Local category, Page 2615
Pittsburgh man pleads guilty to running meth pill-pressing operation
A Pittsburgh man has pleaded guilty to federal charges that he ran a methamphetamine pill pressing operation. Zachery Hyde, 27, pleaded guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and other related charges. Investigators say Hyde obtained large quantities...
Police seek help identifying driver who fled after hitting 2 people in Hill District
Pittsburgh police are seeking the public’s help locating the driver of a vehicle who fled after striking two pedestrians in the Hill District on Monday night. The crash occurred shortly before 10 p.m. near the intersection of Bedford Avenue and Chauncey Drive. Investigators say officers from the city’s Zone 2...
John Oyler: Barbara Bush’s life explored in biography ‘Matriarch’
The Bridgeville Area Historical Society welcomed back one of its favorite speakers last month, Dr. John Aupperle. His subject this year was Barbara Bush, based on the recent biography “Matriarch,” by Susan Page. Barbara Pierce was born in New York City in 1925 and reared in nearby Rye, N.Y. Her...
Allegheny Township takes steps to protect first responders from coronavirus
Although there have been no reports of coronavirus cases in the Alle-Kiski Valley, Lee Shumaker isn’t taking any chances. Shumaker, Allegheny Township’s emergency management coordinator, told township supervisors last week that he has taken at least a few steps to head off the spread of the virus. He said hearing...
Heart to heart: West View man embraces a 2nd chance at life
Bob Lancia has felt heartache twice. One time the hurt was healed — with a heart transplant last year at UPMC Presbyterian in Oakland. But the other pain will ache for the rest his life — grieving the loss of his oldest son, Zach, 30, in 2017. Lancia of West...
The Stroller, March 10, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Stroller is your go-to place for local meeting notices, charitable events and volunteer opportunities. Information for The Stroller may be dropped off or mailed at least a week in advance to: The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084, email vndnews@tribweb.com or fax 724-226-4677. March 28...
Hempfield and Greensburg Salem students win 1st place at culinary competitionVideo
Students from Hempfield and Greensburg Salem high schools brought home the top prize after participating in a ProStart competition, which focuses on restaurant management and culinary skills. Kassie Miller of Hempfield, who studies culinary arts at Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center, along with Kelly Gillis, a Greensburg Salem student,...
McKeesport man charged with DUI after crashing into Pittsburgh police cruiser
A McKeesport man was charged with reckless driving and other offenses after allegedly crashing into a police cruiser in the Strip District. Pittsburgh police said Dontel Sayles, 29, was driving under the influence when he rear-ended an officer’s marked car near the intersection of Railroad and 23rd streets early Monday...
Parents urge tighter security checks for volunteers at NorwinVideo
Parents say Norwin School District should tighten its policies and procedures for volunteers undergoing background checks after it was discovered that a man who worked with the middle school musical pleaded guilty to corruption of minors in Fayette County. “My concern is that this person was brought in (to the...
Invisible Man Brewing gets Greensburg grant for startup costs
Invisible Man Brewing will receive $4,760 from the City of Greensburg to help cover the architectural and design fees that went into its South Pennsylvania Avenue building. The brewery opened in October. Council unanimously approved the grant Monday under a program that provides money to cover “soft costs” for new...
Greensburg Salem teams sweep pasta bridge competition at Saint VincentVideo
Greensburg Salem School District swept the top three spots in Monday’s 14th annual Pasta Bridge Engineering Competition at Saint Vincent College. Juniors Adam Nichols, 16, and Kevin Burkhardt, 17, both of Salem Township, took first-place honors when their model bridge, crafted from various types of pasta and glue, stood up...
Greensburg says farewell to 3 longtime employees, including police chief
Greensburg is saying “so long” to three longtime employees. Police Chief Chad Zucco’s last day will be March 30. Zucco, who announced his retirement last month, is stepping down after 22 years in the department, four of them as chief. He accepted a job as chief operating officer of Gaskey...
South Center Avenue in New Stanton reopened after vehicle crash
Part of South Center Avenue in New Stanton was closed Monday night after a two vehicle crash, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. The road was closed between Pine Drive and Bridge Street. It reopened around 9:45 p.m. At least two people were transported to the hospital by the Mutual...
