In brief: Happenings in the Shaler Journal area
Community invited to free kindness event The Shaler Area School District will present the fourth annual 143 Day of Kindness event from 5:30 to 8 p.m. May 22 at Shaler Area Elementary School, 700 Scott Ave. Doors will open at 5:15 p.m. for the free community event. Free shuttle transportation...
At the library: News from Hampton Community Library
Items sought for craft swap Hampton Community Library, 3101 McCully Road, is planning a craft swap from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 13 and 14. Bring a box or bag of your clean, new or barely used craft supplies and swap them for something else. Tabletop equipment such as...
Pet owners who used services of funeral director accused of mishandling remains gather for support
Rick and Terri Wagner traveled Sunday from their New Kensington home to Derry Township in search of closure. Their beloved spanador, Bailey, a mix of a cocker spaniel and a Labrador, was one of the thousands of pets authorities say Patrick Vereb mishandled through his cremation business, Eternity Pet Memorial....
South Buffalo voters to decide on expanded alcohol sales
South Buffalo voters will decide at the polls Tuesday whether the township should allow expanded alcohol sales. A referendum on the May 20 primary ballot is something of a do-over. A 2021 measure passed, but was ultimately voided by the state Liquor Control Board because it focused solely on the...
Komen Walk in Schenley Park draws thousands touched by breast cancer
Tammy McMillan has been attending the Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Walk for years in support of loved ones affected by breast cancer. But she wasn’t so sure about doing this year’s 2-mile stroll through Schenley Park. The 56-year-old Penn Hills resident was diagnosed with breast cancer in November....
Donora boy drowns in Monongahela River
A search and rescue mission in Donora ended in sorrow Saturday with the discovery of a 12-year-old boy’s body on the bed of the Monongahela River. The Washington County Coroner’s Office identified the boy as Rontae Lester of Donora. According to the coroner’s report, Lester was swimming with friends Saturday...
Building the Valley: New venture from Tony’s Pizza Cafe owner brings fast casual Italian fare to Buffalo Township
Andrea “Tony” Coppola sees his newest restaurant in Buffalo Township as a taste of the future. Healthy ingredients and trendy flavors are hallmarks of Toasted Amo, the Italian sandwich shop he opened last month in Buffalo Plaza. It marks a stark departure from the area’s plentiful fast food joints —...
13-year-old boy shot in South Side Slopes
A 13-year-old boy is in critical condition after being shot early Sunday morning in Pittsburgh’s South Side Slopes. Pittsburgh police say they were dispatched just before 2:45 a.m. for a one-round ShotSpotter alert at the intersection of Magdalene and Oporto streets. The ShotSpotter system uses microphones throughout the city to...
‘Linda Louise Foundation’ to promote New Kensington youths, basketball with tournament
An upcoming event in New Kensington aims to showcase the positive in the city through basketball and provide a boost to city organizations. On June 1, the newly-founded Linda Louise Foundation and Kings & Queens of the Court will host the “Battle on Barnes,” a 3-on-3 basketball tournament and event...
The Stroller, May 18, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Vaccine, microchip clinic set...
Providing health care in rural areas offers challenges for physicians
Dr. Richard Conn is well-versed in the challenges of providing health care in rural areas. The primary care physician has been seeing patients in Connellsville for the past 19 years. “For some (patients), preventive care is foreign to them. There’s a hesitancy to do things,” said Conn, 52, a Fayette...
Westmoreland transit puts changes on hold amid funding uncertainty
Long planned revisions of Westmoreland County’s public transportation service are on hold as officials await clarity on funding. Substantial alterations in the county transit authority’s fixed-route bus system were expected to be launched this year, including the start of a pilot project to convert a small portion of the service...
Derry Area principal tapped to fill administrative vacancy at Greensburg Salem
Derry Area High School Principal Kara Gardner will serve as Greensburg Salem’s first assistant superintendent, filling a gap left by the resignation of the district’s human resources director earlier this year. Gardner, 36, of New Alexandria, began her career in education at Homer-Center Elementary in Center Township. She worked as...
