Local category, Page 2653
Packages in Pa. Turnpike crash remain on delivery route
UPS packages that were being hauled by tractor-trailers involved in the fatal Pennsylvania Turnpike crash will reach their intended destinations if they were not damaged, a company spokesman said Tuesday. “If a package is damaged, we contact the shipper for replacement or reimbursement of that delivery,” said Matthew O’Connor, senior...
Following criticism, Vandergrift Council to post agendas before meetings
Vandergrift Council plans to share agendas publicly in advance of its meetings starting in February. The move comes in response to an outpouring of criticism Monday at council’s first meeting of the year and a critical letter from the board’s newest member. One citizen after another approached the podium during...
Pittsburgh Public Schools looking to sell 4 vacant schools
Pittsburgh Public Schools is trying to sell four vacant school buildings and a sizable parcel of land to developers with plans that will help the neighborhoods and the district. The district distributed a request for proposals Monday through Fourth River Development for prospective bidders to purchase and redevelop its surplus...
Judge bans public, media from Wilkinsburg mass shooting jury selection
A judge will consider arguments Wednesday against an order barring the media and public from jury selection in a high-profile homicide trial set to begin in four weeks. Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski ordered Tuesday that the press and public be barred from observing and reporting on...
Levana Bratique in Pine searching for fashion show modelsVideo
The word “Levana” (levare) means “to lift” in Latin. For Judy Masucci, owner of Levana Bratique, that definition is both literal and figurative. With her vast collection of brassieres, she hopes to lift the breasts — and the confidence — of the women she serves by providing them with the...
Mayor: Grant documentation concerns triggered Latrobe fire company suspensionsVideo
Seven members of Latrobe Volunteer Fire Department’s Goodwill Hose Company 1, who were suspended in December, reportedly have been reinstated. But members of the company still had questions this week for city officials, who told them that the fire department — not Latrobe Council — needs to solve its internal...
Police: Uniontown man accused in baby’s death charged with injuring another child
A Uniontown man accused in the 2019 death of an East Huntingdon baby was charged Tuesday in connection with injuries to his 14-month-old son, according to court papers. Derrick A. Bass, 29, was watching the boy in Monessen in October 2018 when police said the child was hurt. Bass is...
Funeral services announced for Rostraver West Newton paramedic killed on I-70
A Rostraver West Newton Emergency Services paramedic supervisor who was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer along Interstate 70will be laid to rest Friday in Monongahela Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were announced for Matthew C. Smelser, 43, of Carroll Township, by Marshall Marra Funeral Home, 216 Chess St., Monongahela, where visitation...
Latrobe man hurt in vehicle-pedestrian crash
A Latrobe man was hospitalized Sunday after police said he was hit by a vehicle. Steven Fleischer, 62, was hurt at the intersection of Main Street and Truman Avenue just after 6 p.m., said Beth Straka, community service officer. He was taken to Excela Health Latrobe Hospital and transported by...
Son of Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle found dead in Beverly Hills home
The son of Pittsburgh Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle was found dead Monday night at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif., the team confirmed. Andrew Burkle was 27. “We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Andrew Burkle’s passing and offer our deepest condolences to Ron and his family,” Penguins...
Multi-vehicle wrecks cleared from inbound Parkway North
Traffic is back to normal after a pair of multi-vehicle crashes along the inbound Parkway North snarled traffic for several hours during the morning rush hour, according to authorities. The wrecks occurred shortly before 7 a.m. just past the East Street exit to Route 28, state police said. One of...
PennDOT vehicles enforcing speed limits in work zone on Boulevard of the Allies
PennDOT has launched a new automated system that records the speed of vehicles traveling through work zones to make it safer for road repair crews. The electronic speed timing devices, which will be mounted on vehicles so they can easily be moved to various locations, were deployed Monday in seven...
Inclusive theater to hold January auditions in Murrysville
Acting Up, an inclusive theater group for actors of all ability levels, will host auditions for two upcoming productions. • Auditions for “Once On This Island Jr.,” for actors ages 5 to 18, will be Jan. 22 from 7-9 p.m. at Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church, 4600 Old William Penn Highway, and...
Contractor reports $4,800 theft at Hempfield job site
An electrical contractor working at a Hempfield plant reported that $4,800 worth of tools and copper wire were stolen from its job site, state police from Greensburg said. J.W. Peters Co. of Bethel Park reported the tools and wire were stolen from the General Carbide Corp. plant on Garden Drive...
Historical society receives $10K gift to help relocate military monumentVideo
The Export Historical Society has a good jump on relocating Export’s veteran monument, thanks to a $10,000 gift from former borough resident Gary Wuslich. “He noticed that the memorial was a little bit hard to see or recognize unless you knew where it was,” said borough councilwoman and historical society...
Harmar to build $84,000 dek hockey rink in Acme Park
Harmar Township has secured a $42,000 state grant which it will match to install a dek hockey rink and renovate the basketball court at Acme Park along Herron Avenue. The project was prompted by the lack of use of the park’s tennis courts, according to township officials. For more than...
Tarentum stays with Waste Management for at least 1 more year; rates unchanged
Tarentum is sticking with Waste Management as its garbage hauler for 2020 but will keep looking for a new one, borough Manager Michael Nestico said. The one-year contract council accepted with Waste Management keeps the borough’s cost unchanged at about $165 per ton. Tarentum opted not to increase residents’ $22...
Tarentum Council keeps Snyder to fill vacant seat, changes officers, meetings
A Tarentum business owner first appointed to Tarentum Council nearly a year ago has been appointed again. Council chose Brian Snyder to again fill a vacant council seat representing the borough’s 3rd Ward. He replaces Carrie Fox, who resigned the ward seat after winning both it and the one at-large...
Personal approach cements longtime Arnold Furniture store
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 reporter Madasyn Lee at mlee@tribweb.com. Arnold Furniture may have a large selection of furniture...
Norwin to cap tax hike at 3.4%
Property owners in the Norwin School District will not see their school taxes increase more than 3.4% — the maximum allowed without state or voter approval. The Norwin School Board unanimously voted at its meeting this week to limit any tax hike to the state maximum, which is about 2.8...
‘It feels like a movie.’ Turnpike crash survivor recounts ordeal
Quwanjay Ellis was drifting off to sleep on a bus traveling from New York to Ohio about 3:30 Sunday morning when he heard a voice in his head: “Open your eyes.” He had only moments to brace for what came next. Sitting in the aisle seat directly behind the driver,...
Stowe police wound suspect in shooting near Sto-Rox High School
A Stowe Township police officer fired his gun at a man who had been driving a car that may have been involved in a shooting near Sto-Rox High School Monday afternoon, Allegheny County Police said. Police said the man was grazed by the bullet and taken into custody. After being...
Police investigating death of man hit by a train in Swissvale
Authorities have released the identity of a man who died after being hit by a train in Swissvale on Monday evening. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said Walter Gunter, 45, of Rankin died as a result of injuries he suffered after being struck by the train at around 5...
Unity OKs 3% wage hike, seeks emergency coordinator
Unity Township supervisors approved a 3% wage hike for most township workers and are searching for a new emergency management coordinator. At their reorganization meeting this week, the supervisors approved the pay increase for two non-union employees. That hike matches the raise recently approved for 23 union members who work...
Oil prices rise on risk of Iranian retaliation for U.S. airstrike that killed general
There is a “distinct possibility” that escalating tensions between the United States and Iran may impact gasoline prices, a market analyst said. Whether that happens depends on if Iran retaliates for the airstrike that killed a top Iranian general, and if that retaliation targets oil infrastructure, said Patrick DeHaan, head...
