Western PA Local News category, Page 2340
Free trees, shrubs, native plants to Buffalo Creek watershed residents
The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is offering free trees, shrubs and native plants to residents of the Buffalo Creek watershed, particularly those who live along a creek or stream. Considered to be one of the wildest, untouched natural areas in the Pittsburgh region, the Buffalo Creek watershed covers about...
Pitt researchers begin new drug trial to test covid-19 treatments
Emily Evans was looking for a clinical trial to enroll in. The 28-year-old internal medicine resident at UPMC contracted covid-19 in early September after visiting family. She began experiencing headaches, dehydration, body aches and a lingering cough – as well as the loss of taste and smell that’s come to...
Lower Burrell police to be among 1st to undergo ‘legitimacy’ training at IUP
The Lower Burrell Police Department will be among the first in the region to take a new seminar at Indiana University of Pennsylvania Police Academy focusing on the concept of police legitimacy. The concept deals with the degree to which the public is willing to support and cooperate with police...
Seton Hill gets $1.7 million federal grant for students in need
Seton Hill University got a $1.7 million federal grant to benefit students who need a helping hand. The money will fund the university’s TRIO Student Support Services program for the next five years. Many universities have federally funded TRIO programs. Seton Hill’s was established in 1979. The program helps students...
Plea bargain for yawning defendant nixed by Westmoreland County judge
A Pittsburgh man’s yawns during a court hearing Friday prompted a Westmoreland County judge to reject a proposed plea bargain in which the man would plead guilty to charges related to an armed robbery last year in Jeannette. Jamar Miles, 19, of Pittsburgh, was expected to receive a sentence of...
Here is what happens if President Trump becomes too ill to serve
If President Donald Trump becomes too ill to serve as he battles covid-19 — either in his own opinion or that of Vice President Mike Pence and the cabinet — the Constitution would come into play. Brian Kalt, a law professor at Michigan State University, is the author of a...
Pittsburgh road rage incident ends in gunfire on Banksville Road
A road rage incident in Pittsburgh’s Banksville neighborhood ended in gunfire Friday, sending two people to the hospital, police said. The incident happened about 12:15 p.m. on Banksville Road near the Eat n’ Park and Days Inn. Police said they believe the driver of a silver pickup truck ran the...
Duquesne University reports 13 new covid cases in a day
Duquesne University has confirmed 30 cases of covid-19 on campus this semester – nearly half of which occurred Thursday in what officials called a “focused increase.” The university recorded 13 new cases among students in one day this week, marking the highest daily total for campus cases this semester. An...
Greensburg Salem moves ahead with homecoming after last-minute legal decision
Greensburg Salem officials were forced to make quick decisions after a last-minute legal ruling made it uncertain whether the school district could have spectators at Friday’s homecoming game. The district decided to carry on as planned, but separate spectators into three “pods” of no more than 250 people each. “We...
Student tests positive for covid-19 at St. Bede School in Pittsburgh
A first-grade student at St. Bede School in Point Breeze has tested positive for the coronavirus, the school said Friday in an email message, and Director of Catholic Schools Michelle Peduto said. All first-graders at the school will learn virtually for the next 14 days, Peduto said. The school has...
Michael Lynch’s family will remember Monroeville’s ‘first mayor’ as a great father
Monroeville’s “first mayor” was actually first and foremost a father and a husband. Michael Lynch served as the first mayor for Monroeville as a Home Rule charter municipality, having succeeded Ronald Droske in 1978, according to the Monroeville Historical Society. “He wasn’t always around, but he was there for us...
Derry Area OKs full-time return to secondary classrooms, cites rise in course failures
Students at Derry Area’s middle school and high school could return to classrooms full-time this month, according to a revised health and safety plan approved by the school board. The board voted 5-2 Thursdayto provide in-person instruction for secondary students five days per week, beginning Oct. 12, or on the...
Former Pennsylvania trooper, Army veteran gets probation for falsifying firearms document
A former Pennsylvania State Police trooper convicted this year of falsifying public documents avoided a jail sentence Friday when a Westmoreland County judge said trauma suffered by two overseas military tours were enough to mitigate the need for incarceration. Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger conceded that Chad Corbett, who...
