Local category, Page 2878
Man involved in Ross SWAT incident won’t face charges
Ross Township police say a man who refused orders to come out of his house Tuesday morning when officers checking on him smelled a strong odor of natural gas will not face criminal charges. The man, whose name is not being released, was involved in a domestic dispute at the...
Gilpin bicyclist injured in Route 66 mishap
A 71-year-old bicycle rider was injured Tuesday when his bike hit the side of an SUV in Gilpin, township police said. Sam Iusi of Gilpin was riding a bike on Route 66 north toward Bethel Township near Jack Road at about 10 a.m. when his bicycle collided with the side...
Verona joins Allegheny County’s Live Well Allegheny initiative to promote healthy living
Verona officials are pushing for ways residents can live healthier through Allegheny County’s Live Well Allegheny campaign. The nearly half square mile town recently joined the more than 60 communities, 51 restaurants, 32 workplaces and 18 school districts already in the program designed to promote physical health, mental wellness, personal...
Repairs begin on crumbling section of Westmoreland courthouse parking garage
Emergency work to repair crumbling ceiling concrete above the upper parking level of the Westmoreland County Courthouse started this week. County commissioners are expected to approve a nearly $70,000 contract later this week to pay for the construction work to install and fortify support beams needed to fix damage in...
Allegheny Township gets $71K for keeping insurance claims to a minimum
Allegheny Township received $71,000 in dividends for keeping its insurance and workers compensation claims to a minimum last year. It was no accident, according to township manager Greg Primm. Primm said the township’s department leaders are constantly “preaching the gospel of safety” when training employees and they always look for...
Sheetz offers free fries on National Fry Day
Saturday is National Fry Day and, to celebrate, Sheetz is giving away free french fries. Customers who order through the Sheetz app can also receive any size fry for free, along with dipping sauce. While the history of National Fry Day is unknown, according to the National Day Calendar, it...
Residential development tentatively approved near Beechwood Farms
Indiana Township supervisors on Tuesday night tentatively approved The Waters, a planned residential development (PRD) less than a half-mile west of Fairview Elementary School on Dorseyville Road. By a 3-2 vote, the board gave first-round approval of The Waters Senior Living Holdings, with the stipulation that additional traffic/parking studies can...
Billboard company calls Tarentum zoning ‘unconstitutional’
Tarentum’s zoning ordinance is unconstitutional because it does not allow billboards anywhere in the borough, a company argued in appealing the borough’s denial of its proposal to put one up beside the Tarentum Bridge. America First Enterprises, doing business as Oliver Outdoor, is asking an Allegheny County judge to vacate...
Cops: $32K, cocaine, marijuana seized from speeder in Keystone State Park
A Latrobe man who attempted to flee after being stopped for speeding in Keystone State Park had nearly $32,000 cash, 7 ounces of cocaine and 4 ounces of marijuana in a backpack, according to court documents. Latrobe Police Detective Michael Wigand, a member of Westmoreland County’s drug task force, was...
Tarentum considering 16% increase in part-time police pay
Tarentum is considering a 16% increase in the hourly rate it pays part-time police officers. It would increase the pay from $15.50 per hour to $18, according to borough manager Michael Nestico. Nestico said the borough needs to increase what it pays part-time officers because other municipalities are paying more,...
Pittsburgh zoo mourns death of African lion
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium reported Wednesday that its 10-year-old African lion Razi died after suffering a grand mal seizure Sunday. Zoo officials said the seizure caused Razi to fall in his exhibit and fracture his jaw. The lion had suffered from idiopathic epilepsy for more than six years....
Woman struck, killed by truck in LigonierVideo
A 54-year-old woman was killed when she was hit and trapped underneath a FedEx truck in Ligonier on Wednesday morning, despite attempts from bystanders to free her, Ligonier Valley police Chief John Berger said. It appears to be an “unfortunate accident,” Berger said, adding that the driver of the truck...
