Local category, Page 2828
Monroeville’s Jayla Robinson takes 4th at national championship meet
When Jayla Robinson begins her fourth-grade school year at Ramsey Elementary School later this month, the 9-year-old Monroeville resident will have good news to share with her classmates. For the second year in a row, Robinson is a youth track and field All-American with a pair of medal-winning performances at...
3 new police officers added to Monroeville department
Three Monroeville police officers were sworn in before a borough council meeting on Aug. 8. James Monkelis, Adam Condioto and Jeffrey Vertullo bring the municipality’s police force to 44, police Chief Doug Cole said. The department is authorized to have 47 officers on its force, said Cole, who expects to...
Police: Gun found under Antwon Rose’s seat was stolen in Rankin
A handgun found in the car from which Antwon Rose II ran before an East Pittsburgh police officer shot and killed him was stolen, according to investigators. The gun was originally reported stolen out of Monroeville, but county police later determined it was stolen in Rankin, Allegheny County police Inspector...
Pittsburgh restoring historic tunnel in Highland ParkVideo
Raquel Staton said her walks along the trails of Pittsburgh’s Highland Park always included a trip through a historic pedestrian tunnel constructed during park’s early years. She always found it a little spooky walking through the stone arch tunnel that runs beneath Reservoir Drive. “I love that tunnel,” said Staton,...
Motorcyclist killed in Squirrel Hill tunnel crash
A motorcyclist was killed in a multi-vehicle crash inside the Squirrel Hill Tunnel on Friday. State police said the incident took place shortly after 10:15 a.m. The male biker struck the rear of a box truck and went underneath a flatbed semi-trailer being pulled by a truck tractor, police said....
Washington, D.C., man convicted in Arnold child rape
A Westmoreland County jury convicted a former Arnold man of rape and other charges related to accusations made by a teenage boy who claimed he was repeatedly sexually assaulted. Delonte Haynes, 28, of Washington, D.C., could face more than five decades in prison as a result of the convictions. Jurors...
Downtown Pittsburgh safety again in question after fatal stabbing
Lashaya Fields’ heart sank when she heard about a fatal stabbing Thursday at a bus stop in Downtown Pittsburgh. Fields, 24, of Wilkinsburg didn’t know the victim, Janice Purdue-Dance of Erie, but she often saw the 61-year-old around the Sixth Avenue bus stop. “She was a nice person, very religious,”...
Proposed Sheetz in Unity clears initial zoning hurdle
Plans for a new Sheetz convenience store along Route 30 in Unity cleared an initial hurdle this week when township supervisors approved the development as a conditional use in the business zone bordering the highway. Township Solicitor Gary Falatovich has noted the developer, Skilken Gold Real Estate Development, still must...
Hearing next week for final approval of Hempfield casino
The final hearing for the proposed mini casino in Westmoreland Mall is scheduled next week before the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. On Wednesday, Stadium Casino officials will present to the board, who will then approve, deny or postpone the license that could put the casino in the former Bon-Ton department...
Inspections to restrict Hulton, Tarentum bridge traffic
Inspections will restrict traffic on the Hulton and Tarentum bridges next week, PennDOT announced Friday. There will be lane restrictions in each direction on the Hulton Bridge over the Allegheny River between Freeport Road in Harmar and Second Street in Oakmont between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday and Tuesday....
This week in the Lower Alle-Kiski Valley
Here are some of the news highlights from around the Lower Valley for the week of Aug. 4: • Blawnox cracks down on code violations. • Fox Chapel Area ready for new school year. • Fox Chapel pastor encourages unity in wake of recent shootings nationwide. • Rabies bait to...
Boil water advisory remains for Jeannette, Penn Township, Irwin
A boil water advisory for Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers in the Jeannette, Penn Township and Irwin areas is expected to continue into Saturday. Water authority officials said Friday that an initial water quality test found no contaminants but that a second clear test is needed before the boil...
