Local category, Page 2368
Pittsburgh council set to enact police reforms before summer recess
A series of police reforms shepherded by Pittsburgh City Councilman Ricky Burgess are set to be considered for final approval next week before council enters its summer recess. Council also will consider approving a pilot program to divert low-level offenders from the criminal justice system to receive social services help...
High-speed police chase ends in Ligonier Township when suspect crashesVideo
A high-speed police chase spanning two counties ended Tuesday when a stolen vehicle the suspect was driving slammed into cars parked at a Ligonier Township restaurant, according to authorities. Gary Austin Blough, 18, of Johnstown nearly hit two vehicles head-on during the westbound pursuit on Route 30, according to court...
Edinboro to remain online this fall; university reverses decision on campus reopening
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, which previously announced plans to reopen its northwestern Pennsylvania campus in August, will remain largely online this fall. Edinboro President Guiyou Huang announced the about-face on Wednesday. “I realize that this news is being sent after many of you have solidified your return-to-campus arrangements, but in...
Pa. Supreme Court refuses to void lawsuit against UPMC over patient’s murder of neighbor
Terrance Andrews, a drug-addicted psychiatric patient, repeatedly told his caregivers at UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside that he was going to kill one of his neighbors. Then, he did it. In May 2008 he slashed 18-year-old Lisa Maas, a Pennsylvania Culinary Institute student, to death with a pair of scissors. Maas’ mother...
Pa. Consumer Advocate: FirstEnergy can’t recover $60 million alleged bribe from customers
FirstEnergy Corp. would not be able to raise electric rates on its 720,000 West Penn Power Co. customers in an attempt to recoup what federal prosecutors say was $60 million in bribes allegedly paid to Ohio power brokers. Prosecutors allege the bribes were paid in an effort to secure a...
Gateway School Board hears complaints of church not practicing social distancing in high school auditorium
The Gateway School Board delayed a vote Tuesday on a rule that would place a moratorium on all indoor district facility rentals, including a one-year rental of the high school’s auditorium to a church. Grace Life Church has come under fire recently as school district parents and residents have criticized...
Where have the fireflies gone in Southwestern Pennsylvania?
Hot and dry weather during most of July has dimmed the light spectacle of fireflies in some urban and other parched landscapes, according to some local experts. Naturalists from the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy report less of a good showing this year of the beetle of summer — the firefly —...
Mt. Lebanon, Greater Latrobe ranked top school districts in Pittsburgh area, Westmoreland
Greater Latrobe is tops in Westmoreland County and among the best school districts across the state, according to the latest rankings in several categories on Niche.com. The Pittsburgh-based site calculates its rankings based on reviews by students and parents and data from the U.S. Department of Education, along with factors...
PWSA announces lower lead levels in Pittsburgh water
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority announced Wednesday that water quality in Pittsburgh has improved. Lead levels in Pittsburgh are now at 5.1 parts per billion, said PWSA Executive Director Will Pickering. This puts Pittsburgh’s levels below the EPA’s limit of 15 parts per billion. PWSA’s most recent test evaluated...
Pennsylvania health department looking to hire more contact tracers, nurses
State health officials are looking to hire more contact tracers and nurses to better control the spread of coronavirus and prepare for any potential surges in covid-19 cases. Contact tracing is the process of identifying, notifying and monitoring anyone who came in close contact with an individual who tested positive...
It’s all fun and games as ‘Boxes of Joy’ distributed to children in Pittsburgh regionVideo
Bringing a little fun and some learning, too, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Reading is FUNdamental (RIF) Pittsburgh and The Education Partnership teamed up to assemble and deliver “Boxes of Joy” this summer. The boxes contain more than $100 worth of items, including sketch books, colored paper, footballs, bug stamp...
Ross police searching for suspects who stole ATM from gas station
Ross Township police are searching for suspects wanted for breaking into a gas station and stealing an ATM. Police say the BP station in the 500 block of Lowries Run Road was broken into around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday and the ATM was taken. The suspects were driving a car that...
