Local category, Page 2683
Sandy Hook mom Scarlett Lewis’ to speak Monday at Burrell High School
Burrell School District officials are encouraging the public and area community groups to attend a free presentation Monday on social emotional learning from Scarlett Lewis, whose son was Jesse was one of 26 people killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. Lewis’ presentation is scheduled to start...
Shaler Street Bridge to close Monday, Tuesday
The Shaler Street Bridge over Route 19 in Pittsburgh’s West End will close for two days next week, PennDOT announced Friday. The bridge will close from 7 a.m. Dec. 16 through 7 p.m. Dec. 17. Crews from Swank Construction Company, LLC will install a new sanitary sewer. Traffic will be...
New Kensington teen accused of shooting man in Vandergrift
A New Kensington teen is accused of shooting a man in a leg in Vandergrift last month when the man allegedly told him he didn’t have any drugs for sale. Court records show Ryleik Amitre Arbuckle, 15, is charged as an adult. A criminal complaint said Arbuckle pistol-whipped the 20-year-old...
The 1970s inspire chef Kevin Sousa’s new venue in Allentown neighborhood
Chef Kevin Sousa has always been open to new ideas. After all, he opened a fine dining restaurant in Braddock, a place where a lot people thought it couldn’t be done. But he didn’t have anything particular in mind for his next venture. That is until he and his Superior...
Judge rules evidence from 2015 Jeannette arrest can’t be used in court
The raid of a Jeannette bar more than four years ago resulted in the illegal search of a customer, a judge ruled Friday. William Lamont Lewis, 42, of Pittsburgh, was charged with drug and weapons offenses following a state Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement raid of Punch and Juniors Bar...
Vandergrift merchants band together for new Christmas event
Vandergrift business owner Kelly Adamik said she organized the first-ever Mistletoe & Merchants event scheduled for Saturday to showcase what she considers to be the borough’s resurgent business community. “We’ve really turned a corner, and I thought it was time to highlight,” said Adamik, who owns The Gathering Room, a...
Democratic presidential hopefuls heading to Pittsburgh for education forum
Pittsburgh will play host Saturday to a nationally televised event spotlighting where eight Democratic presidential candidates stand on a variety of hot-button education issues. National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García, who was an elementary school teacher, said she and fellow educators couldn’t be more excited about the chance to...
Brackenridge’s Vibo’s Bakery hopes to make some dough at pop-up market
Dino “Vibo” Lopreiato will wake at 4 a.m. Saturday and start baking bread. His 86-year-old father, Giuseppe, will have been in the kitchen for an hour or longer already, kneading dough and preheating the ovens. They will be prepping for the day ahead. The elder Lopreiato will bake items to...
Greensburg Salem reverses $13 million bond decision
The new Greensburg Salem School Board made its first order of business reversing the previous board’s decision to borrow $13 million. The board’s two new members started their terms this month and, in their first meeting, took part in a 5-4 vote to undo the divisive bond issue. The board...
Allegheny, Westmoreland sheriff’s deputies combine resources to arrest fugitive in Homewood
Sheriff’s deputies from Allegheny and Westmoreland counties combined resources Friday to locate and arrest a 29-year-old fugitive hiding inside a house in the Homewood section of Pittsburgh. Deputies said Orlando Robert “Jay” Holt of Pittsburgh surrendered after a 45 minute standoff at a home along Paulson Avenue. Westmoreland County Deputy...
Pittsburgh reducing carbon footprint through renewable energy sources
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto on Friday signed an agreement maintaining membership in a group that purchases electricity in bulk and positions the city to meet a goal of transitioning away from fossil fuel energy within 10 years. Peduto said the Western Pennsylvania Energy Consortium, consisting of 35 local municipalities, institutions...
Youngstown contractor new Latrobe public works director
A local native whose company has handled tasks for gas and oil companies, railroads and the Westmoreland County Airport Authority will take on a new assignment next week, for the city of Latrobe. Scott A. Wajdic of Youngstown is scheduled to begin work Monday as Latrobe’s new public works director....
