Murrysville teen, lymphoma survivor raises more than $40,000 for cancer research
It’s probably an understatement to say that Luca Bertucci had some strong motivation to raise money for cancer research funding. After in-patient chemotherapy during his sophomore year of school following a cancer diagnosis, Bertucci rang his cancer-free bell last fall and is in remission. Bertucci had been stricken with Burkitt’s...
Community comes together to pay for new $255K playground at Trafford Elementary
Students and parents flocked to Trafford Elementary School April 5 to celebrate completion of a new $255,000 playground. The former playground was about two decades old when it was torn down in 2023 due to safety concerns. District officials said the stairs and decking of the playground presented a tripping...
Conor Lamb and Lindsay Powell ‘stand in’ for Fetterman and McCormick at Swissvale town hall
More than 200 people filled a Swissvale church basement Wednesday night for a town hall featuring what organizers called two stand-ins for Pennsylvania’s U.S. Sens. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick. One of the stand-ins, former U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, told TribLive prior to taking the stage that he felt the...
Board hopefuls vying for seats in all 3 regions of Shaler Area School District
Shaler Area School District residents will see contested races across all three of the district’s regions in the May 20 primary. Region 1 In Shaler’s Region 1, four candidates are vying for two seats with four-year terms. Three of the candidates are cross-filed, while one will be on the Democratic...
8 candidates, including 4 incumbents, seek nominations to North Hills School Board
Eight candidates, including four incumbents, are running in the May 20 primary for the North Hills School Board. Seven of the candidates, including all four incumbents, are cross-filed. One will be on the Republican ballot. Anthony Hall Age: 40 Political affiliation: Democrat, cross-filed Education: Perry Traditional Academy; bachelor of arts,...
4 seek reelection to Hampton School Board; 1 challenger vying for seat
Four members of the Hampton School Board are seeking reelection this year, with one challenger making the May 20 primary contested. All of the candidates are cross-filed and will appear on the Democratic and Republican ballots for the four-year seats. Denise Balason Age: 56 Political affiliation: Republican, cross-filed Education: Bachelor’s...
Monroeville students raise money for autism
When Jesse Torisky was a student at Evergreen Elementary, there were no smart boards or smart phones. There was a lot more chalk, and a lot more paper. But Torisky, who today is president of Autism Pittsburgh, got a chance to return to his former school on April 4, and...
Monroeville area: Car show, Symphony East, school board candidate forum, more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bkikel@triblive.com. Car show to benefit pet adoptions The Head Turners Pittsburgh car group will host a May 4 car show from 12-4 p.m. at the Community College of Allegheny County’s Boyce Campus. The cost for car registration is $10. Proceeds will...
Monroeville approves voluntary rehab facility over citizen objections
Monroeville council members approved a voluntary drug treatment facility for the former Independence Court building on Center Road. Pyramid Healthcare was seeking conditional use for the inpatient treatment center. Pyramid was founded in 1999 in Altoona, and today has more than 80 facilities in eight states, including three in Allegheny...
Democrats Kettering, Warden-Rodgers vie for nomination as Ross 6th Ward commissioner
Two Democrats are vying in the May 20 primary for the Ross commissioner seat representing the township’s sixth ward. The candidates are incumbent John W. Kettering and challenger Haley Warden-Rodgers. The Republican candidate, Justin Jeffrey, is unopposed in the primary. Ross has nine commissioners, each from a ward, who are...
Spectrum Charter School students showcase their talents during Autism Awareness Month
Spectrum Charter School has been holding its annual talent show since before special education teacher Lori Yurkovich started working there in 2005. Every year, students showcase their skills by singing, dancing, telling jokes or reading poetry. Some students have unique talents, such as spinning balls, while others will use the...
Monroeville Rotary hosts cafe founder, Big Brothers Big Sisters coordinator
On the first Thursday of every month, Monroeville Rotary showcases different nonprofits. Rotary’s meeting on April 3 at the Monroeville Public Library hosted Kevin Bode, founder of Knead Community Café in New Kensington. Bode is a financial advisor who spent time overseas doing mission work. He was raised in New...
