Shaler Area sophomore invited to White House to mark executive order to boost childhood cancer research
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. Usually a visit or tour of the White House must be requested through a member of Congress — a U.S. representative or...
Pittsburgh scraps plan for $6.9M salt storage unit amid budget crunch
A salt storage dome along Saw Mill Run Boulevard in Pittsburgh’s Duquesne Heights neighborhood is so dilapidated there are holes in the concrete, the steel is corroding and the ventilation system stopped working. “The building itself is a safety hazard,” said Chip Gaul, assistant director of the Department of Public...
Death penalty trends show divide between public and officials
When Burgettstown resident Joshua George was charged with the 2022 death of his 6-month-old son, the Washington County District Attorney’s office sought the death penalty. George, 40, was acquitted in October. His case now serves as a cautionary tale. At a news conference online on Tuesday, anti-death penalty advocates and...
Etna approves budget with no tax increase, fills council vacancy
Property tax bills won’t be increasing in Etna next year. On Tuesday, Dec. 16, council approved the borough’s $6.1 million budget for 2026, leaving the property tax rate at 9.5 mills. The owner of a property at Etna’s median value of $58,450 will continue to pay about $555 per year....
New Salina Bridge open to traffic; demo of old span still to come
After more than a year of construction, motorists can now cross the Kiski River on the new Salina Bridge. The span carries Bridge Street over the river and Norfolk Southern railway tracks between Bell and Kiski townships. Stretching 650 feet, the bridge features two 11-foot-wide lanes and 5-foot shoulders. The...
Oakmont changes requirements for potential police officer hires
Oakmont Council approved changes to regulations that will make the hiring process quicker and more accessible for prospective borough police officers. The changes in the borough’s hiring process and officer testing requirements were approved in a 5-2 vote during council’s meeting Tuesday. Council members Isaiah Wilson and Jennifer Paris voted...
Fundraiser established for Tarentum fire victim
A fundraiser has been established to help the victims of Saturday’s fatal Tarentum fire. A GoFundMe was organized Tuesday to raise money for Paula Clever, whose son, Landen, was killed in a duplex fire at 912 Corbet St. More than $2,200 had been collected as of Wednesday afternoon. The goal...
Prolific artist Nevin Robinson became household name by depicting familiar scenes
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. Bed-ridden with rheumatic fever and surrounded by the busyness of the city, a young Nevin Robinson became captivated by the beauty Pittsburgh...
UPMC could keep gender-affirming care patient records anonymous, per DOJ request
Following a national push to collect personal information on patients receiving gender-affirming care, the Department of Justice is now asking a federal court to limit its subpoena against UPMC, revising its initial request and asking patient records to stay anonymous. In September, four UPMC patients filed a motion to quash...
Parkway East to experience stoppages for Commercial Street Bridge beams
PennDOT says Parkway East drivers should anticipate intermittent stoppages later this week, when trucks begin delivering beams for the Commercial Street Bridge replacement project. On Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., trucks will deliver beams for the new bridge. The trucks will travel on southbound I-79, eastbound...
Turtle Creek Valley Rotary provides essentials for 5 families thanks to donation from district office
Debbie DiLorenzo has been with the Rotary since 2008. She’s a membership chair, foundation assistant and Region 14 assistant governor. “I love Rotary and try to help out as much as I can,” DiLorenzo said. So when District Governor Felicia Mycyk reached out to DiLorenzo with the opportunity to help...
Free shuttles across Alle-Kiski Valley among St. Margaret Foundation programs for underserved
A free service will continue to shuttle people to doctor’s appointments across the Alle-Kiski Valley as an initiative of the St. Margaret Foundation. The nonprofit announced a $957,000 grant Friday that will pay for a dozen programs, including free shuttles, flu shots, adaptive food utensils and health screenings. The money...
Former worker armed with knife charged with harassment, trespass at Trafford business
An Allegheny County man is behind bars after, police say, he entered his former workplace in Trafford with a knife and made threatening comments to workers. Roneil Rashaud Wright, 28, of Pitcairn is charged with simple assault, disorderly conduct, harassment and trespass in the Thursday evening incident at Chelsea Building...
‘Unspeakable act’: Munhall murderer who shot girlfriend 17 times gets life in prison
Dennis Grimm knew the judge was required to impose a life sentence on the man who murdered his teenage daughter by firing 17 shots while she babysat her stepsister in their Munhall home. But seven years after the brutal killing, Miranda Grimm-Gilarski’s father still needed to remind Darion Abel how...
Oakmont residents to see no tax increase for 2026
Oakmont Council has passed a 2026 budget with no tax increases. After a unanimous vote, the borough’s real estate tax rate will remain at 4.95 mills. A homeowner with a median assessed property value of $155,000 would pay around $767. Total revenue for the budget is set just over $6...
Dropped EBT card leads police to South Greensburg man after store robbery
A South Greensburg man was arrested in connection with a Tuesday robbery at a convenience store after state police said he dropped his EBT card on the floor. Troopers were called to the Par Mar Store on Route 136 in Hempfield shortly after 1 p.m., where a clerk reported a...
Millvale residents facing 58% property tax hike in 2026 budget, with discount for seniors
A 58% property tax increase is included with Millvale’s $4.93 million proposed budget for 2026. As proposed, the borough’s property tax rate would increase from 9.5 mills to 15 mills, council President James Machajewski said. For a property at Millvale’s median value of $37,900, the annual borough property tax bill...
Top 25 TribLive photos from 2025
From Marc Fogel to the U.S. Open, 2025 marked a year when local stories carried national and global significance. The eyes of the world were on Western Pennsylvania, as Fogel, a teacher from Oakmont, was released from a Russian prison after being wrongfully detained for three years. The sports world...
Ligonier Township supervisors approve 25% tax hike
Increases in Ligonier Township’s contribution to the Ligonier Valley Police Department budget, investment in planned bridge projects and inflationary cost increases are among factors prompting a 25% increase in the municipality’s property tax next year. The increase, from 6 mills to 7.5 mills, will generate an additional $150,000 in revenue...
Morning Roundup: Fayette woman dies days after being struck by vehicle in Uniontown; fire in Dormont
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Dec. 17: Fayette woman dies days after being struck by vehicle in Uniontown A Fayette County woman died nine days after being hit by a car, state police said late Tuesday. Jane A. Nara, 78, of Uniontown was...
The Stroller, Dec. 17, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Community Hope Project to...
Some furloughed Westmoreland County workers recalled as commissioners weigh additional returns
More than a third of the Westmoreland County employees furloughed in October have returned to work, commissioners said Tuesday. “More are scheduled to come back next month,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes. Cash flow issues that resulted from a four-month state budget impasse and a subsequent freeze on allocations for mandated...
Springdale Council approves data center despite resident resistance
Saying its hands were tied, Springdale Council approved an application to construct an AI data center in the borough. After months of meetings and debate, council voted, 5-2, Tuesday night to approve a conditional-use application from developer Allegheny DC Property Co. to build a massive complex at the site of...
Scottdale parents tell judge they struggle to balance child’s welfare with their own safety
A national news story this weekend reminded Mary and Raymond Holoman of the painful dilemma parents face when they become victims of their child’s violence and addiction. The Holomans told a Westmoreland County judge on Tuesday they would allow their 20-year-old son to return to their Scottdale home after he...
Pittsburgh City Council grants historic designation to Westinghouse Park
In 1871, George Westinghouse bought a property in Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze neighborhood that would be his home for the next 50 years. He built a mansion called Solitude, where he would conduct experiments, dig a gas well and create a personal laboratory as he became a flourishing inventor and engineer....
