Local category, Page 2705
Judge denies Yakopec’s request for transfer back to Westmoreland prison
A Westmoreland County judge Tuesday rejected a request from the son of a Lower Burrell district judge to be transferred back to the county’s jail to finish serving out a six-month sentence for drug offenses. The attorney for Stephen Yakopec III, 29, of Lower Burrell in court documents filed this...
Fireworks companies sue North Huntingdon for more than $30,000
Two Kansas fireworks firms sued North Huntingdon for more than $30,000, saying the township’s refusal to grant a permit that would keep their store open near the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s entrance has caused a “significant” loss in sales the past two months. Fireworks Leasing LLC and Wholesale Fireworks Enterprises LLC, both...
Next Interstate 70 project will add 3 roundabouts at Madison exit
PennDOT’s ongoing Interstate 70 improvements are expected to continue next year, with revamping of the Madison and Yukon exits. Construction could begin as early as February and is expected to continue through September 2022, according to PennDOT District 12 officials. Submitting a proposal of about $92.9 million, Trumbull Corp. is...
Brackenridge man accused of taking car on Christmas Eve
Harrison police said they used surveillance camera footage, license plate readers and help from other departments to track down a Brackenridge man suspected of stealing a car on Christmas Eve. Terry Alan Montgomery, 51, is accused of taking a 2008 Hyundai Accent that was parked in the 2000 block of...
Springdale Township man gets ‘Christmas gift’: Police home in on hit-and-run suspect who wrecked his garage
Dave Houston got an unexpected knock at his door the Saturday morning before Christmas. “Did you see your garage?” his neighbor asked. Perplexed, the 55-year-old man walked outside his Springdale Township home thinking, “Maybe I left my garage door open all night.” “Well,” Houston recalled, “The garage door wasn’t even...
13 Latrobe area churches band together to serve free Christmas meals to all who need themVideo
Anna Louise Castellano spent Christmas Day with her extended family. It’s a family that included many folks she didn’t even know but who gathered together Wednesday afternoon for a Christmas meal at St. John the Evangelist Church in Latrobe, in what has become a local tradition. “This is for anybody...
Deer Lakes High School students use emoji paintings to encourage frank conversationsVideo
Art students at Deer Lakes High School are hoping students and staffers will stop and see the emoji. Not the cartoon-like images on their cellphones, but ones on the walls. Emoji allow people to express emotion digitally through a variety of faces that display different expressions and picture characters. They...
Increased homestead exemption likely means lower property taxes in Harmar
The average Harmar homeowner could save about $34.50 in real estate taxes in 2020 as supervisors recently passed a $10,000 increase for the homestead tax exemption. The township supervisors last Thursday passed the township’s final 2020 budget of $2.7 million. It does not include a tax increase. The township real...
Police: Woman shot in Duquesne drive-by
Allegheny County Police are investigating the drive-by shooting of a 32-year-old woman in Duquesne. Police said Wednesday morning the woman was struck by a bullet. They said the wounds aren’t life-threatening. Police said it was not immediately clear whether the victim was specifically targeted. Authorities said the shooter was in...
Kindness comeback: Acting like Fred Rogers in his neighborhood and beyond
At a time of partisanship, polarization and rancor, Christmas comes along to smooth the hard edges of our divisions. Acts of kindness somehow come more naturally this time of year. But by the time February rolls around, everybody’s grouchy again. Does kindness have any staying power? Perhaps because kindness may...
Whitehall names best holiday homes
Whitehall Borough has announced the winners of the 2019 house decorating contest. They are: • Best overall — Scott and Lisa Schaming, 134 E. Club Drive • Best all-white lights – Kenneth and Kristin Figura, 125 Audbert Drive • Best traditional – William and Mary Nee, 4625 W. Barlind Drive...
The Stroller, Dec. 25, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
A joyous and blessed Christmas to our loyal readers and their families! Enjoy a safe and happy holiday season. – Carol Pinto-Smith Hockey game to raise money for Brian Shaw Memorial Fund The Brian Shaw Memorial Hockey Game will be at 8 p.m. Friday at the Pittsburgh Ice Arena, 700...
