Western PA Local News category, Page 2535
Bear sightings on the rise in Western Pennsylvania
Young black bears are on the move in Western Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Game Commission reports that bear sightings are up this year, thanks in part to cooler-than-usual temperatures in May that brought more bears out during the daytime and also because more people have been staying home because of the...
Photos: Sewickley Academy celebrates Class of 2020 with community parade
Sewickley Academy celebrated its Class of 2020 on Thursday with a parade through Sewickley. Students lined up along Academy Avenue before being led through the Edgeworth campus by Head of School Kolia O’Connor, who was driving the school’s fire truck. Sewickley Academy faculty and staff members cheered, waved and held...
Suspended Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez also faces child porn charges in St. Louis
St. Louis authorities on Thursday confirmed that suspended Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez is charged with sending pornographic pictures of himself to a minor last summer. Documents provided by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office said Vazquez was charged in February with one count of furnishing pornographic materials to a...
Western Pa. restaurants prepare for expanded dining options, cope with losses
On Thursday morning, restaurateur Erin Connelly prepared for her most important staff meeting in months. After being limited to takeout options during the coronavirus shutdown, the Cornerstone Restaurant and Bar in Aspinwall soon can commence limited dining options. Connelly was hesitantly excited. “People are scrambling,” she said. “It’s hard to...
Allegheny County Health Department issues $361K fine against U.S. Steel
The Allegheny County Health Department has issued $361,400 in fines against U.S. Steel for air pollution and permit violations during the fourth quarter of 2019 and first quarter of 2020. The health department announced the fine in a statement Thursday. Of that total, $325,260, or 90%, will be paid to...
Virginia State Police pursuing leads in killing of Herminie man
Virginia State Police are pursuing multiple leads in the weekend stabbing death of a Westmoreland County man whose body was found in a rural ditch near an I-77 exit ramp, authorities said Thursday. “We’ve received a number of telephone tips we’re still continuing to follow up on,” said First Sgt....
Butler couple pleads guilty to charges related to $1.3M embezzlement from Butler Health System
The former chief operating officer for Butler Health System and her husband, a former detective with the Butler County District Attorney’s Office, pleaded guilty to federal fraud and tax charges, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady announced Thursday. Prosecutors said Stephanie J. Roskovski, 50, and Scott A. Roskovski, 51, of Butler,...
Carnegie Museum partners with TikTok to bring education to social media platformVideo
It started with a snail joke. But making light of mollusks has quickly led to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s TikTok channel gaining nearly 150,000 followers since January, and the museum is partnering with the burgeoning social-media platform to bring users more educational content. The museum received a grant,...
100 free spaghetti dinners to be handed out in Grapeville
Debbie Huey is following in her parents’ footsteps by making her mark in the local community. Owner of Angelo’s Cucina & Catering in Hempfield’s Grapeville neighborhood, Huey is offering 100 free spaghetti dinners next week thanks to donations from Candy’s Corner Deli in Jeannette and Ken Tomajko, owner of Tomajko...
60 more Pennsylvania liquor stores resuming in-store public access
Sixty more Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores in counties in Pennsylvania’s yellow phase of covid-19 mitigation will resume limited in-store public access on Friday, the state Liquor Control Board announced Thursday. When that happens, a total of 349 stores in 56 counties will be allowing limited in-store public access....
Westmoreland County reports 1 new coronavirus case, no new deaths
One new covid-19 case was reported in Westmoreland County on Thursday, bringing the countywide total to 443. No new deaths were reported. The countywide total was unchanged at 38. The number of confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus in Allegheny County increased by 23 to 1,851. No new deaths...
NBA rookie Cameron Johnson warms up lunches with food donation to families in Moon
When the coronavirus crisis shut down the NBA season, Cameron Johnson drove directly from Phoenix to Pittsburgh in a 28-hour trip so he could return to his Moon Township home. Before Johnson goes back, he wanted to give back. The Phoenix Suns rookie donated food and drinks Thursday morning to...
