Local category, Page 2726
Excela Westmoreland Hospital spreads kindness with cardigans for newborns
A half dozen babies born at Excela Westmoreland Hospital this week were dressed in pint-size cardigans for the trip home with their families. It was part of the hospital’s celebration of Wednesday’s World Kindness Day, which encouraged all to don sweaters reminiscent of the iconic cardigans worn by beloved children’s...
Single-lane restrictions planned on Routes 28, 65
Drainage work on Route 28 and Route 65 in Allegheny County will restrict traffic to a single lane in some areas Thursday. Northbound motorists on Route 28 will encounter single-lane restrictions between the 40th Street Bridge and Etna interchange from 9 a.m. to noon. Single-lane restrictions will affect northbound motorists...
Pittsburgh International expanding cargo facilities with federal grant
The Allegheny County Airport Authority is using an $18.7 million federal grant to expand its air cargo business at Pittsburgh International Airport, an official said Wednesday. Bryan Dietz, the authority’s vice president of air service development, said the authority would use the federal BUILD grant to help construct a $30...
Night of comedy aims to help North Strabane couple who lost home in landslide
Doug and Suzanne Grimes are paying a mortgage on a house that’s no longer there. Their North Strabane home was ruined by a landslide in June 2018 and declared unsafe. It was demolished a few months later. The couple is now saddled with a second mortgage, storage costs and over...
Burrell School Board to reconsider artificial turf when it seeks contract bids next week
A new estimate knocks down the cost of artificial turf to a $550,000 option for a renovation project at Burrell High School’s Buccaneers Stadium. The original estimate for the field renovation with natural sod was about $400,000, while artificial turf was expected to cost $1.2 million to $1.3 million. However,...
Water line under Kiski River near Apollo to be replaced
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County board members on Wednesday approved a $1.76 million project to install a new water line under the Kiski River. Officials said about 1.5 miles of pipe will be installed, including an 800-foot section of 20-inch fused PVC material, that will run below the bed of...
Hearings on sex charges, extradition set for suspended Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez
A Westmoreland County judge will hear evidence next week to determine whether suspended Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Felipe Vazquez can be extradited to Florida to answer sexual assault charges. Later that same day, Vazquez is scheduled to appear before East Huntingdon Magisterial District Judge Charles Moore for a preliminary hearing...
Allegheny County DA joining investigation into Alternative Benefit Systems
Allegheny County businesses or residents may be caught up in a theft case involving the owner of a Berks County company that administered health care savings accounts, Allegheny County District Attorney’s office spokesman Mike Manko said Wednesday. Prosecutors in both counties are investigating Alternative Benefit Systems and its owner Amy...
State Rep. Markosek charged with DUI
A state representative elected in 2018 was arrested for suspicion of drunken driving in Cumberland County in September, according to court records. Brandon J. Markosek, 26, of Monroeville represents the 25th State House District. He faces a misdemeanor DUI charge, along with summary offense for speeding, a court docket shows....
Dalai Lama’s physician to speak at Pittsburgh nonprofit ‘summit’
The personal physician to the Dalai Lama will be among the speakers at the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership Summit in Pittsburgh on Dec. 3. An American physician and a Buddhist monk, Dr. Barry Kerzin is one of 130 speakers scheduled to speak at the biennial event at the Wyndham Grand...
Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner to miss budget hearing because of Detroit trialVideo
Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner won’t be among the elected county officials Thursday presenting their office’s 2020 budgets to members of county council. Instead, Wagner will be in Detroit, where jury selection in her trial is expected to resume Thursday on charges stemming from a March 6 run-in with police...
2 Alle-Kiski communities reschedule municipal meetings
Two Alle-Kiski Valley communities rescheduled municipal meetings that had been scheduled for Tuesday. Hyde Park Council moved its meeting because several council members were sick. The meeting was rescheduled for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19. Allegheny Township Supervisors postponed their meeting because it didn’t have a quorum or a majority of...
Westmoreland could add special election for state House seat to April’s primary ballot
A special election to replace state Rep. Justin Walsh should be held in conjunction with the upcoming presidential primary in April, Westmoreland County’s top election official said. “It’s much easier to do it at the same time as the primary. It’s just adding another race to the ballot,” said Beth...
