Local category, Page 2370
Ross commissioners fill vacant seat, draw ire from candidate
Ross Township commissioners have filled the vacancy for the Ward 8 seat. Frances Salachup was appointed Monday to complete the unexpired term of Jeremy Shaffer, who announced in late May that he was resigning because his family is moving out of the township. Salachup will serve through 2021. In addition...
Deer Lakes plans in-person classes, online instruction for 2020-21 school year
Deer Lakes School District will offer in-person instruction as well as fully online classes when students return for the 2020-21 school year on Aug. 26, officials said. “Please know that we continue to plan for adaptation and change, not perfection, because of the constantly changing situations surrounding the spread of...
19 new covid-19 cases reported in Westmoreland County
There were 19 new coronavirus cases reported in Westmoreland County on Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported. The new reported covid-19 cases follow a recent trend for the county, where cases have ranged from 18 to 21 reported per day over the last four days. No new deaths were...
New Kensington considering dumping garbage hauler as residents’ complaints pile up
A New Kensington councilman claims city residents would be willing to pay more for garbage collection if it meant getting better service. Councilman Todd Mentecki said people from across the city have complained about problems with the city’s new garbage company, County Hauling. After more than six months it hasn’t...
Movers: Murrysville AAUW names new officers for 2020-21
The Murrysville Area chapter of AAUW announced its executive board for 2020-21. Janet Sutton will serve as president, Diane Conway will continue as programs vice-president, Carol Gezon will continue as finance officer, Laura Livingston will serve as membership vice-president and Diane Kaufmann will serve as secretary. Outgoing officers include Celine...
South Greensburg councilman pleads guilty to citation after fireworks incident
A South Greensburg councilman pleaded guilty Monday to a disorderly conduct citation filed by state police regarding a fireworks complaint, according to court records. George Cole, 53, paid $262.25 in fines and costs on the summary offense. Troopers were called to Oak Street July 11 after neighbors reported fireworks were...
Allegheny County reports under 200 new covid-19 cases for 4th straight day
Tuesday marked the fourth consecutive day the Allegheny County Health Department reported fewer than 200 new coronavirus cases. In addition to the 139 new covid-19 cases, there were 8 new hospitalizations and 1 new death reported in the county. The new cases come from 1,501 test results that span June...
Meth lab dump sites ‘fairly common’ on Indiana County’s rural roads
Indiana County’s rural roads have become appealing places for methamphetamine manufacturers to get rid of their illegally used materials, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. It’s become a “fairly common occurrence” for state troopers to find dump sites in remote areas or off dirt roads, said Trooper Cliff Greenfield. The...
Backpack giveaway coming to Western Pennsylvania
The annual School Rocks Backpack Giveaway is set to donate 140,000 backpacks full of school supplies this weekend. Round Room LLC, a Verizon Wireless retailer, announced its TCC and Wireless Zone stores will give away school supplies at over 800 locations nationwide. This year will mark more than 1 million...
ATV riding will soon be permitted on Gilpin roads
People soon will have the ability to ride all-terrain vehicles on Gilpin roads. Township supervisors have long been considering an ordinance that would designate certain township roads to be “joint-use.” Earlier this month, they voted 4-0 to pass such an ordinance. “This has been brought up multiple times in the...
Connellsville chamber cancels ‘Savor the Avenue’
The Greater Connellsville Chamber of Commerce will cancel the Savor the Avenue “Celebrating the Jewel of the Yough” event originally scheduled for Aug. 6, due to ongoing public health risks associated with covid-19. “The safety and health of our guests and restaurant staff comes first,” chamber officials wrote in a...
Norwin students named winners in photography contest
Six Norwin gifted students received awards in the Westmoreland County Gifted Network’s annual spring photography contest. In the middle school, Jacob Osterberg received an honorable mention in the Architecture category, according to the school district. At the intermediate school level, Dylan Reynolds placed second and Riley Reynolds placed third in...