Pittsburgh mayor Peduto, state lawmakers call for vote on Pa. gun bills
Two Democratic state lawmakers say they are prepared to heed Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s call for a vote on more restrictive firearms regulations and added that leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature won’t allow that to happen. Republicans, however, have pointed to anti-violence laws they have passed and signaled a willingness...
New Kensington waterline work should lead to Carl Avenue paving — at some pointVideo
When a South Buffalo Township contractor’s crew finishes installing a large waterline under part of Carl Avenue in New Kensington, officials will have a decision to make: How and when to finally pave a stretch of Carl Avenue that normally is a popular shortcut between Tarentum Bridge and Craigdell roads....
Retention and recruitment workshop to be hosted for Westmoreland fire departments
Leaders from 60 Westmoreland County fire departments have the opportunity to attend a two-day retention training program this September. Hosted by Adapt Management, a grant management and marketing firm, the workshop will focus on recruiting and retaining firefighters, said Greg Redden, president of the firm. The workshop will focus on...
Pennsylvania distributes wildfire funds on Smokey Bear anniversary
Seven volunteer fire departments in Westmoreland County are among recipients of state grants for wildfire equipment and training. The funding is from the latest round of grants announced by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for departments in rural areas that regularly fight wildland and brush fires. “Too...
Westmoreland schools getting new turf in final weeks before classesVideo
Blame it on the rain. Crews for artificial turf companies have been scrambling the past few weeks to install the rubber-based green carpet at stadiums across the area — including Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem, Jeannette and Norwin — before school starts. While retired Pittsburgh Steelers running back Dick Hoak and...
Murrysville officials budgeting funds to address storm water damage
As Murrysville officials look at potential capital improvements over the next five years, one issue is starting to consume a larger percentage of the capital budget — damage from storm water. “We lost half of Beighley Road with the storm that came through Plum a couple weeks ago, and we...
No candidates yet for open Gateway seat
Who will fill a Gateway school board seat up for a special election come November remains unknown as no candidates have formally applied to fill it — and the person who currently holds the position doesn’t plan to. Dawn Neilly, 56, of Monroeville was nominated by the Gateway school board...
Jeannette family honored after saving 5-year-old from drowning
Nicole Hall pumped the chest of her 5-year-old cousin after his body was pulled from the family’s Jeannette swimming pool this summer. After a minute and a half of compressions, the boy again started to breathe. “He was lifeless,” said family member Patty Hall, 55, who provided oxygen while Nicole...
Census officials prepare for low number of applications ahead of 2020 survey
The Census Bureau is hiring — and officials plan to employ more than 500,000 part-time and temporary workers across the country. Between Westmoreland and Allegheny counties, officials expect to field about 12,000 applications, census spokeswoman Susan Licate said. “The hiring needs within each county vary and are ongoing,” she said....
KDKA returns to local DirecTV customers ahead of Steelers season
DirecTV customers, break out the black and gold. The Pittsburgh Steelers — starting with Friday’s first preseason game — will be back on your television thanks to an agreement reached by CBS Corp. and AT&T. The multi-year agreement, reached Thursday, ended a three-week blackout for viewers, which started as a...
Cryotherapy experts baffled by Antonio Brown’s frostbitten feet
The picture circulating on social media of Antonio Brown’s feet is reportedly the result of a cryotherapy session gone very wrong. From heel to toe, the bottoms of Brown’s feet are one big blister, with yellowish dying skin giving way to a shade of raw pink. Local cryotherapy experts wonder...
‘God’s blessing’: Murrysville family farm predates AmericaVideo
The Murrysville land farmed by Herb Gearhard and his family is older than America. The Gearhard farm, the oldest continuously worked farm in Westmoreland County, dates to the late 1760s, and marks its 250th anniversary this year. On April 3, 1769, Robert Hays paid 45 pounds, two shillings and sixpence...
Heidelberg native cast in ‘Hello, Dolly!’ playing at Benedum
Davis Wayne couldn’t stop smiling as he stepped onto the Benedum Center stage. He was home. “I love Pittsburgh, and I won’t shut up about it, and everybody knows that,” said Wayne, 23, a native of Heidelberg. For the past year, he’s been traveling the United States as part of...
