Local category, Page 2421
Pence visit to Wilkinsburg church draws supporters, opponents
America’s political divide was on stark display Friday in Wilkinsburg. Two groups showed up near the Convenant Church of Pittsburgh’s worship center to see Vice President Mike Pence’s arrival there. One group wore masks. The other didn’t. One group described President Trump and Pence as representative of the “American dream.”...
Charges held for court in Westmoreland prison drug smuggling case
According to police, David McGinnis told his mother that leaving a threatening voice mail for the accuser in a case against his cellmate could be considered a “job interview.” McGinnis, 27, of Bolivar, can be heard instructing his mother, Denise McGinnis, 49, of Bolivar, on recorded phone calls from the...
Baby hawks rescued in Sewickley Township after tree falls
When Jason Magill went to cut up a neighbor’s tree that had fallen during storms last month, he didn’t expect to be rescuing three baby red-shouldered hawks. But when Magill, of Sewickley Township, went to work on May 29 with the help of his son Jake, that’s exactly what he...
Range Resources to pay $50,000 in fines and $100,000 in contributions for Washington County well violations
Range Resources, a major driller in the region’s Marcellus Shale industry, pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of negligent oversight of Washington County well sites and will pay $50,000 in fines and $100,000 in contributions to the Washington County watershed funds, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Friday. The...
Scott Township commissioner faces backlash for comment about Pa. health secretary
A letter is being drafted by a group of Scott Township residents calling for the resignation of a township commissioner who made remarks about the state health secretary’s gender during a public meeting. The comments were made during the June 9 meeting, held on Zoom, about reopening the municipal swimming...
Turnpike traffic delays expected as lighting project begins in Somerset County
Motorists taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset County can expect overnight delays starting Monday as a lighting replacement project gets underway. The Turnpike Commission says single-lane patterns and two-way traffic go into effect for the next eight months at the Allegheny Tunnel located at milepost 122. Crews will be putting...
West Hempfield team makes return to summer baseball
The West Hempfield baseball players gathered for their first practice Wednesday. The team doesn’t have to wait long for its season debut in the Westmoreland County American League. “We’re just ready to put our cleats on and swing the bats,” said Mitch Miletics, one of more than a dozen players...
Police: Highland Park man left cash, 6 pounds of pot in loaner vehicle
Police say a Highland Park man left drugs and cash in a loaner Lexus SUV he used while his own vehicle was receiving service, leading Pittsburgh police to a drug bust that netted hundreds of stamp bags of heroin and 6 pounds of marijuana, authorities said. Patrick Kim, 34, faces...
Blessed Trinity Academy student wins full ride to Space Camp
It’s not the moon, but a trip to Huntsville, Ala., will be nearly as cool for Blessed Trinity Academy eighth-grader Michael Bridgeman. The 14-year-old won a full-tuition scholarship to Space Camp in Huntsville, home to the second largest research park in America. Bridgeman, a science enthusiast, will take part in...
Police arrest Whitehall man accused of setting Pittsburgh police SUV on fire during protest
A Whitehall man police say attended multiple protests in the past weeks faces riot and other charges for his alleged role in setting a Pittsburgh police SUV on fire last month. Police say Shaheed Hatch, 26, was among those who helped start the fire that destroyed an unmarked police cruiser...
South Fayette park facilities to reopen with safety guidelines
South Fayette Township park facilities will open Monday with new safety guidelines in place. According to the township website, playgrounds, courts, fields, indoor restrooms and rental pavilions in Fairview, Morgan, Boys Home, Preservation and Sturgeon parks will reopen. The township’s portion of the Panhandle Trail will also open. Following Allegheny...
Saint Vincent College Bowling to host ‘plastic ball’ tournament
Saint Vincent College Bowling has scheduled a plastic ball tournament July 12 at Lincoln Lanes in Latrobe. The tournament is open to anyone. The format will feature individual competitors, and each will bowl four games in the qualifying rounds. The lowest score will be dropped, so everyone will have a...
