Local category, Page 2990
Drug, theft cases among recent Monroeville police investigations – May 9, 2019
Monroeville police filed the following charges April 30 - May 5 in District Judge Jeffrey L. Herbst’s office:Shane Mains, 24, of Turtle Creek with criminal conspiracy, retail theft, forged or counterfeit documents and driving with a suspended license. Charges were filed May 4 in connection with an incident along the...
4 Southwestern Pa. trails could be part of coast-to-coast bike route
Four Southwestern Pennsylvania bike paths eventually could be part of a coast-to-coast mega-trail. The Great American Rail-Trail, proposed by the nonprofit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, would link Seattle to Washington D.C. with 3,700 miles spanning 12 states. The conservancy has announced its preferred route for the trail, which would link up dozens...
Drug, DUI cases among those recently handled by Judge Zucco in Plum
District Judge Linda Zucco recently handled the following cases. Charges were filed by Plum police unless otherwise noted. Waived preliminary hearingsBonnie Dosch, 56, of Apollo on charges of receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and possession of controlled substances. Oakmont police filed the charges Sept. 28. Erika...
Fired then reinstated, Pittsburgh cop sues city, PedutoVideo
A Pittsburgh police officer fired last year in connection with an alleged road rage incident sued the city on Thursday, claiming malicious prosecution, fabrication of evidence and racial discrimination. Robert Kramer was charged in 2017 with pointing a gun at another motorist while off duty. An Allegheny County jury last...
Hampton Middle named School to Watch
On Thursday, May 9, Hampton Middle School had an assembly to commemorate being named a 2019 School to Watch. The Schools to Watch program, which began in 1999, recognizes schools from across the nation for academic excellence, being developmentally responsive and socially equitable. A presentation was made by Bruce Vosburgh,...
Goats are back on Pittsburgh’s North Side to clear weeds, invasive species
The goats are going back to work. Thanks to a $9,500 grant from the Allegheny County Conservation District, Allegheny GoatScape’s herd will remove — as in “eat” — invasive species from public wooded land in the Perry Hilltop neighborhood. “We are so excited to receive this gift from ACCD,” said...
Greensburg Recreation department introduces four new programs
Greensburg’s new recreation program manager has introduced four new programs for the summer, including options that could appeal to the young and old. “I’ve seen a lot of these types of programs implemented in other parks and recreation departments that I’ve worked for, and they were really successful,” said Lydia...
Could it happen? Study into Route 28 expressway expansion to I-80 gets funding
The Armstrong County Commissioners and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission have received funding to conduct a feasibility study for making the Route 28 expressway a limited access highway all the way to Interstate 80. Officials have wanted to expand Route 28 from Kittanning in Armstrong to I-80 in Jefferson County for...
Tree of Life survivors applaud proposed hate crime bills
Several survivors of a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue lauded state lawmakers on Thursday for a package of proposed bills designed to enhance Pennsylvania hate crimes statutes. State Reps. Dan Frankel of Squirrel Hill and Ed Gainey of Lincoln-Lemington and Sen. Jay Costa of Forest Hills, standing...
Miniature Ligonier Valley Rail Road featured in model train tourVideo
The Ligonier Valley Rail Road is rolling over the track once more — in railroad historian and hobbyist Bob Stutzman’s Latrobe basement. The original railroad operated from 1877 to 1952, hauling freight and passengers 16 miles between Ligonier and Latrobe. Stutzman’s scaled-down version, featuring O-gauge cars that are 1⁄48 as...
Gateway superintendent’s salary higher than state average, lower than county
Allegheny County school district superintendents made nearly $10,000 more than the Pennsylvania average, according to state Department of Education data from the 2017-18 school year. William Short, Gateway’s superintendent, made $143,500 during that school year, which was $500 more than the state’s average of $142,964. However, Short made around $8,900...
Why this spring’s pollen counts are bad for allergy sufferers
If it feels like a bad spring for allergies, blame it on higher-than-normal pollen counts. Pollen counts throughout the region are reaching the highest levels that can be measured by the National Allergy Bureau, said Dr. Merrit L. Fajt, an allergist with UPMC. “The higher the count, the greater the...
