Local category, Page 2652
Photos: Officer Phil assembly at Evergreen Elementary
Evergreen Elementary students learned to be safe both at home and at school during an Officer Phil assembly on Feb. 5. Mac the Mouse and Al E Cat joined Gwen Bowman, Officer Phil program representative, to talk about how to Be Safe and Be Aware. The Officer Phil Program has...
Letter to the editor: Allegheny East NAACP response to Gateway achievement gap
Allegheny East NAACP response to Gateway achievement gap The NAACP, being the oldest civil rights organization, has long held a firm standing for civil rights in education. While we at the Allegheny East NAACP applaud any efforts for achievement and equity at the Gateway School District through whatever partnerships that...
Thomas Jefferson High School athletics rallies around local girl
Aubrey Mahony made a big splash at the TJ pool, as the Jaguar swimming and diving team had a record-breaking night against Trinity. At 9, Aubrey was the star of the meet. She served as an honorary team captain, head timer, picked the 50-50 raffle winner and even was named...
YWCA Westmoreland County seeking Sportswomen of the Year nominees
YWCA Westmoreland County is looking for nominations of female athletes, teams and coaches for its annual Sportswomen of the Year awards program. There are 12 categories, honoring individual athletes and teams in several age groups, along with categories for a sportswoman with special needs and outstanding female coach. Nominations are...
Catholic school fair to help families of closing schools
A Catholic school fair has been scheduled to help families of two closing schools. Saint Maria Goretti School in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood and East Catholic School in Forest Hills will close their doors this year. Diocese officials have planned two fairs for parents of those school children in the event...
One injured in icy North Huntingdon crash
One person suffered a minor injury after a two-vehicle crash on an icy North Huntingdon road, according to Westmoreland County 911. The crash on the 1400 block of Five Pines Road happened just after 8 p.m. Friday. First responders warned that the road was very slick, according to a 911...
Former Greensburg lawyer pens political thriller set in Westmoreland
“Settlers’ Cemetery,” a former Greensburg lawyer’s debut novel, may have tongues wagging in Greensburg. The novel, by attorney and political gadfly Gary Fine, is peppered with the kind of scandalous tales I heard as a courthouse reporter in the 1980s, and then some. Fast forward 40 years. Add a political...
Holocaust Center to open exhibit on Jewish immigration to Pittsburgh
Jewish immigration into Pittsburgh dates back at least a century, but not everyone realizes that. “It was before and after (11 people were killed) at the Tree of Life we realized that there’s a misconception about when Jews came to this country,” said Lauren Bairnsfather, director of the Holocaust Center...
Golden Gloves schedule features several local, regional cards
The Western Pennsylvania Police Athletic League Pennsylvania Golden Gloves tournaments begin this month with several cards leading up to the state finals in April and the national finals in early May. Several fighters from local gyms and communities, as well as those from throughout the Western Pennsylvania region, will compete...
Pittsburgh’s Caliente Pizza & Draft House donates pies to Light of LifeVideo
Hope starts with a meal. Those were the words of Doug Smith, director of development for Light of Life Rescue Mission on Pittsburgh’s North Side on Friday as he watched residents enjoy slices of pizza from Pittsburgh-based Caliente Pizza & Draft House as 40 extra-large pizzas (approximately 480 slices) were...
Watch: Zoo penguins enjoy Pittsburgh’s snowy weatherVideo
Officials at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium let the penguins roam free Friday to enjoy the snow. Parts of Western Pennsylvania received up to 5 inches of snow, causing several traffic incidents and more than 450 school closures. Meanwhile, the penguins could be found running, sliding and rolling around...
How far does $1 million go in retirement in Pittsburgh?
There is a general belief that people with a million-dollar nest egg are pretty well situated for retirement. But a million dollars doesn’t go as far in some places as it does in others. For the third year, SmartAsset released a study to determine where in the U.S. $1 million...