Former Jeannette man killed during S.C. robbery attempt
A Jeannette native was killed during an attempted robbery this month in Charleston, S.C. Thomas DiLorenzo, 63, was fatally shot Friday by two teenagers, ages 15 and 16, who demanded money as he and his wife walked downtown, the Post and Courier reported. Police called the shooting an “anomaly” that...
Pitt, Penn State officials support mask wearing efforts, coronavirus mitigation plans
Officials with the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State and Temple University said they are supportive of mask wearing and other mitigation efforts put into place by state officials to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. All three universities plan to offer in-person classes this fall. “Penn State is finalizing...
Pennsylvania hopes to encourage 10,000 landowners to create stream-side buffersVideo
The riparian buffer at the headwaters of Steele’s Run in Murrysville mostly offers aesthetic benefits. But, each year, its physical value will continue to grow as it protects the cold-water fishery stream from erosion, provides shade, cools the stream and offers a habitat for native wildlife. Officials with the state’s...
Vandergrift Artfest moving most events to digital format
Vandergrift’s Artfest was supposed to be a healing experience. The theme, “Take Your Broken Heart, Turn it to Art,” was focused on wellness and mental health. “When we chose that theme, we really just had no idea how our lives would be fractured so badly over the last few months,”...
$10K reward offered for information in shooting death of Derry Township woman
Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information about who fired a gun outside a Derry Township home Monday, killing a woman inside. Anyone with information about the death of Tracy Marie Squib, 52, can contact the nonprofit organization anonymously by phone at 800-4PA-TIPS or through an online...
State police seize about 500 pounds of suspected marijuana during New Stanton traffic stop
Two central Pennsylvania men were arrested Tuesday in New Stanton after state police said they found about 500 pounds of suspected marijuana inside a pickup truck, according to court papers. Chad Ryan Stephens, 31, of Cumberland County, and Sean Michael McCaleb, 32, of Perry County, are being held in the...
Police: Bricks thrown at vehicles from North Belle Vernon I-70 overpass
State police are investigating after bricks were thrown at two vehicles from an overpass on Interstate 70 in North Belle Vernon earlier this month. Troopers said two eastbound tractor-trailer drivers reported the incidents on July 7 at 1:45 and 1:50 a.m. One man had minor injuries from the shattered glass...
1 dead after shooting in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood
A man was killed Wednesday in a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood, according to the city Department of Public Safety. The unidentified man was taken to a hospital in critical condition early Wednesday. His death was reported just before 9 a.m. The city’s Shotspotter detection system registered multiple shots fired...
2nd heat wave in Western Pa. strains power grid but utilities handle extra demand
This summer’s heat has pushed the mercury to 90 degrees and higher for 11 days, prompting people to keep the air conditioners humming day and night. It has also strained the electricity lines carrying power to homes and businesses, area utility companies said. But while the system may be stressed...
The Stroller, July 22, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Is your non-profit organization going to have a fundraiser? Send information to The Stroller at least a week in advance to vndnews@tribweb.com or The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Toy collection scheduled for Toys for Tots Lower Valley Ambulance...
Norwin to unveil reopening plan July 30
With 5,300 Norwin students scheduled to return in about a month, district administrators will inform the school board next week about how they plan to do that safely. Norwin will have “a number of contingencies and we will discuss them in detail,” said Superintendent Jeff Taylor. Those contingencies will depend,...
Riverview School District presents reopening plan
Oakmont and Verona families will have the option of their students returning to schools or continuing online learning as part of Riverview School District’s reopening plan. “We know family circumstances can change, student health can change at any time,” Verner Elementary Principal Tina Monroe said at a virtual town hall...
Leechburg man dies after Gilpin crash
A 26-year-old Leechburg man died Tuesday night after crashing the vehicle he was driving into a tree in Gilpin, according to the Armstrong County Coroner’s Office. Christian Joshua Cuffia lost control of his car on Ice Pond Road, near Shearer Road, around 7:20 p.m. The car traveled about 80 feet...
