Local category, Page 2732
Family, police searching for missing Plum man
The family of a man who has been missing since mid-November has taken to social media and law enforcement to find out if he is safe. David Ellefson, 37, was last seen Nov. 14, said his wife, Heidi Ellefson. She said he had met their children and his grandmother at...
Victim of fatal wreck near Holy Trinity church in McCandless identified
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner has identified the man who died in an SUV that crashed near the parking lot o a McCandless church on Wednesday, according to authorities. Thomas James Reardon, 61, was found dead in the vehicle near Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in the 900 block of...
Food Podcast: Greater Pittsburgh, Westmoreland food banks unite to end hunger
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food bank serves 11 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. All but Westmoreland County. Given the size of the area the Westmoreland County Food Bank covers, the organization separated from Greater Pittsburgh in 2000. “Our area of the region is about the size of Delaware, so it made sense...
Murrysville Woman’s Club marks 100th anniversary in 2020Video
The Murrysville Woman’s Club “has figured out 50 million ways to raise money,” according to Joy Somers, who has been a member for nearly four decades. Somers’ tenure, however, isn’t even half the time the club has been in existence. Formed in 1920 to educate local women about voting following...
Yough wins PennDOT’s local ‘Paint the Plow’ contest
A design painted by students at Yough High School on PennDOT snowplow blades was the winner of online voting last month, according to the department. Their design featured a cougar, the school mascot, warning drivers to slow down and included the theme “Don’t Rush in Ice and Slush.” Students at...
Police release photo of ‘person of interest’ in robbery of Harmar off-track betting parlor
Allegheny County Police are seeking the public’s help identifying a person of interest in the Nov. 25 robbery of the Meadows Off Track Betting parlor in Harmar. Investigators said a man claiming to have a gun forced an employee to open the cash room at the betting facility about an...
Winter weather advisory: Parts of Western Pa. could get 7 inches of snow
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory that includes parts of Westmoreland County. The advisory, which runs from noon Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday, is forecasting between 3 and 7 inches of snow in an area that stretches from Franklin County southwest to Tucker County, W.Va. The...
Community mourns sudden death of West Mifflin student-athlete
A student-athlete in the West Mifflin Area School District has died. High School principal Chad Licht sent a letter home to parents on Tuesday informing them of the “recent loss to our school community” who “unexpectedly passed away.” “This loss is sure to raise many emotions, concerns and questions for...
Lawrenceville-based KSWA’s fan fest and toy drive set for Saturday at Spirit Hall
Professional wrestlers from a Lawrenceville-based promotion are ready to rumble this weekend so children can have a happy holiday. Keystone State Wrestling Alliance will host its 11th annual Fan Fest and Holiday Toy Drive at 5 p.m. Saturday at Spirit Hall off 51st Street. Guests are encouraged to bring new,...
The Stroller, Dec. 4, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Graze Party to benefit Knead Community Cafe A Holiday Graze Party will be from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Dec. 14 at Knead Community Café, 1011 Barnes St., New Kensington. The menu will include cured domestic and imported meats, hard and soft cheeses, spreads, vegetables and dips, hummus, roasted and grilled...
Autonomous vehicle company Aptiv moving to Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood GreenVideo
A self-driving car company is the first private business to announce it will move into Hazelwood Green, a development taking shape at the site of a former LTV Steel mill along the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh. Aptiv announced Wednesday that it is moving its research and development operation from O’Hara...
Pittsburgh man charged in 2015 North Side homicide
A North Side man already in jail has been charged with killing a man more than four years ago. Pittsburgh police issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for Randy Johnson, 25, on charges of criminal homicide, robbery and criminal conspiracy. Johnson was already at the Allegheny County Jail on unrelated charges,...
Longtime head of Highlands School Board loses bid to retain presidency
Debbie Beale has been a member of the Highlands School Board for nearly a quarter of a century, with half of that spent as its president. But the new school board that was seated on Tuesday ousted Beale from her post as president, and any other leadership position. The board...
