Western PA Local News category, Page 2657
Greensburg Salem to host ‘Mr. GS’ pageant
Greensburg Salem High School’s Student Council Association will hold its “Mr. GS” pageant next month, pitting 10 seniors against each other for the title. The proceeds will benefit the association, which organizes school and community events. Contestants will compete in date wear, talent, formal wear and Q&A segments. At the...
Pittsburgh infectious disease specialist: ‘It’s time to prepare for coronavirus surge’Video
With the continued spread of the coronavirus and misinformation about the disease, Pittsburgh-based infectious disease and critical care physician Dr. Amesh Adalja has become a highly sought after expert on the subject. A senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Adalja works on pandemic preparedness, emerging infectious...
Cyber security experts: Hackers target children’s SS numbers
For computer hackers looking to steal someone’s identity, there’s nothing better than taking the social security number of a child, say cyber security experts at two area universities. Excela Health stopped 832 “violent intrusions” by hackers trying to gain access to the social security numbers of children in the last...
Somerset County woman ordered to pay $251K restitution for keeping dead relative’s Social Security benefits
A Somerset County woman convicted of keeping a deceased relative’s Social Security benefit payments for 21 years was sentenced this week to pay $251,000 in restitution and serve one day in jail. U.S. District Judge Kim R. Gibson also sentenced Donalee Harvey, 73, of Meyersdale, to three years of supervised...
Pittsburgh man pleads to voluntary manslaughter in 2018 slaying
A Pittsburgh man already serving time in federal prison for his part in a West End drug ring was sentenced Thursday to state prison time for the 2018 slaying of another man. Rashem Littleberry, 29, was sentenced to 4.5 to 9 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter...
Mickey from ‘Disney on Ice’ visits UPMC Children’s Hospital of PittsburghVideo
Ella Weisbord had a simple request as she waited to meet a Disney character Thursday in UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. “I want to dance with Mickey,” the 5-year-old from Cheswick said. Mickey Mouse was happy to comply. Ella’s mother wheeled the girl up to Mickey for a meet-and-greet …...
House ‘total loss’ after Lowber fire
A Lowber home is a “total loss” after a fire broke out Thursday afternoon, according to Lowber Fire Chief John VanDyke. The fire was reported on Lily Street at 2:40 p.m. in the Sewickley Township village. “We had fire coming out the front door and I turned around and it...
Pleasant Hills VFC honors Tom Bonura for 50 years of active service
Fighting fires is a family affair for the Bonura family of Pleasant Hills. All tallied, they’ve spent 230 years volunteering with the Pleasant Hills Volunteer Fire Company. Tom Bonura, 68, recently celebrated 50 years of active firefighting at the company. “It’s exciting,” Bonura said of serving as a volunteer fireman....
Pit Take to bring Southern barbecue to Greensburg
Plum’s Dan Czerpak knows a thing or two about barbecue. He studied under “pitmasters” in Georgia, filled notebooks with detailed descriptions of his smoking experiments and took a 14-state tour, tasting the best barbecue from across the South. Now he’s bringing his passion to Greensburg, where he grew up. His...
Everything you need to know about Leap Day
Like the Summer Olympics and presidential elections, Feb. 29 happens just once every four years. Here’s everything you need to know about the science and history of Leap Day. Why is it necessary? As you might remember from elementary school, a day is the time it takes for Earth to...
2 Greensburg men accused in Sheetz robbery avoid hearing, will stand trialVideo
Two Greensburg men accused of robbing a Sheetz store on Jan. 30 waived to court the charges against them on Thursday. Greensburg police charged Jerome Garrett, 19, and Tywone McClain Jr., 21, in connection with the robbery. Police said four men entered the Harvey Avenue store around 6:15 p.m. when...
Female students sought for STEM-based ‘Wonder Women Workshop’ at Franklin Regional
Franklin Regional science teachers are looking for female middle-schoolers with enthusiasm for engineering. The first-ever “Wonder Women Workshop” is set for April 2, where participants will engage in STEM-based activities at Franklin Regional Senior High School. It is the first in what science teachers Monica Bruno, Rebecca Connelly and Maureen...
