Western PA Local News category, Page 2718
County commissioners leaning toward reopening Westmoreland’s 2020 budget
Westmoreland County commissioners said Monday they still plan to reopen the county’s 2020 budget in hopes of nixing a 2.4% property tax increase, but they concede there isn’t much time left to do so. State law allows a newly constituted board of commissioners to recast budgets approved by the previous...
United Methodists talk more about potential split over same-sex marriage, gay clergy
As Methodists in Western Pennsylvania consider the future of their denomination, a group that has proposed an amicable split explained the proposal in more detail Monday. Known as the “Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation,” the proposal allows for the formation of a new “traditionalist” Methodist denomination that would...
Solar co-op schedules Westmoreland meetings, seeks members
A nonprofit that organized solar power co-ops in Allegheny and more than a half dozen other Western Pennsylvania counties scheduled three informational sessions for prospective members of a similar co-op that is forming in Westmoreland County. Solar United Neighbors of Pennsylvania set the first meeting for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at...
Scottdale man given house arrest in fatal crash involving crane truck in Pine
A 72-year-old Scottdale man accused of texting on a cellphone minutes before the 43,500-pound crane truck he was driving crashed into three other vehicles on Route 910 in Pine, killing a Sewickley man, reached a plea deal Monday. Charles Hunter will be on house arrest and probation for causing the...
2nd bankruptcy hearing canceled after no-show by Pittsburgh regatta promoter
The owner of a Ross company blamed for last year’s Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta cancellation and his attorney failed to show for a bankruptcy hearing Monday in federal court, prompting the hearing to be canceled. Rosemary C. Crawford, court-appointed bankruptcy trustee for LionHeart Event Group LLC, said she would file...
2 guns confiscated at Pittsburgh airport security
Two guns were confiscated at the Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoint in a span of three days, the Transportation Security Administration reported Monday. A woman from Cartagena, Colombia, was caught Saturday with a .38 caliber handgun. Then an Ohio woman was caught Monday with a .22 caliber handgun loaded with...
Police: Burglary call turned into potential hostage situation in the Hill District
A burglary call prompted a response by SWAT for a possible hostage situation Monday afternoon in the Pittsburgh’s Hill District, according to public safety spokesman Chris Togneri. The burglary was reported at about 12:25 p.m. in the 300 block of Miller Street in the Crawford-Roberts section of the Hill District....
Gary Van Horn officially out at Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh
The volunteer leader of one of the Pittsburgh region’s LGBTQ advocacy groups has resigned as he awaits a hearing on charges he billed himself as a first responder and forged documents to back it up. Gary Van Horn, 40, of Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood, resigned Monday afternoon as president of the...
Men plead guilty in thefts of rare books from Carnegie Library
The two men accused of stealing and reselling more than $500,000 worth of rare books, maps and other artifacts from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh reached a plea deal Monday with prosecutors who agreed to drop most of the charges they faced. Still, the men could be sentenced to more...
Police seek man accused of removing welder, equipment from Unity store
State police in Greensburg are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who entered a farm supply store in Unity and left without paying for several hundred dollars worth of welding equipment. Troopers said the theft occurred Dec. 28 when a white male, wearing a denim shirt and...
10 jurors selected in Wilkinsburg mass shooting case
Attorneys on Monday selected two more jurors — Nos. 9 and 10 — to hear the case against two men charged in the 2016 mass shooting at a backyard cookout in Wilkinsburg. A younger white woman who works in social media marketing and a white man who is a teacher...
Ghost Town Trail named 2020 Trail of the Year by state conservation officials
The Ghost Town Trail that runs from Blairsville to Ebensburg has been named Pennsylvania’s 2020 Trail of the Year by the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Built initially as a 12-mile trail in 1994, Ghost Town Trail was the first in the state constructed using transportation enhancement funding....
Jeannette man accused of choking cop serving him with mental health warrant
A Jeannette man who spent time in jail for unlawfully restraining his mother is accused by police of choking an officer who was taking him into custody on a mental health warrant, according to court papers. Neal M. Hubish, 39, also tried to grab a Taser from a Jeannette officer,...
