Local category, Page 2829
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...
Westmoreland Cleanways adds glass to drop-off recycling service
Residents searching for a place to recycle glass can go to the Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling facility in Unity. Cleanways is accepting glass because many community recycling programs and waste haulers no longer accept the material for curbside collection or drop-off in public bins, Executive Director Ellen Keefe announced this...
Township officials: Unity race track to take steps to curb late-night noise
Residents who live near Latrobe Speedway in Unity say late-night stock car races kept them up into the early hours last Sunday. They hope there’s no repeat performance this weekend. Township officials this week said the race track operator has agreed to take steps to curb noise and restrict races...
Lower Burrell gets parking lot; century-old cemetery gets needed upkeepVideo
A parking lot surrounded by graves might seem odd at a city hall, but in Lower Burrell, it’s benefiting the living and honoring the dead. The new parking lot — situated between graves next to the current police station along Bethel Street — is part of a $3.1 million renovation...
After 18 years, Lidia’s Pittsburgh to close
Lidia’s Pittsburgh, a longtime staple in the Strip District, is closing. The expected closing date is sometime in September, said Gregg Perelman, CEO and managing partner of Walnut Capital, owner of the restaurant’s building at 1400 Smallman St. He said he is awaiting specifics from the restaurant’s general manager. “There...
Round Hill Spray Park reopens after weeklong closure
Round Hill Spray Park is reopening on Friday after having been closed for a week, the Allegheny County parks and health departments announced. The Elizabeth Township spray park had been closed since Aug. 2 because bacteria levels in the water exceeded Health Department regulations. The system was drained of water,...
Level Green veteran Joseph Katkowski remembered for life history
Joseph Katkowski spent most of World War II taking care of soldiers in France. And it didn’t matter if they were American or German soldiers. He was always there to help, his daughter Nancy Katkowski said. Spending two years overseas as an Army medical technician, Joseph Katkowski saw plenty of...
Plum’s Monday Market returns to Plum Creek Park
Plum’s Monday Market has returned to Plum Creek Park. The farmer’s market was moved from the park to the borough building parking lot at 4575 New Texas Road due to the flooding of the park across the street. Vendors noticed a drop in sales as a result of the move....
Little Sisters of the Poor celebrates 150 years in America with Brighton Heights mass
As a child, Sister Marcel Joseph wasn’t too keen on old people. But, as a member of the Junior Legion of Mary, an organization dedicated to the spiritual development of young Catholics, she was assigned to visit a Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home on a weekly basis. “I...
FirstNet communications network to be topic at W. Pa. Firemen’s Convention
Volunteer firefighters attending the Western Pennsylvania Firemen’s Convention business meeting Tuesday, Aug. 13 in Arnold will hear about the nation’s first special communications network for police, fire and emergency services crews. The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) overseeing the communications network selected AT&T to provide the broadband network. Michael Varney,...
Erie County man drowns in Lake Erie
MAYVILLE, N.Y. — Federal and local authorities are continuing the search of Lake Erie for an Erie County man who drowned while swimming at the Ripley Beach area in Chautauqua County, New York, late Thursday afternoon. The man who drowned has not been identified. Information released by the Chautauqua County...
Plum father charged in drowning of 3-year-old daughter
A Plum man whose 3-year-old daughter drowned in a home swimming pool last week told police he left his two young children alone at the in-ground pool while he went inside to make a drink, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday. Charles Mitchell, 27, told police that when he...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Aug. 9-11
It’s the weekend and we’ve got a fresh beer fest in town, plus lots more going on. Make sure to brace for pregame preseason Steelers traffic Friday night (kickoff is 7:30 p.m.). Here are some suggestions for what to do. Beer here, it’s fresh! The nation’s first “Black Brew” festival...
Police: Man in critical condition after East Hills shooting
A man was in critical condition Friday after he was shot in the chest in Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood, Pittsburgh police said. The shooting was reported around 1:30 a.m. in the 7900 block of Frankstown Avenue. Pittsburgh Police officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert of gunfire and found the man...
Popular Irwin restaurant property up for sale for back taxes
The building that houses a popular Irwin restaurant is on Westmoreland County’s delinquent tax sale list — again. This time, the owners reportedly owe more than $22,000 in back taxes. Kris and Sheri Aley, of North Huntingdon, own the parcel containing Brandy’s restaurant at 200 Main St. and two parking...
Whitehall’s Community Day ‘bigger and better’
Whitehall Borough Community Day will feature some new and improved aspects, as the borough’s new recreation director is working to give recreation in the community a boost. “We’re doing bigger and better starting this year,” said Hannah Vetere, who began her role as Whitehall’s new recreation director in February. Whitehall...
Police: Benedum, AVH, other bomb threats came from same phone number
Police continue to investigate bomb threats called into five establishments in two counties Thursday. The threats were made from the same phone number, Allegheny County police said Friday . The bomb threats were called in between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison, St. Clair Hospital...
Bomb threat at Monongahela Valley Hospital temporarily closes entrance road
Carroll Township police are investigating a bomb threat called in to the Monongahela Valley Hospital Thursday night in Monongahela, according to a Washington County 911 supervisor. The threat was reported at 9:08 p.m. Just before midnight, police remained at the scene. According to the supervisor, the main road to the...
Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science has a new dean
Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science has a new dean. Martial Hebert, director of the Robotics Institute in SCS since 2014, will take over as dean effective Aug. 15. Hebert has been a CMU faculty member for 35 years and is a leading researcher in computer vision and robotics....
Highmark CEO optimistic that UPMC deal will attract more patients to Highmark plans
Highmark Health CEO David Holmberg said Thursday he’s “cautiously optimistic” that more Western Pennsylvanians will choose Highmark insurance products now that the nonprofit system has inked a 10-year contract with rival UPMC. Since striking the deal in late June, Highmark officials have been observing an uptick in interest from people...
Demolition of former Pittsburgh Playhouse continuesVideo
Demolition of the Pittsburgh Playhouse buildings in Oakland is underway. The site of live theater since the 1930s, the structures became vacant last year when the new Pittsburgh Playhouse opened Downtown as part of Point Park University’s ongoing expansion. The Oakland site will be sold by Point Park for development....