Richland resident and her Alaskan malamute, Brio, enjoy rounds on dog show circuit
Jo Ann Evans of Richland unwinds from her high-stress job as a nurse practitioner with an unconventional hobby — she is part of the competitive dog show circuit. Evans said she spent two years researching before she got her first puppy from “a wonderful breeder and mentor.” “This was a...
New owner of McCandless Floral hopes to keep business blooming for another 50 years
Whether it’s a grandiose bloomy show for a wedding, a stately arrangement for a funeral or just a simple pop of color to brighten mom’s special day, flowers can say just the right thing. “Someone told me last week that flowers are for the emotions of the moment. They’re not...
Sewickley man found with gun, ammo at Pittsburgh International Airport
Police detained a Sewickley man at Pittsburgh International Airport after Transportation Security Administration officers discovered his gun at a security checkpoint Wednesday. Authorities said the man, whose name was not released, told officials that he forgot he had his handgun with him. The 22-caliber pistol contained 30 bullets. Police confiscated...
Route 30 eastbound reopened after Unity truck crash
Route 30 has been reopened after a crash late Wednesday that shut down the eastbound side of the highway in Unity. First responders were called to a stretch near Johnson Road shortly before 8 p.m. for an overturned truck, according to a Westmoreland County 911 supervisor. The truck sheared a...
Franklin Regional blows past 2024’s fundraising total in second Mini-THON
Franklin Regional High School hosted its second annual Mini-THON on Wednesday, raising more than $33,000 to support pediatric cancer patients and their families. The fundraising culminated in a four-hour celebration where students and teachers participated in games and activities. The school organized a Mini-THON Club last school year, inviting students...
Family reports 18-year-old hiker in stable condition after fall from cliff in Harrison Hills Park
First responders spent around two hours helping to rescue an 18-year-old woman on Wednesday who reportedly fell off a cliff in Harrison Hills Park, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. Emergency crews arrived around 2:50 p.m. and could be seen pulling the woman from a hillside. She seemed to fall...
Cranberry man pleads guilty to assaulting girlfriend on cruise ship
A Cranberry man will serve one year in federal prison after pleading guilty on Wednesday to attacking his girlfriend while aboard a Norwegian cruise ship in international waters in 2022. Quintin Owens, 28, of Cranberry, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Wednesday to one count of assault, a misdemeanor....
Scott lawyer who broke bad gets prison for dealing meth
James France has an Ivy League education and practiced corporate law at two of the biggest firms in Pittsburgh. But by 2015, federal investigators said, he was also a large-scale methamphetamine dealer who would obtain vast quantities of the drug in California and then ship it back to Pittsburgh inside...
Freeport Road underpass in East Deer to be closed Thursday
Northbound Freeport Road (Route 1001) under the New Kensington Bridge in East Deer will close to traffic Thursday, April 17, weather permitting. Northbound Freeport Road under the New Kensington Bridge will close to traffic from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for bridge inspection work. Motorists on will use the ramp...
Westmoreland register of wills to implement credit card fees
Westmoreland County Register of Wills Jon Wian said Tuesday his office will no longer foot the bill for customers who make payments with a credit card. Beginning June 1, customers who pay fees to file wills, estate documents, apply for marriage licenses and request copies of documents in the Register...
Water authority hires private firm to make payments in response to vendor scam
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County has hired a Georgia-based company to pay its vendors. Officials said the deal, which they described as a trial run that could net the authority up to $180,000 annually in additional revenue through commissions, is in response to a fraud scheme that resulted in...
Nightly lane closures for milling, paving scheduled for McKnight Road
Nightly lane closures on McKnight Road in Pittsburgh, Ross and McCandless will start Monday, April 21, and continue through April 28, PennDOT announced Wednesday. Beginning Monday night, southbound McKnight Road will be reduced to a single lane between Perrymont Road and the Babcock Boulevard interchange from 8 p.m. to 6...
$1.2M project will replace asbestos-infused cement water pipe in North Huntingdon
A $1.2 million project was approved Wednesday to replace a nearly mile-long stretch of waterline in North Huntingdon, including a 75-year-old section of cement pipe that is infused with asbestos. Officials called the project a standard replacement for the existing line that runs along McKee Road, from Clay Pike to...
