Local category, Page 2779
Kiski Area, Burrell school districts collectively awarded $83,500 for school security
The Kiski Area School District and the Burrell School District collectively were awarded $83,500 in state Department of Education Safe School Target Grants. The districts are among others throughout the state receiving a total of $7.2 million in competitive 2019-2020 Safe Schools grants. The money, awarded through the education department’s...
Two former Greensburg officials file age discrimination lawsuits against city
Two former Greensburg officials have sued the city in federal court, saying they were forced out of their jobs because of age discrimination. Barbara Ciampini and Frank Lehman, who respectively worked as planning director and recreation director, filed their suits simultaneously Wednesday. Both lost their jobs with the city in...
Poor water quality can drive snakehead fish to walk on land, research showsVideo
If taking over a river ecosystem isn’t enough for the invasive northern snakehead fish known as “fishzilla,” walking on land is another feat of the fish, according to new details released by a Wake Forest University researcher. The invasive fish has a snakelike appearance with its sleek shape and pattern...
Witch Bike Brigade takes over Ligonier with dance partyVideo
The witches traveled by bike, bus and broom to take over the streets of Ligonier Sunday. About 1,200 women, most of them in witch attire, turned out for the 4th annual Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade. The event is a cross between a women-only pub crawl, costume party and bike fundraiser,...
Allegheny Police officer hurt in head-on collision with suspect in Turtle Creek
An Allegheny County Police officer suffered minor injuries Saturday night when a man fleeing a domestic incident drove head-on into his police car in Turtle Creek, authorities said. Jestin Towner, 18, of Turtle Creek, faces more than a dozen offenses in connection to the 5:50 p.m. incident, including aggravated assault,...
Carnegie Mellon University sophomore spins wool for 28 consecutive hoursVideo
This spinning performance lasted 28 hours, though not on a stationary bike. Isabel “Iz” Horgan, a sophomore at Carnegie Mellon University, started spinning wool at 5 p.m. Friday at the student-run Frame Gallery on Forbes Avenue. She spun and spun until 9 p.m. Saturday. By the end, she had spun...
Hundreds fill memorial service for those killed a year ago in Tree of Life shooting
Remember. A packed Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall wept as one as family, congregants and strangers came together to remember the 11 worshippers killed in the Tree of Life building one year ago. Family members lit 11 tall, white candles — 11 burning reminders symbolizing their loved ones. Hundreds of...
Leaf peeper season in full swing in the Laurel Highlands; Pittsburgh, Alle-Kiski Valley must waitVideo
Stunning fall colors in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas are about a week to 10 days behind other areas in the state that are hitting their peak fall foliage about now, according to experts. The Laurel Highlands is at its peak for foliage-watching now, according to DCNR’s fall foliage website. That’s...
Frick Park Tavern opens in Regent Square at site of former Dunning’s GrillVideo
There’s a new restaurant at the site of the once-beloved Dunning’s Grill in Regent Square . Frick Park Tavern on Braddock Avenue opened Tuesday. Owner James Brown chose the name because his mother, Louise Brown, once worked as director of Citiparks, and he grew up close to Frick Park. Brown...
Police: Driver hit elderly man while fleeing crash in Downtown Pittsburgh
One man was arrested for DUI and another taken to the hospital Saturday after a hit-and-run crash on 7th Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh, according to the city department of public safety. Two vehicles crashed near the intersection of 7th Avenue and Penn Avenue around 3:20 p.m., police said. One of...
Check out this Halloween home display in Reserve TownshipVideo
A Reserve Township family of Halloween enthusiasts have turned their front yard into a neighborhood horror attraction. Passersby are greeted by a knife-wielding Jason from “Friday the 13th,” corpses hanging out of coffins, demonic clowns, vampires, bats and many more spooky sights. Sound effects are included. “We just love Halloween,”...
Daughter of Carnegie residents marries in New Wilmington
Kayla Thornburg and Chris Fonner were united in marriage Oct. 13 at Irons Mill Farmstead in New Wilmington. Parents of the bride are Ginny and Phil Thornburg of Carnegie and parent of the groom is Robert Fonner of Donora. Kayla and Chris make their home in Erie. John Turnbull of...
