Western PA Local News category, Page 2670
NAACP, black community leaders call for Allegheny Co. judge’s ouster over alleged racist remarksVideo
Representatives from the state and local NAACP gathered Tuesday at Freedom Corner in Pittsburgh’s Hill District to denounce alleged racist remarks by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Mark Tranquilli. Tranquilli has been on administrative duty since Feb. 6. His alleged comments, including calling a black juror “Aunt Jemima” in a...
Cops: Armstrong County man jailed after 35-mile chase
An Armstrong County man is in jail after allegedly leading state police on a 35-mile chase from rural Indiana County into Clearfield County early Sunday. Keith William Habel, 40, of Ford City is charged with fleeing and eluding police, driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless endangering and driving on...
412 Food Rescue CEO to receive Global Leadership Award
A Pittsburgh entrepreneur will be honored with a 2020 Global Leadership Award by Vital Voices, a women’s leadership organization co-founded by Hillary Clinton. Leah Lizarondo, co-founder and CEO of 412 Food Rescue, was chosen for her work harnessing “the power of technology and the generosity of everyday people to prevent...
Volunteers needed for massive free dental clinic in July at PPG Paints Arena
Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh is seeking 1,500 volunteers to help with an annual free dental clinic at PPG Paints Arena in July. The clinic on July 24-25 will bring together dentists, hygienists, nurses and general volunteers to provide people with free services. Procedures and treatments that will be provided will...
Attorney defends police, DA’s Office, saying he saw no misconduct during Wilkinsburg mass shooting probe
A former attorney for a man who alleged prosecutors paid him for information and encouraged him to lie in the Wilkinsburg mass shooting case denied he saw any misconduct from the District Attorney’s Office, according to a response filed Tuesday. Chris Eyster did not name Kendall Mikell in his nine-page...
Lower Burrell woman pleads guilty to attempting to deal fentanyl/painkiller mixture
A Lower Burrell woman this week pleaded guilty in federal court for attempting to deal roughly 47 grams of a fentanyl-tramadol mixture, prosecutors said. Amber Doller-Smith, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute the drugs, both of which are painkillers, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady...
Pa. Superior Court hears Trib appeal for juror names in Westmoreland public corruption trial
The names of jurors in the public corruption trial of former Westmoreland County Sheriff Jonathan Held should be made public, a Tribune-Review attorney argued in court Tuesday. A three-judge panel of the state’s Superior Court heard arguments in Pittsburgh on the Trib’s appeal of a lower court ruling that withheld...
Artist’s dryer lint sculptures to be displayed inside Pittsburgh laundromat
Clothes lint from dryers became the medium for artist Cheryl Capezzuti, so a pop-up art installation at a laundromat seems to be a natural progression. On Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., some of Capezzuti’s works of lint sculptures will be displayed inside the Butler St. Coin-op Laundromat in...
Hempfield doctor wants to use Pa. lawsuit against Purdue Pharma to defend his drug-death case
Lawyers for a Hempfield doctor contend a state lawsuit against drug makers could bolster his defense against a murder charge he faces for allegedly overprescribing medication that led to a patient’s death. Defense attorneys Brian Aston and Ken Noga said claims made in the lawsuit filed by the Pennsylvania Attorney...
Business as usual for local councils as Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy
Local Boy Scouts councils said their activities will continue as usual, despite the bankruptcy filing of their 110-year-old parent organization, the Boy Scouts of America. Each council is its own entity, financially and legally separate from the national organization. Leaders of the Laurel Highlands Council, which includes the Pittsburgh area...
Witness: Pittsburgh man played on park swings after North Side killing
An East Allegheny man accused of fatally shooting another man in Pittsburgh’s Spring Hill-City View neighborhood played on swings at a North Side park after the 2017 killing, a witness told police. Justin Parrotte, 31, is facing homicide and gun charges for the death of John Miller in a nonjury...
North Huntingdon Police seeking help on alleged luring incident
North Huntingdon Police are investigating a reported luring attempt of a 14-year-old boy in the township’s Hahntown section last week. Police disclosed in a Nixle report on Tuesday that the incident occurred along Entry Road about 2:30 p.m. Friday. In a separate alert, the school district said on its website...
