Local category, Page 2351
Allegheny, Westmoreland school districts reveal plans for upcoming classes
In March, school districts across the state were ordered closed by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to help curb the spread of coronavirus. Now, they are now developing new health and safety protocols in an effort to restart instruction in the coming weeks. Some will begin with online instruction, some will...
Franklin Regional pushes back start date, modifies reopening plansVideo
The Franklin Regional School District has modified its plan for the 2020-21 school year and pushed back its start date to Sept. 8 after officials said new state health guidelines made it impossible to properly maintain social distance at its high school. Students up through eighth grade will have three...
Allegheny Land Trust receives more grant funding toward acquisition of former Churchill Country Club
A conservation project to preserve the defunct Churchill Valley Country Club for public recreation and environmental education recently received a $300,000 grant. Donations acquired within the past few months toward the green space project in Penn Hills and Churchill include $25,000 from the Sierra Club, $125,000 from the Colcom Foundation...
Penn Hills assisted living facility brightens up with art from the BOB ProjectVideo
Residents at a Penn Hills assisted living facility will have brighter days thanks to some district students and staffers. Middle and high school students involved with the charity Bring out the Best Project, also known as the BOB Project, brought some color to Seneca Manor this week. They painted butterflies,...
Bethel Park scraps full in-person learning, leaning toward some in-school days, some days online
Three weeks before school is scheduled to start, the Bethel Park School Board is changing course on how it will reopen to students and teachers. It’s scrapping its plan for a full return to the classroom. The board expects to decide on a different plan Tuesday, Aug. 11, according to...
O’Hara Council: Squaw Valley Park is now O’Hara Township Community Park
People watching the O’Hara Council meeting online via Zoom on Tuesday night erupted in cheers and applause following a vote to rename Squaw Valley Park. Council voted 6-1 to rename the site O’Hara Township Community Park, bringing a swift resolution to a two-month heated debate over removing the word Squaw...
Restaurants and bars banding together to give Gov. Wolf an ultimatum
Restaurant and bar owners plan to issue a threat to Gov. Tom Wolf later this week: “We’re going to stand together and open up at 100%,” said Rod Ambrogi, a restaurant owner in Bethel Park. The warning comes nearly two weeks after 42 politicians formally asked Wolf through signed letters...
High school bands eager to march on through pandemicVideo
The high school marching band’s drum line heralds the start of a fresh school year. Chris Snyder, band director at Deer Lakes High School, wasn’t going to let a pandemic kill that tradition. Since March, Deer Lakes students — like high schoolers nationwide — haven’t participated in school events, seen...
Heinz History Center is part of national collaboration for ‘Made By Us’ initiative
When Senator John Heinz History Center learned about the chance to collaborate with other museums to present U.S. history — geared to the younger generation, giving them a platform to express their thoughts — the center’s president and CEO, Andy Masich, jumped at the opportunity. The history center has teamed...
Garden club honors suffrage movement with appropriately colored flowers
This month marks the 100th anniversary of the day the 19th Amendment became law in the United States. On Aug. 26, 1920, following a battle seven decades long, American women were granted the right to vote. Not everyone is aware that suffragists adopted purple, white and yellow as the colors...
Virtual banana split fest takes shape; participants sought
Plans for a pie-eating contest and art activities are firming up as Latrobe prepares for its first virtual banana split festival. With less than a month until this year’s online edition of the annual Great American Banana Split Celebration, set for National Banana Split Day on Aug. 25, the Greater...
Franklin Regional campus sees 2nd waterline rupture in 6 months
Franklin Regional facilities manager Jim Heck will seek school board approval later this month to replace a fire hydrant near the district’s high school after a six-inch waterline on the campus recently ruptured, the second line to do so in the past six months. “One was the main waterline to...
