New Ken-Arnold’s Roy A. Hunt Elementary showing academic improvement for 1st time in a decade
New Kensington-Arnold Superintendent Chris Sefcheck compares academic growth at Roy A. Hunt Elementary to that of a physics equation. “It’s all about momentum,” Sefcheck said. “We have every little piece, and it’s starting to fly.” Hunt, which serves third through sixth grade students in the New Kensington-Arnold School District, was...
Aldi shredded cheese recalled for metal contamination
If you’ve purchased shredded cheese from Aldi recently, you might want to double check the brand. The Happy Farms by ALDI Colby Jack (a blend of Colby & Monterey Jack finely shredded cheeses) that has best-buy dates listed as July 13 and 14 have been recalled by the U.S. Food...
Jazzercise instructors blend fitness and fun in Sewickley
This isn’t your grandmother’s Jazzercise. That’s the message from Jazzercise instructor/owner Tamara Kemmler. “Jazzercise has been around for 55 years,” Kemmler said. “It’s the original dance fitness workout, and Jazzercise has evolved over the years.” The biggest Jazzercise myth Kemmler aims to bust is that classes consist of ladies prancing...
Westmoreland Intermediate Unit to host interactive technology walk for students, families
The Westmoreland Intermediate Unit will host a Tech Trek event for families with students in grades three to eight from 6 to 8 p.m. on May 2. Educational technology company CodeJoy will engage attendees in a live robot television show, where students will learn to write code and control real...
Man claims Iron Mountain fired him for wearing company visor to Butler County Trump rally
A Butler County man claims in a federal lawsuit that Iron Mountain, one of the nation’s biggest record storage companies, fired him after he wore a sun visor emblazoned with its name to the rally where President Donald Trump was shot in July. Images of Clarence Stamm in the visor...
Former Westmoreland purchasing department director, county agree to separation agreement
The director of Westmoreland County’s purchasing department who was suspended in February was allowed to resign under a separation agreement approved by the commissioners. The agreement offers no details about why Daniel Ellingsen, who was hired in mid-November, was suspended. He first was placed on paid leave and later the...
Floral fashion blooms at Phipps Conservatory’s La Fleur soiree
Models wore designs showcasing real flowers and plants — daisies, carnations, roses, moss, bamboo and more — as they posed and mingled at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Oakland on Thursday. They were there as part of the inaugural La Fleur: Music x Art x Culture x Botanicals Soirée....
Old-world charm, historic gardens highlight estate for sale in Sewickley Heights
A 15-acre estate with nationally recognized historical gardens is on the market in Sewickley Heights. Poplar Hill is listed by Howard Hanna Realtor Caroll Ferguson for $3.9 million. The property takes in a hillside overlooking the historic Allegheny Country Club. In 2010, the Smithsonian Institution, in collaboration with the Village...
Morning Roundup: Pittsburgh snow removal CEO convicted of fraud; flood watch issued
Here are a few morning news items from across the region for Friday, April 4: CEO of Pittsburgh snow removal company convicted of fraud The owner of a Pittsburgh-based snow and ice removal company was convicted of wire fraud and money laundering in federal court. Federal prosecutors said Thursday jurors...
Take the TribLive weekly news quiz: April 4
The following is a regular feature from TribLive: A weekly news quiz:...
Rain likely a factor for PNC Park’s opening weekend
Pittsburgh Pirates fans might be in for a soggy opening weekend at PNC Park. There’s a chance of rain throughout the weekend, with a flood watch is in effect until 7 a.m. Sunday, said Colton Milcarek, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Moon. It looks like the home opener...
Will Ferrell makes stop at Pittsburgh’s Alla Famiglia
Actor Will Ferrell tasted some of Pittsburgh’s Italian heritage this week when he visited Alla Famiglia restaurant. Restaurant officials said Ferrell visited the Allentown restaurant Tuesday and posed for a photo afterward. “We were honored to host Will Ferrell for an unforgettable meal,” owner Jonathan Vlasic said in a statement....
