Western PA Local News category, Page 2663
Pennsylvania launches webpages to school voters on new procedures
State officials are making good on a promise to get out the word about Pennsylvania’s new voting systems — at least online. On Monday, three weeks before the new date when voters may apply for a no-excuse absentee ballot, the Pennsylvania Department of State launched a new website (www.votespa.com/readytovote), complete...
Walmart training employees for in-home delivery at empty townhouse in SewickleyVideo
There is an empty townhome in Sewickley. No one lives there, but the fridge is stocked full of food and drinks. The home is one of a few in the country being rented by Walmart for the sole purpose of training employees for the company’s new in-home delivery service. Walmart...
Owner of 4 Shop ‘n Saves given probation for $300K coupon scheme
The owner of four North Hills grocery stores was sentenced Monday to four years of probation after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors for a long-running coupon scheme that bilked nearly $300,000 from manufacturers. Michael Mihelic, 60, of Franklin Park pleaded guilty to a single count of theft. “It was...
Amid lower natural gas prices, Chevron Appalachia to begin layoffs at Moon headquarters
Chevron Appalachia informed Pennsylvania it will begin layoffs at its regional headquarters in Moon. The layoffs, beginning April 6 and continuing through the end of the year, will affect 288 employees, according to a WARN notice filed with the state Department of Labor & Industry. The layoffs at the 700...
Slippery Rock student, Pittsburgh native survives 80-foot fall off cliff at McConnells Mill
A Slippery Rock University student survived an 80-foot fall off a cliff when she “slipped on some leaves” Sunday afternoon near a climbing area at McConnells Mill State Park. Jocie Van Kirk, 21, originally from Pittsburgh, was flown to a hospital around 3:30 p.m. Sunday to be treated for neck,...
6 accused in conspiracy to smuggle drugs into Westmoreland County Prison
A Cambria County woman is accused of working with four Westmoreland County Prison inmates in failed attempts to bring drugs into the jail, according to court papers. Matraca Lynn Vrana, 26, was arraigned Friday and jailed on $50,000 bail. She and five others, including the mother of one of the...
Waterline break prompts early dismissal at Highlands High School
Highlands High School dismissed students early Monday because of a waterline break outside the school. The high school closed at 11 a.m., according to a recorded phone call the district sent out to parents. School and district officials could not be reached for comment and did not respond to requests...
Crash on Route 28 snarls early-morning commute
A crash with multiple vehicles snarled traffic on inbound Route 28 on Monday morning, backing up traffic considerably just before the heart of rush hour. Several vehicles were involved in the crash near the former site of St. Nicholas Church between the 31st Street Bridge and East Ohio Street. The...
Pittsburgh gas prices down as national average starts seasonal rise, analyst says
While the national average price of gasoline has gone up for the second consecutive week, prices are lower in the Pittsburgh area, according to price-tracking service GasBuddy. The national average went up 2.4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.47. In the Pittsburgh area, prices came down by...
The Stroller, Feb. 24, 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. Outdoor Discovery...
Tunnel Hill Farms near Leechburg home to unusual herd of animalsVideo
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things that they do. Few people know about Tunnel Hill Farms, a plot of around 100 acres, tucked away near Leechburg. And probably fewer know it contains a barnyard of unusual farm animals...
Vandergrift dance studio joins aerial yoga trendVideo
Take your workout to new heights with aerial yoga. Sandra Lynn’s School of Dance in Vandergrift recently added two weekly classes of this hybrid way of practicing yoga. Kim Stewart, owner and certified yoga instructor at Sandra Lynn’s, says the new classes are a hit and aerial yoga has a...
Spaghetti dinner fundraiser scheduled at Collier Community Center
The Friends of Collier Parks and Recreation will host an inaugural spaghetti dinner fundraiser from 4 to 7 p.m. March 28 at the Collier Community Center, 5 Lobaugh Street, Oakdale. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $10 for adults and $5 for children. Admission at the door is $12 for adults...
