Western PA Local News category, Page 2424
The Stroller, Aug. 1, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
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 helped you, your family...
Murrysville veteran organizes ‘Vets for Black Lives’ protest Downtown on Sunday
When Aryanna Hunter of Murrysville organized a protest in her hometown to speak out against the police killing of George Floyd, she wasn’t sure what to expect. More than 100 people showed up to the event and marched down Old William Penn Highway. “I was overwhelmed with the turnout,” said...
Beth Samuel in Ambridge continues online programs
Beth Samuel Jewish Center in Ambridge will host all programs through Zoom until further notice. At noon on Aug. 5, and 8:45 a.m. Aug. 15, a Torah yoga and meditation class will be held. At 7 p.m. Aug. 11, Cantor Arlene Frank will present “The Pioneer Jews of Leadville, Colorado.”...
Pittsburgh rescue crew recovers body of man who fell into Allegheny RiverVideo
Divers recovered the body of a man in his mid-20s who either jumped or fell from a boat into the Allegheny River near the docks at Washington’s Landing, officials said. At 9:54 p.m., emergency dispatchers received a call about a man in the river under the 31st Street Bridge, Pittsburgh...
Murrysville library, recreation department partner on wetlands ‘Storywalk’Video
As Murrysville Community Library staff prepares to reopen the library for appointments on Monday, Aug.3, its members are also thinking about ways to utilize outdoor space and begin hosting in-person programs for patrons, as dictated by health and safety guidelines. One of the first, which patrons can do on their...
Monroeville Rotary awards scholarships to 6 recent Gateway graduatesVideo
Six Gateway High School graduates were awarded scholarships from the Monroeville Rotary during a small program Thursday afternoon at Monroeville Community Park West. Laia Reed, Saipriya Namasivayam, Makayla Harris, Erika Jackson, Gordon Wallace-Baiza and Jesse Kaufman each received $1,000 toward their future schooling. Rotary President Som Sharma said the scholarship...
Police: Fight at Kennywood results in 7 arrests; 150 escorted out
Seven people were arrested after a large fight broke out Friday inside and outside of Kennywood, West Mifflin police reported. Officers said about 150 people were also escorted out of the amusement park, which closed about a half-hour early as a result of the incident. Kennywood spokesman Nick Paradise wrote...
Pandemic prompts shortened Sept. 11 program at Flight 93 National Memorial
The annual Sept. 11 observance at Somerset County’s Flight 93 National Memorial will be abbreviated this year as park officials look to limit in-person attendance at the event because of covid-19 guidelines. The event will be shown virtually, as will other programs sponsored by the memorial Friends group. In past...
Bridge work will close Pa. Turnpike between Allegheny Valley, Pittsburgh exits early Sunday
The placement of beams for the Unity-Trestle Road bridge in Plum will require a five-hour closure of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s eastbound lanes beginning late Saturday night. The Turnpike will be closed between the Allegheny Valley (Exit 48) in Harmar and Pittsburgh (Exit 57) exit in Monroeville, from 11:49 p.m. on...
Southbound Route 28 restrictions will begin Monday in O’Hara area
Drainage work along southbound Route 28 will begin Monday, Aug. 3, with single-lane restrictions between the Harmar (Exit 11) and RIDC Drive (Exit 10) interchanges. The restrictions will be in place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Aug. 14, as work crews from Allison Park Contractors perform inlet cleaning...
Rich Hill Road section will close Monday for slide repairs in West Deer
Landslide repair work will close a section of Rich Hill Road beginning Monday, Aug. 3, PennDOT officials announced Friday. The landslide occurred between Michael Road/Russellton-Dorseyville Road and Mill Dam Road. Traffic will be detoured along the following route: From north of the slide: • From Michael/Russellton-Dorseyville Road, follow East Union...
Army Corps to spend $12.9M to install new gates at Beaver County locks-and-dam facility
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Pittsburgh District plans to spend $12.9 million to install two new dam lift gates and a new control system at the Montgomery Locks and Dam along the Ohio River in Beaver County. The Montgomery facility is third-busiest navigation facility in the region with 17...
