Western PA Local News category, Page 2397
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...
RK Mellon Foundation allocates more than $2.5 million in grants to Pa. universities
The Richard King Mellon Foundation recently allocated more than $2.5 million in grants to 12 regional colleges and universities. The grants can be used for a variety of expenses to address the covid-19 pandemic, including ensuring testing for students and staff, personal protective equipment, health care costs, enhanced virtual learning...
DUI, drug cases among those recently handled by Judge Zucco in Plum
District Judge Linda Zucco recently handled the following cases. Charges were filed by Plum police unless otherwise noted. Held for court • Judy Grasinger, 38, of Plum on charges of possession of controlled substances and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. Charges were filed June 17. • Edward Carik...
Jeannette VFW, water authority in long dispute over basement leakVideo
For the last year, Jeannette VFW Post 8240 Commander Frank Drury has spent two hours a week pumping water out of the flooded sub-basement of the club at 111 South 4th St. “Right now, I estimate that we’ve pumped more than 367,800 gallons since August 2019,” Drury said. “That’s with...
Man stable after hitting back of PAT bus on motorcycle in Duquesne
A man was in stable condition after crashing his motorcycle into the back of a Port Authority bus in Duquesne Thursday night. The crash happened around 9 p.m. at Route 837 and Library Road, the Trib’s news partner, WPXI-TV, reported. The 35-year-old man on the motorcycle was heading in the...
The Stroller, Aug. 21, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Small Acts of Kindness Did your neighbor call and check on you, or bring a face mask or groceries? The Stroller wants to recognize those around us who are performing small acts of kindness for others during this stressful time. Send a short, one-paragraph note highlighting someone and how they...
I-79 traffic patterns switching in South Fayette
Motorists traveling along Interstate 79 in South Fayette in southern Allegheny County and in Cecil Township in northern Washington County will experience a shift in lanes beginning Thursday night, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission said. Construction crews will begin shifting the traffic lanes at 8 p.m. Thursday and expect to be...
State hands out $50 million for $3/hour raises for frontline workers
Pennsylvania’s process for determining which companies with frontline workers in the battle against covid-19 will be reimbursed for hiking their workers’ wages by up to $3 an hour through late October has left some health care companies wondering how the decisions were made. “There’s not really a rhyme nor reason”...
Penn Hills School District to feed online, hybrid learners throughout upcoming school year
Penn Hills School District officials have a plan to ensure students stay fed this school year no matter if they come to class or learn online. The first day of school for the estimated 3,100 students is scheduled for Sept. 8. Students coming to class will be split into two...
Ross deer population management program to begin next month with archery hunting season
Ross Township’s inaugural deer population management program kicks off next month in connection with deer archery hunting season. Commissioners in June approved an organized bow hunt on public and private land to reduce the number of deer in the township. About a dozen hunters from Wexford-based Suburban Whitetail Management LLC...
More than 30 weigh in on Unity debate about backyard chicken regulations — some pro, some con
Unity’s supervisors on Thursday heard from more than 30 residents debating whether township zoning regulations should be changed to provide greater allowance for backyard chickens on smaller properties. Jeff and Kristin Kuhns are appealing a zoning violation notice stemming from the 20 chickens they’re raising on less than the minimum...
3 injured in Unity motorcycle crash
Three people are believed to have been injured and a small stretch of Route 982 was closed following a motorcycle crash Thursday night in Unity Township, according to Westmoreland County 911. The crash happened just after 9 p.m. near the intersection of Route 982 and East Mill Street. Latrobe police...
Group stages protest, march in downtown GreensburgVideo
A group of about 40 people held a protest Thursday evening at the corner of Main and Otterman streets in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The group held up signs and chanted slogans invoking victims of police violence in cases such as those that led to the deaths...
Turnpike to close Beaver Valley to Cranberry section for bridge work early Sunday
The Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed between the Beaver Valley and Cranberry interchanges early Sunday so that crews can remove the bridge structures for the new Freedom Road Bridge spanning the toll road at milepost 28 in Butler County. The turnpike will be closed in both directions between the Cranberry...
Big Burrito Restaurant Group reopens some locations
Chef Bill Fuller, president of Big Burrito Restaurant Group, has reopened restaurants Kaya, Soba and Umi. The nine Mad Mex locations in the region have stayed open during the pandemic, Fuller said Thursday, because of the Mar-GO-ritas, takeout and outdoor dining. The restaurants Alta Via and Casbah might open soon...
Lane restrictions slated for Route 28 this weekend
Motorists traveling Route 28 between the Millvale and Highland Park Bridge exits will encounter single-lane restrictions in both directions from 7 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday as crews patch the concrete roadway and repair inlets, PennDOT said. The work is part of an $11.5 million project that is being...
Zoning change in West Deer could clear way for 18-home development
West Deer Supervisors approved a zoning change that could enable a developer to build up to 18 homes in the township. Supervisors voted unanimously Wednesday to rezone a property at 4391 Bakerstown-Culmerville Road from rural estate to rural residential. More homes can be built on properties that are zoned rural...