Historic Ohringer building to bring artist colony to Braddock
Gregg Kander doesn’t know when to stop. Just ask those working on his newest project, the rehabilitation of Braddock’s historic Ohringer Furniture building. By late summer, it is expected to house a hand-picked, diverse community of artists living in a space designed to catalyze creativity. The basement will house communal...
Jeannette City Hall closed after employee tests positive for the coronavirus
A Jeannette city employee tested positive for the coronavirus, according to solicitor Tim Witt. City hall will be closed to the public until further notice for cleaning and disinfecting, he said. Officials learned of the positive test Monday. Witt said the employee is being treated and doing well. “Unfortunately, municipal...
No injuries in Fairfield Township house fire
No injuries were reported in a house fire in Fairfield Township Tuesday, according to Westmoreland County 911. The fire started shortly before 4 a.m. in house on the 100 block Center Street that was occupied, a dispatcher said. Firefighters extinguished the blaze within two hours. The Bolivar Volunteer Fire Department...
Police looking for man accused of throwing bricks at officers during Pittsburgh protest
Pittsburgh police are trying to identify a man who allegedly threw bricks at police during a protest in East Liberty on June 1. Images from security footage show a black man wearing a camouflage baseball cap, a “Curators of Hip Hop” t-shirt and Nike Air Max 95 shoes. The incident...
The Stroller, July 21, 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. Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank to stop in Vandergrift As part...
Grant sought to fix flooding problems at Oakmont Commons
Oakmont officials plan to seek a $500,000 grant to help fix flooding problems in the Oakmont Commons housing development. Council unanimously adopted a resolution Monday proclaiming its intent to apply for the funds through the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Flood Mitigation Program. Borough Manager Scot Fodi said the deadline for the...
Former assistant college basketball coach indicted on federal child porn charges
A Blair County man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on several counts of production of child pornography and exploitation of minors. Jacob Kolonis, 27, of Duncansville is the sole defendant in the 16-count indictment unsealed Monday. He’s accused of interstate transmission of an extortion communication, production...
Fire officials: Garage at West Point VFD vandalized
Members of the West Point Volunteer Fire Department in Hempfield are searching for three boys who allegedly vandalized a detached garage housing an antique fire truck. According to a post on the department’s Facebook page, the boys on Saturday broke a glass block window with bricks, entered the building and...
Oakmont retaining wall project along Allegheny River Boulevard could get more expensive
A retaining wall beautification project along Allegheny River Boulevard near the Oakmont and Verona border is underway. Apollo-based Santamaria Landscaping crews are about two weeks into their three-month effort to restore the wall near the viaduct between the two boroughs. Construction signs and traffic cones are used in the morning...
BLM protesters march through Brentwood, Baldwin, Whitehall for Jonny Gammage’s birthdayVideo
Monday marked what would have been Jonny Gammage’s 56th birthday and Camille Redman wanted to do something to commemorate it. Redman, 25, from Pittsburgh’s West End, was born the year Gammage died at the hands of the police and has no memory of the event. But Redman organized a protest...
Hempfield delays vote on school reopening plans
Hempfield school officials postponed a vote on plans for reopening the district this fall. Superintendent Tammy Wolicki during Monday’s board meeting attributed the delay to new guidance released by the state Department of Education which give further details on how to safely reopen with specific recommendations on lunch, recess, busing...
Plum’s Movies in the Park series concludes next month
Plum’s last installment of Movies in the Park this season is set for Aug. 8 at Larry Mills Park. The borough presents “Scoob.” Produced by Warner Animation Group, the film is a modern take on the Scooby-Doo franchise. It tells a story about the lovable mutt and his gang of...
Duquesne University administrator named executive vice president at Saint Vincent College
Officials at Saint Vincent College on Monday announced Jeff Mallory as the new executive vice president. Mallory completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at Saint Vincent and previously served on the staff of the school located in Unity. He has been assistant vice president for diversity, inclusion and student advancement...
