Local category, Page 2496
Westmoreland solar co-op extends membership deadline
Westmoreland County homeowners and business owners who are interested in going solar have until the end of June to join a local co-op. The deadline for signing on with the Westmoreland County Solar Co-op was extended to June 30 as the area emerges from restrictions related to the covid-19 pandemic....
Citing ‘abject failure’ by Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent, black female leaders call for no contract renewal
A coalition of black, female leaders is calling for the Pittsburgh Public Schools to reject Anthony Hamlet for another term as superintendent. In a letter sent June 1 to the school board that included more than 50 signatures, a group called Black Women for a Better Education criticizes Hamlet’s organizational...
Registration open for First Tee Pittsburgh summer golf program
First Tee Pittsburgh’s summer youth golf program will begin July 6, and families are able to register now. The sessions for ages 5 to 18 feature various classes and programs at 10 locations throughout Western Pennsylvania. The First Tee of Pittsburgh, according to president and CEO Eric Amato, is the...
East Huntingdon warehouse serves as stage for 412 Food RescueVideo
Hundreds of boxes of food were loaded into volunteers’ cars Wednesday in East Huntingdon, an attempt by 412 Food Rescue to help Westmoreland County residents impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. A group of nine volunteers, including two 412 Food Rescue staff and several from the American Red Cross, worked tirelessly...
Gov. Wolf updates guidance on outdoor recreation in Pennsylvania
Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday updated guidelines on the types of outdoor recreation that businesses may offer during the yellow and green phases of the state’s reopening plan. Wolf’s new guidance will permit additional outdoor recreational activities in counties that are in the yellow phase. These activities include mountain biking,...
Superior court turns away appeal from former Westmoreland sheriff
The Pennsylvania Superior Court on Wednesday quashed the appeal of former Westmoreland County Sheriff Jonathan Held, who sought the dismissal of corruption charges against him following a mistrial in 2018. A three-judge panel said it did not have jurisdiction to rule on Held’s appeal, in which the former two-term Republican...
Greensburg ministers plan prayer vigil for Saturday
Two Greensburg ministers are hoping a Saturday prayer vigil in the city will become an ecumenical gathering in support of change after George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. “Prayer is the language that stretches across denominations, and we are bringing this together for not just a show...
Black Lives Matter rally to take place at Squaw Valley Park on Thursday
A community rally to support the Black Lives Matter message will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday at Squaw Valley Park in O’Hara. Leaders said this is planned as a peaceful, family-friendly event with songs and speakers that will focus on social justice. Fox Chapel Area graduate and immediate past president...
Pittsburgh food bank partners with DoorDash to help get fresh produce to those in need
A mash-up between food delivery service DoorDash and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is getting food — including fresh produce — to those left homebound and in need by the coronavirus pandemic. “This is a critical time for so many people, especially our senior citizens who are not able...
Clayton Falkner, ‘Mr. Birdville,’ championed efforts to restore Harrison war memorial
Clayton Falkner championed the effort to restore Harrison’s crumbling World War II Honor Roll memorial but didn’t get the chance to see it finished. Mr. Falkner, 84, died Tuesday, June 9, 2020, at the house in the township’s Birdville section where he lived his entire life. Mr. Falkner began lobbying...
Vice President Mike Pence to visit Buffalo Township
Vice President Mike Pence will be in Buffalo Township on Friday, visiting an Oberg Industries facility. The visit will be the first stop on a nationwide “Great American Comeback Tour” by America First Policies, a conservative organization that promotes the policy agenda of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Pence will be...
Norwin cafeteria workers OK 1-year deal
Norwin School District cafeteria workers agreed to a one-year extension of their current contract, which will provide members with a 40-cent-an-hour wage hike, while maintaining benefits. The school board this week approved the extension with the Service Employees International Union, which represents 54 cafeteria workers — 20 full-time employees as...
McCandess considers chicken ordinance that doesn’t run afoul of the law
McCandless residents may soon be able to keep chickens in their backyards. Nearly a year after first being petitioned by residents interested in having chickens on their properties, council has introduced an ordinance outlining the rules for raising fowl. “We’ve had a lot of people saying they are interested in...
