Bicycle sales hang on despite post-covid sales decline
At the height of the covid-19 pandemic, Chris MacTaggart and his friends had no problem following federal guidelines for outdoor recreation. In May 2020, he and two other cyclists started riding around Pittsburgh to get coffee once or twice a week. It was typical of covid-era social distancing in many...
Pine planning 2 more splash pad family outings
Pine held its first splash pad Family Fun Night of the season on June 18. The evening featured an under-the-sea adventure theme. Children met SpongeBob SquarePants, made themed crafts and received a goodie bag. And all of the youngsters in attendance got to cool off at the splash pad. Pine...
Opa! Oakmont Greek Food Festival continues through weekend
Bob Zazac and his daughter Mia braved the elements in order to keep their father-daughter tradition of attending the Oakmont Greek Food Festival alive. The huge fundraising weekend at Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church kicked off Friday. The hot and humid afternoon gave way to thunderstorms shortly before...
18th-century artifacts get room with a view at Fort Ligonier Museum
A place for everything and everything in its place applies equally to spontoons and shards. Thanks to a new climate-controlled collections storage room in the basement of Fort Ligonier Museum, Meghan Budinger will have separate compartments to safely archive the former iron and brass weapon — a type of personal...
Former Monessen man resentenced to life in prison for children’s murder in 1973
Susan Worlton only knew her sisters from her mother’s stories and the few pictures that remain. In a courtroom Friday, Worlton told a Westmoreland County judge how the violent murders of her sisters five decades earlier have impacted her family. She and her mother were among the witnesses at the...
Pine residents raise traffic safety concerns
Pine supervisors heard from concerned residents about traffic safety concerns at their meeting on June 16. June Sterling, a resident of Mars Valencia Road Extension for 50 years, remarked on the amount of heavy vehicle traffic on her road. Mars Valencia Road has been closed since April for construction. Sterling...
‘It’s humongous’: World’s largest rubber duck amazes crowd at Idlewild park
When Katie Luttner and her two grandchildren approached the giant, bright yellow duck through the trees at Idlewild & SoakZone on Friday, they were in awe. “I’ve never seen it before, and I didn’t realize how huge it is,” she said. “(It’s) bigger than what I expected.” The “World’s Largest...
Pine celebrates 35th annual Community Day
Pine celebrated its 35th annual Community Day on June 21. The event started earlier than in previous years, with festivities kicking off at 2 p.m. and ending with a fireworks display by Pyrotecnico. Pine Community Park was filled with food trucks, games and live entertainment for all ages. Community Day...
Off-duty nurse pulls Route 30 crash victim from car, administers CPR in Southwest Greensburg
Dawn Hritz wasn’t even supposed to be driving on Route 30 at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. But she was. A forgotten karate uniform for her son and earlier-than-expected ride home turned into a lifesaving feat for the Hempfield woman who joined forces with Sophia Sikora and Kayla Borland, EMTs with Mutual...
First Summerween event at Hampton Community Pool turns out to be a monster hit
Splish, splash and monster mash! Hampton’s first Summerween turned out to be a big hit June 21 at the Hampton Community Pool. “We were looking for something cool and different to do this year, and it’s kind of been a trend happening online — this idea of celebrating Halloween twice...
Deal struck to preserve Cigna members’ access to AHN facilities
Thousands of Cigna Healthcare insurance members will keep full, in-network access to Allegheny Health Network following a contract agreement between the organizations. The deal was reached Friday after a monthslong dispute, the second in the past two years. It ensures more than 20,000 Cigna members in the region can continue...
Stache bash and facial hair phenoms coming to Pittsburgh for contest
Downtown will be full of hairy happenings next week, as Pittsburgh hosts the 2025 World Beard and Moustache Championships. Mad Viking Beard Club Pennsylvania, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing together facial hair enthusiasts, and the World Beard and Moustache Association have joined forces to put on the three-day event....
