Local category, Page 3008
Italians can learn more about their heritage at History Center program
Pittsburghers with roots in Italy who are interested in piecing together their families’ back story can attend an upcoming workshop at the Sen. John Heinz History Center. The center’s Italian American Program will host the workshop, featuring Rich Venezia of Rich Roots Genealogy, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May...
Michigan men arrested in Virginia linked to $5K electronics theft at Walmart near Delmont
Murrysville police have obtained arrest warrants for three Michigan men they claim stole more than $5,000 worth of electronics at the Walmart store near Delmont in January. Shawn T. Acklin, 27, and Adarius D. Ferguson, 28, both of Benton Harbor, and Brandon L. Franklin, 23, of Detroit, are charged with...
Gardenfest showcases native plants at annual O’Hara event
Gardenfest, the popular showcase of fresh blooms and quality seedlings, returns to O’Hara on May 11. The event will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lauri Ann West Community Center, 1220 Powers Run Road. “There’s no better way to celebrate spring,” Jamie Rhoades, director of development, said. Gardenfest is...
Aliquippa man pleads guilty to federal gun charges
An Aliquippa man pleaded guilty Tuesday in Pittsburgh federal court to illegally having guns and attempting to tamper with evidence. Nicholas John Padak, 31, is facing up to 50 years in prison on four charges. Prosecutors said Padak bought at least two rifles, even though he cannot legally have them,...
Mt. Lebanon lawyer to be Pennsylvania Bar Association president
Anne N. John of Mt. Lebanon, a Uniontown attorney, will become president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association later this month. “As lawyers, we must be ever mindful to remain worthy of our leadership roles in our communities and properly discharge our obligations as members of the legal profession,” John said....
Bridge ordered closed in Unity Township
Unity Township Supervisors Tuesday closed a bridge that carries Buffenmeyer Road over the Norfolk Southern Railroad for motorist safety. The emergency closure of the bridge followed a result of a recent inspection. PennDOT reported that the road will remain closed until further notice. The detour uses Route 1026, also known...
Candidates seek nominations in North Hills, many uncontested
A number of candidates in North Hills municipalities with seats up for re-election face no competition for their party’s nomination in the May 21 primary. In some communities there are no candidates or not enough people on the ballot for the number of nominations needed. A candidate who runs unchallenged...
Cast of Leonardo da Vinci’s only sculpture at Carnegie Science CenterVideo
There’s a thumbprint visible if one looks closely. It’s believed to be that of Leonardo da Vinci — scientist, engineer, inventor and, in this case, sculptor. The sculpture, titled “Horse and Rider,” was unveiled Wednesday at the Carnegie Science Center on Pittsburgh’s North Side by popular televised art appraiser Brett...
4 candidates vying for 3 Sharpsburg council seats
Sharpsburg voters will see four Democratic candidates vying for their party’s nomination in the May 21 primary election. There are no Republicans on the ballot. Four residents are competing for three, four-year seats on council, according to the Allegheny County Elections Bureau. Barring a strong write-in campaign, the winners of...
London marathon runners quench thirst with sports drink in edible seaweed pods
No, the runners did not have to eat them, but they could. The golf ball-sized pouches made from seaweed and filled with a sports drink were handed out to thousands of runners for the London marathon on April 28. The marathon offered “race organizers and company officials a mass experiment...
Solo robber hits Vandergrift Dollar General along Franklin Avenue
Vandergrift police are searching for a man who robbed the Dollar General on Franklin Avenue Tuesday night. A clerk was restocking shelves when a tall man walked in. He held his left hand in the pocket of a hooded sweatshirt he was wearing and “acted like he had a gun,”...
Harrison woman suffers minor injuries in 2-vehicle crash in Harrison
A Harrison woman suffered minor injuries Tuesday when the car she was driving collided with a minivan in the township, according to police Chief Mike Klein. The crash happened at about 8:20 a.m. at Freeport Road and Idaho Avenue, between Key Bank and a car wash. Klein said Joanna Williams...
