Western PA Local News category, Page 24
From South Side to Penn Hills: Vessel Studio Glass finds a new home
Jeannine Hine and her husband, Drew, will be wearing hard hats for the next fews months. The couple are the owners of Vessel Studio Glass, a glassblowing business that sells various handmade creations and offers classes. The couple opened Vessel Studio in 2007 in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood, where they...
England native takes 5th trip across the pond to cheer on Pittsburgh sports teams
Katie Stewart is not your typical Pittsburgh sports fan. In fact, she usually cheers on the Steel City from across the pond — yes, the Atlantic Ocean. Hailing from the English town of Wolverhampton, Stewart, 31, became enthralled with the sports scene in Pittsburgh. She travels yearly to the city...
Pittsburgh Sakura Project readies for peak cherry blossom viewing in North Park
A spring hanami event, a Japanese term for flower-viewing, will be celebrated from 2 to 4 p.m. April 18 along the lake and at Harmony Shelter in North Park, near the boathouse off Pearce Mill Road. The blooming buds are all part of the Pittsburgh Sakura Project, a group of...
Westmoreland happenings: Worship services, Art on the Vine fundraiser, more
Church news • Christ Lutheran Church, 5300 Old Logans Ferry Road, Murrysville, will have a Maundy Thursday worship service at 7 p.m. April 2 and a Good Friday service at 7 p.m. April 3. Easter services will be at 6 p.m. April 4 and 10 a.m. April 5. Details: 412-795-1212....
Norwin area: Bataan Memorial March, art workshops, Sage’s Army anniversary, more
Bataan Memorial March The Norwin Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps will hold its 14th annual, 14-mile Bataan Memorial March along the Westmoreland Heritage Trail on April 25. The race begins at 9 a.m. at the B-Y Park trailhead in Trafford, with a rest and water station 7 miles...
Shopping experience lauded at Sharpsburg’s Harvest on Main market
Harvest on Main Community Market in Sharpsburg’s business district just logged its first month since opening its doors, and operations are going smoothly, according to volunteers. The only hiccup thus far is an apparent delay in being able to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Bonnie DeMotte, executive director of...
Murrysville area: Women’s Business Network open house, scholarship, litter pickup, more
Women’s Business Network open house The Murrysville chapter of the Women’s Business Network will host an open house from 8:15 to 9:30 a.m. April 9 at Dick’s Diner, 4200 William Penn Highway, Murrysville. The WBN is a category-exclusive organization for local businesswomen focused on networking, leadership development and community service....
Band Together Pittsburgh open mic night holds its signature event in Murrysville
Franklin Regional Senior High School in Murrysville hosted the third annual Band Together Pittsburgh open mic night on Wednesday evening. The nonprofit focuses on providing musical education and experience to people with disabilities. “This is what it’s all about,” said Band Together Pittsburgh spokesperson Lisa Hnath. “Open mics are our...
Astrobotic’s latest lunar lander on track for 2026 launch
Pittsburgh’s Astrobotic is closing in on the launch of its Griffin-1 lander, a 15-footwide spacecraft that will deliver two state-of-the-art rovers to the moon. CEO John Thornton said Wednesday the lander is nearing completion and should be ready for takeoff on a SpaceX rocket by the end of the year....
2 Pagans motorcycle gang members held in jail on bail after preliminary hearing
Two Lower Burrell men who police say are members of the Pagans motorcycle gang are being held in the Westmoreland County jail on $300,000 bond following a January assault at Mogie’s Irish Pub. Robert Browne, 27, and Devin Colucci, 25, face charges of assault, robbery, theft, harassment, disorderly conduct and...
Mt. Pleasant man pleads guilty to paying for videos of monkey torture
A Mt. Pleasant man pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to paying people overseas to torture monkeys and record the acts on video. Joseph Garrett Buckland, 44, was charged with conspiracy to create and distribute animal crush videos in February. The videos, which are illegal to sell or exchange,...
New Kensington man pleads guilty for baseball bat assault
A New Kensington man was ordered to serve at least four years in prison for the assault of a house guest with a baseball bat. Brian Mikesell, 51, pleaded guilty to one felony count of aggravated assault in connection with an incident at his home on March 12, 2025 that...