3 puppies recovering after being found along Five Star Trail
Three emaciated puppies are getting small amounts of water and food every few hours after they were found Thursday in a box along the Five Star Trail in Greensburg. A person walking on the trail near Lynch Field found them and Ninth Life Rescue Center took the animals in after...
Pitcairn shooting victims lauded for roles on Clairton High School football team
Neither Isiah McCarthy or Tyrant Sutton ever led a football huddle as a high school team’s star quarterback or scored a game-winning touchdown to clinch a playoff berth. But the two teens killed in a shooting in Pitcairn were remembered Friday for how they wore the Clairton Bears’ jersey with...
‘We’d love to have you here’: Pa. chamber courts NYC employers after Mamdani’s win
Progressive Zohran Mamdani’s upset win in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary has caused a stir among some in the city’s business establishment. It’s also spurred the leader of a Pennsylvania business group to try to take a bite of the Big Apple’s outsize share of the global economy and...
State senate approves Sunday hunting; measure moves to House
A state bill that would repeal Pennsylvania’s ban on Sunday hunting is headed to the House for a vote after the Senate passed it Thursday. Allegheny County Sportsmen’s League President Klint Macro said members of the group have been in favor of opening up hunting on Sundays for decades. He...
In brief: Happenings in the Shaler Journal area
Great Gardens Tour scheduled for July Mark your calendars: The 17th annual Shaler Garden Club’s Great Gardens Tour will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 13. Proceeds from the tour will benefit the Shaler North Hills Library. The tour offers an opportunity to walk through five spectacular...
Kittanning teen to be charged in connection with stealing $10,000 in goods from Harrison, Fawn
At least two homes in Harrison and another in Fawn appear to have been targeted for thefts after residents posted items for sale on social media. Harrison police Chief Brian Turack said charges are pending against a 17-year-old boy from Kittanning in connection with all three incidents, which occurred June...
Shaler Area to tackle building work, district’s future after approving budget with no tax hike
The Shaler Area School Board has approved a budget without a tax increase for the coming school year, but its real work may be just beginning. The board is expected to discuss a revised scope of work at the district’s middle school during a buildings and grounds committee meeting in...
No injuries in Blawnox train-truck crash
A 195-car train and a tractor trailer collided Friday morning in Blawnox. Crews were dispatched just before 8:30 a.m. to the Fairview Avenue rail crossing, near its intersection with Papercraft Avenue, according to first responders. Blawnox Deputy Fire Chief Matt Kauper said the tractor-trailer was leaving the American Beverage Company...
Dog tag flag memorial will be on display in early July at Flight 93 park
Patriot Park, at the northern boundary of the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, will host a veterans memorial exhibit featuring an American flag created from more than 7,000 military dog tags and 50 gold stars. The Veterans and Athletes United Fallen Heroes Global War on Terror Memorial Flag...
Irwin Park summer concert series opens with alternative rock band
Irwin’s annual Concert in the Park series at the Irwin Park amphitheater returns this summer, with the first concerts slated for Sunday . Irwin will kick off its five-show Concert in the Park series at Irwin Park amphitheater off Pennsylvania Avenue and Main Street with Alt Rocks, a 1990s and...
Latrobe appoints Long Island native with building code experience to fill council vacancy
A retiree whose work experience includes examining building plans and completing code reviews is now a new member of Latrobe’s city council. Council members voted unanimously this week to appoint Lenor Rivera to serve on the panel through December 2027. She will complete the term of William Yuhaniak, who cited...
Civil War book wins Gettysburg roundtable award for Penn Township author
Penn Township author Ron Kirkwood spent 17 days in 2022 at the National Archives in Washington, DC, scouring hundreds of pension files for the stories of Civil War soldiers and their families. Kirkwood, 70, a Michigan native, worked more than four decades as a newspaper and magazine editor — for...
Sharpsburg, Etna, Millvale residents can get stipends for ongoing education
It’s been 25 years since John Moore graduated from high school, and now the Sharpsburg resident is eager to complete his college degree. He is enrolled at Community College of Allegheny County to earn a paraprofessional certification. His expected commencement date is early 2027. Moore, 43, got some help with...