56-pound flathead catfish caught in Eastern Pa., setting state record
When Lancaster County angler Jeff Bonawitz, 54, of East Lampeter Township reeled in a state record 50-pound, 7-ounce flathead catfish on the Susquehanna River in April 2019, he said, “I have a feeling this record may not last very long.” Bonawitz was right. His record ended up lasting a little...
Highland Park’s Reservoir Drive closed to vehicles indefinitely during pandemic
Pittsburgh on Wednesday announced the closing of Reservoir Drive around the Highland Park Reservoir to all non-emergency vehicles during the coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Bill Peduto said the move provides safe recreational opportunities for residents forced indoors by the pandemic. Vehicles are not allowed, but pedestrians and bicycles are permitted. “After...
Longtime Pittsburgh politician Bill Robinson remembered as advocate for minority rights
William Russell Robinson, known as a fierce advocate for minority causes while serving for decades in local and state elected political posts, died Tuesday. Robinson, 78, of Pittsburgh’s Hill District, died peacefully in his sleep, according to his children. “My dad was a dedicated public servant, who was extremely passionate...
Compass Inn Museum will reopen with self-guided audio tour
Compass Inn Museum will reopen June 20 with a new, self-guided audio tour meant to mitigate potential covid-19 related risks. Upon admission, guests at the Laughlintown historical site will be encouraged to follow the tour’s route through the historic 18th- and 19th-century stagecoach stop. To begin, hours will be 11...
Shady Side Academy hosting Zoom sessions to discuss any inequities on campus
Shady Side Academy president Bart Griffith told his school community this week that it’s time to move past talking about social injustices and focus on action. The Black Lives Matter message that has spurred protests across the region in recent weeks has students, alumni and parents challenging the school to...
Wandering pig puzzles Yukon residents
Residents of Spring Street in Yukon are trying to solve a porcine mystery. Several people have seen a large, black pig roaming around their yards — and nobody is sure where it came from. Marsha Tomay this week first spotted the swine coming out of the woods behind her house....
Westmoreland adds 6 new covid-19 cases, no new deaths
Westmoreland County on Wednesday had six new covid-19 cases, bringing the total number to 473, 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 May 7. Bacha...
Delmont officials look to address improper dumping at Shields Farm
Delmont officials will place a gate restricting access to the borough dump site on the Shields Farm property during weekdays to prevent what police say is a mounting issue with garbage dumping. “It’s getting to be a real problem,” Chief T.J. Klobucar said. “We’ve issued some citations recently, and we...
Registration required for baby supply distribution in Hempfield
Diapers and other baby necessities will be distributed to needy families Friday in Hempfield by a local nonprofit. Beverly’s Birthdays is supporting babies around the Pittsburgh area whose parents and caregivers are struggling with supplies because of the coronavirus pandemic. Supplies available during the distribution include diapers, wipes, formula, baby...
Signal, curb upgrades at Latrobe intersections to begin next week
Work is set to begin Monday on improvements to nine intersections in downtown Latrobe. The $3.4 million PennDOT project will install updated traffic signals along Main and Depot streets where they intersect Jefferson, Ligonier and Alexandria streets, and along Ligonier at the intersections of Weldon, Spring and Chestnut streets. Contractor...
Allegheny County reports 7 new coronavirus cases, 3 new deaths
Allegheny County health officials Wednesday reported three new coronavirus deaths, seven new cases and one new hospitalization. County data show that of the 2,034 cases, 1,904 are confirmed and 130 are probable. Of the country’s 172 deaths, 160 are confirmed and 12 are probable. All deaths occurred in people between...
Riverview’s drive-in graduation gave seniors a taste of Hollywood
Riverview High School seniors saw their names and faces on the big screen, with some students blowing kisses to their fans in the audience. It was not the premiere of a Hollywood production, but the conclusion of their time in the district, and the first time they’ve been able to...
