Local category, Page 2715
Firefighters extinguish Seward blaze
A fire in Seward involving two buildings Thursday morning was extinguished in about 30 minutes, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. The fire on Keystone Street was reported just after 6 a.m. It started in a garage and spread to another structure, dispatchers said. Two people were evacuated from apartments...
Mt. Oliver man tells police he committed 5 robberies to get bail money
A Mt. Oliver man told police he committed five robberies around Pittsburgh to get enough cash to cover bail so he could turn himself in on a protection-from-abuse order warrant, according to criminal complaints filed against him. Michael Buchanan, 36, was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon after a short standoff...
5 Pittsburgh things in the new Mister Rogers movie
There is plenty of Pittsburgh in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” However, the city is not quite ubiquitous in this film about the real life friendship between Fred Rogers, played by Tom Hanks, and a cynical journalist portrayed by Matthew Rhys. Make no mistake, you will see plenty of...
The Stroller, Nov. 21, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Volunteers needed for free tax service AARP Tax Aide is recruiting volunteers for the upcoming tax preparation season. Tax Aide volunteers assist taxpayers with filing their federal, state and local taxes at no charge. Sites are located at senior centers, libraries, churches and the officers of state representatives in the...
Irwin residents seek parks upgrades, crackdown on speedersVideo
A group of about 30 Irwin residents told borough officials they want continued improvements to the parks, a crackdown on speeding vehicles along Pennsylvania Avenue and no more tax hikes. “I was very impressed with the residents and the businessmen that came here and gave their input. Everybody had great...
No tax hike planned for North Huntingdon
North Huntingdon property owners will likely see their township takes remain steady next year. Township commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved a $14.7 million tentative general fund budget, which holds the line on property taxes at 11.3 mills. Of that tax levy, the revenue generated by 9.3 mills will be allocated...
Auditor general accuses Pittsburgh schools of ‘runaway travel costs’ amid budget woes, proposed tax hike
Superintendent Anthony Hamlet and other top Pittsburgh Public Schools administrators have spent more than $450,000 this year on trips to Las Vegas, Nashville and Los Angeles and other travel-related expenses “without clearly demonstrating any benefit for students,” the state’s top fiscal watchdog said Wednesday. In a scathing report, Pennsylvania Auditor...
Police on alert for furnace, hot water tank stolen in Brady Township
State police are investigating the theft of a furnace and hot water tank from a Brady Township home. Troopers from the Butler station reported a burglary occurred sometime between Nov. 10-13 in the Brady Hills Mobile Home Park along Bluebell Lane. Someone entered the victims’ residence and stole the items...
Final Steel City Con of the year set for early December weekend
Pop culture and comic enthusiasts have a chance to do some holiday shopping and meet celebrities at the Monroeville Convention Center. The final Steel City Con of the year is set for Dec. 6-8 at 209 Mall Blvd. It’s the exclusive comic con of Monroeville and one of the largest...
No jail time for Elizabeth Boro ex-police chief who stole heroin from evidence room
Former Elizabeth Borough police Chief Timothy Butler will not serve any jail time after pleading guilty to emptying his department’s evidence room of thousands of packets of heroin to feed his personal drug addiction. Butler, 43, of Finleyville will spend about four years on probation. He also must perform 325...
Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley chamber office returns to downtown LatrobeVideo
The Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce marked its recent return to downtown Latrobe with a grand opening celebration for its new office and visitors center. The Wednesday evening event coincided with a Business After Hours gathering at the chamber’s Neighborhood Visitor and Information Center at 811 Ligonier St....
DUI, drug cases among those recently handled by Judge Zucco in Plum – Nov. 20, 2019
District Judge Linda Zucco recently handled the following cases. Charges were filed by Plum police unless otherwise noted. Held for court • Tiffany Panza, 35, of Pittsburgh on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and restrictions on alcoholic beverages. Charges were filed Oct. 15. • Nicholas Witucki, 33, of Plum...