Fundraiser, funeral services announced for Chartiers Valley junior Trinity Irwin
Trinity Irwin, a Chartiers Valley High School junior remembered as an exceptional student and deeply involved in the community, has died, the school district has announced. Members of the Chartiers Valley community have established a GoFundMe online fundraiser to support Irwin medical and funeral expenses. A viewing will be held...
Death row inmate Kevin Murphy appeals to Pa. Supreme Court in Westmoreland triple murder case
A Loyalhanna businessman on death row for 16 years is asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to hear an appeal for a new trial. Lawyers for Kevin Murphy are challenging a ruling last month by Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio that upheld his triple homicide convictions. Bilik-DeFazio previously...
How Hempfield Area’s $119M high school renovation will impact students
Hempfield Area students will not have to attend classes in temporary trailers during the upcoming $119 million high school renovation. Instead, a 2023 decision to move freshmen to the former Harrold Middle School has provided enough available space to keep all students in permanent classrooms after work begins June 1....
Former Freeport Council president accused of assaulting man after traffic collision
Former Freeport Council President — and current tax collector — Richard Fennell is facing an assault charge after, police say, he punched a man during a traffic incident. Fennell, 57, had served on council since 2024 before resigning in January to take up the borough’s vacant tax collector position. On...
Balance Brewing opens in Ross, enlarging space of former craft brewer Necromancer
A desire for balance — in life and in beer — has lead three partners to open their own craft brewery in Ross. “A good beer is balanced in its sweetness and bitterness,” said Rob Houston, co-founder and operations manager for Balance Brewing, whose philosophy of balance extends to his...
What you need to know if you’re going to the Pirates home opener
The Pittsburgh Pirates open their 2026 season at PNC Park on Friday with a matchup against the Baltimore Orioles. Continuing tradition, the first pitch is set for 4:12 p.m., a tribute to Pittsburgh’s 412 area code. The Pirates started the season losing two of three games to the New York...
Pittsburgh biotech company Lipella Pharmaceuticals files for bankruptcy protection
Lipella Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood, filed for bankruptcy protection Monday following more than two decades of developing medications that never made it to market. The drugmaker is winding down operations just 10 months after being delisted from the Nasdaq stock exchange, which choked off access to...
Pittsburgh looks to charge $5 an hour for on-street parking near NFL Draft
Anyone seeking on-street parking Downtown or on the North Side during the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh later this month can expect to pay extra. City Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, this week introduced legislation that will raise the cost for coveted on-street parking spots near the event footprint. The...
Forecast is cloudy with a chance of baseball for Pirates’ home opener
Meteorologists predict that it will be pleasantly warm but potentially rainy when the Pittsburgh Pirates play this season’s home-opener Friday afternoon at PNC Park. But forecasting the game’s outcome based on the elements doesn’t bode well for the Buccos. “Let’s start with the fun part of the forecast for Friday,”...
Donation from Sri Venkateswara Temple in Penn Hills to enhance local emergency response efforts
Emergency service workers in Penn Hills will now be heading into calls equipped with thermal imaging technology. Penn Hills Volunteer Fire Company No. 7, Station 227 at 125 Universal Road, was able to purchase a thermal imaging drone for various departments to use during emergency calls. According to William Jeffcoat,...
Plum High School prepares for spring musical ‘Seussical’
More than 100 Plum High School students are preparing for a spring musical that’s a remix of classic Dr. Seuss tales. Plum’s production of “Seussical” is set to hit the stage for three shows April 16 to 18. The show weaves together several familiar tales into a new story as...
Celebrate CV expo showcases student success at Chartiers Valley
Chartiers Valley School District held its interactive student expo, “Celebrate CV,” on Tuesday, March 31 at the high school. A districtwide showcase, members of the community could explore student projects, displays and performances highlighting talents and achievements of district students and staff. The event offered activities from student clubs, sports...
Oakdale teen charged in crash that killed tractor-trailer driver
Police have arrested an Oakdale teen accused of fatally striking a tractor-trailer driver standing outside his vehicle in Washington County last summer. Jaxon Ramon Farrell, 18, was charged Monday with homicide by vehicle and other counts in the Aug. 25, 2025, death of Brian Everhart on a Route 22 overpass...
