Western PA Local News category, Page 2971
Zoning decision pending on Faith Forward’s plan for new Latrobe office space
Faith Forward Ministries, a Latrobe nonprofit that offers counseling services, will have to wait until August to see if city officials will allow it to expand its offices to a residential section of Depot Street. Martha Faust, who heads the faith-based organization’s board, told the city zoning hearing board Tuesday...
Homewood man wanted on gun, drug charges arrested by Pittsburgh police
A Homewood man wanted for alleged firearms and narcotics violations was arrested by Pittsburgh police after a SWAT standoff Tuesday. Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said officers on routine patrol in Zone Five observed a man with multiple active warrants near Tioga Street just after 4:30 pm. The man,...
Traffic study to begin in Oakmont within the next few months
A traffic study to examine pedestrian and automotive travel in Oakmont is expected to take place during the upcoming school year. Council plans to hire Pittsburgh-based David E. Wooster and Associates in August for the estimated $31,000 project, which includes analysis of traffic along Allegheny Avenue, Third Street and Cedar...
State officials approve Penn Hills School District’s recovery plan
State Department of Education officials gave their approval to a plan to save the financially struggling Penn Hills School District. The plan was crafted over the past several months by state-appointed recovery officer Dan Matsook with input from a special advisory committee, district officials and residents. School board members approved...
Ohio man charged with three Western Pennsylvania bank robberies
An Ohio man faces federal charges in connection with bank robberies in Erie, New Castle and Allison Park. Vernon Marquis McGhee-Luster, 33, of Akron is accused of robbing the PNC Bank at 3830 Pine Ave. in Erie on Oct. 18. The indictment also accuses McGhee-Luster of robbing the Citizens Bank...
Firefighters respond to fire in Unity home
Firefighters responded to a fire in Unity Township Tuesday evening, a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher confirmed. Located at 3400 Route 982, the fire started in a garage and spread to a house. Officials at Trauger Fire Department confirmed no one was in the home at the time of the fire. Fire...
Penn Hills council modifies severance clause in Andrejchak’s contract
Penn Hills Council struck a section of the manager’s newly ratified contract that would have allowed him to resign voluntarily from the role and still receive a severance payout. Council hired Manager Scott Andrejchak last September for a salary of $100,000. Andrejchak replaced former manager Mohammad Rayan, who resigned from...
3 rescues in 1 day on Kiski River sets record for Leechburg fire company
Still in his wet clothes, Gary Lyon left his home Saturday afternoon after rescuing three people and a dog on the Kiski River for another rescue involving three more people, this time on an inflatable tube shaped like a unicorn. Three adults boarded the 12-foot unicorn in Vandergrift, planning to...
PennDOT to clean drains along flood-prone area of Route 28
PennDOT plans to clean drainage pipes along an area of busy Route 28 in Pittsburgh that flooded last week for the second time in two months. The work, scheduled to take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, will occur between the 40th and 31st bridges. Motorists...
Carnegie Science Center to showcase rock-themed films on giant screen
The Carnegie Science Center’s Rangos Giant Cinema wants to take you to school this summer. The school of rock, that is. Pittsburgh’s largest screen is showing a series of rock ’n’ roll films showcasing pioneers of the 1960s sound, English rock royalty, and jam band titans. The list includes the...
Kiski Area East Primary School lands $26,700 fresh fruits and vegetables grant
The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded Kiski Area East Primary School in the Kiski Area School District a $26,700 grant to provide students with fresh fruits and vegetables for the 2019-20 school year. The program provides students with a fresh fruit or vegetable snack during the school day to increase...
Bill Seles of Tarentum remembered as ‘polka ambassador’
Bill Seles had a love for his community and pride in his heritage that radiated in all he did. Seles, who grew up in Pittsburgh and most recently lived in Tarentum, spent his life promoting polka, the traditional music of his Slovenian ancestors, and fundraising for various causes to help...