Tarentum to solicit garbage haulers after Waste Management price increase
Tarentum will be looking for prices from other garbage haulers after Waste Management proposed increasing the rate it charges the borough, according to borough Manager Michael Nestico. “We want to see what options we have here,” he said. “Council was initially hopeful to keep Waste Management. They like the service...
Dense fog causes travel headaches on Christmas Eve in Pittsburgh
Thick fog blanketing Western Pennsylvania prompted flight cancellations and driving warnings, and air travel around the country continued to be affected Christmas morning. A dense fog advisory was extended until noon Wednesday for Allegheny, Beaver, Lawrence and Mercer counties. Visibility was close to zero in some parts of the region...
Murrysville webcam catches deer giving ground to wild turkeysVideo
A webcam recently captured a herd of deer relinquishing its ground to a group of invading wild turkeys in Murrysville. PixCams of Murrysville has 13 wildlife webcams, including ones monitoring the Pittsburgh bald eagles nest in Hays, elk in Benezette and wooded areas in places such as Murrysville. In the...
Officials: Flu continues to slam Western Pennsylvania
State health officials are concerned about the growing number of confirmed flu cases in Allegheny County and all of Western Pennsylvania, a spokeswoman said Tuesday. Western Pennsylvania is the hardest hit region of the state so far this season, which began Sept. 29, spokeswoman Brittany Lauffer said. Laboratory-confirmed flu cases...
At first, Indiana Township man wasn’t buying that he won ‘Official Steelers Truck’
Dave Lynch had pulled two double shifts when his phone started ringing and texting about a Ford truck while he drove on Route 28 to his Indiana Township home. “I thought it was some solicitation, and I wasn’t interested in buying anything,” said Lynch, 54, who works in law enforcement....
Pittsburgh is 23rd rudest city in national poll
When Americans were asked to name the rudest cities in the country, Pittsburgh landed about in the middle. The Steel City ranked 23 out of the top 50 metro areas, according to a new Business Insider survey of 2,092 adults. Poll respondents were asked in October and November to choose...
Attorney: Family of Wilkinsburg man killed by police wants transparent investigationVideo
The family of a Wilkinsburg man shot and killed by police Dec. 22 after he fired at them during a foot chase wants the investigation into his death to be transparent, Pittsburgh attorney Todd J. Hollis said. Hollis is voluntarily representing Romir Talley’s family. During a press conference Tuesday, he...
East Deer residents facing higher water bills after Tarentum increases bulk cost
East Deer residents will pay more for water after Tarentum increased what it charges the township for bulk water, but exactly how much more is not yet known. East Deer buys water from Tarentum, then distributes it to its customers. East Deer Commissioner Tony Taliani said the township will not...
Baltimore man accused of biting 2 Pittsburgh cops
A Baltimore man believed to have a gun is accused of biting two Pittsburgh police officers as they tried to arrest him early Tuesday morning at the Downtown Amtrak Station, according to a criminal complaint filed against him. Police were called at 2:43 a.m. to the Liberty Avenue station for...
Cops: Man assaulted girlfriend after finding her wrapping presents for other boyfriend
A man who found his girlfriend wrapping a Christmas gift for her “other” boyfriend was arrested early Tuesday in Trafford after assaulting the woman and threatening her with a knife, police said. Daniel W. Hill, 50, of North Huntingdon was arrested at the Cavitt Avenue apartment he was sharing with...
Grapeville ball field remains in limbo as Hempfield combines fire stations
As Hempfield supervisors tie up loose ends to make the township’s 12 fire stations fall under one department, assets like a Grapeville ball field are left in limbo while fire chiefs make “hard decisions” on what to keep and what to sell. The field, at 1260 Toledo St., is utilized...
Johnstown man accused of hunting under the influence in Laurel Ridge State Park
A Johnstown man is accused by state game wardens of being under the influence of marijuana while he was hunting on Laurel Ridge State Park property this month, according to court papers. David R. Bruner, 53, set out a mineral lick on Dec. 3 in St. Clair Township, wardens said....
Patriots DE, Thomas Jefferson grad Chase Winovich pays school’s lunch debt
New England Patriots rookie defensive end Chase Winovich hasn’t forgotten his roots in Thomas Jefferson High School’s Jaguar country. As a special treat just before the holidays, Winovich, 24, paid for the entire free and reduced lunch debt of 96 students in the West Jefferson Hills School District. “The district...
