Western PA Local News category, Page 2910
Former Mt. Pleasant, South Greensburg cop accused of oppression, retaliation
Police say a former Mt. Pleasant police patrolman conducted an illegal traffic stop to berate an ex-coworker who allegedly told his bosses that he drank alcohol before reporting to work. According to court documents, Trevor J. Ely, 29, of Greensburg, who also worked then as a part-time patrolman in South...
TSA: What not to bring on a planeVideo
From hammers to hatchets, miniature baseball bats to tire irons, camping forks to cat-eye knuckles, Transportation Security Administration agents have seen it all. And agents have probably confiscated it as well. Lisa Farbstein, a spokesperson for the TSA, said as the number of travelers increases, so does the number of...
Pittsburgh City Council candidates face petition challenges
Four residents running as independent candidates for Pittsburgh City Council are due in court Tuesday to defend nominating papers. The hearing will determine whether their names appear on November election ballots. Several voters are challenging papers filed by Quincy Swatson of East Allegheny, Barbara Daniels of Homewood, B. DeNeice Welch...
Alabama man charged with stabbing woman in Pittsburgh’s Downtown
An Alabama man is charged with stabbing a woman Friday afternoon in Downtown Pittsburgh’s Triangle Park along Market Street, police said. Johnny Lee Martin, 36, is charged with aggravated assault, possessing instruments of crime, resisting arrest, flight to avoid apprehension and paraphernalia use or possession. The stabbing was reported just...
Former Kiski Area trainer receives probation for corruption of minors, harassment
A Plum man who worked with athletes at Kiski Area High School will serve two years on probation after pleading guilty Friday to misdemeanor charges of corruption of minors and harassment. Westmoreland County prosecutors agreed to dismiss one felony count that accused Ryan O’Toole of having sex with a student....
Bear steals delivery package of dog food from Pa. porchVideo
A family in Lackawanna County says the thief that stole a delivery package of dog food from their porch turned out to be a hungry young bear. Eighteen-year-old Aidan Newman tells WNEP-TV he was just arriving home to pack up for college when he saw the black bear in his...
Tarentum church plans memorial for man found in Bull Creek
A Tarentum pastor said the man whose body was found Wednesday in Bull Creek became active at BridgePoint Church several months ago and had just been baptized less than two weeks ago. The Rev. Val Schubert of BridgePoint Church said the parish plans to hold a memorial service Sunday for...
Mt. Pleasant woman accused of human trafficking seeks return of seized cash, vehicles
A Mt. Pleasant woman awaiting trial on human trafficking charges in connection with four massage parlors she owned wants a judge to return more than $700,000 and two vehicles seized from her in the investigation. In court documents filed last week, Hui Xu, 44, contends the items, including proceeds from...
Fayette nuns sell land for construction of WVU outpatient center
West Virginia University Medicine has purchased property from a Byzantine Catholic order of nuns in Uniontown for the development of an outpatient medical center, the university said. Sister Ruth Plante, provincial for the Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great, said the sale involves 20 acres near the...
Sewickley-area real estate transactions for the week of Aug. 19, 2019
Aleppo Estate of Casper Baltensperger Jr. sold property at Ferndale Ave. to Fleuger L.P. for $9,880. Edgeworth Estate of Elaine Natowich sold property at 304 Orchard Lane to Bridjerry Realty LLC for $311,550. Leet William Hall sold property at 309 Ambridge Ave. to Stephen Kent and Stacy Ford for $115,000....
Water main break closes part of Fort Pitt Boulevard in Downtown Pittsburgh
A 10-inch water main break late Friday morning closed the inbound portion of Fort Pitt Boulevard between Market and Stanwix streets in Downtown Pittsburgh, authorities said. Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority crews were working to repair the main. Work was expected to last until 7 p.m. Friday, according to a...
Legendary players, moments defined Alle-Kiski Valley’s greatest teams
The Alle-Kiski Valley has been blessed with some great high school football teams since the sport was first introduced in 1898 when the original Apollo High School first fielded a team. As the A-K Valley starts another season, here’s a look back at the Top 5: 1943 Aspinwall Cavaliers The...