Daytime I-70 restrictions slated during bridge inspections in Westmoreland
Motorists can expect to encounter daytime single-lane restrictions beginning Monday on a section of Interstate 70 in Westmoreland County. The traffic restrictions are scheduled between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily through Wednesday and will affect both eastbound and westbound lanes at various points between Exits 42 (North Belle Vernon)...
Turnout for Western Pa. primaries gets bump from mail-ins, but still draw fewer than 1 in 3 voters
Fewer than one in three registered voters in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties are expected to cast a ballot in this year’s primary. That may seem paltry, particularly compared with November’s hotly contested presidential election when voter turnouts in the two counties approached or exceeded 80%. But this year’s projected turnouts...
Man found shot in each leg in Duquesne, police say
A man is in stable condition after being shot twice in Duquesne on Saturday, Allegheny County Police said. Allegheny County 911 was notified of shots fired in the 1100 block of Cherry Alley shortly after noon, county police said. First responders found a man had suffered a gunshot wound to...
‘Champagne & Chapeaux’: Westmoreland Symphony’s annual soiree for a good cause
Tim Welty bought his daughter Annie Welty her first hat — a sailor style. A former teacher and principal in the Hempfield School District, Welty had wanted his daughter to go into education. But he knew her love was in acting and fine arts, inspired by her mother, Patricia Perrone....
Allegheny Valley residents take advantage of chance to get firearm carry permits closer to home
Lee Anne Pennington had a license to carry a firearm when she lived in Butler County, but let it expire. It’s been about four years since she moved to Springdale, but it wasn’t until Saturday that Pennington got a new permit. She took advantage of the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office...
Hobbyists descend on Monroeville to meet sports icons and pad card collections
If a player so much as drops a baseball in the dirt during certain hours, it becomes game-used memorabilia. But the smudged, worn wooden bat in Tim Thoma’s hand really saw some action. From 1965 to 1968, it belonged to Roberto Clemente. The Pirates legend used the bat to help...
Helmets, tune-ups provided to children at annual Shaler bicycle rodeo
Heads were protected and bikes were perfected during an annual bike rodeo Saturday, May 17, in Shaler . Children were fitted for and received free helmets during the rodeo in Kiwanis Park, where a half-dozen mechanics were also on hand to tend to maintenance needs. Kids also had a chance...
Nicely Elementary School going on 1 month without fire alarm, but other protocols in place
Robert F. Nicely Elementary School in Greensburg has been without working fire alarms for nearly a month after a power surge damaged the system. The issued stemmed from West Penn Power replacing a nearby line on April 18, Greensburg Salem School District Superintendent Kenneth Bissell told TribLive news partner WTAE....
PennDOT worker taken to hospital after driver hits litter cleanup truck on interstate
A PennDOT worker cleaning litter from the Parkway North was taken to a hospital Saturday morning after a pickup hit a PennDOT truck, state police said. The collision happened around 7:30 a.m. on the southbound interstate near the Mt. Nebo Road exit. State police said that during the litter cleanup...
Burrell schools budget would raise taxes 3.8%
The Burrell School Board next week will consider moving forward with a proposed budget that would raise taxes 3.8%. The proposed budget totals close to $37.7 million, which is a 3% increase from this school year’s budget, Business Manager Jennifer Callahan said. The real estate tax increase included in the...
2025 Alle-Kiski Memorial Day Events
Memorial Day observances All events are on May 26 unless otherwise noted. Apollo Apollo Volunteer Fire Department No. 2 will sponsor a service at 9 a.m. at Memorial Square in Apollo Plaza. Vandergrift/Parks/Allegheny Township/East Vandergrift Veterans will gather at 7:30 a.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, 141 Sumner Ave.,...
The Stroller, May 17, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Garden tours to aid...
