Local category, Page 2523
Registered sex offender accused of assaulting girl in New Florence
A Cambria County man is accused of inappropriately touching a 7-year-old girl at a New Florence home in November, according to court papers. David Alan Heming, 57, of Johnstown, was arrested by Westmoreland County detectives Monday on charges of indecent assault and corruption of minors. The girl told investigators that,...
Delmont Library volunteers host ‘Grab and Grow’ garden kit distribution
The Delmont Public Library’s volunteers the Delmont Diggers were already looking at alternate plans for 2020, since the new library is being built where their butterfly garden once stood. “We’d planned to do container gardens around the library, but when covid-19 happened, we weren’t even able to do that,” said...
Pittsburgh sets virtual board and commission meetings for June
With covid-19 making it logistically difficult for Pittsburgh planning boards and commissions to meet in person, the city is going with virtual meetings. And it’s more than a temporary measure. Starting in June, the Department of City Planning will hold meetings on Zoom that will be streamed on YouTube Live....
Wind propels large brush fire in Allegheny Township
Fawn police officer Keith Lazaron was at work Tuesday when he received a panicked call from his wife, Jessica, telling him he needed to get home as soon as possible. Strong winds had propelled a large brush fire toward their home in Allegheny Township. When Lazaron arrived home about 20...
Elderly couple carried out of their Arnold house as fire rips through vacant house next door
Paramedics carried an elderly couple out of their Arnold home when it was threatened by fire Tuesday. Firefighters stopped the fire from spreading from the empty house it started at, and no one was hurt, officials said. Todd Hutchison said he called 911 to report the fire in the 1300...
Gov. Wolf on law allowing to-go cocktail sales: ‘I will sign it’
Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday he plans to sign legislation that would allow restaurants and bars to sell prepared beverages and mixed drinks and deliver them curbside. The governor noted it was overwhelmingly approved by the state House and Senate. Wolf did not indicate when he will sign the bill...
During shutdown, new U.S. citizens celebrate alone
Four new U.S. citizens were welcomed Tuesday morning in a large, mostly empty room on the sixth floor of a building in Wilkins Township. The newly minted citizens all wore face masks. They sat in chairs spaced six feet apart. There were no friends. There were no families. After taking...
Coronavirus count in Westmoreland County falls by 1 as state refines data
The coronavirus case count dropped by one in Westmoreland County on Tuesday as the state continues to refine its numbers. The subtraction of one case brings the county total to 431, according to data from the Department of Health. Case and death counts by county have continued to fluctuate as...
Pennsylvania to send property tax/rent rebate checks sooner because of pandemic
About 500,000 Pennsylvanians who benefit from the state’s property tax and rent rebate program will be receiving their checks six weeks earlier than usual, state officials announced Tuesday. The move will help some of the state’s most vulnerable residents during the coronavirus pandemic, state Treasurer Joe Torsella said. The rebates,...
Greensburg YMCA to host drive for Westmoreland County Food Bank
Greensburg YMCA will host a Trunk to Truck Food Drive to benefit the Westmoreland County Food Bank on Saturday. Employees of the Y will be present from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to handle donations at the gym doors at 101 S. Maple Ave. This event will follow non-contact protocols....
Allegheny County reports 1 new coronavirus death, 17 new cases
Allegheny County on Tuesday reported one new covid-19 death and 17 new cases. The latest figures bring the total number of deaths to 144 and total cases to 1,658. The total cases include 1,569 confirmed cases and 89 probable cases. Total hospitalizations rose by 10 since Monday, from 294 to...
Cops: Man jailed after being cited for drug possession, later breaking into Hempfield car wash
A Philadelphia man found in Westmoreland County passed out inside a vehicle reeking of marijuana and subsequently charged with drug possession over the weekend was arrested about 12 hours later following an alleged burglary at a local business, state police reported. Troopers first encountered Naasir N. Boyd, 19, around 9...
