Western PA Local News category, Page 2865
Police: Mother left kids to help friend in a fight; ‘deplorable’ home conditions detailed
Police have charged a woman for leaving her two children alone in their Bedford Dwellings home. The 23-year-old woman, Mattie Viola Sims, told police that she left the residence in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood to help a friend who was about to fight nearby. The children, ages 4 and 1,...
Senior housing, cottages, retail approved for Blazier Drive site in McCandless
McCandless council has approved plans to replace two vacant buildings along Blazier Drive with a mixed-use development made up of a personal care home, duplexes and a retail center. The project, dubbed McCandless Square, will be built on the 23-acre site of the former Trader Horn department store and Bally’s...
Audit: Pittsburgh property sales ‘shrouded in secrecy,’ open to fraudVideo
Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority are sitting on thousands of tax delinquent properties for years because of a public sales process that is “shrouded in secrecy” and difficult to navigate for potential buyers, according to an audit released Tuesday by the city Controller’s Office. Controller Michael Lamb said...
Apollo-Ridge explores bond issue for project list
The Apollo-Ridge School District is contemplating a new bond issue. The school board said Monday night the maximum issue would be $3.5 million and the minimum would be $1.4 million. Among the projects on the wish list are updating the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in the secondary schools,...
Pittsburgh ranks 15th among best cities in nation to retire
Pittsburgh makes a lot of lists — the best cities for its Oktoberfest, for coffee drinkers and to celebrate the Fourth of July. It even made the top three for the best Rust Belt comeback story. Yet as a retiree destination, it rarely outshines Sun Belt locales. But in a...
WCTA’s ConnectCard system to be phased out
Westmoreland County Transit Authority’s troubled ConnectCard system, which allows riders to pay cashless fares via prepaid accounts, will be phased out over the next several months, officials announced Tuesday. After years of planning, ConnectCard was finally implemented in early 2018. Almost immediately, it was besieged with technical issues. “ConnectCard has...
Guys Run Road closure starts Wednesday in Harmar
Part of Guys Run Road in Harmar will be closed to traffic during daylight hours Wednesday through Oct. 9 so PennDOT can repair a landslide area. PennDOT said the road will be closed between Dremmel and Locust Hill roads from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. Crews will be...
Avonmore family headed to court on charges of hiding fugitive
Two men and their mother will stand trial on charges of hiding or preventing the apprehension of a fugitive at their Avonmore home. Jessica Thorpe, 39, Luke Thorpe, 18, and Leroy Thorpe, 22, all of Maple Terrace Lane, waived charges to court rather than have a preliminary hearing Monday, court...
Pittsburgh looks to hire more female and minority firefighters
City officials hope a consultant can help attract a more diverse pool of job applicants to the Pittsburgh Fire Bureau. City Council on Tuesday introduced a resolution that would authorize the hiring of the National Testing Network at a maximum cost of $49,875 for a study of fire bureau hiring...
Plethora of pumpkin choices at The Pie Place in the South HillsVideo
Pumpkin pastries will be prominent at the Pie Place. The bakery located on the Bethel Park/Upper St. Clair border created 31 days of pumpkin treats. Day one started Monday with pumpkins located throughout the store to introduce the promotion. On Tuesday, the choice of the day was pumpkin tarts. The...
Woman hurt in Sewickley Township crash involving school van
One woman was hurt in a two-vehicle crash involving a school van in Sewickley Township, according to Westmoreland County 911. A dispatcher said the van was not transporting students. The crash happened at the corner of Clopper Street and Keystone Road around 2:40 p.m. Tuesday. The woman was taken to...
Springdale Energy donates $55K to improve safety, emergency services in A-K Valley
Springdale Energy donated $55,000 to four organizations in the lower Alle-Kiski Valley to help them improve safety and emergency services. Springdale Volunteer Fire Department and Allegheny Valley Volunteer Fire Company each received $10,500, while Allegheny Valley School District received $16,000 and the Allegheny Valley Emergency Management Agency got about $18,000....
