Local category, Page 2966
Incumbents cruise in Export; at least one newcomer headed to Delmont council
With 100% of the relevant precincts reporting, primary results in the Star’s coverage area are as follows as of 10 p.m.: DELMONT COUNCIL Dennis Urban (R, 48%) and Becky Matesevac (R, 43%), 79 total write-in votes (45 Democrat, 34 Republican). Write-in votes are a factor in this race because there...
Certified herbalist will lead trail walk in Delmont
Certified herbalist Lindsey Praksti will lead a walk on Thursday along the Westmoreland Heritage Trail in Delmont. Walking in the woods was what first got Praksti, who received her certification from the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine in North Carolina, interested in finding new uses for the plants she...
Highlands incumbent Michelle Peters ousted by challengers
Two challengers sent an incumbent packing Tuesday in primary races for Highlands School Board, according to unofficial results. All three candidates cross-filed to seek two nominations up for grabs in the Republican and Democratic primaries in Highlands’ Region 3. Kristie J. Babinsack, 46, won the GOP and Democratic races, collecting...
Penn Township road to close for bridge replacement
A section of Watt Road in Penn Township is set to close the week of June 3 as construction begins on a replacement bridge over Bushy Run. Traffic will be detoured along Harrison City-Export Road, Route 130 and Bushy Run and Gongaware roads. Weather permitting, the bridge should be complete...
Former planning commissioner wins contested Monroeville Council race
An incumbent and a political newcomer who ran unopposed for Monroeville Council in Tuesday’s primary sailed to victory while a former planning commissioner edged out his opponent, according to unofficial tallies. In Ward 6, Bob Williams, 75, earned 55.5% of the votes counted compared with opponent Domenic Russo Jr.’s 44.2%...
Murrysville Medic One will hold open house for new garage
Murrysville Medic One officials will host an open house next month at their new garage off Sardis Road. “We want to invite the public in to see all the stuff that we’ve got and how the building looks,” said Medic One spokesman Matt Stromberg. Wet winter weather slowed construction on...
Joe Pittman wins big in state Senate special election
A longtime aide to former state Sen. Don White will replace his former boss in Harrisburg, according to unofficial election results. Republican Joe Pittman collected nearly two-thirds of the votes cast in Tuesday’s primary to defeat Indiana University of Pennsylvania professor Susan Boser in a special election race in the...
Pittsburgh Councilwoman Darlene Harris concedes to Bobby Wilson, other incumbents win
A medical researcher from Pittsburgh’s Spring Hill neighborhood appears to have ousted incumbent City Councilwoman Darlene Harris in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. Harris, who was seeking her fourth term, conceded the race to Bobby Wilson, 36, shortly before 9:30 p.m. With 100% of precincts reporting as of 11 p.m., Wilson had...
Roads remain closed in Pittsburgh’s Strip District while crews repair water main break
A portion of Smallman Street in Pittsburgh’s Strip District remained closed Wednesday morning after a water main burst Tuesday night and flooded a large stretch of the busy corridor. Crews continue to repair the break which has left Smallman Street closed to traffic between 15th and 17th streets. Motorists are...
Military obstacle course provides ‘Beast’ of a challenge at Westmoreland air show
As pilots take to the sky to test the limits of their planes at this weekend’s Shop ‘n Save Westmoreland County Airshow, visitors on the ground can test their mettle against “The Beast.” The Air National Guard will present the timed obstacle course Saturday and Sunday at Arnold Palmer Regional...
Memorial Day parade and serve for Verona and Oakmont set
Plans for the annual Verona and Oakmont Memorial Day Parade have been set. Lineup is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Monday at the Fraternal Order of Eagles lodge, 315 James St. in Verona. Parade kicks off at 9:30 a.m. and travels along Allegheny River Boulevard to Pennsylvania Avenue in Oakmont. Participants...
Zappala wins race for DA, while 2 Allegheny County Council incumbents fall
Two Allegheny County Council incumbents fell to challengers in Tuesday’s primary, but longtime District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. defeated the first challenger he’s faced in two decades. Political newcomer Bethany Hallam defeated longtime Allegheny Councilman John DeFazio in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for a shot at one of two at-large...
