Local category, Page 2625
South Huntingdon carpenter is GOP nominee for 58th House special election
Westmoreland County Republicans selected a union carpenter making his first run for public office as the GOP’s candidate in a special election for the Pennsylvania State House 58th District seat. Eric Davanzo, 43, of South Huntingdon was nominated Thursday night to run against Democrat Robert Prah in the March 17...
Bark and circumstance: Police dogs, partners graduate in PittsburghVideo
Five newly-trained police dogs had their day at the Pittsburgh Police K9 Training Academy in Highland Park. Shadow, Miky, Chooch, Rico, Baki and their human handlers were celebrated Friday as they graduated from a three-month training program at the academy. They’ll begin working in their home departments soon. As the...
Greensburg Salem School Board to search for new member following resignation
The Greensburg Salem School Board will be looking for a new member soon. Rachel Shaw announced her resignation this week. She was elected in 2017. Shaw took a job as mediator with the state’s Department of Labor, which prevents her from holding elected office. “I enjoyed my time on the...
Allegheny Health Department to receive training to reduce inequality in infant mortality
In response to what the Allegheny County Health Department says is a problem rooted in institutional racism, officials will receive training to help develop and implement new policies to address birth disparities. The training and technical assistance comes from CityMatCH, a national organization of city and county health departments’ maternal...
Mt. Pleasant Township man accused of sexually assaulting 10-year-old
State police have an arrest warrant for a 76-year-old Mt. Pleasant man on charges of sexually assaulting a girl on multiple occasions nearly five years ago. Donald C. Werry of Brush Creek Road was charged by state Trooper Robert Politowski with aggravated involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated...
Leechburg Council has questions for school board about Veterans Stadium work
Leechburg Council would like the Leechburg Area School Board to answer questions it has concerning renovations at Veterans Stadium. Council members Ruth Bender and Lorrie Bazella attended Wednesday’s school board meeting to ask several questions about the planned project, which calls for installing artificial turf and a running track at...
Pittsburgh Central Catholic student has whooping cough, officials say
Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh will undergo “extensive cleaning” this weekend after learning one of its students has been diagnosed with whooping cough, school officials said Friday. School officials sent out a letter to parents and guardians on Jan. 23 stating the state Department of Health confirmed a case...
Greensburg police seek 2 suspects in strong-arm robbery
Greensburg police are looking for an Allegheny County man and a second unidentified male suspect accused in a strong-arm robbery, according to court papers. Investigators got an arrest warrant Friday for Jonathan Stewart Kostial, 26, of Moon, who is charged with robbery, strangulation, conspiracy, theft and related offenses. A Greensburg...
Former Murrysville massage parlor to be sold at sheriff’s sale
A prime commercial lot and building with a notorious past along Route 22 in Murrysville is slated to be sold at Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Sale March 2. The defunct Tokyo Massage Spa at 6428 William Penn Highway, which was shut March 22 after the arrest of owner Hui Xu, will...
Donora library to host Heinz history center’s traveling World War II exhibit
In the run-up to the 75th anniversary of World War II’s ending this fall, the Donora Historical Society and Donora Public Library will co-host the traveling World War II exhibit from the John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. For historical society volunteer Mark Pawelec, it’s a chance not only to...
Gateway working with Tri-COG Land Bank on acquisition of Pitcairn property
The Gateway school board has given the Tri-COG Land Bank permission to acquire another residential property in Pitcairn. The house, located at 590 4th Street, marks the second the land bank has eyed for acquisition in recent months. Another on 7th Street is in the process of being acquired by...
Week in review: Pitt mourns student’s death; Antonio Brown jailedVideo
It was a week of mourning and concern across the Pittsburgh area. The news included the tragic death of a promising University of Pittsburgh student, and several Mt. Pleasant students being hurt in a car crash. Crime news included Ex-Steeler Antonio Brown making headlines again, and a Latrobe man being...
Land bank lists houses in Turtle Creek and Braddock Hills
The Tri-COG Land Bank plans to put two houses up for sale on Jan. 27, the organization announced Thursday. The houses, located in Turtle Creek and Braddock Hills, will be the land bank’s first two houses to be listed for sale since the organization’s 2017 launch. The land bank was...
