Local category, Page 2328
Pandemic takes toll on Derek Kotecki golf fundraiser, but event trucks on
Because of the covid-19 pandemic, organizers will make $8,000 less on the Ninth Annual Officer Derek Kotecki Golf Tournament at Hill Crest Country Club on Saturday. The golf outing honors the memory of Lower Burrell Police K-9 Officer Derek Kotecki, who was killed in an ambush in 2011. The golf...
Indiana Township woman who killed FBI agent seeks compassionate release after contracting coronavirus
The woman who shot and killed an FBI agent as he attempted to serve an arrest warrant at her home in Indiana Township in 2008 is asking for compassionate release from prison because she is still recovering from a covid-19 infection. Christina Korbe, who is serving a 15-year sentence at...
Monroeville restaurants struggle with covid restrictions
Layoffs, sickness and changing rules — it’s all part of the game right now if you own a restaurant or bar. In Monroeville, these types of businesses have been hurting. For some, it’s been tempting to scrap the ever-changing rules and regulations to follow their own. But most have chosen...
Mayor Peduto shakes up Pittsburgh police units after escalating clashes with protesters
Pittsburgh Police Special Response Teams trained in traditional crowd-control tactics will no longer be the first line of response during protests, Mayor Bill Peduto announced Friday, two days after police clashed with protesters just blocks from his front door. It’s one of a number of changes Peduto laid out in...
Auditor general: Brighton Rehab refused to let state watchdog examine the nursing home’s finances
Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center blocked the state’s chief fiscal watchdog from examining the Beaver County nursing home’s financial records earlier this year, Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said . DePasquale disclosed Brighton Rehab’s refusal to cooperate — or even take an initial meeting to discuss the possibility of cooperating...
Pittsburgh school board member forgets to turn off camera as she showers during virtual meeting
A Pittsburgh Public Schools board member learned the hard way Wednesday the mishaps that can happen in virtual meetings. Veronica Edwards was accidentally seen disrobing and stepping into the shower during the district’s public online agenda review meeting, which was streamed live. “Hopefully, someone can learn from my experience and...
Early Pittsburgh punk band Little Wretches release album recorded in 2001Video
When Robert Wagner got into the music business, he didn’t know how to hook up a microphone. He hadn’t even been to a live concert. But he knew it was something he wanted to continue for the rest of his life. “I know some of these people are going get...
Gilpin woman lives in subterranean house that she designed, built
Can you dig it? Judy Quick can. The 77-year-old Gilpin woman lives in a custom-built, subterranean home. “I mow my roof,” Quick said while giving a tour of her unorthodox three-bedroom, two-bathroom home that’s on more than 11 acres in rural Armstrong County. She said advantages of underground living include...
South Huntingdon man accused of threatening mother, firing gun after troopers arrived
A 30-year-old South Huntingdon man was arrested Thursday after allegedly threatening to shoot his mother with a 9 mm handgun and then firing the gun outside as state troopers arrived at the scene. Andrew C. Cyktor was arraigned before District Judge Chris Flanigan in night court on multiple charges of...
Greensburg’s new Green Beacon Gallery aims to encompass art, music, more
Three young entrepreneurs have ambitious plans for a new art and music space in downtown Greensburg. The name is painted on the window and art already fills the walls of the Green Beacon Gallery at 235 W. Pittsburgh St., but there’s no date yet for when the doors will open....
2 Pittsburgh-area restaurants closing: Larder of East End and Mt. Lebanon’s The Fairlane
Pittsburgh’s restaurant scene continues to endure losses as Larder of East End and Mt. Lebanon’s The Fairlane will close their doors permanently this weekend. Larder is a collaborative venture between chef Justin Severino and his partner Hilary Prescott, and East End Brewing Co. owner and head brewer Scott Smith. The...
Witness’ credibility left up to judge to decide in Bolivar man’s murder appeal
A defense attorney for a Bolivar man serving 30 years in prison for the 2011 murder of his newborn daughter wants a judge to decide the credibility of a witness who recently came forward with potentially exculpatory evidence. If jurors in Clayton Mibroda’s 2013 trial had heard from the new...