New Kensington police shooting prompts churches to change service locations
Two New Kensington churches are changing the locations of some services in the wake of an incident where city police officers were shot at near one of the churches. The changes affect St. Joseph and St. Mary of Czestochowa. It also affects the Community Clothes Closet run by Mount St....
Greensburg physician sentenced to prison in opioids for sex scheme
A Greensburg physician convicted of dispensing opioids for sex was sentenced Friday to more than three years in federal prison. Dr. Milad Shaker, 52, of Greensburg was convicted of 14 counts of federal drug violations following a six-day trial in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh in October. U.S. District Judge...
Organizers of grassroots revitalization effort in Highlands’ towns encouraged by start
Elected officials and others were encouraged by the discussion that took place at a recent grassroots meeting organized online to talk about how to make three Alle-Kiski Valley communities better places to live. The gathering to talk about improving Tarentum, Brackenridge and Harrison was held Saturday at Dry Bones, a...
Alle-Kiski officials question Gov. Wolf’s proposed state police fee
Gov. Tom Wolf wants to charge Pennsylvania communities a fee for state police coverage, regardless of whether the municipality has its own police force, according to his 2020-21 state budget proposal. A number of local police departments in the Alle-Kiski valley rely on state police for coverage of major crimes...
Pitt-Greensburg charity basketball game will raise money for United Way
The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania will benefit from Pitt-Greensburg’s 12th annual charity basketball game, set for Wednesday. Part of a tradition that has assisted various regional charities for more than a decade, the game that pits a team of students against another featuring faculty and staff will begin at...
Ross firm purchases former Verizon building in Marshall for $3.45 million
A Ross Township real estate investment and development firm Friday closed on the purchase of a building previously occupied by Verizon at the RIDC Park in Marshall Township, according to a company partner. FourPenn Partners LLC purchased the building at 200 Allegheny Drive for $3.45 million from the Rubinoff family...
Mental health awareness is focus of STEP UP Westmoreland group
Anxiety, stress and depression seem to go with being a teenager. But asking for help when those things become debilitating requires a little more effort. Sometimes a lot more effort. A local group is working to overcome the stigma that often keeps people from asking for help with mental health...
Why this weekend’s Snow Moon could be a dud in Pittsburgh
February’s full moon, known as the Snow Moon, will appear this weekend, but be warned: a cloudy forecast in Pittsburgh offers no guarantees that we could get a clear look, the weatherman says. The Snow Moon will peak at 2:33 a.m. Sunday, according to timeanddate.com. You can see a full...
Attorneys allege witness was paid to cooperate in Wilkinsburg mass shooting case
The judge presiding over the 2016 Wilkinsburg mass shooting case on Friday denied a defense request for a mistrial based on allegations that a witness had been paid to cooperate with prosecutors. Judge Edward J. Borkowski refused to unseal the motion from defense attorneys and make it available to the...
Pittman to use experience in blight as head of Urban Affairs and Housing Committee
The state Senate’s newest head of Urban Affairs and Housing Committee comes from a district that isn’t urban at all. Even state Sen. Joe Pittman, who was named the new chair of the committee last week even though he represents mostly rural parts of Westmoreland, Armstrong and Indiana counties, admitted...
Carnegie Science Center says start saving those snowballs
More than 3 inches of snow blanketed the region through Friday afternoon. Saving some of it could pay off in June. Anyone who makes a snowball this winter, saves it in their freezer and then brings it to the Carnegie Science Center’s annual Snowball Day celebration on June 19 will...
Amphitheater in the works for Murrysville Community Park
A state grant could bring an amphitheater one step closer to reality at Murrysville Community Park, though not everyone is happy about the prospect. Planning for the amphitheater was boosted by a $299,000 grant from the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and municipal parks and recreation officials would...
Fundraiser planned for Norwin elementary school backpack program
Fans of chili and wings will be in their glory at the Norwin Rotary’s 10th annual Chili Cook-off and Wing Thing March 5 at various locations in downtown Irwin. The food will be available from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Colonial Grille, Brandy’s on Main, the Cheesecake Caffe...