Minor damage to Mt. Pleasant Post Office building in vehicle fire
A vehicle fire Friday caused minor damage to the Mt. Pleasant Post Office. An employee’s pickup truck parked near the rear of the Mt. Pleasant Township building caught fire around 11 a.m., according to Hecla Fire Lt. David Yuhouse. The flames reached to a roof extension on the building, but...
Recorded sounds of crying babies reported in Pittsburgh’s South Side
At least four people on Pittsburgh’s South Side have reported hearing recordings of children’s voices and crying babies outside their homes, according to police. Public Safety spokesman Chris Togneri said police have received four reports from different areas of the South Side. The callers said they heard a crying baby...
Latrobe family establishes IUP scholarship fund in honor of Jerry Quinn
A pair of Latrobe area brothers established a new scholarship fund at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in honor of local entrepreneur Jerry Quinn Sr. Students from Greater Latrobe High School or Westmoreland County will be eligible to apply for the scholarships from the Quinn Keystone Legacy Trust of Westmoreland County,...
Annual Sports Cards and Collectibles show returns to Westmoreland Mall
More than 40 vendors selling sports cards and other memorabilia have taken over Center Court at Westmoreland Mall for the weekend. The annual event, which has been going on for more than a decade, gives interested parties the opportunity to buy, sell and trade cards, wax products, action figures, gaming...
Mediation fails to resolve former Highlands teacher’s federal lawsuit against district
Mediation has so far failed to resolve one former Highlands School District employee’s federal lawsuit against the district, while a related case is set to head into its mediation. A mediation session for teacher Jason Smith’s case was held Thursday, according to court records. Smith, formerly a fourth-grade teacher at...
Route 400 restricted for water main repairs
Crews from Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority are working to repair a water main at the intersection of Bigelow Boulevard and Herron Avenue, PennDOT said Friday. Water line work on Route 400 outbound in Pittsburgh is currently underway. Lane restrictions will occur at the intersection until 3 p.m. If additional...
Schools, churches, non-profits to receive aid for promoting census in Westmoreland County
Schools, churches and local nonprofit organizations interested in promoting the census will have a little help soon from the Westmoreland County Complete Count Committee. Aimed at collecting an accurate countywide count, the committee is offering mini-grants of up to $1,000 to help with necessary resources and training for an organization’s...
Poll workers needed in Monessen for March special election, other communities for primary
Poll workers are needed in Monessen for the March 17 special election for state representative and in other communities for the April primary election. The Westmoreland County Elections Bureau is seeking 10 to 15 poll workers in Monessen, who will be trained and earn between $95 and $130 for the...
Westmoreland judge gives Pittsburgh man jail break in North Huntingdon drug case
A Pittsburgh man charged last summer with discarding 50 bricks of heroin during a police chase through North Huntingdon avoided a jail sentence when a Westmoreland County judge said he could be a strong example to children he mentors. Laplez Cummings, 35, pleaded guilty Thursday to drug charges, reckless endangerment...
Police seek car in connection with fatal Pittsburgh hit-and-run incident, victim identifiedVideo
A man killed in a hit-and-run incident Friday morning on Pittsburgh’s North Side has been identified, and police have released a description of a car they say may have been involved. Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased as Richard Faessel, 33, of Oakdale. He was found injured on...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Jan. 24-26
See ya, January. Here are some ways to spend the weekend in Pittsburgh. Crawling along The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Winter Gallery Crawl is Friday night throughout the Cultural District, Downtown. There will be free exhibits, entertainment and other activities. Thousands of visitors are expected to attend. Wood Street Galleries, SPACE,...
DeVito hopes famous name, plans for future translate to votes for state rep
Danny DeVito wants to be your state representative, Pennsylvania District 45. No, not the Hollywood star known for his roles in “Taxi” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” This Danny DeVito, 27, is a self-proclaimed working class conservative who is seeking the Republican Party nomination on a pro-drilling, pro-industry platform....