Plum school board has new members, president and vice president
Plum School Board is under new leadership as a crop of political newcomers and former board members were sworn in at its reorganization meeting. District Judge Linda Zucco swore in Michael Devine, Michael Caliguiri, Adam Hill, Amy Wetmore and former board member Michelle Stepnick, with family members in tow, to...
Export seeks grant to help with sewer fixesVideo
There’s no getting around the expensive price tag for sewer fixes in Export, but borough officials are hoping a state grant will help put a significant dent in it. Borough officials have applied for one of the H2O Program grants offered by the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development...
Petition wants to bring back giant rubber duck in honor of Steelers’ Devlin Hodges
Welp, it looks like Pittsburgh has a new cult hero in Devlin “Duck” Hodges. The third-string quarterback, who didn’t even make the final cut for the season but has recently been named a starter, is loved by some yinzers so much that they are calling for the 40-foot inflatable rubber...
Bridge inspection will restrict I-70 traffic near Smithton
Motorists driving on Interstate 70 over the Youghiogheny River northwest of Smithton can expect delays Thursday as crews complete a bridge inspection, according to PennDOT. The inspection will trigger right-lane closures on the Smithton High Level Bridge, which carries the interstate across the Youghiogheny River, connecting Rostraver with South Huntingdon...
This weekend kicks off holiday events in Murrysville, Export and Delmont
Here are some of the holiday-themed events coming up in the Star’s coverage area. Do you have a holiday event coming up? Email staff writer Patrick Varine at pvarine@tribweb.com. • Export Light Up Night will take place at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6 outside the Export Volunteer Fire Department on...
Allegheny County’s $1B budget includes no tax increase
Allegheny County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt the proposed $1 billion county budget for 2020. The budget does not include a property tax increase. The $959.8 million operating budget is $27.4 million larger than the 2019 operating budget of $932.4 million, a 2.9% increase. The $100.1 million capital budget...
Lower Burrell receives $91,000 in grants for parks
Lower Burrell will use several grants to pay for new playground equipment at Veterans Park, develop a city parks plan and make other improvements. Outgoing Councilman Chris Koziarski, who oversaw the city’s parks department, and City Administrator Amy Rockwell announced Monday that the city secured two state grants totaling $69,900...
New Kensington proposes tax increase to combat blight
An ambitious program to eliminate blight in New Kensington is one factor behind a proposal to raise real estate taxes in the city by 11%. Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve an $8.1 million preliminary budget that would increase property taxes for the general fund from 27 mills to...
FBI warns of holiday scams as Western Pa. victims cheated out of $1M in 2019
Don’t be fooled this holiday season by scammers posing as charities or fly-by-night websites offering surprisingly steep discounts on popular gifts, FBI officials in Pittsburgh warned Tuesday. “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Chad Yarbrough, FBI Pittsburgh assistant special agent in charge, said at the...
Kiski Valley Community Band concert series to raise money for food banks
A holiday musical tradition continues as the Kiski Valley Community Band prepares to present its “The Sounds of Christmas” concert fundraiser series. Four performances are scheduled, starting with a concert Saturday at Christ Lutheran Church in Murrysville. Concerts also are scheduled in Buffalo Township, Leechburg and Apollo. All shows benefit...
Greensburg celebrates 50th Luminary Night on Thursday
Greensburg merchants have been lighting up downtown for the holidays for half a century. Thursday is the 50th annual Luminary Night, when streets will be lined with luminary lights and downtown stores will be open late. “It’s kind of red-letter day for Christmas shopping in Greensburg,” said Mary Wilmes, owner...
Trial begins for Youngwood man accused of twice attacking girlfriend
Renee Scott said she thought her life was about to end as she struggled but failed to pull away from her boyfriend as he sat atop her and clasped both hands around her throat. “I thought this was it. I couldn’t even fight. He was too overbearing on me,” Scott...