Bail set at $100K in 2 new cases against Unity man linked to woman’s disappearance
Bail was set Wednesday at $100,000 in two new cases against a Unity man who has been linked to the homicide investigation of Cassandra Gross, a woman last seen more than a year ago. Thomas Stanko, 48, was arraigned on new solicitation allegations filed by state police. He remains in...
‘The Soap Myth’ tells gripping Holocaust story
Jeff Cohen distinctly remembers the day about 17 years ago when an elderly gentlemen approached him at his small theater in downtown Manhattan. The man handed him a manila envelope and said “maybe there is something you can do with this.” The man’s name was Morris Spitzer and it was...
Man accused of causing disturbance, fighting with Monessen Police
A 46-year-old Monessen man was accused of fighting with city police, kicking one in the stomach, as he was taken into custody Tuesday when officers responded to a report of a disturbance inside an apartment building. Kyle R. Ross was arraigned on charges of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, defiant trespass,...
Kittanning man already on Megan’s Law list facing child rape charges
All charges were held to court in a preliminary hearing for a Kittanning man accused of child rape. Dwayne Edward Hawk, 52, is already named on the Megan’s Law list of people convicted of sex offenses. Hawk, a lifetime reporter, is accused of raping a mentally challenged girl. Police allege...
Dorseyville Middle School musicians win top honors at Ohio festival
Dorseyville Middle School musicians came away from a weekend festival in Ohio with some top honors. Seventh-grader Mia Costello won the Outstanding Instrumental Soloist Award at the Music in the Parks Festival held April 26-27 at King’s Island, near Cincinnati. The teen violinist was selected from among the eight middle...
Valley High School grounds to become a plaza dedicated to district’s veterans
The area in front of Valley High School where the Ten Commandments monument once stood is about to become a plaza dedicated to community veterans. John Tamiggi, executive director of the Allegheny Valley Habitat for Humanity, told the New Kensington-Arnold School Board on Thursday night about plans to use the...
CCAC to host enrollment open houses
Officials with the Community College of Allegheny County said it’s not too late to start thinking about taking summer classes or enrolling for this fall. Information about such options will be available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 11 at CCAC open houses at all eight of its locations....
Battle of Quaker Valley duos caps WPIAL doubles tournament
It was guaranteed that a Quaker Valley team would win the WPIAL Class AA doubles tennis championship Tuesday at the Oxford Athletic Club in Wexford. Quaker Valley’s John Watters and Zach Albert topped teammates Potter Oliver and Will Siriani 6-3, 6-2 to claim the championship. Both teams advance to the...
Study: Elder fraud costs Pennsylvanians an estimated $1.2 billion per year
Elderly Pennsylvanians are being defrauded to the tune of an estimated $1.2 billion per year, according to a recent study, and when it happens, many do not report it to the authorities. Research company Comparitech released a study that ranks Pennsylvania among the top 10 states in the nation in...
Police: Man climbs to safety after van goes over in Churchill hillside
A Wilkins Township man whose minivan went over a steep hillside Wednesday in Churchill morning managed to climb back up the hill on his own before police and paramedics arrived, authorities said. “I have no idea how he got up there,” said Churchill police Chief Ronald Akerley. “I would have...
Police conduct active shooter drill at Idlewild
State police and local law enforcement on Wednesday morning conducted an active shooter drill at Idlewild Park in Ligonier Township, according to Westmoreland County 911. Emergency radio reports of a shooter and child abduction at the park were all related to the drill, dispatchers said. The theme park is closed....
North Huntingdon woman’s book inspired by son’s death
A North Huntingdon woman has written a book about miracles from God, inspired by the unexpected death of her son in September 2013. Laurie R. Sweeney is the author of “Have You Found Your Penny,” a book she says has been five years in the making because it was inspired...
Pittsburgh diocese to dedicate Monroeville veterans memorial
A military veterans memorial at a Monroeville cemetery will be dedicated May 18. The Catholic Cemeteries Association of the Diocese of Pittsburgh will dedicate the veterans memorial starting at 1 p.m. at a Good Shepherd Cemetery plot, located at 733 Patton St. Members of the public are invited to attend...