Veterans assembly teaches Kiski Area students how to be proud Americans
Retired Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Dawn Serakowski thought her daughter was in class. Instead, Kamdyn Serakowski, a senior at Kiski Area High School, surprised her mother Tuesday when she took the podium at Kiski Area Upper Elementary School to deliver the keynote speech for the school’s 16th annual Veterans...
Frigid temperatures can’t cool enthusiasm for Hempfield mini casinoVideo
The gaming facility being built at Westmoreland Mall might be licensed as a so-called mini casino, but officials said there won’t be anything small about it. “Let us assure you, there is nothing that is second class about this facility,” said Joe Weinberg, managing partner and CEO of resort and...
Newborns sport cardigans to honor Mister Rogers at Pittsburgh hospitalVideo
Newborns at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh sported crocheted cardigans and sneakers during a visit Wednesday from Joanne Rogers, wife of the late Fred Rogers. “They’re so polite,” Joanne Rogers said while greeting the newborns styled after Mister Rogers. Wednesday is being recognized as World Kindness Day. Caitlin Pechin, a...
URA to vote on $1.6 million purchase of former Hill District grocery property
The Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority is moving to acquire a former grocery store complex on Centre Avenue in the Hill District. URA directors are scheduled to vote Thursday on purchasing the 2.6-acre property from Dollar Bank for $1.6 million. The complex previously housed a Shop ’n Save. The Hill House...
Officer Brian Shaw’s mother to Rahmael Holt: ‘I will never forgive you’Video
Lisa Shaw says she is still waiting to wake up from the nightmare of losing her son, New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw. “All he wanted to do was make a difference in the community,” Shaw told jurors Wednesday on the first day of the sentencing hearing of Rahmael Holt,...
Police: Crafton Heights man charged in 2 recent robberies
A Crafton Heights man was arrested Tuesday on robbery charges stemming from two business robberies, according to Pittsburgh public safety spokesman Chris Togneri. Deven Green, 20, is accused of an Oct. 30 robbery at Rite Aid in the 800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue on the city’s North Side and a...
Cops: Jeannette man attempted to flee undercover drug deal
Police say a Jeannette man was in possession of various drugs when he attempted to run from undercover state narcotics agents and city police as they closed in during a drug sting Tuesday. Shelton A. “Pops” Hannibal, 26, was arraigned Wednesday on charges of illegal possession and delivery of controlled...
Norwin Play It Forward Fund plans 10th annual ‘Wind-Up, Wine Down’ event
The Ziemski family of North Huntingdon has good reason to give back to their community. “When we were young and our kids were in school, my husband lost his job and someone anonymously paid the balance of our children’s parochial school tuition,” said Paula Ziemski. “We never found out who...
West Deer, Fawn to receive $100,000 each for Bairdford Park, road improvement projects
Two Alle-Kiski Valley townships have been awarded $100,000 in state funding for improvement projects. The money for West Deer and Fawn comes from Allegheny County’s Gaming Economic Development Fund Grant. The program is funded through gambling revenues and doesn’t use money from the state general fund money. West Deer’s money...
Food Podcast: Moon Twp.-based band gets in Christmas spirit — and fights hunger
A Moon-based band is in tune with the Christmas season — and giving back to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Chip & The Charge Ups has released a new song, “Black and Gold Christmas” to celebrate Pittsburgh pride designed and T-shirt that goes along with the song. All proceeds...
Feds: Pittsburgh area brothers tried to evade immigration laws with fake marriage
Two Indian brothers living in the Pittsburgh area have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to marriage fraud in order to evade immigration laws, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh announced Tuesday. Makhan Singh, 53, of Monroeville paid a woman to marry his brother, Rajinder Singh,...
Blair County mother reported missing arrested on drug, child endangerment charges
Charges were filed Tuesday against a Blair County woman who, along with her two children, was reported missing and possibly in danger with her father-in-law, but were later found safe in Indiana County. Trooper Cliff Greenfield said Alicia Rose Brumbaugh, 31, of Imler, is charged with child endangerment, drug possession...