Attorney charged in suspected drug smuggling scheme at Allegheny County Jail
A longtime defense attorney in the region is facing charges stemming from an investigation by authorities into how drug-infused paperwork has been getting into the Allegheny County Jail in recent years. A grand jury presentment unsealed Thursday identified Paul Gettleman, 74, of Perry Township, Lawrence County, whose legal practice is...
Artist teams with Pandora, Pittsburgh Improv for interactive muralVideo
This is no joke: There is an interactive mural at the Pittsburgh Improv comedy club in the Waterfront, Homestead. Artist Brian Holderman, of the West End, painted the piece that adorns the side of the building. He’s drawn a female comedian, audience members laughing, cocktails, a piano and a marquis....
West Deer Christmas gift program a ‘labor of love,’ police chief says
When it comes to Christmas shopping, West Deer police Chief Jon Lape has an eye for deals. That pays off when you’re shopping for hundreds of children. Lape has spearheaded a campaign for the past 23 years to provide gifts to needy families in West Deer, and he buys most...
Greensburg children’s librarian turns page, opens book on retirementVideo
Janie Mason, “Miss Janie” to generations of readers, is nearing the end of a special chapter in her life. Early next year, she will retire from her role as a children’s librarian with the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library. As part of an early sendoff, and a thank you for her...
New sign caps recent improvements at North Huntingdon nature preserve
Volunteers from Jeannette’s Elliott Group lent a hand this week as the Westmoreland Land Trust installed an updated sign at the entrance of its nature preserve along Ardara Road in North Huntingdon. The sign joins other recent improvements at the 59-acre Otto and Magdalene Ackermann Nature Preserve that were the...
Kiski Area High School’s Breakfast with Santa expected to attract 300 people
Sarah Gracey, an advisor and business teacher at Kiski Area High School, thinks there are several reasons why the school’s sixth annual Breakfast with Santa resonates with the community. “It’s like a wholesome, family event,” she said. “It’s for the community, by the community.” Breakfast with Santa will take place...
Cops: Driver was speeding, had cocaine in system in fatal Salem Township crashVideo
A North Versailles man testified Friday that he was alarmed when he saw a white pickup truck speed past his car along Route 22 in Salem Township as they approached a steady red light on Aug. 10, 2018. “I was in the process of slowing down when I saw the...
Youngstown, Whitney-Hostetter firefighters propose merger
Firefighters from Youngstown Borough and the nearby Whitney-Hostetter department often respond together to emergency calls. Under a proposed merger, they soon could be heading to other emergencies as a single volunteer company. Unity Township Supervisors this week passed a resolution supporting the merger, which was sought by the firefighters. “They...
Sage’s Army to sponsor free Sober New Year’s Eve event near Latrobe
Sage’s Army, a Westmoreland County addiction prevention and support organization, will hold its first Sober New Year’s Eve Party, Monday, Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church Hall on Route 981, near Latrobe. The free event, featuring live music, food and drinks and...
Kennywood’s ‘Holiday Lights’ recognized in USA Today poll
Kennywood’s Holiday Lights are shining a little brighter today. The West Mifflin amusement park was chosen again as one of the country’s “Best Theme Park Holiday Events.” It finished 10th out of 20 nominees selected for the 10Best.com online vote conducted over the past month in a nationwide poll conducted...
Hambone’s in Lawrenceville reopens after tax issue is ‘corrected’
A “hitch in the giddyup” caused the closure of Hambone’s, and the Lawrenceville restaurant and pub announced on social media Friday it is back up and running. “Rest assured this was more of an accounting mistake than a deliberate effort for Hambone’s to not pay the tax,” read its Facebook...
‘I thought I was going to die’: Woman trapped in Monroeville flood, residents seek solutions
Caitlin Chatkin remembers the experience vividly. It was July 21, around 9 p.m., and the rain was falling unusually hard in Monroeville. She was driving on Logans Ferry Road, on her way to her mother’s house on Meadow Court. Before she knew it, her car spun out of control and...
Inmate accused in assault at Westmoreland lockup
A Westmoreland County Prison inmate is accused by police of assaulting another inmate last month, according to court papers. David Lee Jellison, 27, of Hostetter, was arraigned Friday on aggravated and simple assault charges. His bail was set at $50,000. County detectives said Jellison is seen on jail surveillance video...
