Local category, Page 2681
Holiday caps turn newborns into cute Baby Yodas at Pittsburgh’s UPMC MageeVideo
Cute, they were. The force was strong with six newborns at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood as they donned holiday caps with green Yoda ears in celebration of the season. The Baby Yoda look is inspired by “Star Wars: The Mandalorian,” an original TV series on the Disney+...
North Belle Vernon councilman honored for park transformation
For a guy who’s into parks and recreation, R.J. Sokol doesn’t seem to take a break. Sokol, 62, of North Belle Vernon, has a day job as a production supervisor at the Eastman Chemical Co. in Monongahela. In his free time, he serves on North Belle Vernon Borough Council, oversees...
State police: Driver attacks New Castle man after crash, flees
State police are looking for the driver of car who allegedly attacked another driver after hitting his car in Lawrence County. The man police said hit the car and then attacked the driver fled the scene, officers said. The driver who was attacked had a minor injury but declined to...
Woman hurt after jumping from burning building in Pittsburgh’s Greenfield
A woman jumped from a second-floor window Monday morning to escape a fire in Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood, according to city police. The fire at 3950 Murray Ave. was reported shortly before 7 a.m. The building had a business on the ground floor with two apartments above. According to police, the...
John Oyler: The Allegheny City Ragtime Orchestra
About a year ago, I heard the Allegheny City Ragtime Orchestra in concert at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in Carnegie. I enjoyed that concert immensely and have been looking for a chance to hear them again. Recently, thanks to the website of their leader, Tom Roberts,...
Gas prices fall to lowest level since March, analyst says
Gasoline prices have slid to their lowest level since March thanks to rising U.S. inventories and sluggish demand, according to an analyst for the price-tracking firm GasBuddy. “The jump in gasoline inventories has been so large it has offset oil prices, which touched $60 per barrel last week, as well...
Cambria County man dies in Fairfield crash, coroner says
A 37-year-old man from Cambria County died in a single-vehicle crash in Fairfield on Sunday night, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office. The crash happened shortly after 7 p.m. in the area of 1410 Route 271. Benjamin D. Snyder, of Upper Yoder, was alone and traveling south on Route...
Snow, freezing rain may impact evening, morning commutes
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory from 4 p.m. Monday through 11 a.m. Tuesday. A mix of snow up to around an inch with a light glaze of ice from freezing rain is possible, according to the advisory for Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Roads could be...
The Stroller, Dec. 16, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
HOPE Center seeking clothing donations The Alle-Kiski HOPE Center is seeking donations of clothing and personal items for the clients that it serves. Items most needed include new pajamas, slippers, socks, underwear for all sizes and genders, full-size shampoo and body wash, hair brushes, combs and Chapstick. Donations can be...
Unity couple looks to expand pierogi business with Route 981 plant
A Unity couple has drawn upon a shared Polish heritage to grow a thriving business making pierogies for restaurants and fundraisers. The next step Jan Rawecki and Terry Smith-Rawecki are planning is to move production of Gosia’s Pierogies from their expanded Pauline Drive garage to a larger plant they intend...
In New Kensington, there really is a SantaVideo
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things that they do. A casting call for a sixth-grade school play would land New Kensington native Tom Hogan the role of a lifetime. St. Joseph School in the early 1970s needed someone...
Allegheny County Health Department awards $113K in grants
The Allegheny County Health Department awarded 13 mini-grants totaling $113,552 to local organizations for projects aimed at addressing racial equality in chronic disease factors. The projects will increase access to healthy food and physical activity and connect residents to clinical care, the health department said. Social factors like employment, education...
’Tis the season for the 12th year of Leechburg LightsVideo
Leechburg is lit. Leechburg Lights, the annual synchronized holiday music-and-light show, is open for the 2019-2020 season — its 12th. The free show invites visitors to enjoy a unique visual display from the comfort of their vehicle by tuning their car radio to 100.3 FM. Visitors also can park and...
A tasty exchange: Cookie swap moves from Harrison home to fire hall
When Lori Miller decided to organize a Christmas cookie exchange last year, she did it out of her Harrison home with about a dozen women. She had to move it to a bigger venue this year — a fire hall — due to popular demand. “The first year was last...
Police: Man shot in leg near UPMC Children’s Hospital
A man was shot in the leg early Sunday morning in Lawrenceville, according to Pittsburgh police. Police believe the shooting occurred near UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Police said they were called to reports of a shooting near the Sunoco gas station on the 4000 block of Penn Avenue shortly...
Pittsburgh firefighter injured in 3-alarm blaze in Duquesne Heights
A Pittsburgh firefighter was slightly injured after he fell to the ground attempting to put out a fire in a house undergoing renovations in Duquesne Heights early Sunday, officials said. Firefighters were called to a fire at 306 Meridan St. shortly before 5:45 a.m. When they arrived, there were heavy...
The Stroller, Dec. 15, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Santa planning trips through Arnold Members of Arnold Volunteer Fire Company No. 2 will escort Santa Claus around the borough beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. Listen for horns, sirens and music. The route on Tuesday will begin at the Sunoco station on Freeport Road into the McKean Plan,...
PrEP, a drug proven to prevent HIV, still slow to catch on
The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of PrEP, short for pre-exposure prophylaxis, as a strategy to prevent people from contracting HIV in 2012. Some were eager to take advantage of the potentially lifesaving drug regimen. Others were skeptical, said Dr. Ken Ho, an infectious disease specialist with the...
Unsung heroes: Pittsburgh men, decades-long study impact HIV/AIDS researchVideo
Somber tones from the Reuter Opus organ filled Heinz Memorial Chapel on a dark December night as a small crowd filtered into the towering neo-Gothic church on the University of Pittsburgh campus to mark World AIDS Day. As they have for more than three decades, the Pitt Men’s Study leaders...
Formal shop in Vandergrift closing for renovations
Wednesday was the last day of the year to shop at Get Dressed Formals, a formal consignment shop in Vandergrift. The store will be closed for renovations through Jan. 2. Michelle Wehrle opened the shop in April but has quickly outgrown the 1,500-square-foot space. She has more than 1,200 consigned...
Holiday wreath-making is a ‘family affair’ for Upper Burrell manVideo
The lighted wreaths along the driveway leading to the VFW along Wildlife Lodge in Lower Burrell and in front of the Vietnam War memorial are hard to miss. Those are no ordinary holiday decorations. “Those wreaths with the LED lights — people rave every time they drive into the place,”...
Public school funding a hot topic for Democratic candidates at Pittsburgh forum
Pittsburgh served as the backdrop Saturday as seven Democratic presidential candidates met at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center to discuss their education policy platforms. Front-runners Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren were joined by Sen. Michael Bennet, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and...
Tax assessment appeals top list for newly elected Hempfield school board
The fate of a residential tax assessment appeal program in the Hempfield Area School District could be in question as newly elected board members who have mostly voiced opposition to the practice take their seats. More than two years into a residential tax assessment appeal program, the district is bringing...
Hempfield casino to feature FanDuel sports betting partnership
As one of the first approved mini casinos in the state, Live! Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall will jump on another growing trend once it opens: sports betting. The Hempfield casino, which is expected to open next year, will be home to the FanDuel Sportsbook. The sports area will be...
26 Catholic parishes in Pittsburgh area merging into 8 parishes
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced Saturday that 26 parishes will be merged into eight early next year. The mergers are part of the diocese’s strategic planning initiative to help parishes use their resources to “prioritize mission over maintenance,” officials said. Bishop David Zubik called the mergers “a pivotal time...