Police: Charges pending after 2-year-old seen using vaping device on video in St. Clair
Charges of child endangerment are pending against two people who police said allowed a 2-year-old boy to use a vaping device while they were baby-sitting him in St. Clair Township. A video of the New Florence boy using the device was recorded Thursday and posted to Snapchat, Trooper Cliff Greenfield...
Franklin Regional Junior Olympics wrestlers take top spot at Kiski dual meet
The Franklin Regional Junior Olympics wrestling team brought home a first-place finish at the annual Kiski Youth Duals, going 5-0 at the Dec. 21 meet. Team recruitment coordinator Mike Ruane said the team is still getting its bearings early in the season. “This was only our second dual of the...
Service planned for Apollo cop killed 40 years ago during Kill for Thrill spree
A memorial service will be held Sunday in honor of Apollo Police Officer Leonard C. Miller, who was killed 40 years ago during the Kill for Thrill murder spree. The service will start at 2 p.m. at Apollo First Lutheran Church and be open to the public, police officers and...
Police: Homeowner shoots, kills man during attempted robbery in Baldwin
A homeowner shot and killed an intruder Sunday while his fiance and 10-month-old child were inside the Baldwin Borough apartment, according to police. Joshua Brandon Long, 22, was pronounced dead at the scene after he allegedly tried to rob the apartment using a handgun shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday evening....
Police: Delmont man claimed to be a firefighter as he tried to rob house
A Delmont man remained in jail Monday after police say he tried to rob a house over the weekend while identifying himself as a firefighter and medical personnel. Charles Beiter, 33, is accused of forcibly entering a Mt. Pleasant home Saturday evening. He admitted to police that his plan was...
Kennywood’s Steelers Country ranks among top 10 best new attractionsVideo
Steelers fans have yet another reason to cheer: Kennywood’s Steelers Country recently received a national recognition. Steelers Country, which opened at the West Mifflin park over the summer, was named ninth on USA Today’s 10 Best New Amusement Park Attractions of 2019. “Kennywood Park and the Pittsburgh Steelers teamed up...
Chip Bell is an Arnold attorney, but his adventure novels take you to the tropicsVideo
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series that features Alle-Kiski Valley residents and the notable things that they do. People who step into Charles “Chip” Bell Jr.’s office in Arnold are transported to the tropics. Images of palm trees, Key West, the Caribbean and even pirates are scattered...
Tarentum’s Perriello Produce shutting down retail business
If customers of his Tarentum produce store were a little short, Paul Perriello would tell them to catch him later. If kids came in hungry, he’d give them hoagies and milk and send them on their way. “That’s what a small businessman does: He takes care of the town,” Perriello...
The Stroller, Jan. 13, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Professionals available to speak to local groups The Concordia Lutheran Ministries Speakers Bureau has senior-care professionals available to speak to organizations and community groups free of charge. Topics available include fall prevention and chronic disease management, senior nutrition, senior living, advance directives, end of life decision making, health and wellness,...
John Oyler: Bridgeville in 1920
As we enter a new decade, it is appropriate for us to roll the calendar back a century and examine Bridgeville 100 years ago. According to the 1920 census, its population that year was 3,092 — still significantly smaller than its neighbors, Carnegie and Canonsburg. But Bridgeville was larger than...
Latrobe runner knows it’s never too late to get moving
Darlene Upson was 53 years old the first time she ran in a footrace. After crossing the finish line five miles later, she swore she’d never do it again. “I couldn’t walk for three days,” the Latrobe resident said. “I said to myself, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me —...
Small manufacturers in Western Pa. not seeing boon from steel tariffsVideo
Some of the region’s steelmakers and small manufacturers found the Trump administration’s 25% tariff slapped on imports almost two years ago was not the business boost they were promised. Customers accustomed to paying a certain price for their products were not keen on seeing costs jump because of the tariffs,...