Pittsburgh man sentenced to more than 19 years in federal prison for drug trafficking, guns
A Pittsburgh man was sentenced to 19 years and two months in federal prison for committing fentanyl and heroin trafficking and firearm crimes while on federal supervised release for previously trafficking heroin. Authorities said Kevin Livsey, 32, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, carfentanil, and heroin, possession...
Hempfield schools want to cut fewer positions in proposed budget
Hempfield Area School District officials are trying to limit the number of positions cut in a proposed budget for the 2019-20 school year. Last week, school board members unanimously passed a preliminary budget that cut six positions, including five paraprofessionals and one building aide, but did not raise property taxes....
Apollo-Ridge and Burrell school districts awarded nearly $50,000 for security equipment
The Pennsylvania Department of Education awarded a $25,000 Safe Schools Targeted Grant to the Apollo-Ridge School District and nearly $25,000 to the Burrell School District for security equipment. Apollo-Ridge was among 39 school districts that did not receive other competitive grants from the Department of Education last fall. Information on...
Pollinator Partners showcase gardens to support beneficial insects
Bees get all the buzz when it comes to the important job of pollinating plants that produce the food we eat and the blossoms that brighten our day. But what about butterflies — even beetles and flies? Each of those backyard and garden visitors plays a part in the pollination...
Pittsburgh has plan to prevent cyberattack that hobbled Baltimore
Could the cyber attack that crippled city services in Baltimore happen in Pittsburgh? A plan is in place to prevent such an attack, Tim McNulty, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s spokesman, said Tuesday. “We can’t really say what our defenses are. We don’t want to tip our hand, but we have...
Army Corps to cut hours at Lock 4 in Harrison
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is cutting service at lock and dam No. 4 in Harrison by nearly a full work shift per day because of dwindling barge traffic and federal dollars to operate the locks and dams on the Allegheny River. Beginning Friday, the lock in Harrison’s Natrona...
Meeting scheduled to discuss McCandless comprehensive planning document
McCandless council and the town’s planning commission will conduct a joint special meeting at 6 p.m. on June 5 to review and discuss the blueprint being created to outline challenges the community faces and ways in which they can be addressed. The meeting is to discuss the municipality’s Implementable Comprehensive...
‘1-4-3 Day’ will celebrate Mister Rogers’ message of love
The number 143 meant a lot to Fred Rogers, and not just because it’s the weight he maintained his entire adult life. It was one of many ways he said “I love you.” Representing the one letter in “I,” four in “love” and three in “you,” the number was a...
State auditor general investigating Pittsburgh school administrators’ Cuba trip
Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale is expanding an audit of the Pittsburgh Public Schools district to include administrators’ travel expenses and what he characterized as “no-bid contracts” totaling $12 million to $14 million. DePasquale said Tuesday that he’s seeking documentation on travel and contracts based on reports that Superintendent Anthony...
PWSA steps up lead water line replacement program in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority has replaced more than 1,300 lead water lines so far this year, including about 600 owned by city residents, officials announced on Tuesday. PWSA is on track to replace a total of 8,100 lead lines, both private and public, by June 2020, spokesman Will...
Restriction scheduled for Monroeville road
Crews plan to restrict a portion of Route 22 in Monroeville to one lane on Wednesday. The single-lane restrictions will occur from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 22 between Old William Penn Highway and Haymaker Road. Workers from Allison Park Contractors will repair a sign located on the Pennsylvania...
Kunco retrial arguments to drag into summer months
On Tuesday, nearly a year to the day after they secured an order overturning John Kunco’s 1991 rape conviction and ordering a new trial, lawyers from the Innocence Project were back in Westmoreland County. And Kunco, 53, who had been released from prison amid a celebration May 23, 2018, was...
Munhall man gets almost 8 years for having heroin, stolen pistol
A Munhall man found in 2018 with a large garbage bag filled with bricks of heroin, and a little more than $25,000 was sentenced Tuesday to serve almost 8 years in federal prison for possession of heroin with intent to distribute it and illegal gun possession, federal authorities said. Senior...