Who’s the baby daddy? Love triangle drama at Pitt peregrine falcon nest
With two male suitors for one female, and two eggs to tend, uncertainties abound at the top of the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning, the region’s most popular nesting site for the peregrine falcon. The drama of peregrine falcon couples in Oakland, Downtown Pittsburgh, Tarentum and elsewhere is closely...
Duquesne man shot, killed at West Mifflin apartment complex
A man was shot and killed just before midnight Monday in West Mifflin, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. County officials identified the victim as Thomas Johnson, 45, of Duquesne. Police responded to reports of shots fired at about 11:15 p.m. at Mon View Heights Apartments. Officers found Johnson...
The Stroller, May 19, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Read The Stroller daily for announcements of how everyone can ease the pressure and stress of others, even while maintaining social distancing. Information for The Stroller should be emailed to vndnews@tribweb.com. Vandergrift church to sponsor dollar dinner Vandergrift First United Methodist Church will serve a dollar dinner from 4 to...
Plum Borough Building reopened, Oakmont offices open by appointment only
With Allegheny County in the yellow phase of a gradual reopening effort during the covid-19 pandemic, municipal offices are starting to ease access restrictions. Plum officials announced via the borough website that the municipal building has reopened and they are issuing permits once after being closed for weeks. Oakmont Borough...
4 employees at Giant Eagle distribution center in Freedom test positive for coronavirus
Four employees at a manufacturing and distribution facility in Freedom, Beaver County, have tested positive for coronavirus, Giant Eagle officials announced Monday. Company spokesman Richard Roberts said workers have had their temperatures taken when they arrive at the facility since the first case was confirmed on May 8. About 400...
Construction manager: Franklin Regional elementary project keeping pace despite delay
The general manager for Franklin Regional’s Sloan elementary campus construction and renovation is confident that contractors will be able to keep pace with the project’s original timeline, despite a roughly month-long setback at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. “The only areas we’re trying to keep a close eye on,...
Hempfield school district approves preliminary budget with no tax hike
Hempfield Area School District property owners will not see a tax hike this year after board officials unanimously passed a $97.67 million preliminary budget this week. This is the second budget in a row that has not raised taxes, following five years of gradual increases, setting taxes at 83.46 mills....
Highlands School Board appoints new solicitor as collector of overdue property taxes
Former Highlands School District Solicitor Ira Weiss said his firm wasn’t given a chance to defend its record collecting delinquent property taxes for the district before being ousted from the job. The school board voted 7-1 on Monday to appoint Andrews & Price as delinquent property tax collector, effective Tuesday....
Western Pa. task force intent on training dogs to sniff out covid-19Video
More than 100 dogs and handlers from throughout the region were put through their paces this month as they vied for the opportunity to join in the battle against the covid-19 pandemic. During sessions in Youngwood and Imperial, a panel of trainers evaluated the dogs’ ability to sniff out hidden...
Search continues for boy who reportedly fell into the Ohio River
Ambridge police, fire and other emergency responders will resume searching Tuesday for a 10-year-old boy they said fell into the Ohio River on Monday. The boy was with his brother and a group of friends who were playing near the Ambridge Sewer Treatment Plant and the Leetsdale Boat Ramp, Tribune-Review...
Leechburg Area considers $15.3M budget with tax increase for West Leechburg residents
Leechburg Area School Board approved a $15.3 million preliminary budget for next fiscal year that would increase property taxes by 6.7% for West Leechburg residents, even though the proposed spending plan is $80,000 smaller than this year. The school district is made up of students from Armstrong County’s Leechburg and...
Judge dismisses lawsuit tied to fires at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by two environmental groups against U.S. Steel over alleged Clean Air Act violations at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works. The suit was filed last year after fires on Dec. 24, 2018 and June 16, 2019. U.S. District Judge Marilyn Horan sided with...
Greensburg diocese to begin in-person Mass on June 1
The seating and the passing of peace may look a little different but, beginning June 1, Catholic churches in the Diocese of Greensburg will celebrate Mass — in person. Diocesan officials announced Monday that parishes can once again begin public Mass. Parishioners will be required to wear masks and remain...