Troopers: Intruder jailed after making threats against Unity homeowner
A Unity man said he discovered a woman inside his home Wednesday who initially refused to leave and then threatened to kill him, state police said. Troopers said when the Lightcap Road homeowner told Lisa M. McCracken, 56, also of Unity, to get out of his house about 8:45 p.m....
Loyalhanna woman sentenced to house arrest, probation in $127K theft from Greensburg electric firm
A Loyalhanna Township woman was sentenced Friday to seven years of probation for taking nearly $127,000 from her former employer. Deborah L. Baker, 53, told Judge Christopher Feliciani that the money went to support her husband’s painkiller addiction. “This money was being siphoned off solely for his habit,” attorney Dennis...
Musicians from Western Pa., other states booked for Latrobe’s virtual banana split festival
Musicians from the region and beyond are lined up for Tuesday’s virtual Great American Banana Split Celebration in Latrobe. Because of pandemic restrictions on large gatherings, the annual festival this year won’t have any public participation in downtown Latrobe. Instead, it will feature a day of entertainment and activities streamed...
Travelers left more than $5,000 behind in Pittsburgh airport security bins last year
Travelers passing through Pittsburgh International left behind more than $5,000 at security checkpoints in one year, part of more than $900,000 that travelers nationwide forgot before their flights during that time. The Transportation Security Administration’s report on cash left behind at security checkpoints runs from fiscal year Oct. 1, 2018,...
Westmoreland County reports 18 new coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County had 18 new cases of covid-19 Friday, according to the state Department of Health. The county’s total cases are now 1,696 with 1,643 confirmed and 53 probable. The seven-day average for the county is 15 cases. Westmoreland has reported 287 coronavirus cases so far in August. Westmoreland County...
Sardis Road reopens in Murrysville following crash near municipal buildingVideo
Emergency crews transported a female patient from the scene of a one-car crash late Friday morning on Sardis Road in Murrysville. The crash, which was reported shortly before 11:30 a.m. near the Murrysville municipal building, involved an SUV which struck the guard rail before getting stuck on it, according to...
Defense seeks court’s help to get ballistics evidence in Loyalhanna murder case
Attorneys for an Indiana County man on death row for murdering three family members sought the court’s help on Friday to get firearm evidence to their ballistics expert. Attorney Brian Aston said he needs a court order to get evidence from the clerk of courts, state police and possibly the...
Irwin restaurant opens amid pandemic; state restrictions hurt eateriesVideo
Candy Zambo says it was just her luck that she tried to open a restaurant in downtown Irwin in midst of a pandemic. “I’ve wanted to do this. I’ve always loved the restaurant industry,” Zambo said, undeterred by the circumstances surrounding the opening of Candy’s Corner Cafe at 435 Main...
Allegheny County’s 7-day average of coronavirus cases drops to lowest since June
Allegheny County’s seven-day average of new covid-19 cases on Friday dropped to 68 as 80 new instances were reported. It’s the lowest average recorded since late June. The seven-day average peaked at 206 on July 17 and has been steadily dropping. The county’s total cases are now 9,756. Of those,...
UPMC East emergency department doubling capacity
UPMC East in Monroeville said Friday it is expanding its emergency department and doubling its capacity to accommodate patients. The hospital will begin using the new space on Aug. 24. The $24 million emergency department expansion adds 30,000 square feet to UPMC East. With the renovation, the number of private...
Homewood man sentenced to 30-60 years in prison in 2017 attempted homicide, robbery
A Homewood man will spend 30-to-60 years in prison for shooting and robbing a woman in 2017. Jawan Johnson was sentenced Wednesday before Judge Randal Todd. A jury convicted him in February on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and robbery. Police arrested Johnson in July 2017. Johnson was charged...
Students, faculty virtually celebrate Pitt’s 100th Lantern Night
It’s one of the oldest traditions on the University of Pittsburgh campus. Each year for the past century, freshman women have gathered on the eve of the first day of fall classes for Lantern Night, when alumnae symbolically pass the Light of Learning on to the next generation of Pitt...
Highlands changes property tax due dates, extends discount time
Property owners in Highlands School District have more time to pay their school property taxes at a discounted rate. Act 75 of 2020 allows school districts to extend their property tax discount and base periods and waive penalties through June 30, 2021. It’s at each school board’s discretion what to...