Hempfield revenues behind about $400,000 for year because of pandemic
Hempfield is behind in revenues by more than $400,000 compared with this time last year, township officials said. The coronavirus pandemic has hit global and local economies, forcing businesses to temporarily shutter to help curb the spread of the virus and leaving people out of work. In Hempfield, the revenue...
Pennsylvania adds 625 coronavirus cases; total passes 70,000
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Thursday reported 108 new deaths and 625 additional cases of the coronavirus. The state has now had 70,042 total cases and 5,373 deaths. Deaths have been recorded in 54 of the state’s 67 counties, and every county has had a positive case. More than...
KDKA-TV anchors Rick Dayton, Susan Koeppen let go
Longtime news anchors Rick Dayton and Susan Koeppen are no longer employed by KDKA-TV, the station’s vice president and general manager confirmed Thursday. Chris Cotungo referred the Tribune-Review to a statement from CBS. “We are restructuring various operations at CBS as part our ongoing integration with Viacom, and to adapt...
PETA wants Mark Cuban to turn ‘The O’ into vegan hot dog spot
PETA has an idea for Mark Cuban, should he go through with a big Pittsburgh purchase. The animal rights organization Thursday sent a letter to Cuban, the “Shark Tank” star and Mt. Lebanon native, that suggested turning the now-closed Original Hot Dog Shop in Oakland into a “vegan hot dog...
Allegheny County reports 23 coronavirus cases, no new deaths
Allegheny County reported 23 additional cases of the coronavirus Thursday, bringing the total number of cases countywide to 1,851. No new deaths were reported, leaving the total at 151. The county earlier this week reported three consecutive days with no new deaths. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 161 deaths...
Pennsylvania Supreme Court ends judicial emergency
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has issued an order to end the statewide judicial emergency on June 1. Local president judges, however, may keep restrictions in place where they deem necessary. The order means that district, county and appeals courts mostly closed to the public and operating on a limited basis...
AHN to conduct mobile coronavirus testing in Duquesne
Allegheny Health Network’s mobile covid-19 testing unit will be in Duquesne on Friday as part of its initiative to reach underserved communities. The testing site will set up outside Duquesne Elementary School at 300 Kennedy Avenue from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This latest round of testing is part of...
Hempfield man dies of injuries suffered in apartment fire
A Hempfield man died this week from burns suffered in a fire inside his apartment, state police said. Michael J. Serafin, 66, died Tuesday in UPMC Mercy Hospital, where he was flown after the blaze around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, said fire marshal Trooper Keith J. Sobecki. Serafin lived alone in...
Cops seek tips on suspect who stabbed 70-year-old man in neck in McKees Rocks
Allegheny County police are seeking the public’s help in identifying a man suspected of stabbing a 70-year-old man in McKees Rocks late Wednesday. Borough police responding to a 911 call for a shooting in the 100 block of Jane Street found a man suffering from a stab wound to the...
Pennsylvania pools are allowed to open, but some may choose to stay closed
The water is being filled. Come next week, splashing and fun — socially distanced, of course — should return to Youngwood Park N Pool. “Once the chemicals are balanced, we’ll be ready to open,” said Ed Christofano, president of the Westmoreland County pool. “We’re excited.” The Youngwood pool will be...
Completely kosher Baskin-Robbins open in Squirrel Hill
The first completely kosher Baskin-Robbins opened this week in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. While ice cream is kosher, visitors won’t see certain toppings such as gummy bears. All menu items have been certified by the Vaad Harabanim of Greater Pittsburgh. The store is located at the intersection of Forbes and...
11-year-old Pittsburgh boy killed in Parkway crash
An 11-year-old Pittsburgh boy who was killed in a multi-vehicle crash along the Parkway East — Interstate 376 — Thursday morning has been identified. Jaiden Childs, 11, was pronounced dead at a hospital after the vehicle he was a passenger in was stuck by a truck shortly before 6:30 a.m.,...
Animal Friends resuming public services suspended during statewide shutdown
A local animal shelter that was forced to suspend most of its operations in late March to comply with the state-mandated shutdown order to help slow the spread of coronavirus is resuming operations with some restrictions. Animal Friends in Ohio Township announced that while patrons cannot “drop in” as they...