Brackenridge Council seeking to fill 2nd Ward vacancy
Brackenridge Council will have a different look next month for the first time in several years. The borough is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy after council on Thursday accepted the resignation of member John Stanzione. He announced last month that his family was moving to Lower Burrell. Stanzione was...
The Stroller, April 4, 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. Lower Valley Food Bank...
Demolition crews level former Colfax Upper Elementary School in Springdale
By March 26, the remnants of the former Colfax Upper Elementary School in Springdale were razed after extensive demolition work throughout the month. The Allegheny Valley School Board shuttered the school in 2018 after years of declining enrollment and voted to demolish the building four years later, according to the...
TinyCause in Vandergrift now able to hold stray dogs
TinyCause in Vandergrift has received a state certification to hold stray dogs, allowing more lost or abandoned pooches to avoid euthanasia by the borough’s animal control service. The nonprofit along Columbia Avenue can hold up to three at-large dogs, according to longtime volunteer Cindy Richard. Strays will initially be held...
Boom time: Trout opener boosts economy, outdoor fun
Isaac Versaw calls trout season the “money months.” The 19-year-old works at Allegheny Angler in Tarentum, a one-stop shop for licenses, bait, tackle, rods and reels of all kinds. He said the shop, which is next to the Tarentum Bridge about a block from the Allegheny River, attracts a special...
Despite market volatility, local retirement experts urge restraint
Ride it out. That’s the general advice local financial advisers are giving those nearing retirement age who are watching stock markets around the world tumble after President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs. With at least 60% of Americans, by some estimates, tied to the stock market through 401(k)s, IRAs or...
Many new features in Franklin Park’s renovated Acorn Park expected to be ready by May
A renewed and renovated Acorn Park in Franklin Park should have much of its new features ready for play by May, according to borough Manager Rege Ebner Jr. Improvements to the 25-acre park, located on McGee Road, were greatly needed and will be a welcome addition for residents, according to...
Kennywood’s Steel Curtain to reopen this season
Kennywood Park will open for its 127th season on a truly Pittsburgh kind of day — April 12, also known as 412-day, a nod to the city’s area code. The Steel Curtain roller coaster is also scheduled to reopen at some point this season. “Our most up-to-date and official statement...
Driver injured as car crashes into Hempfield auto dealership
The business day ended earlier than expected Thursday afternoon when an SUV crashed into the office of Pinnacle Auto Sales in Hempfield. The driver and sole occupant of the SUV was taken by ambulance for treatment at a hospital, firefighters said. There were no other injuries in the crash reported...
Officials, activists rally for transgender rights, call on UPMC to provide gender-affirming care to minors
Cori Fraser last week was preparing to take their 18-year-old child for a gender-affirming surgery at UPMC. But Salem, Fraser’s child who also uses they/them pronouns, found out just days before the surgery that it was canceled. Fraser said UPMC had scrapped planned gender-affirming treatments for patients under 19 to...
Stomped, stabbed, then a bullet to the head: Pair charged in vicious Pittsburgh slaying
Police have charged two Pittsburgh men with breaking into a Knoxville home in 2022, brutally assaulting the man who lived there and videotaping part of the attack before killing him. Deonte Kidd, 30, of Lincoln-Lemington, and Le’Juane Powell, 31, of Beltzhoover, were charged last week in the death of Victor...
Burrell students square off in mock murder trial
It was literally a jury of their peers. On Thursday, students in Burrell’s Investigative Sciences and Literature course set up a mock trial in the high school board room that they called Pennsylvania v. Adam Seed; based on the real-life murder trial of Maryland v. Adnan Syed. A team of...
Westmoreland agency on aging celebrates uptick in staffing, performance rates
Carrie Nelson is proud to help prevent and address abuse, neglect and exploitation of elderly Westmoreland County residents. But when the county Area Agency on Aging lost 75% of its protective services care managers in the summer of 2022, Nelson, as executive director, was put in a difficult position. “We...
