Local category, Page 2675
New Castle man accused of selling crack cocaine in Butler faces new charges
A New Castle man has been accused of scheming to sell large amounts crack cocaine to addicts in Western Pennsylvania, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Zaamar Stevenson, 43, who goes by the nickname “Scrap,” faces new charges from a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh related to possessing and selling more than...
No real estate tax increase for 2020 in Cheswick
The property tax rate will remain the same next year for Cheswick property owners. Council passed a 2020 budget of $1.78 million that keeps the borough’s real estate tax rate of 5.85 mills. The total includes 0.25-mill dedicated to the library. A Cheswick homeowner would continue to pay $608 in...
White secretary at Pittsburgh Public Schools sues district, alleging racial discrimination
A secretary employed by Pittsburgh Public Schools is suing the district in federal court contending she’s been discriminated against for the last 12 years because she’s white. Kristen Frankovich says she’s been discriminated against because of her race in every position she’s held since 2007, when she started with the...
Westmoreland County’s 2020 budget brings 1st tax increase in 15 yearsVideo
Westmoreland County officials said a 2.4% property tax increase approved Thursday is needed to balance the 2020 budget, a spending plan that will nearly drain a surplus fund and relies on a $10 million loan to pay the bills at the start of next year. Commissioners Gina Cerilli and Charles...
Monroeville increases spending without raising taxes
Monroeville’s 2020 budget does not include an increase in property taxes. The $35.3 million spending plan represents a 0.85% increase from 2019’s budget and calls for a $3.2 million transfer from its fund balance. Current projections show the fund balance will reach $8.3 million by the end of 2020. Initially,...
Ex-Applewold councilman sentenced to 4 to 8 years for child sex assault
A former Applewold councilman and East Franklin fire chief convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy two years ago in Kittanning was sentenced Thursday to up to 8 years in prison. Mark Alan Feeney, 56, will serve 4 to 8 years in state prison. Armstrong County Judge James Panchik ordered...
Greensburg woman had passion for helping others, family
When Chris Luccy was growing up, he said his mom, Barbara, would sit in his room, listening to the elaborate stories he made up for his G.I. Joe. “She sat there and listened to my explanations of everything,” he said. “I think part of why I’m a writer now is...
SUV crashes into Primanti’s in North Versailles
One person was injured when an SUV crashed into a Primanti Bros. restaurant Thursday in North Versailles. The incident happened just before 12:30 p.m. at the restaurant on East Pittsburgh-McKeesport Boulevard, according to an Allegheny County emergency dispatcher. No one inside the business was injured, officials said, but the driver...
Westmoreland deputies: Arrest of 2 fugitives led to 2 other fugitives
A search this week for two fugitives led Westmoreland County Sheriff’s deputies to the Greensburg home of a drug rehabilitation counselor, where they said they found what they were looking for — and more, including two other fugitives hiding elsewhere with a cache of drugs, weapons and money. Around 8:30...
North Huntingdon commissioner questions $22K in raises for township department heads
Eight of North Huntingdon’s top officials are in line for raises ranging from 3% to 6% for next year, despite one township commissioner questioning what they did to earn a pay raise for 2020. The pay raises, which commissioners approved by a 5-1 vote on Wednesday, will cost the township...
DUI, drug cases recently handled by Judge Herbst in Monroeville – Dec. 19, 2019
Monroeville District Court Judge Jeffrey Herbst handled these cases recently. Defendants will have court dates set in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Charges were filed by Monroeville police unless otherwise noted. Held for court • John Perrin, 25, of New Brighton on charges of simple assault and harassment....
Driver fired after leaving 7-year-old Leechburg student on bus
A W.L. Roenigk driver has been fired for leaving a 7-year-old Leechburg Area student on a minibus, company president Sue Roenigk said Thursday. The boy was mistakenly driven to the bus company’s Allegheny Township garage and office on Greenwood Road, about 5 miles from David Leech Elementary School where the...
2 plead guilty in Pittsburgh court to being associated with cross-country drug conspiracy
Two people allegedly associated with a cross-country drug conspiracy pleaded guilty to charges this week in federal court in Pittsburgh. Eugene Reddick, 36, of Clairton, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. Kaylin Lightfoot-Homa, 26, of Penn Hills, pleaded guilty to maintaining...
