Local category, Page 2289
Fox Chapel Area students earn lofty academic accolades
• Seven Fox Chapel Area High School seniors have been designated as National Merit Semifinalists and 13 have been named Commended Students in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. District semifinalists are Suparna Agrawal, Amulya Garimella, Brendan Gladwin, Ryan Kenyon, Mark Puthenpurayil, Jackson Romero and Vinisha Sant. Commended students are...
‘Explore Your Parks’ program encourages visits, exercise at all 9 Allegheny County parks
When the coronavirus pandemic had towns across the nation closing their community parks, Allegheny County kept its nine parks open to give residents an avenue for outdoor recreation. “Every nice day was like the first day of spring,” said county parks Director Andy Baechle. “We don’t specifically count people, but...
Allegheny CleanWays Plastic Magnet 1 barge scoops up riverfront litter and tires
A new barge to collect trash on Pittsburgh rivers, Plastic Magnet 1, removed 82 tires and more than 4,800 pounds of plastic and other trash from the the Monongahela River during a recent river cleanup. Allegheny CleanWays is midway through a two-week sweep of the Allegheny County portion of the...
Bloomfield art exhibit inspired by unique subject: frozen compost
Artistic inspiration is often found in unlikely places. For New York City artist Erin Treacy, it was in quite a unique place: the bag full of compost sitting in her freezer. “The city has a composting program, but I also have to worry rodents and bugs,” said Treacy, 38. “So...
2 killed in 1-vehicle crash in Forward Township; driver identified
Two people were killed in a one-vehicle crash Friday evening in Forward Township. The driver, Christopher Suss, 37, of Elizabeth, was found dead at the scene by first responders, according to Allegheny County Police. The cause of his death was blunt force injuries to the head, trunk and extremities, the...
Camping World hosting virtual RV show amid massive renovationVideo
Camping World in Allegheny Township is buzzing with activity. Amid ongoing construction for a renovation project, the store is also one of 164 locations nationwide hosting the Ultimate RV Show, a virtual event taking place over the course of five days. The event started Wednesday and is running through Sunday....
Greensburg’s Backyard Games give kids needed exercise, interactionVideo
Ten-year-old Benjamin Brown didn’t like being picked for the same team as his 6-year-old brother, Drew. But there were more than a dozen other area kids for the Greensburg boy to play with in a game of Capture The Flag on Friday evening at Greensburg’s Lynch Field. The city’s recreation...
Gov. Wolf’s on-site alcohol sales order extended an hour to 11 p.m.
Alcohol sales at bars and restaurants won’t have to end until 11 p.m. starting Monday, according to orders for on-site alcohol consumption from Gov. Wolf and state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine. Wolf had earlier said that alcohol sales would be required to end at 10 p.m. Alcoholic beverages must...
Freeport Area School District Foundation golf outing to raise money for classroom grants
The Freeport Area School District Foundation is hosting a golf outing Sunday to support classroom grants for teachers in the district. The annual event raises money to support teachers’ initiatives in the classroom, said Bobbi Jo O’Shell, Freeport Area School District Foundation executive director. Teachers in any of Freeport’s schools...
Deer Lakes approves dual enrollment program with Grove City College
A Deer Lakes senior who wanted to take college courses at Grove City College has opened up that opportunity for other students at her school. The school board on Tuesday approved a memorandum of understanding for a Dual Enrollment Program between the school district and the college, which gives juniors...
Norwin superintendent to explain how district will transition to fully in-school or all online
Norwin officials plan to reveal at Monday’s school board meeting the district’s plans for evaluating how to transition from its hybrid model of two days in school and three days of online learning to either fully in class five days a week or to a completely remote online learning model....
Last four members of Iannelli gambling operation sentenced
The final four people charged last year for their alleged roles in the Iannelli gambling ring that operated throughout western Pennsylvania were sentenced Friday to serve one year probation terms as part of a deal with prosecutors in which their criminal records could ultimately be expunged. Each of the four,...
