Shapiro reveals he spoke with Trump about arson attack, U.S. Steel
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro revealed Monday he spoke with President Donald Trump two days earlier, nearly a week after authorities said an arsonist set fire to the governor’s residence while Shapiro and his family were inside. Shapiro, appearing at the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department to unveil $30 million in grants...
May Mart plant sale returns for 56th year in Greensburg
The Westmoreland Garden Council will host its 56th annual May Mart plant sale May 2 and 3. The sale will be held on the front lawn of the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, 951 Old Salem Road, from noon to 7 p.m. May 2 and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m....
4 vying for Highlands School Board in Region 2
Four people are competing for two positions to represent Highlands School Board Region 2. Incumbent Debra Lehew will go up against newcomers Shane Chesher, Jeff Thimons and Whitney Washington in the May 20 primary. Incumbent Nicole Kocon is stepping down. Region 2 includes Brackenridge and parts of Harrison. All of...
Recently retired Cardinal O’Malley — who grew up in Western Pa. — is headed to the Vatican. Could he be the next pope?
BOSTON — Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, who recently retired as Archbishop of Boston, will attend Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican but will not vote for the next pope. O’Malley, who turns 81 in June, lost his coveted voting rights once he turned 80, an aide close to O’Malley tells...
Masses to be offered for Pope Francis as Pittsburgh area Catholics, including Bishop Zubik, mourn pontiff
Pittsburgh Roman Catholic Bishop David A. Zubik remembered Pope Francis as a merciful pastor Monday morning as he joined others around the world in mourning Francis, who died at 88. “He really had a beautiful way of respecting every single individual,” Zubik said. The pontiff will be remembered for the...
Penguin Court offers native plant sale, plans master naturalist course
Home gardeners looking to add some local color to their flower beds might choose the purple blossoms of tall larkspur or the broad yellow petals of the wood poppy. They’re two of the more than a dozen new species featured in this year’s native plant sale at the Brandywine Conservancy’s...
In brief: Penn Hills and Verona area happenings, week for April 21, 2025
Free paper-shredding event open to households State Reps. Joe McAndrew, D-Penn Hills, and Abigail Salisbury, D-Swissvale, are teaming up for a free document shredding event from 9 a.m. to noon May 3 at the former Westinghouse site, 1310 Beulah Road, Churchill. The event will take place weather permitting. Vehicles should...
Federal cuts threaten to close Allegheny County lab that certifies N95s and other respirators in June
Most Americans learned what an N95 mask was during the covid-19 pandemic. But what many still don’t know is that every one of them was certified by a single, government-run lab in Bruceton, in Pittsburgh’s South Hills. It’s called the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory. The name N95 actually comes...
Carlynton School board candidates key in on communication, transparency, finances
Editor’s note: The Signal Item is only spotlighting contested races in the primary election. Communication, transparency and finances are top of mind for the six candidates seeking four nominations on the Carlynton School Board. Brittany Bova, Tina Geer and Reece Smith, and incumbents Leeanne Mitchell-O’Brien, Susie Puskar and Christine Simcic...
In brief: Plum, Oakmont area news, events for the week of April 21, 2025
Plum Council approves new batting cages Plum Borough Council unanimously approved an application from the Plum Baseball and Softball Association to build new batting cages at the Plum Creek municipal ballfields. The cages, which can hold up to four batters at a time in addition to a warm-up area for...
In brief: Bridgeville, Carnegie area news and events, week of April 21, 2025 and beyond
Events at Scott Library Scott Township Public Library is hosting fundraising events in the upcoming days. The Spring Vendor Fair is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 26 at the Scott Township Municipal Building, 301 Lindsay Road. The event is free. Raffles, food truck and various vendors will be...
‘Very humble and very patient’: W. Pa. Catholics mourn Pope Francis
Meeting Pope Francis made for a memorable, albeit unusual, 25th wedding anniversary celebration for Nat and Melanie Pantalone. The Greensburg couple, about 20 priests and several others celebrating their anniversaries had a private Mass in April 2015 in Rome with the first Latin American pontiff. Nat Pantalone remembered being nervous...