Man paralyzed in fight at Downtown McDonald’s sues restaurant
A man left paralyzed after a Nov. 4 assault outside the McDonald’s restaurant on Wood Street in Downtown Pittsburgh is suing the company and the franchise operator of the location for negligence. The suit was filed Wednesday in Allegheny County court by a Pittsburgh law firm on behalf of Mark...
Propane tanker overturns in South Huntingdon prompting evacuation of homes, business
Seven homes and a business in South Huntingdon were evacuated Thursday after a propane tanker overturned into a creek, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. A small leak from the tanker prompted the evacuation order. The situation was reported at 12:18 p.m. on Gressly Road, which connects Pittsburgh Pike to...
2 rescued after Hempfield communication tower toppled, officials say
Two men were rescued from a wooded area in Hempfield on Thursday after a telecommunications tower fell over while they were building it, said Jamie Shaw, township director of code and safety. It took about 90 minutes for firefighters and medics to get the pair through a mile of wooded...
‘Miracle’ liver donor needed for New Stanton man
Unless he can find a liver donor, New Stanton’s Alvin Jaworski has months to live. His wife, Kathleen Jaworski, is hoping for a miracle. A few strangers have come together to help her find it. A large sign alongside busy Route 819 in Hempfield reads “Be Al’s Miracle! O+ Liver...
Western Pennsylvania lawmaker wants hunting licenses revoked for animal cruelty
A state lawmaker from Western Pennsylvania wants to give the Pennsylvania Game Commission the power to revoke or deny a hunting license to someone convicted of cruelty to animals. The proposed legislation was prompted by the investigation of two teenagers from Jefferson County’s Brookville area who appeared to torture an...
Plans for new South Fayette municipal building, community center move forward
South Fayette commissioners hosted a public meeting Tuesday as the first step in drafting a strategic plan for the township. Commissioners listed facilities, economic development, public safety, infrastructure, finances, operations and parks and recreation as the issues to address. They also agreed to prioritize facilities and began discussing a new...
Pleasant Hills 2020 budget holds the line on taxes
Real estate taxes will remain the same for Pleasant Hills residents in 2020. Borough council members on Dec. 16 approved the borough’s annual budget that holds the line on real estate taxes at 6.75 mills. Of that, 6.3855 mills goes to the borough, .2734 mills goes toward the purchase of...
Highlands superintendent schedules more ‘Coffee Talks’ with parents
Highlands School District parents will get more opportunities to talk with the district’s superintendent and administrators in January. Superintendent Monique Mawhinney has scheduled a second round of “Coffee Talks” that will be held in the evening. The first series of meetings had been held in the mornings in late September...
Police: Mt. Lebanon man took $153K from former Shadyside employer
A Mt. Lebanon man is accused by Allegheny County detectives of taking $153,800 over seven years from a Shadyside financial planning and advising firm where he used to work, according to court papers. Norman Bress, 85, was arrested Wednesday on charges of theft, receiving stolen property and forgery. Investigators said...
Mother, 2 young children rescued from Parks house fire
A mother and her two young children were rescued from their burning home early Thursday morning in Armstrong County. The fire in the 1600 block of Dime Road in Parks was reported shortly before 5:30 a.m. Firefighters from seven departments battled temperatures in the low teens to put out the...
The Stroller, Dec. 19, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Third Time’s A Charm to entertain at Knead Community Cafe Music group Third Time’s A Charm, with Marcie Covey and Paul Leo, will perform Christmas selections from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 2 p.m. Saturday at Knead Community Café, 1011 Barnes St., New Kensington. Grab a bite to...
Sen. Casey derides ‘obscene lawsuit’ to gut Affordable Care Act; patient advocates lament limbo
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said Wednesday night he’s concerned about the future of the Affordable Care Act as a lawsuit backed by the Trump administration advances that threatens to nullify the sweeping federal health care law. “The GOP’s hopes to destroy the ACA live another day,” Casey, D-Scranton, said in...
