Local category, Page 3009
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...
Native plants for hummingbirds, butterflies to go on sale at Beechwood Farms
The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania will open its Native Plant Nursery at Beechwood Farms in Fox Chapel with sales and special bundles of plants to attract butterflies and hummingbirds from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The nursery will remain open throughout the planting season. For opening day on...
Long ‘to-do’ list remains for Cheswick, Springdale Township police merger
The Allegheny Valley Regional Police Commission still has a lot of work ahead of it after meeting for the first time Tuesday night. The four-member commission is made up of Cheswick Council members Michael Girardi and Kathy Gillard, Springdale Township Commissioner Shirley Redman and township resident Rick Schwartz. They are...
National Road group cancels plans for history-themed dinner
The National Road Heritage Corridor has cancelled plans to create a special “Sunday Supper in the Park” on May 19 in Washington, the organization said Wednesday. “Unforeseen challenges” forced the organization to cancel the special fundraising dinner on May 19 at Washington Park, said Donna Holdorf, executive director of the...
Man hit by car in South Greensburg dies; restaurant owner collects donations for reward
The owner of a South Greensburg restaurant plans to offer a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver who hit an elderly man outside the establishment almost two weeks ago. Clarence Wolff, 86, of Hempfield died Tuesday at a Pittsburgh-area hospital, according to the Allegheny...
Police: Somerset man assaulted 15-month-old boy, leaving him with severe brain injury
A Somerset man is accused of assaulting a 15-month-old boy, causing the child to bite his tongue and lose consciousness, according to police. Jared Lee Lehman, 24, is being held in the Somerset County Prison on $100,000 bail. He is charged with aggravated assault, child endangerment and related offenses. According...
PennDOT fixes computer photo problems
PennDOT on Wednesday corrected technical problems involving its photo license system. As of 9:20 a.m. the department said it was again completing photo-related transactions at its drivers license and photo centers. In a revised statement, PennDOT said the problem was resolved with a photo license vendor. All driver licensing and...
Family seeks to retrace last months of man found dead by South Side tracks
The family of Steven Michael O’Brien is trying to piece together the last months of his life, from his last conversation with his wife in January to the moment the proud Bostonian was found dead last week near a set of South Side railroad tracks. “He was my baby brother,”...
Pittsburgh street to close for several weeks for bridge preservation
A Pittsburgh street will close for more than two months starting Wednesday morning, according to Allegheny County Department of Public Works. Ramp Street will be closed until mid-July for crews to preserve Streets Run Bridge No. 2. The street connects Mifflin Road to Baldwin Road near the Glenwood Bridge and...
Authorities identify man found dead on Wilkinsburg porch
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said a man found dead on a Wilkinsburg porch had been shot. Officials identified the dead man as Jakeem Booker, 19, of Braddock. Police were called to a home along Franklin Avenue just after 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, where a man’s body could be seen...
Cicada swarm to emerge this month across Western Pennsylvania
Rising temperatures are heralding the return of the 17-year cicadas. The insects have been waiting underground for nearly two decades, but are expected to emerge by the millions this month. It takes several days of sustained warm weather, with temperatures consistently above 60 degrees, for cicadas to come out of...
1 killed in Fayette County ATV crash
A 34-year-old Brownsville man was killed in an ATV crash Wednesday in Fayette County. The incident happened around 4 a.m. Wednesday at Market and Spring streets in Brownsville, a county emergency dispatch supervisor said. The victim was identified by the coroner’s office as James Close of Brownsville. A report on...
SUV crashes into Spring Garden house
Pittsburgh police cited the driver of an SUV that crashed into a house in Pittsburgh’s Spring Garden neighborhood early Wednesday morning. The driver was going too fast down a steep hill near the scene of the crash, according to police. The crash on Spring Garden Avenue was reported just before...
Pittsburgh area to see temps in the 80s for first time this year
It’s gonna be a warm one. The Pittsburgh area is expected to see temperatures in the low 80s today. It will be the first 80-degree day this year, and the warmest it’s been since early October, National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Modzelewski said. The high is forecast to hit 83...
Saxonburg man held on $100K bond after Butler County police chase
A Saxonburg man is being held in the Butler County jail on $100,000 bond after a police chase in Butler County on Sunday. State police said an officer tried to stop Alexander John Lefever, 25, for a traffic violation on South Clearfield Road south of Route 422 in Clearfield Township...
Police: 2 teens expected to survive after being shot in Penn Hills
Two teenagers were expected to survive after being shot in Penn Hills , Allegheny County police said. Police were called to the 8900 block of Eastwood Road at 8:10 p.m. Tuesday. Officers found a 19-year-old man who had been shot in the head and leg, and a 17-year-old boy who...
What’s Old is New Again: Spring Antiquing
With spring weather finally here, it’s time to start thinking about family day trips, spring cleaning, and maybe a little redecorating. Why not combine all three into a local day of antique shopping? Kinsey Vintage Market, 7237 Noblestown Rd., Collier Township, is located in the old King Electric warehouse. More...
Etna planning its own public library
Etna plans to develop its own library — a space where all are welcome to gather and access a variety of free programs and services. Etna Councilwoman Megan Tunon announced the news with her husband, Robert, an Etna Community Organization (ECO) volunteer, at an April 3 ECO Equitable Places Workshop....
Students seek solutions to climate change at Chatham’s Eden Hall
Chatham University’s Eden Hall Campus was the site of Sustainability Summit for Youth: Global Solutions to Combat Climate Change, on April 30. High school students from across the region were introduced to and encouraged to discuss ways to battle climate change. This free event included a panel presentation from environmental...
Fire hits house in Derry just before midnight
Multiple fire departments responded to a fire at a house in Derry Borough late Wednesday night. The fire was reported at about 11:55 p.m. at 111 Walters St., according to Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety. Initial dispatches from the scene said that the occupants of the house escaped the...
Somerset County crash kills Berlin man
A Berlin man was killed in a one-car crash Monday night in Somerset County. Travis Gage Beeman, 21, was pronounced dead at the scene on Brotherton Road in Brothersvalley Township, state police said. Beeman was driving north at about 11:14 p.m., north of Wills Church Road, when his Chevrolet Camaro...
UPMC to offer free skin cancer screenings at Harmar office
The public will have a chance to receive a free skin cancer screening in May at the UPMC St. Margaret Dermatology office in Harmar. The screenings take less than five minutes and, if anything is detected, patients will be given a further exam by the physician. The event will be...