Survey finds ignorance and fear surrounding nuclear cleanup in Parks Township
A report from a University of Pittsburgh public health graduate student has found lingering information gaps and distrust surrounding the Army Corps of Engineers’ planned cleanup of the Parks Township nuclear waste dump. “There is a very intense fear around the site, and people have stuck to that,” said Ariana...
The Stroller, April 21, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Civil War photos wanted...
Derry Township firefighters invest in equipment washer, aim to reduce cancer risk
Derry Township firefighters have taken a step toward cancer prevention, purchasing a washing machine to better clean their gear. The $30,000 gear washer was installed last week at Derry Township Volunteer Fire Department No. 1 in Bradenville. It will help the station’s 38 firefighters clean their self-contained breathing apparatus devices...
As plastics waste grows globally, Latrobe worshippers put faith in recycling efforts
Plastic waste is a weighty concern for members of Latrobe’s Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Since last May, the church has more than doubled its goal of recycling 1,000 pounds of shopping bags and similarly thin plastic items. More of the bags continue to accumulate weekly in a spare office room...
Greensburg Night Market slated to kick off 7th season this week
The Greensburg Night Market returns for a seventh season this week, expecting once again to draw thousands of people to browse vendor tents and enjoy live music along South Pennsylvania Avenue. The Night Market was launched by Jessica Hickey, owner of the Downtown Greensburg Project, in 2019 — featuring just...
Here are some upcoming programs at Penn Hills Library
The Penn Hills Library, 1037 Stotler Road, offers a variety of programs for all ages. For a complete list of offerings, visit pennhillslibrary.org. Note the library will be closed May 26 for Memorial Day. Regular operating hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to...
Gender-based violence prevention is aim of Greensburg’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event
Red high heels will hit the pavement in downtown Greensburg next week as the community gathers for the Blackburn Center’s 14th annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. The event, slated for April 26, is part of an international movement launched in 2001 that raises awareness of gender-based violence. Though...
Penn State New Kensington students help attract homeowners, visitors to Leechburg
Leechburg residents are getting the chance to share their ideas. A group of Penn State New Kensington business students is working on a marketing plan for the borough to attract homeowners and visitors. “We want to emphasize the hidden gems and the little treasures Leechburg has to offer,” said Madaline...
In brief: Happenings from the North Allegheny area
Shaffer organizing license plate replacement event State Rep. Jeremy Shaffer, R-Pine, is sponsoring a hard-to-read license plate replacement event from 3 to 5 p.m. April 29 at his district office, 5500 Brooktree Road, Pine. If your license plate is blistered, peeling or discolored, you can fill out the required PennDOT...
Vehicle destroyed by fire on Route 28 in Armstrong County, no one hurt
No one was hurt in a vehicle fire Sunday morning on Route 28 in Armstrong County, according to Freeport Fire-EMS. The fire on northbound Route 28 just north of the Buffalo High Level Bridge in South Buffalo was reported around 9:30 a.m., according to Armstrong County 911. Freeport Fire-EMS was...
7-year-old boy struck by SUV in Arnold
A 7-year-old boy was bleeding from his head after being hit by an SUV in Arnold Sunday night, fire Chief Eric Gartley said. The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. on Kenneth Avenue between Moore and Ewing streets, according to Westmoreland County 911. The boy was hit by an SUV. The...
Planter fire damages exterior of Frankie’s Friends in New Kensington
A fire in a planter caused minor damage Sunday to the exterior of a cat rescue in downtown New Kensington. The fire at Frankie’s Friends in the 700 block of Fifth Avenue was reported about 5:20 p.m., a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said. According to fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr.,...
Authorities searching for pit bull after attack on 2-year-old in Knoxville home
Authorities are searching for a dog that ran from a home in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood after seriously injuring a 2-year-old boy Sunday afternoon. The dog attack in the 200 block of Moore Avenue was reported just after 1:30 p.m. According to police, homeowners called 911 after their dog, a 2-year-old...
