Western PA Local News category, Page 2429
Dirt bike rider killed in crash in Pittsburgh’s Hill District
A dirt bike rider was killed Tuesday after colliding with a parked vehicle in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, public safety authorities said. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the victim as Derelle Williams, 32, of Pittsburgh. Police responded to the incident just after 7:30 p.m. along Milwaukee Street at Bryn Mawr...
Hempfield approves consolidation of 2 parcels in industrial park, making way for new manufacturing company
A manufacturing company hoping to set up shop in Hempfield’s Westmoreland County Technology Park II is in the final phases of purchasing almost 11 acres of property. According to Jason Rigone, executive director of the county’s Industrial Development Corporation, Red Fish, which represents the start-up company Fossil Industries, reached a...
South Fayette School District officials approve reopening plan
South Fayette School District officials have approved their 2020-21 school year reopening plan with both in-person and online learning for students during the pandemic. School directors unanimously voted on the plan on July 28. Board President Leonard Fornella said plans will be revised as necessary. Superintendent Ken Lockette said staffers...
Pittsburgh jobless rate dips slightly to 12.5% in June
The Pittsburgh region’s jobless rate dropped again in June, falling slightly to 12.5%, because of an increase in nonfarm jobs, the state said Tuesday. The unemployment rate fell by 1.4 percentage points, continuing a decline from a high of 17% in April for Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and...
Medics treat person found following Kiski River search in Gilpin
A search of the Kiski River in Gilpin ended in less than two hours late Tuesday night as crews discovered a person in need of assistance. The person, whose name and condition weren’t immediately available, was being tended to by medics, according to an Armstrong County 911 dispatch supervisor. Crews...
McDonald’s to close 200 U.S. locationsVideo
McDonald’s announced Tuesday it is permanently closing 200 of 14,000 locations across the United States as the fast food giant reported its lowest quarterly profits in 13 years, according to the Financial Times. The Chicago-based company said “low-volume restaurants” in Walmart stores will make up more than half of the...
Kennedy Township girl set to debut new song after ending run on ‘America’s Got Talent’Video
Ashley Marina Yankello’s run on “America’s Got Talent” came to an end Tuesday night when judge Howie Mandel delivered the news by video link that the Kennedy Township singer would not be advancing to the quarterfinals of the NBC-TV competition. According to Mandel, the decision to eliminate the youth from...
In meeting with Jill Biden, Pittsburgh schools union leader supports delay for in-person instruction
While school districts in Southwestern Pennsylvania finalize their fall reopening plans, some educational leaders are advocating for stronger safety guidelines and a delay to in-person instruction. On Tuesday, in a virtual campaign stop for the Joe Biden presidential campaign, Biden’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and U.S. Sen Bob Casey, D-Scranton,...
Plum School District officials push back start of upcoming school year to Sept. 2
Plum School District officials have delayed the start of the upcoming school year due to covid-19 concerns. Superintendent Brendan Hyland announced the change in a letter to parents, which was also posted on the front page of the district’s website Tuesday. Plum classes for the 2020-21 school year will start...
Sprint car in funeral home, with final lap at Lernerville, honor Bell Township man
As Brandon D. “B-Dog” Hawkins lived life full throttle, expect nothing less for his funeral home viewing and services. Hawkins’ family is celebrating the memory of the underwater welder and laborer who died July 20 on the job in Johnstown. Hawkins, of Bell Township, was 26. He was a 2012...
Riverview students to start 1st 9 weeks of new school year online
Riverview School District students will spend their first nine weeks of the new school year learning online. It’s part of the reopening plan school board members unanimously approved Monday night. Incoming Superintendent Neil English said the administration has heard from parents, staff and Allegheny County health officials the past two...
Dr. Rachel Levine responds to transphobic comments: ‘I do not have time for intolerance’
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine on Tuesday broke her silence about people who have harassed and directed transphobic comments at her in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. At the start of a news briefing, Levine said she felt compelled to “personally respond to the multiple incidents of...