State officials: Westmoreland adds 9 new covid cases, no new deaths
Westmoreland County on Friday had nine new covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases to 483, according to Pennsylvania health officials. No new deaths from the virus were reported in Westmoreland. State officials continued to report 38 deaths, while county coroner Kenneth Bacha reports 32 deaths as of...
Greensburg Central Catholic to air virtual commencement
Photos of the Greensburg Central Catholic Class of 2020 will be featured during a virtual commencement on the school’s Facebook page and YouTube channel Wednesday at 7 p.m. Greensburg Diocese Bishop Edward C. Malesic, Principal Ben Althof and Dr. Maureen Marsteller, superintendent of Catholic schools, will address the 63 graduates....
Somerset County coroner to recall work at Flight 93 crash scene
Longtime Somerset County Coroner Wally Miller will be the guest speaker as the Friends of Flight 93 kicks off its annual speaker series at 7 p.m. Thursday . The initial lecture this year will be digital as the Flight 93 National Memorial Visitor Center and Learning Center remain closed as...
North Huntingdon singer hits No. 1 on country radio chart
When Ashley Puckett of North Huntingdon released her debut album, “Never Say Never,” this past Valentine’s Day, she didn’t expect recognition to come so quickly. The 28-year-old’s single, “Bulletproof,” secured the No. 1 spot on the country radio chart in the June 12 issue of New Music Weekly magazine. The...
Libraries experiment with opening strategies as they resume services
Area libraries are slowly resuming services as they figure out how to operate in the age of coronavirus. “People are so excited. Many of them are just grateful to see their librarians in person,” said Marilyn Jenkins, executive director of the Allegheny County Library Network. The State Library of Pennsylvania...
Allegheny County reports 10 new coronavirus cases, expands race data
Allegheny County health officials on Friday reported 10 new covid-19 cases and no new deaths. County data show that of the 2,065 cases, 1,933 are confirmed and 132 are probable. Of the country’s 173 deaths, 161 are confirmed and 12 are probable. All deaths occurred in people between the ages...
Flag Day building light-up in Pittsburgh will recognize covid-19 workers, losses
The Gulf Tower is among Pittsburgh landmarks that will be turning red, white and blue Sunday as part of a National Day of Unity event remembering lives lost to the covid-19 pandemic and honoring those working on the front line to keep America advancing during the crisis. One Oxford Centre,...
Unity woman’s rhododendrons envelop part of house
When the flowers bloom at Jo Ann Hemminger’s home in Unity Township, it’s quite a show. “We say every year we’re going to cut them down, and then I just think ‘oh, no, not this year,’” said Hemminger, pointing to the massive stand of rhododendrons that covers one side of...
9 file lawsuit against Pittsburgh diocese over alleged sexual abuse
Nine people have filed a lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh alleging sexual abuse by seven priests and years of cover-up by diocesan officials. The seven priests named in the lawsuit had already appeared and had allegations leveled against them in the August 2018 grand jury report blasting the...
La Roche hosting summer virtual campus visits, admissions programs
The coronavirus pandemic put a stop to in-person visits for those interested in attending La Roche University. But prospective students can get university information during a series of virtual admissions events scheduled throughout the summer. High school students can sign up to meet with faculty and staff using the Zoom...
Fort Ligonier reopens to visitors today
Fort Ligonier will resume welcoming visitors today. For the time being, the historic site will be open 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday through Sundays, with plans to expand hours of operation at a later date. Future programming includes: • Sunset tour, 7-9 p.m. June 26 — Guests 21 and older will...
Tractor-trailer driver dies in I-70 crash in Washington County
A tractor-trailer driver from Indiana died in a Friday morning crash on Interstate 70 in Washington County, according to the coroner’s office. Phillip A. Keesling, 59, of Straughn, Ind. was headed east near the I-79 junction in South Strabane Township around 1:05 a.m. before losing control, driving down an embankment...
The Stroller, June 12, 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. South Butler Community Library opens Library Express Window South...
