Local category, Page 2303
Plans displayed online for bridge replacement over Route 30 in Hempfield
PennDOT is proposing to replace a bridge in Hempfield that dates from the 1960 opening of the Route 30 bypass around Greensburg. Because of social distancing guidelines related to the covid-19 pandemic, plans for the East Pittsburgh Street bridge project won’t be displayed in the usual in-person open house format....
Halloween parade in Sewickley canceled due to covid-19 restrictions
Quaker Valley Rotary Club’s annual Halloween parade in Sewickley has officially gone the way of most recreational events this year — canceled. Rotary officials went before borough council Tuesday night to discuss their options during the covid-19 pandemic. Scott Zahner, the club’s president elect, said the Rotary has had a...
Bushy Run Lions Club hold annual broom sale in new location
The Bushy Run Lions Club will hold its annual broom sale at a new location Sept. 17-19. The sale will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the parking lot of Schramm Farm and Orchards Store on Harrison City-Export Road in Penn Township. The club will sell household,...
State grant will help stabilize historic New Florence iron furnace
The Ligonier Valley Historical Society plans to use a state grant to help preserve a 19th-century hot-blast iron furnace in New Florence. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Laurel Hill Furnace produced 750 tons of metal during its first year, 1855, and continued in operation for about a...
W&J College sends 26 students home for violating covid-19 guidelines
Washington & Jefferson College has sent more than two dozen students home for violating covid-19 guidelines since the fall semester began, the institution said Wednesday. The semester began Aug. 24. In the past two weeks, 26 students have been asked to return home to continue their studies remotely, according to...
Weekend fracas in Downtown Pittsburgh viewed by some as isolated; others waryVideo
The actions of protesters Saturday on Penn Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh were “an isolated incident,” Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership President Jeremy Waldrup said Wednesday. “We welcome protests, and we understand the needs for folks to get out during these times and demand change,” he said, while adding the public conflicts Saturday...
A little fun in the sun at the O’Block Playground in Plum
Like it or not, warm, sunny days won’t be lasting much longer. That’s why Bryiana Jackson of Monroeville took her daughter, Lyric, 6, to the O’Block Playground on Monroeville Trestle Road in Plum for a little exercise and some fun on Wednesday. The playground is always a hit with younger...
Woman injured in 5-vehicle pileup in I-70 in Hempfield
A woman was injured in a five-vehicle crash in a construction zone on Interstate 70 in Hempfield, according to an official with the Hempfield Fire Department. The crash involved two tractor-trailers, a tri-axle truck and two passenger vehicles. It was reported just after 5 p.m., according to Westmoreland County 911....
Allegheny County officials announce new testing site in Mckeesport, 211 servicesVideo
Allegheny County health officials introduced two new initiatives to help manage covid-19 as schools reopen and fall approaches. The county will open a new covid-19 testing site in McKeesport on Sept. 15. Free testing will be provided, with no need for insurance. Health Director Debra Bogen said county officials chose...
Greensburg man headed to jail for shooting into neighbors’ homes
A former Greensburg man will serve at least 20 months in jail for firing a rifle into the homes of two neighbors last year. Joshua Dowell Miller, 27, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony charge of discharging a firearm into an occupied structure and a misdemeanor reckless endangerment count in...
Iwin police chief resigns; acting chief named
Irwin council named a veteran police officer as the borough’s acting chief after the chief of seven years resigned last month. Chief Roger Pivirotto’s resignation was effective Aug. 20, but he will remain an employee until Dec. 2, Shari Martino, borough manager, said Wednesday. Council accepted Pivirotto’s resignation on Sept....
VP Mike Pence stops in Westmoreland, rallies pro-life voters at Murrysville church
Anti-abortion activists from across the region gathered Wednesday at Cornerstone Ministries in Murrysville as Vice President Mike Pence addressed the kick-off of the Susan B. Anthony List’s campaign to engage pro-life voters in Pennsylvania. The visit to the large, nondenominational church marked Pence’s third appearance with the group. Long a...