Report: Pittsburgh woman hurt after fall from cliff at McConnells Mill
A woman from Pittsburgh was hurt after falling 80 feet from a cliff at McConnells Mill State Park in Slippery Rock Township on Sunday. Tribune-Review news partner WPXI reported the 21-year-old woman was flown to a hospital to be treated for head and back injuries. Lawrence County law enforcement and...
Washington Pike closed in Collier because of transformer fire
About a half-mile of Washington Pike in Collier Township has been closed due to a transformer fire , Allegheny County officials tweeted on Sunday. At about 7 p.m., the road was closed between Collier Town Square and the Woltz and Wind Ford Dealership. The fire caused the Woodville Duquesne Light...
Chance to win 58th state House District excites Westmoreland Dems at endorsement meeting
A statewide race had the potential for some fireworks, but a bid to turn the 58th House District blue generated the most excitement at Sunday’s endorsement meeting of the Westmoreland County Democratic Committee. “I’m very, very hopeful,” said Robert Prah Jr., the Democratic candidate to fill the vacant 58th District...
Arnold Girl Scout Stella Van Why inches closer to her 4K cookie box goalVideo
Daisy Scout Stella Van Why has a lofty goal, but she just might see it through. The determined girl told her troop co-leader that she was going to sell 4,040 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. As of Sunday, she had already sold more than 2,900 boxes. And sales aren’t over...
Harmar buys app to allow easy access to sewer, waterline maps
A new software application will provide Harmar residents a more detailed look at their community through a cell phone app. The township supervisors have agreed to buy the ARCGIS Online Development Proposal from Senate Engineering. The cost is just under $7,600. For that money, the township will have the ability...
Cops: Woman caught with stolen purse kicked trooper during arrest
A Vandergrift woman who authorities say kicked a state police trooper as she was being arrested in Oklahoma Borough last week remained in the Westmoreland County Prison on Sunday, according to court records. Court records show Melissa Ann Gourley, 46, failed to post $3,000 bond on charges of aggravated assault,...
Fashion icon, Southmoreland graduate B. Smith dies at 70
Fashion icon and Everson native Barbara “B.” Smith, who also became a restaurateur and author, died Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020, at her home on Long Island, N.Y., her family announced on social media. She was 70. Smith was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2013, when she was 64....
Volunteers clean up graffiti on 3 Rivers Heritage trailVideo
A dozen volunteers painted over graffiti to clean up about six panels of a large wall Sunday along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Pittsburgh’s Hays section where bald eagles fly. It’s a popular section of trail, part of the Great Allegheny Passage to Cumberland, Maryland, where a nearby bald...
Vandals spray paint graffiti on rocks at Ohiopyle
Vandals spray painted graffiti on hundreds of feet of sandstone rock along the Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle State Park over the weekend, park officials said. The graffiti was discovered by a park ranger shortly after opening the park gates at 7 a.m. Sunday, said Ken Bisbee, park operation manager. “This...
Bouquet Pool’s permit renewed, for now, as Springdale officials try to keep it open
Springdale Township has renewed the occupancy permit for Bouquet Park Pool for two weeks as pool officials try to increase memberships by March 1, according to pool board members. While the main task at hand for the Bouquet Park Pool is to shore up memberships to stay afloat this year,...
West Deer residents concerned about proposed McIntyre Heights development
West Deer residents living near the proposed McIntyre Heights development told the township supervisors they still have reservations about the plan. At a public hearing Wednesday, they aired their concerns about the planned residential development despite some downsizing of the plan and assurances from representatives of the developer, Richland Holdings....
Harmar declares war on blight, officials vow to rid town of dilapidated buildings in 3 years
Harmar Township officials have decided it’s time to wage war on blight. Supervisors Chairman Bob Seibert said that the township can, and will, do better when it comes to ridding the township of deteriorating buildings. “The township will be undertaking a systematic program against blight,” Siebert said. “We want to...
