Local category, Page 2794
Ross manager resigns for ‘personal reasons’
Ross commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday night to accept the resignation of manager Douglas Sample. Board President Steve Korbel said Sample, whose last day on the job was Friday, resigned “for personal reasons.” “He didn’t resign because of any township-related malfeasance,” Korbel said following the Sept. 3 meeting. The vote also...
Demolition work on former Belvedere Hotel to begin next week
Demolition and cleanup of the former Belvedere Hotel in Oklahoma Borough — which was reduced to a pile of asbestos-contaminated rubble in July and is considered a “public health hazard” — will begin on Sept. 11, officials said. The $85,000 project will close a section of Orr Avenue between Hancock...
Online hospital threat was ‘extremely disruptive,’ Pittsburgh police sayVideo
Pittsburgh area hospital employees were justifiably afraid after an online threat was made Tuesday threatening to “commit a hate crime” at an undisclosed hospital in the city, police said. The threat came from a teen and was traced to Beaver County, police said. “It was extremely disruptive,” spokesman Chris Togneri...
Photos: Baldwin-Whitehall’s first day of school
Baldwin-Whitehall School District welcomed students back to school for the district’s 80th year on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019. In addition to welcoming returning students back, the district also rolled out the red carpet for 12 new faculty and staff members and 170 new students....
Court takes up doctor liability in Pittsburgh psych clinic shooting
Pennsylvania’s highest court will determine if a woman shot seven years ago in the psychiatric clinic where she worked can sue the University of Pittsburgh over the assailant’s treatment before the attack. The Supreme Court announced Tuesday it will decide whether a former Allegheny County judge made the right decision...
Penn Township doctor gets 4 years in prison for illegal opioid distribution
A Westmoreland County physician who was convicted in January by a federal jury of illegally distributing opioids at his practices in West Virginia was sentenced this week to four years in prison. Dr. Felix Brizuela, Jr., 58, of Penn Township, was found guilty of 15 counts of distribution of controlled...
Vandergrift to add police officers
Two new full-time officers will join the Vandergrift police force. Christian Disciscio and Jerrod Thompson were hired by borough council Tuesday night. Both will make $44,624 to start, or, 70 percent of a full-time salary They replaced Ben Michaels and Jose Pentova, who left to serve elsewhere. The hires are...
Historical designation the goal for uncovered Export mine entrance
After a local Boy Scout got the project going, Export Historical Society officials now are looking to designate the former Westmoreland Coal Company’s No. 2 mine as a historical site. Troy Florian, 17, of Murrysville, is a member of Troop 205, which helped him clear the entrance to the mine,...
Dogs to play a role at this year’s Community Day in Verona
An annual celebration in Verona has gone to the dogs as a pet parade is among the new activities at the borough’s Community Day. Festivities are scheduled for 3-7 p.m. Sept. 14 at Railroad Park near the borough building. The parade is slated for 4 p.m. and presented by Etta’s...
Man convicted of murder in Jefferson Hills motel owner’s shooting death
A Sacramento, Calif., man was convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder by an Allegheny County jury in the 2016 shooting death of a Jefferson Hills motel owner. Derrick “Chino” Gallaway, 63, also was found guilty of robbery, theft and tampering with evidence in the death of Denhad Taiedi, 78, at the...
Barebones Productions gets back to bare essentials with ‘True West’ play in Braddock
After enjoying a brief foray into glitz and glamour with its successful staging of “The Legend of Georgia McBride,” Barebones Productions is getting back to the gritty content it’s largely known for. Sam Shepard’s play “True West” opens Friday at the Barebones Black Box in Braddock, representing a return to...
Police investigate robbery at Oakland Dollar General
Pittsburgh police continue to investigate what was possibly an armed robbery at the Dollar General store along Centre Avenue in Oakland. Officers from Zone 5 responded at about 9:30 p.m. Sept. 2 to a robbery in progress at 4725 Centre Avenue. Employees told police that a man demanded money and...