Pickleball among activities offered at Ross Community Center
It may not have the rich history of America’s favorite pastime, but Pickleball is gaining popularity among players of all ages and skill levels. The paddle sport combines elements of tennis, badminton and Ping Pong that can be played indoors or outdoors as singles or doubles matches. Games are played...
Penn Township could get turnpike ramp on Route 130 following commission’s approval
A turnpike interchange could be coming at last to Penn Township, though advocates likely still have a while to wait. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission voted Tuesday to allocate $30 million to build a cashless tolling interchange at state Route 130. The project was added to the commission’s 10-year capital plan....
North Huntingdon woman remembered for love of knitting, family
Everybody wanted Betty Keim’s hand-knitted dish cloths, and they’re still asking for them today, her daughter Sherry Dalrymple said. “My mother made dish cloths like nobody’s business,” Dalrymple said, laughing. An avid member of a knitting club held at the Norwin Public Library each week, Mrs. Keim took pride in...
Pittsburgh’s black population accounts for majority of arrests, report says
An annual report from Pittsburgh police shows a continuing racial disparity among the people they arrest, pull over and frisk. The total number of arrests, traffic stops and frisks has dropped in recent years, but African-Americans continue to experience numbers disproportional to their population in the city. A consent decree...
Parents detail family injuries during trial of Mother’s Day 2016 wreck in Youngwood
William Schuler remembers the sounds of a helicopter as it flew him to a Pittsburgh hospital three years ago following a Mother’s Day crash on Route 119 in Youngwood in which he, his wife and two young children were seriously injured. He told jurors Tuesday — the first day of...
Who will pay for sinkhole repairs off McKnight Road?
When heavy storms caused the road leading into the Waldorf Park apartments in Ross to collapse on June 11, the township wasted little time dispatching a crew to close off access to the site and begin repairs. But to move forward with repairs, officials had to issue an emergency declaration...
Police: Lower Burrell man had cocaine, crack, marijuana in apartment
A Lower Burrell man was charged with drug offenses after police said they found cocaine, crack and marijuana in his apartment. Police said they arrested Terrell Leonard, 27, of Craigdell Road on Sunday night following an investigation into complaints of suspected drug trafficking by Leonard. Police executed a search warrant...
Lawrenceville added to National Register of Historic places
The U.S. Department of the Interior has added Lawrenceville — one of Pittsburgh’s oldest and trendiest neighborhoods — to the National Register of Historic Places. Sarah Quinn, the city’s historic preservation planner, said the designation carries no restrictions for private property owners. Certain eligible buildings being rehabilitated or redeveloped would...
Lawyer for Ligonier psychologist denies he molested girl
The lawyer for a Ligonier psychologist told Westmoreland County jurors on Tuesday that the prevalence of sexual assault allegations around the country has become too much and in some cases cannot be properly defended. “In today’s world, if they say it happened, it happened. It could happen to any of...
Jeannette residents work to recover after heavy rains flooded basements with wastewater
Toni Crawford’s new washer and dryer were destroyed Thursday when 4 feet of sewage and water flowed up through a drain in her West Jeannette basement. By Tuesday, her basement had been scrubbed clean three times, but her anger had not subsided. “I’m disgusted with this sewer system,” she said....
2 charged in killing Wilkinsburg woman for tax refund plead guilty
Two of three people accused of killing a Wilkinsburg woman in 2018 to rob her of her tax refund pleaded guilty Tuesday to their part in the crime, according to the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office. A third man is awaiting trial in the case. Keiauna Davis, 27, was shot...
Westmoreland Fair ‘the only place we have to showcase our products and educate people’Video
Pennsylvania’s top industry is still agriculture, but that’s little consolation to farmer and Westmoreland Fair President Craig Lash. “This fair is the only place we have to showcase our products and educate people about where their food comes from,” Lash said. Lash, the sixth generation of his family to go...
Junk removal company G.I. Haul seeks military vets for franchises
The transition from the battlefield to the labor force can be a challenge for veterans returning home. Mike and Dave McCloskey, two brothers who served in the military overseas, understand the challenge. As owners of G.I. Haul, a residential and commercial junk removal company, they are recruiting fellow veterans for...
