Western PA Local News category, Page 2546
Portion of Eliza Furnace Trail closed through Wednesday
A section of the Eliza Furnace Trail will be closed through Wednesday between the Hot Metal and Birmingham bridges for tree trimming. The project is being done by PennDOT with cooperation from Pittsburgh city officials and the organizations Friends of the Riverfront and Tree Pittsburgh. Cyclists and pedestrians won’t have...
Religious freedom bill proposed in Pennsylvania as churches navigate reopening
As some churches prepare to open, two Pennsylvania lawmakers want to prevent the state from restricting religious gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic or any future emergency. State Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Westmoreland, said religious leaders have been confused about whether churches are affected by state-mandated coronavirus shutdowns. “Our religious community is...
Gateway seniors to graduate in Monroeville Mall parking lot
Gateway seniors will cap their high school experience in a parking lot at the Monroeville Mall. Justin Stephens, the high school’s principal, said in a letter to parents last week that graduating seniors will have a commencement ceremony that adheres to distancing guidelines. “In cooperation with Macy’s and the Monroeville...
Robert Levin makes 2nd bid to revive family furniture business
Robert Levin is back in the furniture business. Almost two months to the day after his deal fell through to repurchase the family-owned furniture chain he sold to Art Van Furniture in 2017, Levin has negotiated a deal in bankruptcy court to buy back the Levin brand. His $25.7 million...
Hempfield Area to extend cyber program to elementary grades
The Hempfield Area School District is making its cyber program available to all elementary grades. In a letter dated May 15, Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said the program will be available to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The program currently is open to grades six through 12. She noted some...
Westmoreland County Prison guard charged with assaulting inmate
The alleged assault on an inmate at the Westmoreland County Prison at the hands of a guard last month was reported by Manor Police, who had just delivered the handcuffed prisoner to the jail, according to court records. Borough officers told county detectives they watched as James Mapp “was repeatedly...
Pittsburgh moves to easier online permitting services
Pittsburgh’s move toward offering more permitting services online “couldn’t come at a better time,” Mayor Bill Peduto said . The city’s OneStopPGH website was launched a year ago. It allows residents and businesses to apply, pay for and receive licenses and permits online. They also can upload development plans and...
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,...