Turnpike Route 66 in Westmoreland, plaza at Ohio border to go cashless
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is converting two more toll plazas — Gateway at the Ohio border and the Route 66 bypass in Westmoreland County — into cashless collection sites. According to the Turnpike’s cashless tolling website, the plazas will be converted by Oct. 27. The change is part of an...
Gas drilling windfall will help repair roads in Fawn
An unexpected windfall from the state’s Act 13 program will enable Fawn to handle emergency repairs on two township roads. Fawn received $104,000 this year in Act 13 money derived from natural gas drilling royalties. That’s $21,000 more than last year. The extra money will enable Fawn to repair Sun...
Pittsburgh police investigating Spring Hill shooting
A man was shot in the leg early Wednesday in Pittsburgh’s Spring Hill neighborhood, city police said. The shooting was reported shortly before 3 a.m. in the 2100 block of Rhine Street, said Chris Togneri, a public safety spokesman. Togneri said officers arrived and found the man with a gunshot...
Record rains cause concern for Westmoreland conservation group
Westmoreland County received 72 inches of precipitation in 2018 — nearly double the 40 inches the area normally receives. What happens to all that water? Some of it gets absorbed into the ground. Some of it evaporates with the help of plants and trees. And some of it just runs...
Pennsylvania ranks No. 2 in U.S. student debt
This is a list that Pennsylvania won’t be proud to be high on. The Commonwealth ranked No. 2 in the country in student debt, according to WalletHub research. The report looked at average student debt, unemployment rates for people ages 25 to 34, students with past-due loans and student work...
Former Clairton man gets 9 years for distributing fentanyl
A former Clairton man was sentenced to nine years in a federal prison Tuesday for distributing fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said in an announcement. Elliot Page, 38, was ordered to spend 10 years on supervised release after the prison term on his conviction of conspiring to distribute narcotics...
Pittsburgh police officer taken to hospital after Homewood crash
A Pittsburgh police officer was taken to a hospital Monday after a truck rear-ended a police cruiser in the city’s Homewood section. The incident was reported just after 3 p.m. on Frankstown Avenue near North Homewood Avenue, according to Cara Cruz, a public safety spokeswoman. When officers arrived, they found...
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust to host Summer Gallery Crawl
Experience Pittsburgh’s Cultural District during the Summer Gallery Crawl from 5:30 to 10 p.m. on July 12. Sponsored by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the evening features stops at indoor and outdoor locations and public art places. There is also a “Crawl After Dark” event which begins at 9 p.m. and...
New housing development plans approved in Plum
Plum officials granted preliminary approval of plans for a new housing development along Renton Road. Developer Grasinger Homes wants to build 103 single-family homes on approximately 54 acres near St. Januarius Church. John Grasinger, part owner of the company, said they expect to finalize buying the land in August. He...
Vendor applications for Export Ethnic Food & Music Festival due next week
Organizers for the Export Ethnic Food & Music Festival are accepting vendor applications through July 15. The festival will be Aug. 17, noon to 8 p.m. along Washington Avenue in the borough. Vendor applications are available at ExportPennsylvania.com. The cost is $50, and can be made payable to the Export...
Police say Latrobe man left 2 dogs in hot car at movie theater
State police plan to charge a Latrobe man after he allegedly left two dogs inside a car in hot weather on Sunday. Police said the incident happened around 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the AMC movie theater at the Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield, where the man left two medium-size, mixed-breed dogs...
Amateur Astronomers Association throws more free star parties in Washington Township
The Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh will throw two more free public star gazing parties this summer at Kunkle Park in Washington Township on July 27 and Aug. 3. If conditions are right, brightly colored double stars will be visible as will be the beautiful star clusters of the Milky...
Juvenile peregrine falcons spotted around region after leaving nests
It’s a long road to become the fastest flier on earth with speeds approaching 200 mph in a dive. But local juvenile peregrine falcons, which are designated as state-threatened, are on their way as two were spotted in the region this week after leaving their nests weeks ago. That is...