Go ethnic for Easter with pysanky egg demo and pirohi at St. Vlad’s in Arnold
A demonstration of creating the mind-blowing ornate and detailed Ukrainian painted Easter eggs known as pysanky will be featured along with a pierogies and stuffed cabbage dinner at St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Arnold at 4 p.m. on April 4. The dinner includes St. Vlad’s pierogies, homemade stuffed cabbage,...
See eagle, osprey, red-tailed hawk nests on a 13-mile-plus bike ride in Pittsburgh
So many predatory bird nests, so little time. The fourth annual Raptor Row Ride will feature viewing stops for cyclists for bald eagle, osprey, hawk and American Kestrel nests on April 25 starting in West Homestead. The Raptor Row Ride traverses the Steel Valley Trail section of the Great Allegheny...
SouthSide Works new owners to close cinema, add office space, apartments in renovationVideo
After operating as a movie theater for nearly 20 years in the heart of the former of J&L Steel works, the SouthSide Works Cinema will soon be office space. SouthSide Works’ new owners, Somera Road Inc., a New York-based commercial real estate investment and development firm, announced plans Monday to...
Norwin students propose using app to combat roadway litter; win region award
A team of Norwin High School students devised a cost-effective, safe and innovative way of curbing litter along the state’s highways. It also proved to be award winning. The students — John Christian, Joshua Gubanich, Jordan Loy and Elias Mignogna — propose using a specially designed smartphone app called PALS...
$10K bond request denied for man accused of raping 12-year-old who later gave birth
A Westmoreland County judge on Monday rejected a bond request from a Connellsville man awaiting trial on charges of raping a 12-year-old girl in 2013. Prosecutors say the girl gave birth to the man’s child nine months later. Shawn Melville, 42, was charged last year with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse,...
Pittsburgh police detective shot in gunfight that left Mt. Oliver parolee dead is ‘doing fine’
The Pittsburgh police detective who was shot last week in a gunfight that left a Mt. Oliver man dead is recovering at home, Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said. “He is doing well,” Hissrich said. Allegheny County police are investigating what happened Thursday night when the detective, who was shot...
Ahead of coronavirus, Saint Vincent College bumps up safety measures in dining areas
Saint Vincent College is bumping up safety measures in dining areas as a precaution against coronavirus, officials said Monday. College spokesman Jim Berger said there are no suspected cases at the school located near Latrobe. “In the interest of precaution and in an effort to reduce the number of frequently...
Pittsburgh regatta promoter testifies his business was a ‘sinking ship’
The man who’s blamed for cancellation of last year’s Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta told a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee that his business was failing from the time he formed it three years ago. “I was on a sinking ship from the beginning,” Derek Weber, 44, of Ross, told Rosemary C. Crawford...
Sewickley man sent to prison for sexually assaulting 2 mentally disabled women
A Sewickley man will serve up to four years in prison for sexually assaulting two mentally disabled women at his home in 2018. Wayne E. Smith, 75, pleaded guilty Monday to forcing the women, ages 23 and 24, to have sex — acts they were unable to consent to because...
Cops: Murrysville man accused of nearly hitting policeman and dog in fleeing car
A 19-year-old Murrysville man, who police say almost hit a police officer and police dog Magnus while trying to flee a traffic stop, was arrested within an hour on multiple criminal charges. Zachary J. Jackson was arrested about 12:30 a.m. Saturday when several municipal police officers went to a residence...
Leechburg museum to unveil newly renovated Military Room on Memorial DayVideo
Improvements to the Leechburg Area Museum and Historical Society’s Military Room are expected to be completed by the time the museum reopens in late May. “It’s still got a little bit of a ways to go, but it will be ready I think when we open on Memorial Day,” society...
Veterans stories to be featured weekly in March at Tarentum museum
The stories of veterans from the Alle-Kiski Valley area can be heard in their own words Thursdays in March at the Allegheny-Kiski Valley Heritage Museum in Tarentum. Each week, segments from Arnold native John Bailey’s documentary, “Duty, Courage, Honor — Southwestern Pennsylvania Goes to War,” will be shown beginning at...