Pittsburgh autonomous vehicle company moving into new headquarters in Strip District
Aurora, a Pittsburgh-based autonomous vehicle company, will be moving into a new headquarters space in the Strip District. They expect to move into the new location at 1600 Smallman Street by the spring, a company spokesperson said. With over 100,000 square feet, the headquarters will house an array of employees,...
Freeport Area High School receives National Blue Ribbon School distinction
Freeport Area High School has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The National Blue Ribbon School distinction recognizes top public and non-public schools annually. Freeport Area High School was one of 367 schools nationwide to earn the title for this year. Principal...
Top stories from across the Lower Valley for the week of Sept. 28Video
Here are some of the week’s top stories from the Lower Valley: - - - Fox Chapel set to open new park Hardie Valley Park, a 17-acre parcel in Fox Chapel, is set to open Oct. 17. Plans are underway for a six-year, $3.3 million development that includes major wetland...
Greater Latrobe to push back start of school day for elementary students
Greater Latrobe elementary students soon will be able to sleep in a little longer. Superintendent Georgia Teppert announced student arrival times at the district’s three elementary schools will be pushed back by about 40 minutes, beginning Oct. 12. Elementary buses have been arriving between 8:20 a.m. and 8:40 a.m., Teppert...
Man arrested in Virginia child sex sting now accused of abusing Westmoreland County teen
A former Fayette County man serving a 20-year prison sentence in Virginia after his 2018 arrest in a child-abuse sting recently was brought to Westmoreland County to face multiple child abuse charges here. Lawrence W. Henry Jr., 48, who most recently lived in Normalville until his Dec. 14, 2018, arrest...
Lower Burrell artist auctioning Josh Bell drawing to help KDKA reporter’s daughter injured in accidentVideo
A Lower Burrell artist who in 2018 auctioned off a portrait of Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby to benefit a scholarship fund honoring a slain police officer is at it again. This time, he’s turned his sights toward helping a young girl’s recovery from a terrible accident. Larry “Klu” Klukaszewski’s...
Dry weather yielded smaller pumpkins, but Myers Pickle Farm in Gilpin has plenty
The roadside blaze of orange along Route 66 in Gilpin means one thing this time of year. Pumpkinpalooza. Every September, Alle-Kiski Valley residents in search of the perfect pumpkin can find their fix at Myers Pickle Farm, a popular produce stand in continuous operation since 1925. Family owned and operated...
Westmoreland County sees largest daily spike in new coronavirus cases
The 54 new covid-19 cases reported Friday in Westmoreland County is the highest daily spike since April 25, when 43 cases were announced. Of the new cases, 52 are confirmed and two are listed as probable by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The new cases bring Westmoreland’s total to 2,353...
Freeport Area confirms covid-19 case among middle school staff
Freeport Area School District officials confirmed Friday that a staff member at Freeport Area Middle School tested positive for covid-19. The individual was last at the school on Sept. 23 and contact tracing did not reveal any close contacts among students or staff. The school will not be closed because...
Hempfield Area leaders call for social distancing during homecoming parade
Hempfield Area leaders are calling for social distancing measures to be maintained at tonight’s homecoming parade. The parade is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Word of Life Church along Route 136 and will travel down the road, ending at Hempfield Area High School. Spectators who line the...
Businesses in Murrysville Star area receive covid relief funds
Businesses across Murrysville, Export and Delmont received covid relief funds awarded by the county last week. Across Westmoreland County, 260 small businesses were awarded grants totaling more than $4.3 million. Grants ranged from a few thousand dollars to a maximum of $25,000. They were funded through $31.5 million in federal...
Norwin-area businesses receive covid relief grant money from county
Small business loans awarded by Westmoreland County commissioners are helping companies in the Norwin area recover from economic setbacks created by the coronavirus pandemic. Across the county, 260 small businesses recently were awarded grants totaling more than $4.3 million. Grants ranged from a few thousand dollars to a maximum of...