Big Burrito Restaurant Group has plan to gradually reopen, expand indoor dining
Big Burrito Restaurant Group president Bill Fuller has decided to open more of his eating establishments now that Gov. Tom Wolf announced indoor dining capacity in Pennsylvania restaurants can increase to 50% starting Monday. The openings will be gradual, Fuller said Friday. The plan begins with Kaya opening its Strip...
Coronavirus impacts High Holy Days in Jewish community
In a typical year, members of the Jewish community would’ve dressed up and assembled Friday night at the local temple for two days of services with friends, family and fellow congregants to mark the start of the High Holy Days. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in 2020 are different. Congregations...
Cops: Man sleeping in car in Greensburg found with 47 bricks of heroin, cocaine, anxiety pills and nearly $12K
Greensburg Police doing a routine check of a man asleep in the driver’s seat of his car in a store parking lot Thursday wound up arresting him for illegal possession of 47 bricks of heroin, a plastic bag of cocaine, several hundred Xanax pills and multiple strips of Suboxone. Patrolman...
Carnegie man accused of raping girl in Harrison more than a decade ago
Allegheny County Police charged a 66-year-old man with rape and other offenses after a 17-year-old girl accused him of assaulting her more than a decade ago in Harrison. In addition to rape, police charged Randolph Walker, of Carnegie, with felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor, sexual assault, indecent...
Greater Latrobe eyes HVAC ionization devices to combat covid-19 virus
Greater Latrobe School District is considering investing in a technology that would use building ventilation systems to curb the coronavirus. Proposed installation of Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization devices would cost about $450,000, according to Kurt Thomas, the district’s director of facilities, operations and planning. He said about 150 devices would be...
Police: Phone sex company alerts police to alleged child sex abuse in Brackenridge
A tip from a phone sex company owner resulted in Allegheny County Police charging a 42-year-old Brackenridge man with sexually abusing a 9-year-old boy. According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, John Patrick Godfrey claimed his talk with the phone sex operator was only fantasy, but Allegheny County...
DA: Police justified in killing shotgun-wielding man in New Kensington
Police who fatally shot a man wielding a shotgun in New Kensington in March were justified in the killing, Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck ruled Friday. Marc Morgan, 62, of Upper Burrell, threatened to shoot Black people March 13 and refused to put down the shotgun, lobbing expletives at...
Carnegie Mellon publishes report on sustainability progress
Carnegie Mellon University marked a milestone this week in its efforts toward sustainability, equity and social justice. The university released a new report Wednesday that assesses actions taken to advance Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 objectives adopted by the United Nations. The SDGs, or “global goals,” aim...
Schenley Park’s Columbus statue ‘erases history,’ Pitt professor says
The Pittsburgh Art Commission held a special hearing Thursday to gather public comment on the future of the 62-year-old Christopher Columbus statue in Schenley Park. The statue has been the subject of debate as the city determines whether to remove or replace it. An online petition has garnered more than...
Large, costly hole appears on Leechburg street
Leechburg Council has a unexpected road repair on its hands, and all they know right now is that it’ll probably be expensive to fix. A gaping hole on Second Street and Center Avenue is the result of what Leechburg Mayor Wayne Dobos called a “storm sewer issue.” “The brick manhole...
Panther Prowl walk-a-thon raises money for Christ the Divine Teacher in Aspinwall
A socially distanced Panther Prowl walk-a-thon brought in more than $5,000 for Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy in Aspinwall, with students taking advantage of the outdoor fundraiser to enjoy music, bubbles and a few laps around the park. The walk-a-thon, in its second year, was hosted Sept. 17 at...
Allegheny County Health Department announces walk-in flu shot clinic in Pittsburgh
The Allegheny County Health Department announced that they will be offering flu vaccines beginning next week at the Immunization Clinic in Downtown Pittsburgh. The department will administer walk-in flu shots from 9 a.m. till 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, starting Sept. 21. There will be additional evening hours on Thursdays...
New owner ‘stoked’ for opportunities at former Racquet Club in Monroeville
The vacant Racquet Club in Monroeville will transform into a new-and-improved indoor sports complex under new ownership. Real estate developer Craig Cozza confirmed he bought the former Racquet Club building at 1 Racquet Lane in early September. Cozza is the owner of Cozza Enterprises, which owns several commercial properties in...