Mon Incline set to reopen Friday
The Monongahela Incline will reopen on Friday after being shut down for repairs for more than three months. The incline has been out of service since Feb. 4 to repair damage caused by flooding. On Jan. 19, a Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority water main that runs along Grandview Avenue...
Monroeville Mall celebrates anniversary
The Monroeville Mall will host a 50th anniversary celebration May 18. The free event will be held from noon to 6 p.m., with vendors set up from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The mall produced a mural filled with historical photos of the shopping center for the special event. It...
Avonmore man accused of killing bulls with crossbow cited for damaging apartment
A man accused of shooting four bulls with a crossbow on a Loyalhanna Township farm during St. Patrick’s Day weekend was cited for causing a disturbance inside an Avonmore apartment house where he lives, state police said. Shaun D. Ross, 60, was cited Thursday for criminal mischief and disorderly conduct...
Westmoreland County schools score nearly $1.4 million in state security grants
Pennsylvania awarded $40 million in new school safety grants, with 10 Westmoreland County school districts, two Career and Technical Centers and the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit among 234 recipients sharing in the largesse. State lawmakers established the competitive grant program in the wake of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting...
Police believe 2002 Saturn sedan responsible for Penn Hills hit-and-run death
Police believe the car that hit, dragged and killed a Penn Hills man last week was a silver blue 2002 Saturn SL or SL2, Allegheny County officials said in a news release Thursday. Joseph Morris, 51, was found dead by police along Universal Road in Penn Hills after Allegheny County...
Shaler man pleads guilty to raping 5-year-old boy he was babysitting
A Shaler man has pleaded guilty to raping a 5-year-old boy he was babysitting. Dylan McKinney, 27, will spend between seven and 14 years in jail followed by 10 years supervised probation on the rape charge in exchange for the dismissal of some of the related criminal counts he faced,...
Freeport Area OKs proposed tax hike of about 3%, final vote in June
By a one-vote margin, Freeport Area School Board approved a proposed 2019-2020 budget raising taxes to the state-mandated limit. The result would be a 3% or $62 annual increase in real estate taxes on an Armstrong County property with a median assessed value of $32,465. In Butler County, taxes on...
New Penn Hills Library director wants to get a good read on community
After more than a year of searching, Penn Hills Library has found a new director. Tina Zins, 34, of Export began in her new post May 13 for a salary of $70,000. Zins was appointed to the role in April. Zins will replace Mary Ann Zeak, who served as the...
Lane restrictions on Butler Street Bridge in Etna expected to last 5 weeks
Heavy traffic tangles are expected in Etna during a bridge construction project scheduled to begin Monday. Crews from Alison Park Contractors will repair the bridge dam and sidewalk near the Butler Street Bridge over Pine Creek. Cost of the project was not yet released. The work is part of a...
‘Todo Tango’ coming to Tarentum’s Central Presbyterian Church
Do the tango with mom on Sunday. “Todo Tango,” a performance of tango dance music and songs featuring Warren Davidson on violin, Tom Roberts at the piano and mezzo-soprano Raquel Winnica Young is happening at 4 p.m. on Mother’s Day at Central Presbyterian Church in Tarentum. It’s the last concert...
Billboard firm appealing Tarentum’s denial of digital signs near bridge
An advertising company is challenging a Tarentum official’s decision to quash the firm’s plans to put up a digital billboard at the end of the Tarentum Bridge. The borough’s zoning hearing board is scheduled to hear Oliver Outdoor’s appeal this month. The Butler-based company is appealing zoning officer Anthony Bruni’s...
O’Hara community center cuts summer hours
Lauri Ann West Community Center will adjust its hours for summer beginning May 24. The site along Powers Run Road in O’Hara will shorten hours Fridays through Sundays because usage drops significantly, officials said. “Our member’s preferences change during the warm summer months,” Jamie Rhoades, director of development, said. “People...
Almost 40 businesses raising money for woman injured in Hempfield crash
Local businesses have joined a growing effort to raise money for Cait Tracy, who was injured in a car crash Sunday night that killed two other passengers. What started as a fundraiser at the Hempfield location of Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard has spread to almost 40 restaurants and...
