Local category, Page 2696
Man questioned by police in Penn Hills woman’s murder found dead in Mt. Oliver
A man questioned by police in the shooting death of a Pittsburgh woman was found dead Friday in a Mt. Oliver home. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as George Daniel, 58. The medical examiner late Friday ruled his death a suicide. The ME’s office said he...
Another store to close at Westmoreland Mall
Another store is shuttering its doors at Westmoreland Mall. Motherhood Maternity, located past the food court on the second floor, is closing, according to posted signs. Changes have been occurring at Destination Maternity Corp., the company that owns Motherhood Maternity, in the past year, including filing for bankruptcy and streamlining...
Pennsylvania requires permits for hemp growers and processors in 2020
Like hemp growers, facilities that process the crop also will have to get permits in 2020 as Pennsylvania’s emerging industry enters its second year, state officials said. The commercial cultivation of hemp, which had been banned by the federal government for 80 years, took off in Pennsylvania last year after...
Fayette County man released from jail after his sentence is reduced
A Fayette County man was paroled Friday after being resentenced to serve a shorter jail term for his role in the thefts of construction equipment and building materials during a month-long crime spree in 2016 throughout Westmoreland County. David F. Wray, 48, of Fayette City, pleaded guilty in 2018 to...
Judge: Greensburg dad to stand trial for allegedly leaving kids in deplorable home
A Westmoreland County judge on Friday rejected a defense request to dismiss child endangerment charges against a Greensburg man suspected of leaving three children home alone for about a week in deplorable conditions. Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani ruled prosecutors presented sufficient evidence to support the charges against Ryan...
PNC to close its Hillcrest Shopping Center branch in Lower Burrell
PNC is closing its branch in the Hillcrest Shopping Center in Lower Burrell. A bank spokeswoman confirmed that the Hillcrest location will close March 20. “The way that customers are using branches has been changing,” said Marcey Zwiebel, PNC’s director of corporate public relations. “We have been making adjustments to...
DUI, drug among cases recently handled by Judge Herbst in Monroeville
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. Waived preliminary hearings • Jorge Rivera-Gonzalez, 40, of Pitcairn on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and...
Owners of Fawn’s Blackberry Meadows preserve farmland from future development
Blackberry Meadows Farm in Fawn cannot be redeveloped for residential or other commercial uses under an easement that has been placed on more than 90% of the 85-acre property. The permanent agricultural conservation easement preserves Blackberry Meadows as farmland. To get the easement, owners Jen Montgomery and Greg Boulos sold...
3 hurt near Route 28 Exit 14 off-ramp near Tarentum
Three people were injured Friday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash on Bull Creek Road at Route 28’s Exit 14 southbound ramp near the Tarentum-Fawn line. The crash happened around 2 p.m. and involved a pickup and sport utility vehicle. State police did not identify those injured, but said they were...
Terrelle Pryor files court petition asking to keep firearm permit after arrest
Former NFL player and Jeannette native Terrelle Pryor doesn’t want to surrender his permit to carry a concealed firearm, which was issued in Westmoreland County. On Friday, Pryor’s attorney, Stephen Colafella of Beaver County, asked for a hearing to challenge Sheriff Jonathan Held’s order revoking a concealed carry firearm permit....
Dive Bar & Grille in Regent Square opens in former Ryan’s PubVideo
This dive bar sells “elevated bar food.” The newest Dive Bar & Grille opened in Regent Square on South Braddock Avenue, near Forbes, in December. It joins locations in the South Side, Lawrenceville and Pine. Located in the former spot of Ryan’s Pub – a town staple for decades –...
PennDOT work to restrict southbound traffic at Route 51 and I-70
Motorists should be prepared for potential traffic delays Tuesday on Route 51 in Rostraver as crews complete preliminary field work for proposed reconstruction of the highway’s interchange with I-70. According to PennDOT, southbound traffic on Route 51, in the area near I-70 and Finley Road, will be restricted to one...