Police say Ring video-sharing partnership has helped solve crimes
Two Western Pennsylvania police departments that have established partnerships with the doorbell-camera company Ring said the alliance has helped them solve crimes and benefited their communities. Baldwin Borough and Castle Shannon police are among roughly 400 police forces across the United States that have partnered with the Amazon-owned company, giving...
Oakmont Commons to be surveyed to determine flooding solutions
A survey of the Oakmont Commons housing plan and nearby areas will be the next step in the borough’s efforts to combat flooding issues. However, residents may not see construction of any possible solutions until spring. Storms late July 21 into the next morning wreaked havoc on the Commons and...
2 people rescued after Donegal Township crash
Two people were rescued after their car went over a hillside in Donegal Township on Tuesday night, Westmoreland County dispatchers said. At least one person was taken by helicopter to a local hospital, emergency officials said, after a crash near the intersection of Route 31 and Green Acres Lane shortly...
Officials: Online threat made to Pittsburgh-area hospital not credible, traced to teen
A Beaver County teen is responsible for online threats made Tuesday to commit a hate crime in Pittsburgh, officials said. Police spokesman Chris Togneri said at 7:30 a.m. today that officers traced the threat to a Beaver County home and determined it was not credible. “Police interviewed a male juvenile...
Murrysville will continue fracking well hearing on Wednesday
Murrysville council will continue its public hearing on applications for the Titan well pad off Bollinger Road, and will hold public hearings on two liquor-license transfers, at its meeting Wednesday night. The public hearing on the proposed 350-by-500-foot well pad, set on a 71-acre property, has been ongoing since June....
Car catches fire near kerosene tank at Sheetz in Plum; no one injured
A car caught fire Tuesday night near a kerosene tank in the parking lot of a Sheetz gas station in Plum, prompting officials to shut down the gas pumps and close the convenience store for several hours. No one was injured in the incident, officials said. Plum police and firefighters...
Murrysville Meals on Wheels seeks kitchen volunteers
Two years ago, Murrysville Meals on Wheels Coordinator Lynn Staab was looking for volunteer drivers as the organization marked its 45th anniversary. This year, she’s seeking a few folks willing to throw down once a month in the kitchen. “That’s where our need is now,” Staab said. “All of our...
Traffic restrictions continuing on East 10th in Tarentum
Work that tied up traffic on East 10th Street in Tarentum on Tuesday will continue Wednesday, borough Manager Michael Nestico said. Borough public works crews on Tuesday were helping a private contractor repair a collapsed manhole and pipe on East 10th near Ormond Street. Nestico said he learned late Tuesday...
New Stanton ramp repair will detour traffic at I-70/Route 119 interchange
Motorists traveling east on Interstate 70 will follow a detour to head south on Route 119 beginning Monday, as work continues to improve lighting and resurface ramps at the interchange in New Stanton. The ramp motorists normally use will be closed for repairs and a detour will be in place...
Analyst: Hurricane Dorian not expected to impact gas prices
Gas prices have continued to fall locally and across the nation, and they are expected to continue falling with the switch to cheaper winter gasoline and plummeting demand, an industry analyst says. “While a China/U.S. trade deal could undermine the normal seasonal decline in prices that we anticipate, its still...
Refurbished Leechburg Public Library reopensVideo
Leechburg’s public library reopened Tuesday. The early afternoon turn-out was slow, but appreciative. In recent days, the refurbished library got attention from about 10 community volunteers who spruced up the facility, library board President Karen Freilino said. Librarian Lisa Kimbrugh welcomed Brooklyn Redmond, a sixth grader, as the first patron,...
Man, woman face drug charges following Kiski Township arrest
Kiski Township police said a phony car inspection sticker and a confidential informant’s tip helped them stop a suspected methamphetamine deal last Thursday. A criminal complaint filed in the case said a pickup driven by Jacqueline D. Pratt, 50, of Avonmore drew an officer’s attention because it appeared to have...
West Mifflin quarterback continues recovery, investigation ongoing
West Mifflin Area High School quarterback Jaylen Dukes continues to recover after being shot in the leg and feet Saturday. Borough and Allegheny County police are investigating the shooting along the 3800 block of Inland Avenue in West Mifflin. No suspects were identified as of Tuesday afternoon, county police said....
