Local category, Page 2415

State and local food distributors in Pennsylvania are receiving a big financial boost to get food boxes to families in need. Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday state distributors will get $50 million of the $1.2 billion in funding for the program. The money will pay for the purchase of surplus...

A section of the Eliza Furnace Trail will be closed through Wednesday between the Hot Metal and Birmingham bridges for tree trimming. The project is being done by PennDOT with cooperation from Pittsburgh city officials and the organizations Friends of the Riverfront and Tree Pittsburgh. Cyclists and pedestrians won’t have...

As some churches prepare to open, two Pennsylvania lawmakers want to prevent the state from restricting religious gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic or any future emergency. State Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Westmoreland, said religious leaders have been confused about whether churches are affected by state-mandated coronavirus shutdowns. “Our religious community is...

Gateway seniors will cap their high school experience in a parking lot at the Monroeville Mall. Justin Stephens, the high school’s principal, said in a letter to parents last week that graduating seniors will have a commencement ceremony that adheres to distancing guidelines. “In cooperation with Macy’s and the Monroeville...

Robert Levin is back in the furniture business. Almost two months to the day after his deal fell through to repurchase the family-owned furniture chain he sold to Art Van Furniture in 2017, Levin has negotiated a deal in bankruptcy court to buy back the Levin brand. His $25.7 million...

The Hempfield Area School District is making its cyber program available to all elementary grades. In a letter dated May 15, Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said the program will be available to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The program currently is open to grades six through 12. She noted some...

The alleged assault on an inmate at the Westmoreland County Prison at the hands of a guard last month was reported by Manor Police, who had just delivered the handcuffed prisoner to the jail, according to court records. Borough officers told county detectives they watched as James Mapp “was repeatedly...

Pittsburgh’s move toward offering more permitting services online “couldn’t come at a better time,” Mayor Bill Peduto said . The city’s OneStopPGH website was launched a year ago. It allows residents and businesses to apply, pay for and receive licenses and permits online. They also can upload development plans and...

A Cambria County man is accused of inappropriately touching a 7-year-old girl at a New Florence home in November, according to court papers. David Alan Heming, 57, of Johnstown, was arrested by Westmoreland County detectives Monday on charges of indecent assault and corruption of minors. The girl told investigators that,...

The Delmont Public Library’s volunteers the Delmont Diggers were already looking at alternate plans for 2020, since the new library is being built where their butterfly garden once stood. “We’d planned to do container gardens around the library, but when covid-19 happened, we weren’t even able to do that,” said...

With covid-19 making it logistically difficult for Pittsburgh planning boards and commissions to meet in person, the city is going with virtual meetings. And it’s more than a temporary measure. Starting in June, the Department of City Planning will hold meetings on Zoom that will be streamed on YouTube Live....

Fawn police officer Keith Lazaron was at work Tuesday when he received a panicked call from his wife, Jessica, telling him he needed to get home as soon as possible. Strong winds had propelled a large brush fire toward their home in Allegheny Township. When Lazaron arrived home about 20...

Paramedics carried an elderly couple out of their Arnold home when it was threatened by fire Tuesday. Firefighters stopped the fire from spreading from the empty house it started at, and no one was hurt, officials said. Todd Hutchison said he called 911 to report the fire in the 1300...

Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday he plans to sign legislation that would allow restaurants and bars to sell prepared beverages and mixed drinks and deliver them curbside. The governor noted it was overwhelmingly approved by the state House and Senate. Wolf did not indicate when he will sign the bill...

Four new U.S. citizens were welcomed Tuesday morning in a large, mostly empty room on the sixth floor of a building in Wilkins Township. The newly minted citizens all wore face masks. They sat in chairs spaced six feet apart. There were no friends. There were no families. After taking...

The coronavirus case count dropped by one in Westmoreland County on Tuesday as the state continues to refine its numbers. The subtraction of one case brings the county total to 431, according to data from the Department of Health. Case and death counts by county have continued to fluctuate as...

About 500,000 Pennsylvanians who benefit from the state’s property tax and rent rebate program will be receiving their checks six weeks earlier than usual, state officials announced Tuesday. The move will help some of the state’s most vulnerable residents during the coronavirus pandemic, state Treasurer Joe Torsella said. The rebates,...

Greensburg YMCA will host a Trunk to Truck Food Drive to benefit the Westmoreland County Food Bank on Saturday. Employees of the Y will be present from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to handle donations at the gym doors at 101 S. Maple Ave. This event will follow non-contact protocols....

Allegheny County on Tuesday reported one new covid-19 death and 17 new cases. The latest figures bring the total number of deaths to 144 and total cases to 1,658. The total cases include 1,569 confirmed cases and 89 probable cases. Total hospitalizations rose by 10 since Monday, from 294 to...

A Philadelphia man found in Westmoreland County passed out inside a vehicle reeking of marijuana and subsequently charged with drug possession over the weekend was arrested about 12 hours later following an alleged burglary at a local business, state police reported. Troopers first encountered Naasir N. Boyd, 19, around 9...

With two male suitors for one female, and two eggs to tend, uncertainties abound at the top of the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning, the region’s most popular nesting site for the peregrine falcon. The drama of peregrine falcon couples in Oakland, Downtown Pittsburgh, Tarentum and elsewhere is closely...

A man was shot and killed just before midnight Monday in West Mifflin, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. County officials identified the victim as Thomas Johnson, 45, of Duquesne. Police responded to reports of shots fired at about 11:15 p.m. at Mon View Heights Apartments. Officers found Johnson...

Read The Stroller daily for announcements of how everyone can ease the pressure and stress of others, even while maintaining social distancing. Information for The Stroller should be emailed to vndnews@tribweb.com. Vandergrift church to sponsor dollar dinner Vandergrift First United Methodist Church will serve a dollar dinner from 4 to...