2020 predicted to have a super Groundhog Day
Feb. 2 is a loaded date this year. The usual celebration of Groundhog Day has some company in 2020. The day starts with Punxsutawney Phil’s 134th prognostication set to run 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. Then, the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Washington Capitals at 12:30 p.m. on NBC. Groundhog...
Lane restrictions planned for Boulevard of the Allies
Drivers on the Boulevard of the Allies in Pittsburgh next week should expect daylight lane restrictions necessary for construction work, according to PennDOT. Single-lane closures in both directions between Bates and Halket streets will occur as needed while Swank Construction Co. works on signs and installs traffic signals and light...
Visiting rabbi to address anti-Semitism at Pittsburgh lecture
Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin will give the 2020 Harris Interfaith Lecture at Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh. Salkin’s lecture, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 10, is titled “Why Is It Always the Jews? An Interfaith Look at the History of Anti-Semitism.” The annual event is free for clergy...
Paid sick leave requirement daunting for Pittsburgh business owners
Pittsburgh employers say their biggest headache in complying with the city’s paid sick leave regulations will be tracking employee hours, particularly for part-time and seasonal employees. Starting March 15, business owners in Pittsburgh will be required to offer employees paid sick leave. The city’s Law Department last month issued guidelines...
Monroeville fighting Gateway’s MS4 appeal
Monroeville is continuing to fight for its newly implemented stormwater runoff fee. In the latest court filing, the borough asked a judge to declare the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System fee to apply to Gateway School District. The school district filed an appeal to its $90,000 MS4 fee with the...
1st rabid raccoon of 2020 found in White Oak, health department says
A raccoon picked up near White Oak Park is the first to test positive for rabies in 2020, according to the Allegheny County Health Department. The raccoon was found near Jacks Run Road in White Oak, the department said. It is the first positive rabies test of 2020, although the...
Brothers to address Westmoreland Woodlands group on Chestnut Ridge raptor count
Western Pennsylvania’s ridges can serve as superhighways for birds of prey migrating north each spring and south when fall arrives. Two Fayette County brothers have established that Chestnut Ridge, the western-most of those ridges, provides just such a route. At a Thursday presentation of the Westmoreland Woodlands Improvement Association, they’ll...
Nominations open for Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards
In 2019, Murrysville officials retrofitted a half-dozen storm water detention ponds, with plans to do the same for about a dozen more. That’s precisely the type of project that should be nominated for a Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards, given annually by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. The nomination period opened on...
Police seek pair in theft at Hempfield Best BuyVideo
State police in Greensburg are asking the public’s help identifying two suspects in the recent theft of a video gaming device and numerous accessories from the Best Buy store in Hempfield Township. Trooper Steve Limani said the thefts of a Nintendo Switch Lite gaming system, a speaker, and a gaming...
Troopers: Drugs smuggled into SCI-Fayette may have contributed to inmate’s death
Investigators believe drugs smuggled into a state prison in Fayette County contributed to the death of an inmate there who was serving a life sentence for killing a county fair queen in 2004. Joseph Gacha, 42, was pronounced dead at SCI Fayette in La Belle at 9:39 p.m. Dec. 30...
Theft cases among recent Monroeville police investigations
Monroeville police filed the following charges Dec. 21-23 in District Judge Jeffrey L. Herbst’s office: • Cierra Grimes, 31, of Pittsburgh with retail theft. Charges were filed Dec. 23 in connection with an incident along the 200 block of Mall Boulevard. • Shakera Sanders, 27, of Pittsburgh with retail theft...
DirecTV viewers lose WTAE after negotiations for a new deal fail
DirecTV customers cannot watch WTAE until a new agreement is made between its parent company, Hearst Television, and the cable provider. The companies are at an impasse as negotiations for a renewed retransmission deal failed Friday. Broadcasting was cut that afternoon. Customers saw a message on the scene when attempting...
5 Pittsburgh restaurants to try in 2020
Start off the new year by visiting some of the restaurants that opened in 2019. Whether you’re into upscale bar food and boozy brunch items or modern twists on classic dishes, Pittsburgh’s got a place to suit every palate. KIIN Lao & Thai Eatery, Squirrel Hill For a bite of...