Westmoreland sheriff uses antibody tests to screen deputies for coronavirusVideo
Westmoreland County deputy sheriffs won’t have week-long waits to determine if they’ve been infected with the coronavirus. Sheriff James Albert said Tuesday his office secured up to 50 rapid antibody tests that his staff will use as a diagnostic tool to determine the likelihood of exposure to the virus. “As...
Police arrest Delaware County man for returning to North Apollo home from which he was banned after assault
A Delaware County man previously charged with domestic assault was arrested Tuesday after he was found hiding inside a North Apollo home where the assault occurred, according to police. Police said Devante Grant, 21, of Lansdowne isn’t allowed in the Allison Avenue home because he previously assaulted a woman who...
Man detained after shooting near Wilkinsburg school, victim in critical condition
A 26-year-old man was taken to the hospital in critical condition Tuesday afternoon after he was shot near an elementary school in Wilkinsburg, according to Allegheny County Police. Police said they detained a 29-year-old man who they believe was responsible for the shooting. They did not identify him. The shooting...
Heinz Field Kickoff and Rib Fest canceled
There will be no ribs slathered in barbecue sauce over Labor Day weekend on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. The annual Heinz Field Kickoff and Rib Fest has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Tuesday. The five-day festival had been scheduled to start Sept. 3 and run through Sept....
Roof project at New Kensington-Arnold elementary school more than doubles in size, cost
A project to replace part of the leaking roof at Roy A. Hunt Elementary has more than doubled in size and cost to include all of the school’s roof. New Kensington-Arnold School Board member Steven Sorch, who voted against the project’s enlargement, said he had no idea how the district...
Victim in New Kensington witness intimidation trial says she fears for her life
A New Kensington woman testified Tuesday she fears for her safety after her cooperation with investigators was publicly disclosed during the prosecution of a man sentenced to death for the murder of a police officer. Tasha Williams, 39, told a Westmoreland County jury her life may still be in jeopardy...
Census Bureau announces date change for in-person counts
Local communities could be left scrambling after the Census Bureau confirmed there will be one less month to collect population counts vital for determining how federal funds are dispersed and the number of representatives each state has in Congress. The final date for collecting the once-a-decade survey is Sept. 30...
U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb: Investigate state health department over coronavirus oversight at Brighton Rehab
U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb on Tuesday renewed his criticism of the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County, calling for an additional investigation into how the Pennsylvania Department of Health oversaw the facility during the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter dated Monday to the federal Centers for Medicare &...
Greensburg plans 5 Star Trail renovations
Greensburg is planning a $389,000 project to improve the Five Star Trail, making the popular running and biking destination more accessible to city residents. “We’re basically trying to improve the connections between the neighborhoods that are adjacent to the Five Star Trail,” said Jeff Richards, Westmoreland County parks planning coordinator...
West Deer police to go forward with golf outing fundraiser despite pandemic
The West Deer Police Department plans to hold its annual golf outing this month despite the coronavirus pandemic that has prompted many organizations to cancel similar fundraising events. “We’re actually very excited,” police Chief Jon Lape said. “Whatever it takes and however we have to social distance and all that,...
Pennsylvania Education Secretary Rivera to step down in October
Pennsylvania’s top education official plans to step down from his position in early October, the state announced Tuesday. Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera’s departure comes during the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing uncertainty for schools making their plans for the fall. According to a news release, Rivera will become president of...
Municipal officers will still have a role in Fox Chapel Area School District plans
Fox Chapel Area officials and local governments are sorting out responsibilities for district police coverage now that budget reductions have eliminated municipal officers from working in district buildings in 2020-21. Municipal officers still will have a role during high school sports and other activities, officials said. O’Hara Officer Ben Wolfson...
New slides at Mammoth Park temporarily shut down amid claims of injuriesVideo
Jamie Crise was happy to hear Tuesday that Westmoreland County officials temporarily shut down new slides at Mammoth Park after her 10-year-old daughter was hurt there last month. The girl ended up with a brush burn on her shoulder and bruises, leaving the Mt. Pleasant Township mother with concerns about...