John Pallone announces resignation as New Kensington-Arnold School District superintendent
New Kensington-Arnold Superintendent John Pallone announced Tuesday that he is resigning from his post with the school district. Pallone said he is stepping down effective at midnight Friday. In a statement, Pallone said he has no “strong desire” to leave but “circumstances have made it clear that this decision is...
Allegheny County Police investigating death of 2-year-old New Kensington boy found in Harrison pool
Allegheny County Police are investigating after a 2-year-old boy died four days after being found in a swimming pool in Harrison. The boy, Cassius Alexander Saulsgiver of New Kensington, died July 20, less than a month before his third birthday. The incident happened July 16 at a home in the...
Latrobe veteran sentenced for attack on wife, stepdaughter
A Latrobe veteran will serve up to 10 years in prison for an alcohol-fueled knife attack three years ago that left his wife and stepdaughter wounded. Scott A. Matuszky, 48, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault and terroristic threats in connection with the Oct. 7, 2017, incident at his...
Keeping Pa. private colleges closed will hurt small communities, officials say
The covid-19 pandemic has upended procedures for colleges and universities throughout the country, and many of Pennsylvania’s private institutions are struggling to find the best path forward, officials said Tuesday. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale has hosted Facebook Live conversations with industry leaders semi-regularly during the pandemic. On Tuesday, he met...
East Vandergrift man ordered to trial in assault of girl at Westmoreland Mall
A Greensburg-area teenager tearfully testified Tuesday how a stranger grabbed her by the throat, picked her “off the floor” and threw her to the floor at Westmoreland Mall on Dec. 27 after she replied to an offhand comment he made about her appearance. “After he made the comment to me...
Donegal Township man accused of photographing sex acts with underage girl
A 22-year-old Donegal Township man is jailed on $50,000 bond, charged with multiple counts of photographing sex acts with an underage girl last year. Zachary D. Kastner was arrested by state troopers in Greensburg on two counts of knowingly permitting and photographing sex acts with a juvenile and single counts...
Pittsburgh City Council approves police reforms supported by Mayor PedutoVideo
Pittsburgh City Council gave final approval Tuesday to a series of reforms to police procedures and policies. But council members say the reforms aren’t the city’s final answer to addressing issues raised after the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. The legislation, sponsored by...
Bike Pittsburgh to host bike light giveaway
Bike Pittsburgh will give away bike lights Wednesday in the city’s Homewood neighborhood. The event, called Operation Illumination, will be held at the corner of Homewood Avenue and Hamilton Avenue from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., while supplies last. Bike Pittsburgh is a nonprofit that advocates for safe bicycling in...
Quaker Valley calculates tax impact for proposed high school project
Quaker Valley School District has estimated the tax impact on property owners for three options developed to replace the 100-year-old high school building. A so-called “base” option, which involves renovating and expanding the current building, carries a price tag of about $73 million. Financing a $73 million project would cost...
Hempfield moves forward with creation of 2 nonprofit organizationsVideo
Two nonprofit organizations are being created to benefit Hempfield parks and the township’s fire department. Supervisors began the process of creating Friends of Hempfield Parks and the Hempfield Township Fire Relief Organization by voting this week to draw up organizational documents. Friends of Hempfield Parks originally was proposed in January...
New Kensington-Arnold School Board votes to bring students back to school — but many may learn from home
The New Kensington-Arnold School District will attempt to bring all students back to school this fall, but nearly half of parents might choose remote learning. The district will require all students and staff to wear face masks or shields in schools and on buses, according to the district’s return plan....
Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto joins other mayors asking for federal help during pandemicVideo
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto joined mayors from across the country Tuesday in a call for an infusion of federal cash to help local governments deal with financial shortfalls caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “We are at a critical juncture as we look into the future of an economic recovery,” Peduto...
Protest over Pittsburgh bar’s dress code results in multiple charges
Multiple activists face charges stemming from a protest outside a Downtown Pittsburgh bar last month over a dress code some called racist and transphobic, court records show. The incident that led to the protest happened June 20 after two men at the 941 Saloon on Liberty Avenue were asked to...