Former Westmoreland sheriff’s deputy ordered to stand trial in sexual assault case
Two former female inmates at the Westmoreland County prison testified Friday that a county sheriff’s deputy frequently asked inmates to expose themselves or grope him over his uniform in exchange for cigarettes during van rides to court hearings. After listening to two hours of testimony from the women, District Judge...
Pittsburgh Public Schools to delay classroom instruction for first quarter
Pittsburgh Public Schools will officially use remote instruction for the first quarter of the school year, the board of directors voted Friday afternoon in a virtual meeting. The vote came in response to a resolution made last week by Board Member Kevin Carter, who proposed the district stay online for...
WCCC will offer remote and in-person classes
Westmoreland County Community College will offer its 5,000 students a mix of in-person classes, remote classes and online classes when it reopens Aug. 17, the school announced Friday. The plan developed by college administrators is subject to change, depending on mandates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and...
Former Westmoreland prison guard accused in beating reportedly reaches plea deal
A former Westmoreland County prison guard avoided a preliminary hearing Friday on charges of assaulting a 33-year-old inmate by waiving his case to trial in common pleas court. Jeremy B. Lynn, 38, of Ligonier Township was scheduled for a hearing before Hempfield District Judge Mark Mansour in the assault of...
Westmoreland judge, staff being tested for covid-19 after inmate tests positive
A Westmoreland County judge and four members of his courtroom staff will be tested this weekend for the coronavirus after they were potentially exposed this week through a jail inmate. The inmate’s positive diagnosis was disclosed Friday morning. Court officials said the inmate had been in quarantine at the county...
Steel Valley School District ready to reopen, waiting for parents’ choice on hybrid or remote learning
Friday was the deadline for parents of students in the Steel Valley School District to decide if they will attend school in-person for two days a week or go the remote learning route. “Parents have been receptive to the plan we’ve have created for students to go back to school,”...
Historic Bells Mills Covered Bridge saved from fire in Westmoreland County
A call to the fire department likely saved the historic Bells Mills Covered Bridge, which connects South Huntingdon and Sewickley townships. Bill Dull, chief of Hutchinson Volunteer Fire Department, said the company was dispatched at about 7 a.m. to investigate reported smoke near the wooden bridge built in 1850 across...
Allegheny Valley School District investigating Zoom bombing of public meeting
District officials are investigating the “Zoom-bombing” of a recent Allegheny Valley School Board meeting via the Zoom internet platform. During the coronavirus pandemic, video conferencing platforms such as Zoom have gained popularity with everyone — including hackers. Known as Zoom-bombing, people with fake identities enter virtual public meetings to disrupt...
Chef Justin Severino opens Salty Pork Bits store in Pittsburgh
Let’s celebrate our pandemic saltiness with chef Justin Severino. Severino opened a Salty Pork Bits charcuterie store Friday in Lawrenceville. Patrons can order ahead for curbside delivery from noon to 6 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. He might extend hours in the future, as well as open the space at...
Earlier census deadline could cause W.Pa. officials to accelerate counts
In an unprecedented move, leaders with the Census Bureau are cutting short in-person counting efforts for the 2020 census, efforts that largely impact hard-to-count populations. The decision, reported by NPR, moves the deadline for in-person census surveys from Oct. 31 to Sept. 30, potentially leaving some communities with uncounted residents...
Specialty Luggage going out of business after 76 years
The year was 1944 and victory in World War II was in sight for the Allies. With the war a year away from winding down, life in the U.S. was changing. The economy was on the upswing and city-dwelling Americans would soon be on the move. And as they traveled,...
Facemask, SUV tie man to 2 robberies in Hempfield, Latrobe, police sayVideo
A collaborative effort between Latrobe Police and state troopers resulted in the arrest Thursday of a Columbia County man for separate holdups of convenience stores. Christopher P. Broadt, 29, of Bloomsburg, was arrested at a Latrobe residence on charges of robbing the BP convenience store at 204 Lloyd Avenue in...
Union probes Port Authority dress policy, barring political statements on masks
Port Authority of Allegheny County updated its staff dress code to prohibit the wearing of masks containing political or social justice messages, including those supporting Black Lives Matter and other movements. The update has reportedly sparked some controversy among drivers. Stephen Palonis, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85, whose...