Westmoreland judge rejects Hyde Park man’s appeal of sexual assault conviction
A Westmoreland County judge ruled the evidence presented against a Hyde Park man at his June sexual assault trial was sufficient to support the guilty verdicts rendered by jurors. In a 16-page opinion issued Wednesday, Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio rejected the appeal by Larry Lee Redmond. Redmond, 40, was convicted of...
Clairton man sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for robbing bank, store
A Clairton man was sentenced this week to five years in federal prison for robbing a store and a bank earlier this year, federal prosecutors said. Richard D. Parrish, 41, was convicted of interference with commerce by robbery and bank robbery. According to U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady, Parrish robbed...
Candidates tied in 10 Westmoreland elections
Westmoreland County elections officials will meet Friday at noon to break ties in 10 local municipal elections. Elections Bureau Director Beth Lechman said multiple candidates in the Nov. 6 election finished with identical vote totals for council seats in Arona, Hyde Park, Laurel Mountain, North Irwin, Penn and Sutersville along...
Transportation projects for Western Pa. prioritized
Planners have identified 123 road, bridge and transportation improvements needed in southwestern Pennsylvania, and said a list of priority projects — including a handful in Westmoreland County — will be adopted by next summer. The Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, or SPC, and PennDOT on Wednesday afternoon outlined proposals that could be...
Leechburg considers 24% tax hike
Leechburg Council has approved a $1.2 million preliminary budget that includes a 24% increase in property taxes. Under the preliminary plan, the borough’s tax rate would go up 4 mills, to 22.3 from 18. At the proposed rate, someone with a house assessed at $25,000 would pay about $558 in...
‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’ debuts in PittsburghVideo
It was a beautiful night in the neighborhood in Pittsburgh as the Mister Rogers movie debuted. A red carpet gala and special screening of “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” took place Wednesday at the SouthSide Works Cinema in Pittsburgh. Rogers’ wife Joanne Rogers arrived at 6:30 p.m., smiling and...
Police investigating reported shooting along Route 28 in Harmar
Details of a reported armed robbery along Route 28 in Harmar that left one man wounded remain a mystery, state police said Wednesday. A Pittsburgh man who was treated at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison for shooting-related injuries told police that he had been robbed and shot near Route 28’s...
Penn American settles with Carrick homeowners displaced by water main break
The Pennsylvania American Water Co. has finished repairs to Pittsburgh streets damaged in September during a major water main break, and its insurance company has settled claims with three homeowners whose properties were condemned after the flooding, an official said. Penn American spokesman Gary Lobaugh said the three property owners...
McArdle Roadway to close Thursday morning
McArdle Roadway between Grandview Avenue and the Liberty Bridge in Mount Washington will be closed Thursday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. The closure will allow for maintenance and cleaning in advance of Light Up Night on Friday. Light Up Night is an annual family festival in the city of...
Pittsburgh appoints acting director of Permits, Licenses and Inspections
Mayor Bill Peduto on Wednesday promoted the assistant director of the Permits, Licenses and Inspections department to acting director. Sarah Kinter, 31, will replace Director Maura Kennedy, who is leaving for a job as an economic development manager with Amazon in Washington, D.C. Kennedy’s last day is Friday. Kinter begins...
Smokey Robinson to take part in Neighborhood Academy fundraiser in Pittsburgh
Legendary singer-songwriter, record producer and record executive Smokey Robinson will appear at a wine tasting fundraiser for The Neighborhood Academy on Monday, Dec. 9. All of the proceeds will be used to provide scholarships for students of the academy, said development director Sheila Rawlings. A total of 142 students from...
Riverview students awarded during Model UN event at Princeton
Four members of Riverview Senior High School’s United Nations team received awards for performances during a recent conference at Princeton University. Lauren Hornsby, Francesca Lio, Jack Harden and Julia Ciorra all played roles as delegates from U.N. committees during the conference, held Nov. 14-17. Hornsby, a junior, finished in second...
New school resource officer among those serving lunch at Kiski Area Upper Elementary
Police officers from Washington Township served lunch Wednesday to students at Kiski Area Upper Elementary School. Officers lined up behind the cafeteria counters and served pizza and sandwiches to fifth- and sixth-graders. The event isn’t new. Officers usually serve lunch at the school once a year. But this was the...
