Local category, Page 2612
Unity Township doctor charged with accepting kickbacks for opiate prescriptions
A Unity Township doctor was charged in federal court with taking kickbacks to prescribe fentanyl, according to the United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Pennsylvania. Dr. Thomas Whitten, of Westmoreland Pain Management, allegedly prescribed the fentanyl-based drug Subsys to people without a “legitimate medical purpose,” according to an indictment...
Victim of fatal Derry Township overdose was warned of drug’s potency
Westmoreland County prosecutors said Monday that a Christmas Eve decision to sell drugs to a Derry woman two years ago was both fatal and tragic. Assistant District Attorney Jim Lazar told a Westmoreland County jury that Michelle Spillar, 38, died Dec. 26, 2017, from drugs sold to her by an...
Water at Hempfield nursing home to be treated with chlorine to kill suspected Legionella bacteria
Additional efforts at Westmoreland Manor to remove the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease will begin this week. The thermal eradication process started at the end of last week to kill suspected Legionella bacteria found in water at the Hempfield nursing home was unsuccessful, Westmoreland County officials said in a statement...
Uncle Dave’s Books brings art to Alle-Kiski Valley children
Editor’s note: Building the Valley tells stories of businesses big and small and the employees who make them special. If you know of any standout employees, bosses or companies with a great story to tell, contact Senior News Editor Tom Fontaine at tfontaine@tribweb.com. An award-winning author of children’s books is...
Pittsburgh police officers will carry specialized gauze to control bleeding
Pittsburgh police officers will now be carrying special gauze that can help control bleeding in cases of gunshot wounds or other injuries, thanks to a donation from Allegheny Health Network. Each Pittsburgh police officer will be provided with a NuStat Tactical gauze package. Allegheny Health Network donated 1,000 packages to...
Woman accused of hiding gun that killed New Kensington cop says she suffers from PTSD
A woman charged with disposing of the weapon that police say was used to kill New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw claims she could not have done so because she is afraid to enter basements. In court documents filed Monday, the lawyer for Lisa Danea Harrington, 33, of New Kensington...
Gasoline prices dip below $2 per gallon in spots as oil prices continue to sag
While not the case in the Pittsburgh area, nearly 5,000 stations across the United States are selling gasoline for less than $2 per gallon, according to price tracking service GasBuddy. “Oil prices continue to sag on worries over the spread of the coronavirus, blowing the door wide open for a...
Murrysville man accused of swindling $18K from Allegheny Township business
A Murrysville man is accused of taking nearly $18,000 from an Allegheny Township business to install signs promoting the business, but never doing the work. Orbin Swisshelm, 60, took the money from McGuire Family Auto Service, according to a criminal complaint filed by township police. Police said Swisshelm disbanded his...
Dill with it: Picklesburgh nominated again for top specialty food festival
Defending a championship is never easy. But Picklesburgh will try to win best specialty food festival in the country for the second year in a row. A USA Today readers poll again includes the event as one of the choices for fans to choose. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership made the...
Man walking with child in Wilkinsburg killed in shooting
A 23-year-old man who was shot and killed while walking in Wilkinsburg on Monday has been identified by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. Kevin Hall was shot while walking along Winton Street with a 5-year-old relative at about 1 p.m., police said. A man with short dreadlocks and wearing a...
Trial starts for former state trooper accused of lying on application to buy guns
A former state police officer accused of falsifying an application to buy two firearms did not attempt to break the law, his lawyer told a Westmoreland County jury as his trial started Monday. Chad Corbett, 40, of New Derry, believed criminal charges alleging he had assaulted a woman were to...
No one injured when driver crashes into Murrysville police vehicle
A Murrysville policeman escaped injury Sunday after his patrol SUV was rear-ended along Pleasant Valley Road, state police said. The crash involving Patrolman Corey Fearon occurred about 8:15 a.m. when Fearon’s northbound patrol car stopped to check a disabled southbound vehicle, state police at Kiski reported. Fearon’s emergency lights were...
Clarion University to introduce campus safety smart phone app
There’s an app for nearly everything and, next fall, Clarion University students will have the opportunity to tap one designed to fight sexual violence on campus. Officials at Clarion said the state-owned university located about 75 miles north of Pittsburgh will use a state grant to launch LiveSafe, a mobile...