Rostraver landfill, DEP reach agreement on liquids from oil, gas waste
A Rostraver Township landfill has reached an agreement with the state Department of Environmental Protection over the proper disposal of liquids generated by oil and gas waste. The consent order and agreement requires Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill to pay a $24,000 civil penalty and undertake a number of corrective actions related...
Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory blooms for wedding showcase
Flowers are generally a key component of a wedding. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Oakland is a location of choice for many nuptials. There’s an opportunity to envision what the big day can look like at the Phipps Weddings Showcase from 6 to 9 p.m. on March 1. Brides-to-be...
Pittsburgh students receive high marks for City Hall performanceVideo
Mike Nichols, a volunteer for Pittsburgh Public Schools, has escorted kids through the corridors of Pittsburgh City Hall for more than 20 years to give them a sense of how local government operates. On Tuesday, Nichols brought in a violin ensemble from Westwood elementary into council chambers for a short...
Sophie Masloff program to kick off women’s history initiative
The Senator John Heinz History Center is presenting an evening dedicated to the late Pittsburgh Mayor Sophie Masloff to open its celebration of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage. “Sophie: The Incomparable Mayor Masloff” is set for March 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. The evening will feature selections from...
Seton Hill names new dean for visual, performing arts
Seton Hill University has named Kellee Van Aken as dean of the School of Visual and Performing Arts. Van Aken, associate professor of theatre and chair of the Theatre and Dance Department at Seton Hill, joined the faculty in 2011 and has served as interim dean of the School of...
Waterline extension project in South Buffalo gets key funding
A proposed waterline extension along Srader Grove Road in South Buffalo received a major financial boost Monday. State Sen. Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, appeared at the supervisors meeting to announce that the township has received a $150,000 state grant for the project. “I’ve always felt that if Armstrong County is going...
Pittsburgh poised to pay city firefighter $70,000 to settle discrimination suit
Pittsburgh would pay a city firefighter $70,000 to settle a lawsuit claiming the city violated the Americans with Disabilities Act in 2016 by restricting his duties after he suffered a head injury while responding to a fire call. City Council introduced a resolution Tuesday that would authorize a settlement of...
Police: Bugs ‘crawling on the walls’ at South Huntingdon home with 2 kids
A South Huntingdon woman who was ordered not to have contact with a baby is accused of having the child at her home last month, according to state police. Elizabeth Ann Hart, 22, is charged with child endangerment and harassment. Troopers investigating a 911 hang up call Jan. 8 on...
Saving Stories book release celebrates history, culture
Traditional Nepali, Sudanese and Islamic tales that are passed down for generations among natives now will be preserved in the United States for years to come. More than 50 people gathered at the Whitehall Public Library on Feb. 17 for the launch of five new bilingual books through the Saving...
Pa. Superior Court hears appeal arguments in corruption case against former Westmoreland sheriff
The lawyer for former Westmoreland County Sheriff Jonathan Held argued Tuesday that not enough evidence exists to warrant the continued prosecution of the now-private citizen on public corruption offenses. Held, 45, of Hempfield is awaiting a second trial for allegations he directed on-duty staffers to participate in reelection campaign activities...
Gordmans grand opening in East Huntingdon draws curious shoppersVideo
Several dozen shoppers braved a wet, windy morning Tuesday to be among the first to shop at the new Gordmans, formerly Peebles, department store in East Huntingdon. Officials from the township and from Mt. Pleasant borough joined employees as they officially opened the location in Countryside Plaza. Grand openings of...
Man sentenced to life in prison in beating death of refugee Pittsburgh cab driver
One of four men accused of beating a Somali refugee cab driver to death nearly three years ago in Pittsburgh was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison by an Allegheny County judge. Daniel Russell, 23, was convicted of second-degree murder in November for his role in the 2017 death of...
Conservancy seeking volunteers to help prune apple trees in Murrysville
Westmoreland Conservancy officials are looking for a few good apples, so they can create a whole bunch more. The metaphorical “few good apples” would be additional volunteers to help with a Feb. 22 apple-tree pruning session at the Conservancy’s Morosini Reserve in southeast Murrysville. “This will be our third time...