Hempfield honors fire station on 75 year milestoneVideo
The Midway/St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department was recognized Monday night for 75 years in service. The department, located on Broadway Avenue, was established July 11, 1944. Officials posted on their Facebook page, “Today marks our 75th anniversary. Thank you to the current members and all the past members who have...
Elderly malnutrition focus of Westmoreland awareness weekVideo
No matter what meal Sue Floder makes for the Norwin Meals on Wheels program, she knows one thing to be true — the sweet treat goes first. “I think most of them (seniors) go for the goody first because you lose a lot of your taste buds when you’re older,...
West Jefferson Hills settlement with principal released
The West Jefferson Hills School District agreed to pay an $85,000 settlement to former Gill Hall Elementary Principal Tina Mayer when it parted ways with the longtime employee. Details of the settlement agreement approved by school board members on Aug. 13 were released to the Tribune-Review on Sept. 20 through...
Crafton’s St. Philip church marks 180 years
St. Philip Roman Catholic Parish in Crafton has witnessed many changes in the last 180 years. Founded on July 25, 1839, the original church measured 40 feet by 25 feet. It eventually grew to 122 parishes and missions established within its original territorial boundaries as one of six parishes in...
Police: Woman urinated on state agent searching her during Jeannette drug arrest
A Johnstown woman is charged with aggravated assault after she urinated on an agent from the state attorney general’s office who was searching her Monday at the Jeannette police station, according to court papers. Ashley Evon Sanders, 33, vomited as she was being placed in a holding cell at the...
McCandless OKs final piece needed for Sheetz to start work on new Perry Highway store
McCandless council has approved the final component the municipality requires before Sheetz can begin constructing a new gas station and convenience store across from its current location on Perry Highway. Council on Monday voted unanimously to approve the sewer and stormwater engineering plans submitted for the project by the Altoona-based...
Sheetz to open tech, innovation hub at Bakery Square
Along with convenience, breakfast burritos and blueberry beer, Sheetz is hoping to deliver innovation. The convenience store chain announced the upcoming opening of its technology and innovation hub at Bakery Square in Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood. According to the company, Sheetz will use the hub to develop and test products and...
Sugar and Smoke restaurant at former Del’s building in Bloomfield closes
Say goodbye to another restaurant at the Bloomfield location once occupied by the iconic Italian bistro Del’s. Sugar and Smoke, an eatery that offered Southern-style cuisine such as brisket, smoked meatballs, po’ boys, and fried green tomato sandwiches, has apparently closed after being in business for a year. The windows...
Bill Peduto: Assault of black women at North Side gas station ‘made me sick’Video
Watching the video of two women being assaulted at a North Side gas station last week made Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto sick, he tweeted Tuesday morning. “We cannot be a civilized society and tolerate any violence against women. We must come together as one unified community and end all violence...
Fallen Rostraver firefighter will be honored at national memorial
Michael Godzak joined the Rostraver Township Volunteer Fire Department as a junior member at 12 years old. For the next 47 years, the Belle Vernon native rose through its ranks, serving a stint as chief for nine years in the 1980s and early ’90s. On April 29, 2018, Godzak was...
Westmoreland County sued over requirement that union workers complete major projects
Westmoreland County’s agreement with a Pittsburgh trades council has been challenged in federal court, claiming the deal excludes nonunion businesses from securing county construction contracts. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, seeks to invalidate the county’s project labor agreement approved in 2016 by Commissioners Gina Cerilli and...
Man to serve up to 14 years for DUI crash that killed Tarentum woman, teen
A Saltsburg man who killed two people, including a Tarentum junior firefighter, in a 2017 drugged driving crash in Plum was ordered Tuesday to serve up to 14 years in state prison. Allegheny County Judge David R. Cashman ordered Edward Leonard Cass III, 27, to serve a minimum of 7...
Police: Monessen woman was drunk when she hit parked cars, person in North Belle Vernon
A Monessen woman allegedly was intoxicated Monday when she hit several parked cars, lost a wheel on her SUV and hit a woman who tried to get her to stop driving through North Belle Vernon, according to police. Sarah Elizabeth Kolenc, 27, is charged with aggravated assault, driving under the...