Westmoreland provisional ballots discovered after primary won’t be countedVideo
Seven provisional ballots submitted at a Unity poll during the June primary and discovered this summer won’t be counted. Westmoreland County officials rejected those ballots Wednesday after they were formally opened by a reconstituted provisional board. The ballots were found to have been improperly handled at the polls when they...
Experts weigh in on best time to get a flu vaccine
When is the best time to get the flu vaccine? Most medical experts say as soon as possible — and certainly by the end of October. “With the potential for flu and covid-19 co-occurring, we need everyone to take steps to prevent overrunning our health systems,” said state Department of...
Oakmont man pleads guilty to stealing nearly $200K from cyber security company
An Oakmont man who pleaded guilty to stealing more than $190,000 from his employer will serve 18 months of house arrest. Andrew Wolniak, 32, pleaded guilty to theft, receiving stolen property and access device fraud on Tuesday before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Kevin G. Sasinoski. Wolniak worked as a...
Chabad Jewish Center to hand out thousands of free face masks in Monroeville
The Chabad Jewish Center of Monroeville will be giving away thousands of free, cloth face masks over the weekend. The masks, which come in packages of five, will be handed out from the Monroeville municipal building’s parking lot at 2700 Monroeville Blvd. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday...
Jeannette pharmacy enters into price gouging agreement with Pa. attorney general
A Jeannette pharmacy has entered into an agreement with the state Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s office to avoid a potential $13,350 civil penalty and reimburse customers who were overcharged for N-95 masks and hand sanitizer at the start of the pandemic. The attorney general’s office filed the signed assurance compliance...
Jeannette fire chief marks blighted properties to help save lives, procure funding
Red spray paint is appearing on blighted, vacant Jeannette buildings not as an act of vandalism, but as a safety precaution for first responders. The markings — a square containing either an X or a slash mark — alert emergency crews to dangers inside, such as a collapsed floor or...
Delmont Historical Society to host log house cleanup dayVideo
With a host of plans for the log house at Shields Farm, the recently formed Delmont Historical Society will hold a Sept. 19 cleaning day to spruce up the inside and outside. Society member Vicki Walters said the public is welcome to come help clean the house’s interior, as well...
Apollo-Ridge teacher wins state award for teaching real-world applications of geography
A Vandergrift woman who teaches at Apollo-Ridge High School won a state award for teaching how knowledge of geography could be applied to real jobs. Jessica Johns, a social studies teacher, received the 2020 Pennsylvania Geographical Society John J. Katana K-12 Distinguished Teaching Award. “I am very humbled and very...
Monroeville police file charges for drugs, trespassing, other offenses Sept. 3, 4
Monroeville police filed the following charges in District Judge Jeffrey L. Herbst’s office. Charges were filed Sept. 3 and 4 by Monroeville police unless otherwise noted: • Hailey Paige Rose, 24, of Blairsville with possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia. Charges were filed Sept. 3 in connection with...
1st day of school looks different at Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy in Aspinwall
The traditional red carpet welcome looked slightly different at Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy in Aspinwall, but staff at the private elementary school said spirits are high and students are excited to be back in class. “We’ve made all of the necessary adjustments to make the school day safe...
Westmoreland County reports 7 new coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County added seven new covid-19 cases to its total Wednesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The newly reported cases bring the county’s total to 1,914 since the first case was reported March 19. There were no new deaths reported, keeping the county’s total at 49, where it’s...
Pittsburgh principal drops rap video encouraging students during pandemic
The principal of Pittsburgh Miller Pre-K is encouraging students to excel during remote learning — with song. In a video posted Tuesday morning, the school district tweeted a video of Margaret Starkes, “the Rapping Principal,” dropping a few bars of reassurance for students on their first day of school. All...
Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival joins list of pandemic-related cancellations
The Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival annually draws about 80,000 visitors to its South Huntingdon “kingdom,” but not this year. Organizers canceled this year’s festival, citing health and safety concerns related to the covid-19 pandemic and state guidelines that limit large gatherings. Featuring games, shows, a horseback joust and vendors that offer...