Gateway to make decision on middle school facility
Gateway administration has recommended renovating a middle school instead of selling it and using the profits to construct a new building. The recommendation was presented to board members during an Aug. 13 buildings and grounds committee meeting following a months-long feasibility study conducted by Architectural Innovations, a firm hired earlier...
Mt. Pleasant woman accused of human trafficking seeks return of seized cash, vehicles
A Mt. Pleasant woman awaiting trial on human trafficking charges in connection with four massage parlors she owned wants a judge to return more than $700,000 and two vehicles seized from her in the investigation. In court documents filed Thursday, Hui Xu, 44, contends the items, including proceeds from a...
Spill from Elizabeth Township fracking site under investigation
The state Department of Environmental Protection and Elizabeth Township Police are investigating after a tanker truck went over an embankment Thursday and spilled rainwater from a nearby fracking well containment pad. A portion of the 4,650-gallon load spilled near a tributary of the Youghiogheny River about 9:30 p.m. in the...
Monroeville Jazz Fest a hit with crowd
Monroeville’s 17th annual Jazz Festival took Monroeville Community Park West by storm as more than 3,000 people served as the audience for several musicians who played the venue throughout the day. “Even with the rain that came in at the tail end,” said Debbie Iszauk, event manager for Monroeville Foundation,...
Stolen truck, guns from Monroeville recovered in Pitcairn
A truck containing two handguns was stolen in Monroeville and recovered a day later in Pitcairn, Monroeville police Chief Doug Cole said. Cole said the theft’s “M.O.” fits the pattern of juveniles ransacking unlocked vehicles and sometimes stealing them if keys are available. He said the black Chevy, four-door crew...
Plum students welcomed back to new school year
The first day of school in the Plum School District was Aug. 21. Faculty and staff were there to greet students and returned on day two with more high fives and fist bumps....
Plum School District plans $5 million in facility improvements this school year
Plum School District officials plan to spend $5 million on building repairs and upgrades this school year. “We’re doing it in phases based on priority, with safety being the top priority,” district business manager John Zahorchak said. “We’re also taking on some of this work on our own (with district...
Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel set to reopen
The Port Authority of Allegheny County expects to reopen the Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel for regular light rail service Monday. The tunnel has been closed for maintenance since July 26, requiring the authority to detour nearly two dozen routes and causing some delays for light rail commuters. Contractors replaced approximately...
Police: 19 parked vehicles keyed this week on Mt. Washington streets
As many as 19 vehicles parked on two streets in Pittsburgh’s Mt. Washington neighborhood were keyed between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Cara Cruz said. They were parked on Laclede and Kathleen streets, she said, in what appeared to be a random act of vandalism. Anyone with...
Gateway considers taking advantage of current bond interest rates
The Gateway school board wants to refund a bond issued in 2012. During a meeting on Aug. 20, the board hired Piper Jaffray, a Pittsburgh investment banking firm, to secure a favorable interest rate to bring savings to the district on a yearly basis over the lifetime of the existing...
Apollo mayor appoints new acting officer in charge
Apollo Mayor Cindee Virostek appointed borough police Officer Dave Romagnoli this week as acting officer in charge. Apollo police Chief Jarred Kier submitted his resignation last month effective Aug. 15 to take a full-time patrolman’s job in Washington Township. Apollo is in need of more police officers. There are only...
New club aims to help Hempfield students connect to public service careers
A new club at Hempfield Area High School could help bridge the gap between a lack of volunteer firefighters and a younger workforce. The Public Services Club is headed by biology teacher, volunteer firefighter and paramedic Justin Heddinger. The organization will introduce students to careers such as volunteer firefighting, police...
Highlands approves contract for custodians, maintenance workers
Custodians and maintenance workers in Highlands School District have an early-retirement offer along with a new contract. The new three-year agreement between the district and workers with Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ is retroactive to June 30 and runs until June 30, 2022. The contract covers about 30 employees....