Where’s the snow? Winter so far has failed to deliver much to Western Pa.
All those things that make winter wintry in Western Pennsylvania — at least one snowstorm, shoveling snow, making a snowman — haven’t happened much this year. “I don’t think I’ve shoveled once,” said Greg Phillips, manager and CEO of the Westmoreland Conservation District. While there was some measurable snowfall in...
Police: Father of 4-month-old unintentionally shot child
State police reported they believe the father of a 4-month-old child unintentionally fired a shot in an Indiana County apartment, hitting his son. According to police, the 21-year-old father fired a shot from a 9mm handgun while inside an apartment at 42 College Lodge Road in White Township, striking the...
Police: Shaler teacher used colleagues’ driver’s licenses to make fraudulent store returns
A Shaler Area Middle School teacher is accused of stealing her colleagues’ driver’s licenses and using them to make fraudulent returns at discount stores in the area, police said. Jeannine Vittorino, 45, of Robinson, was charged Saturday by Millvale police, who started investigating in September when one of Vittorino’s colleagues...
Rolling Stones dropping concert hints on billboards around Pittsburgh
Billboards going up around Pittsburgh seem to confirm the Rolling Stones are returning to Pittsburgh this summer. On Monday, at least 10 digital billboards with lyrics from Stones songs and the tongue-and-lips logo popped up around town. A fan website It’s Only Rock’n Roll says North American tour...
Westmoreland job fair slated at Hempfield hotel
Job seekers will have an opportunity to connect with employers Feb. 26 at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel and Conference Center. The WANT (Westmoreland Assists Native Talent) Job and Career Expo will be held 1 to 4 p.m. at the hotel, at 100 Ramada Inn Drive, Hempfield. The annual...
West Hempfield Elementary School recognized for Veterans Day programVideo
Teachers at West Hempfield Elementary School were awarded a plaque from AMVETS deeming their Veterans Day program excellent. The program drew several veterans — who were related to students — to the school for breakfast and a music show. “I was stunned,” said Rege Riley, former National Commander for AMVETS....
Witness testifies to chaos of 2016 Wilkinsburg shooting scene as defense attempts to discredit police evidenceVideo
Bleeding from her own gunshot wound, Tonjia Cunningham begged Tina Shelton to stay alive. “Tina, Tina, Tina.” “Talk to me.” “Tina, Tina, Tina, Tina.” “Don’t you (expletive) die on me,” she wailed. Jurors in Cheron Shelton’s murder trial heard the recording of the call Cunningham placed to 911 just before...
Delaware man pulled over on turnpike near New Stanton accused of concealing heroin
After pulling over a Delaware driver on Friday in Mt. Pleasant Township for following another vehicle too closely on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, state police discovered seven bulk packages of suspected heroin hidden inside a compartment built into his SUV, according to court documents. Jaime Cruz, 40, of Wilmington, was driving...
Fire marshal: Spontaneous combustion caused Allegheny Township fire
A fire that extensively damaged an Allegheny Township house last month was caused by the spontaneous combustion of some oily rags, a fire marshal said Monday. The fire at 1241 Bagdad Road was reported after 1 p.m. Jan. 26. The house was under construction and unoccupied. The homeowners declined to...
Newlonsburg associate pastor retires following 37 years of service
For the first time in nearly four decades, Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church will have a new associate pastor following the retirement of the Rev. Marion Silbert on Jan. 31. A Western Pennsylvania native, Silbert is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and Princeton Theological Seminary. She joined Newlonsburg in...
Opus 2 Orchestra prepares for winter concert in Trafford
Members of the Opus 2 Orchestra are gearing up for their winter concert set for Feb. 22 in Trafford. “An International Affair: Music from Around the World” will begin at 4 p.m. at Christian Life Church, 900 Seventh Street Ext. It will feature musical styles from different countries including Soon...
Seton Hill to offer RN to BSN program online
Seton Hill University is joining the growing list of colleges and universities offering online bachelor of science programs for registered nurses. Officials at the Greensburg private university said the new program will offer working professionals the ability to complete a bachelor’s degree in a flexible format. The move comes as...
