call while drunk
Three members of a Shaler volunteer fire department are suspended following allegations they were part of a crew that responded to a call under the influence of alcohol earlier this month. A total of five members of the Undercliff Volunteer Fire Company were involved in the Aug. 2 incident. Of...
Murrysville church will host blood drive
Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church in Murrysville will host a blood drive in partnership with the American Red Cross. It will be from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the church, 4600 Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville. Donors can schedule an appointment by calling 800-733-2767 or visiting RedCrossBlood.org — enter...
Murrysville area: Blood drive, upcoming meetings, car show
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Upcoming public meetings • Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority board, 6 p.m. Aug. 21 at the authority offices, 3001 Meadowbrook Road in Murrysville. For more, see FTMSA.org. • Export council, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 2 at the borough building, 5821 Washington Avenue. An...
Former head of New Kensington’s Spartaco club charged with stealing cash, property deed
The former president of the Spartaco Sporting Club is facing charges after, New Kensington police say, he stole assets from the organization to settle a debt he believes he’s owed. Glenn Hofer, 82, of New Kensington was charged Tuesday with theft, burglary, forgery and tampering with a public record. Hofer...
Chartiers Valley sophomore sinks hole-in-1
Ryan Viola accomplished the rarest feat in golf during Chartiers Valley’s match Aug. 8. The CV sophomore sunk a hole-in-one at Fort Cherry Golf Club’s fourth hole during the team’s match against Shaler Area. Viola used his 9-iron on the 155-yard hole. According to the National Hole-in-One Registry, the odds...
Woman identified who died after a fire at Brighton Heights senior apartment complex
The woman who died following a fire Tuesday night at a senior apartment complex in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood has been identified. The victim was Linda M. McCallister, 70, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. Firefighters responded to the blaze at 8:15 p.m. at Riverview Manor along Letort...
Pittsburgh Mills citations appealed, headed to court in September
Frazer will be waiting a bit longer to see if it gets any of the $1.8 million in fines levied against the owners of the Pittsburgh Mills mall. The Mills’ owner, Namdar Realty Group, is appealing the citations. District Judge Michael Girardi handed down the penalties during a July 17...
The Stroller, Aug. 20, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Monthly Fridays on Fifth...
10 years after landmark ruling, same-sex marriage faces a new challenge
When Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, local constitution experts told TribLive it signaled the U.S. Supreme Court’s willingness to roll back other privacy rights, including contraception, same-sex relationships and gay marriage. Now, three years later, local constitutional law scholars say just four votes are needed for the justices...
Body of woman found in Monongahela River earlier this month identified
The body of a woman recovered from the Monongahela River on Aug. 12 has been identified. Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said the deceased person was 24-year-old Amelie Umurerwa from Forest Hills. The report released Tuesday evening does not state cause or manner of death. First responders were River Rescue...
$8M Burrell High School heating and cooling project awarded; Bon Air work on hold
Burrell School District officials are moving forward with a roughly $8 million heating and cooling project for Burrell High School but will go back to the drawing board for a similar project at Bon Air Elementary. The contract for the HVAC improvements at Burrell High School, awarded Tuesday by the...