Cost no object for Westmoreland commissioners on buying new voting machines
Chuck Anderson, the outgoing Westmoreland County commissioner, said he wanted to ensure county residents had the best voting system available before he leaves office in December. The $7.1 million touch screen/scanner system he and fellow Commissioners Ted Kopas and Gina Cerilli approved this month will cost $30 per voter —...
Staycation Destination: West Newton to Ohiopyle on the Great Allegheny PassageVideo
As bicyclists pedal south, away from Pittsburgh on the Great Allegheny Passage, the towns get farther apart, the woods get deeper and the views get even more impressive. Last month’s guide to the GAP focused on the 148-mile biking and walking trail’s most urban stretch — the 26 miles between...
Westmoreland sheriff candidates view the office very differentlyVideo
Candidates for Westmoreland County sheriff have clearly different views of the office. Two-term Republican incumbent Jonathan Held says his seven-year stewardship of the office has resulted in professionalism and cost savings. The more than a dozen lawsuits filed against him and his administrative team by current and former staffers and...
East Huntingdon man, accused of abusing infant son, faces new charges
An East Huntingdon man arrested last month in connection with the assault of his 3-month-old son was charged this week by state police with endangering the welfare of the infant’s 3-year-old sister. Taylor J. Shipley, 19, was arrested in Sept. 12 and ordered held in the county prison without bail...
Paint it Purple event in Gilpin raises money to help domestic violence victims
As a domestic violence survivor, Maria Matuscin wants to do all she can to help others enduring similar situations. She was on hand Saturday to help at a fundraiser aimed at increasing awareness of domestic violence. The event, Paint it Purple, took place in Gilpin. “Domestic violence is in every...
Auction at Oak Lake Golf Course in Upper Burrell draws hundredsVideo
Hundreds of buyers turned out Saturday for a public auction at Oak Lake Golf Course in Upper Burrell, bidding on grounds equipment, commercial kitchen items, a fleet of 50 golf carts — even a box of tees. The big ticket item — 113 acres of land — is still in...
Trick-or-treaters turn out for Mt. Lebanon’s Halloween paradeVideo
Families and children dressed up Saturday for the Mt. Lebanon Pumpkin Patch Parade, an annual Halloween event. The rain mostly held off and the grey skies did not deter people from enjoying the holiday parade, which kicked off at 11 a.m., beginning at the Mt. Lebanon Cemetery and running through...
Gateway students removed from McKeesport game for taunts, profanity
More than 100 Gateway High School students were kicked out of a football game at McKeesport Area High School for repeatedly shouting taunts and obscenities after being told to stop, McKeesport Superintendent Mark Holtzman Jr. said Saturday. Gateway athletic director Chuck Reilly said his students’ behavior was not as bad...
Man in critical condition after being hit by Port Authority bus in Pittsburgh
One man is in critical condition after being hit by a bus on the North Side Friday night, according to the Port Authority of Allegheny County. The Port Authority bus, which was not in service, struck the man who was walking on the ramp to Route 65 from Beaver Avenue...
Creekside Park in Oakmont to be restored through borough, athletic association partnership
Creekside Park off Dark Hollow Road in Oakmont will undergo much needed repairs through a partnership with the borough and Riverview Athletic Association. Repairs are estimated to cost around $30,000. Harsh July storms flooded the park and many parts of Allegheny County. The walking track was completely under water. The...
A chronicle of gratitude: Police station near Tree of Life keeps thank-you notes for posterity
The cookies, the coffee, the food delivered to the Zone 4 police station in the days and weeks after Oct. 27 are all long gone. The gift cards — $5 to Starbucks, $10 to Coffee Tree Roasters — are still being distributed among the officers at the Northumberland Street station....
The Stroller, Oct. 26-27, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Mary Queen of Apostles School to honor veterans Mary Queen of Apostles School, New Kensington, will host a salute to veterans program Nov. 7 in the school cafeteria, 110 Elmtree Road. The school will honor all family members and friends who have served or are serving in the Armed Forces....
Jeannette native, Vietnam POW offers inspiration for fellow veteransVideo
Dave Carey played a make-believe piano and recalled everything from Biblical passages to the early 20th-century poem “The Highwayman” to stay sane during more than five years as a prisoner of war held by North Vietnamese captors beginning in 1967. More than 300 people, including many fellow veterans, came to...
