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...
O’Connor pitches ideas to improve public safety as Pittsburgh mayor
Corey O’Connor pledged Thursday that if elected Pittsburgh mayor he would oversee a range of public safety improvements. They would include bettering recruiting and retention of public safety workers, opening resource centers throughout the city and asking Pittsburgh’s hospitals to pay for new ambulances. O’Connor, who is Allegheny County’s controller...
Trial set for Greensburg man accused of providing fatal overdose to nephew
A Greensburg man accused of providing his nephew with the fentanyl-laced drug that killed him in October 2021 is scheduled to go on trial in Westmoreland County Court next week. Jury selection before Westmoreland County Judge Michael Stewart is scheduled to begin Monday in the trial of Michael A. Rebosky,...
Mt. Washington man pleads guilty in West End Bridge crash that killed cousin
A Mt. Washington man whose cousin was killed when she was thrown from his car in a drunk-driving crash pleaded guilty Wednesday in her death. Russell Page, 29, will spend 11 1/2 to 23 months in jail. Page was charged in the March 2, 2024, crash near the West End...
Pittsburgh man charged in 2023 fatal shooting in Jeannette
The news this week that an arrest had been made in her daughter’s 2023 shooting death was a relief for Bruna Vesco Leonard. For nearly two years, she had been waiting, at times with frustration, for some movement in the case. Now, she knows her daughter Brianna Lartz can be...
Woman gets prison for killing drinking companion in Pittsburgh apartment
A woman who shot a man to death after they drank together in a Pittsburgh apartment will serve at least 5 1/2 years in state prison. Toddia Smiley, 28, of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty in December to voluntary manslaughter for shooting Damien Jackson, 29, of Homestead on Sept. 1, 2022. She...
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...
Murrysville area: AARP driving class, pickleball classes and more
Email news briefs and event information to pvarine@triblive.com. AARP Smart Driver class The AARP will host a “Smart Driver” class from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 6 at the Delmont Public Library. Participants can refresh their driving skills, learn safe, proven driving techniques and learn about navigating roundabouts. The...
Political banners target U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, his wife at Braddock’s Free Store
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman condemned people who he said “defaced” Braddock’s Free Store sometime Wednesday night. So did several Jewish organizations in a joint statement Thursday that called the incident “inappropriate and counterproductive.” In a post on the social media platform X, Fetterman shared a photo of a banner hanging...
What to know about ‘Hands-Off’ protests opposing Trump in Pittsburgh
Grassroots organizations are set to rally on Saturday in Pittsburgh — joining the Hands Off! National Day of Action centered on opposition of the Trump administration and its policies. Hands Off! is a pro-democracy, pro-worker movement against President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, according to the Third Act website....
Hempfield woman loses $70,000 in social security scam
A Hempfield woman was scammed out of $70,000 after state police said she was led to believe she was under investigation by the Social Security Administration for money laundering and drug sales. “This was part of an elaborate scheme to defraud our elders and is likely not the only case,”...
Man killed by Pittsburgh police urged officers to shoot him months earlier
A Hill District man whose February death at the hands of Pittsburgh police remains under investigation had urged officers repeatedly to shoot him during an encounter months earlier, according to a TribLive review of court records. Police shot and killed Maurice Jones, 33, in the Hill District on Feb. 5....
1 dead in New Kensington fire; 2 firemen injured
A New Kensington woman died in a house fire Thursday. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office identified the woman as Amy L. Seguiti, no age given. She was inside the home as crews were fighting the fire, the coroner’s office said. The cause and manner of death are under investigation. An...
Driver who drove away after striking 8-year-old cyclist in Penn Borough contacts police
State police said Thursday the driver of a white Subaru car that hit an 8-year-old boy riding a bicycle in Penn Borough and left the scene contacted them after media coverage of the incident. Trooper Steve Limani identified the driver as David Baker, 48, of Connellsville. No charges have been...
Verizon receives approval for cell tower in Murrysville
Drivers who frequent Saltsburg Road through Murrysville are likely familiar with the “dead zone,” where their Verizon call is all but guaranteed to drop as they travel between Mamont and Ashbaugh roads. Verizon expects to address that gap in coverage by installing a 125-foot tower at a property on Lasher...
In rare case, Penn Hills couple installing mini sewage treatment plant under home
Anthony and Diane Tirio began having issues with their septic system about two years ago. Their house on Olympic Heights Drive in Penn Hills was built on a hilltop, with a septic system and no tie-ins to sanitary sewers. “We knew there was a finite life to a septic system,...