Robert Morris cancels all study abroad trips as coronavirus spreads
Robert Morris University has canceled all trips abroad out of growing concerns over the spread of the coronavirus, a university spokesperson said Thursday. “Out of an abundance of caution, we have canceled all study abroad trips planned for the spring semester, including those scheduled to leave in May,” spokesman Jonathan...
Person taken to hospital after rollover wreck on McKnight Road in Ross
One person was taken to the hospital after a vehicle rolled over Thursday morning on McKnight Road, Ross Township police said. Northbound traffic had been detoured for a period after the incident, which was reported at around 11:30 a.m. in the 4700 block of the road. The crash occurred in...
Pittsburgh among cities where Trump campaign will open centers to woo black voters
Flush with cash, President Donald Trump’s campaign is stepping up its outreach to black Americans as it tries to claw away support from the traditionally Democratic voting bloc ahead of November’s general election. Trump’s campaign announced Wednesday that it is opening “Black Voices for Trump Community Centers” in the coming...
Allegheny Township man accused of using device to record woman’s conversations
An Allegheny Township man is accused by police of putting a tracking and recording device in a woman’s SUV to listen to her conversations and follow her movements, according to court papers. Kerry Richard Jackson, 35, is charged with intercepting communications, possession of a device for intercepting communications, criminal use...
Westmoreland County appeals order to turn over Register of Wills’ time records
Westmoreland County officials say they shouldn’t be forced to turn over the electronic swipe card records of Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton to the husband of a political opponent. County officials are appealing a ruling from the state Office of Open Records that allowed for the release of “electronic...
State grant boosts substance-abuse therapy using horses at Cook center
Cook Township-based Southern Tier Alternative Therapies (STAT) is stepping up the nonprofit’s work using horses to help people struggling with substance abuse, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The grant should help cover the costs of 30 or more two-hour sessions, in which...
Alle-Kiski Valley school districts get state money for security, reducing violence
School districts in the Alle-Kiski Valley will receive money from a state committee aimed at school safety that ranges from more than $400,000 for the South Butler and Highlands school districts to $30,000 for Riverview. The School Safety and Security Committee was established under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and...
Jeannette man seeks dismissal of attempted murder charges
A Jeannette man wants attempted murder charges against him dismissed because he was not present when a man and juvenile were wounded during a robbery at a Sutersville home. Police contend Aaron Brown, 27, provided the weapons used in the Nov. 16, 2018, incident and, as a result, was charged...
Good grief: Shaler funeral director moonlights as stand-up comic
Frank Perman is a mortician with a stand-up routine that always knocks ‘em dead. The supervisor of Perman Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Shaler takes his job very seriously. Comedy is an emotional outlet. On Feb. 21, before a sold-out crowd at Crafthouse Stage & Grill in Baldwin, he...
Crash near Freeport Area High School prompts districtwide delay
All schools in the Freeport Area School District operated on a two-hour delay Thursday following a crash that closed part of Route 356 for just more than an hour. A two-vehicle crash happened shortly before 6 a.m. on Route 356 at Cole Road in Buffalo Township, according to a Butler...
Duquesne Light restores power in eastern Pittsburgh neighborhoods
Duquesne Light crews have gotten a handle on power outages that were plaguing customers in three Pittsburgh neighborhoods Thursday morning, according to a company spokeswoman. The outages came at the same time the region saw colder temperatures than recent days, along with swift wind and some snow. Outages were reported...
Take a tour of Facebook’s Pittsburgh lab, where it is developing VR avatars
Facebook is developing virtual reality systems in Pittsburgh that it hopes will someday permit people located in separate parts of the world to communicate virtually as if they are sitting together in the same room. Let’s say people in China, the United States, Europe, South America and Australia want to...
The Stroller, Feb. 27, 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. Dance marathon...
