Local category, Page 3052
Election forum planned for Westmoreland commissioner, judge candidates
Candidates for Westmoreland County commissioner and judge seats are expected to attend a question-and-answer forum this month in Greensburg. The May 14 event is sponsored by the Smithton-based 1776 Freedom’s Calling political action committee. It will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Greensburg Civic Garden Center, 951...
Ligonier native spends summers in Yellowstone National ParkVideo
Leslie Giesey doesn’t remember when she first traveled to Yellowstone National Park with her family, but she knows she was young, and knows she went fishing for wild trout that fill the streams. Now, decades later, she returns each summer to work as a nurse and spend her free time...
Vandergrift police officer honored for community service by VFW
Vandergrift Police Sgt. Tony DePanicis knows listening is crucial to quality police work. That, and not letting a 103-year-old woman grab her slippers during a house fire. The Vandergrift VFW Post 566 recently honored DePanicis and Vandergrift Fire Co. No. 1 Chief Tom Schaeffer with its prestigious Community Service Award....
Norwin grad becomes boutique owner, Miss Pennsylvania contestant
Victoria Piekut received a phone call from her father, Jeffrey, in August 2016 with unexpected news — she was a business owner. The 22-year-old Norwin High School graduate had toyed with the idea, knowing both her parents had retail backgrounds, but never thought it would come to fruition. Working a...
Westmoreland sheriff candidates weigh in on office, what changes they’d bring if elected
Three Republicans are seeking to oust two-incumbent Westmoreland County Sheriff Jonathan Held in the May 21 primary. Held is being challenged by two current deputies Steve Felder, 55, of Penn Township, and Sam Pilato, 56, of Hempfield; and retired police officer Eugene Zulisky, 52, of Greensburg. Democrat James Albert, a...
Westmoreland sheriff faces crowded field in GOP primary election
As public corruption charges await a potential retrial, two-term Republican incumbent Westmoreland County Sheriff Jonathan Held insists he’s the best-suited candidate to head the department that has been besieged with current and former staffers charged with crimes, a dozen lawsuits that alleged mismanagement and operational squabbles with county leaders. “I...
‘High Vibe’ coaching offers holistic solutions
Bobbi DiClaudio’s dreams began when she worked in Canonsburg at the first locally owned full-service health club in the area. She then went on to become the operations manager and spin instructor at a club in New York City and, with a transfer to Chicago, became the general manager of...
On the rise: Solar farms begin cropping up in Western Pennsylvania
Down a gravel road close to what constitutes downtown Slovan in rural Washington County, roughly 3,500 solar panels stand in a field of green grass, their blue-hued faces tilted toward the sun. The development, one of the largest solar farms in Western Pennsylvania, spans 4.5 acres and can power about...
What you need to know about measles
Allegheny County last week reported five confirmed cases of measles, its first ones of the year, and health officials are warning residents there will likely be more cases. Measles cases nationwide have exceeded 700 so far this year, making it the worst outbreak in more than two decades, according to...
Hempfield Area High School prom 2019
Hempfield Area High School had its prom Saturday night. Here is a photo gallery of the highlights from the grand march....
Motorcycle crash closes portion of Ferguson Road in Hampton
A portion of Ferguson Road in Hampton is closed after a motorcycle crash that happened just before 7 p.m. Allegheny County dispatchers confirmed that fire, police and EMS have responded to the scene in the 2100 block of Ferguson Road. The condition of the motorcyclist was not yet available. Hampton:...
Kitchen fire causes smoke damage at former Giuliani’s Market in Arnold
There was heavy smoke damage Saturday afternoon after a kitchen fire in an apartment in the former Giuliani’s Market in Arnold. Arnold No. 1 Fire Chief Walter Gouza said it was an accidental grease fire that broke out at about 4:30 p.m. and was put out in about 15 minutes....
Photos: Fox Chapel Area prom
Fox Chapel Area students celebrated their prom on May 4, 2019 and this year’s fashions didn’t disappoint. Prior to the event, hosted at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center, students and their dates struck poses at many of the picturesque locations across the Lower Valley. Perennial favorites for photos include Squaw...
After overcoming bullies, 9-year-old becomes Lower Burrell’s mayor
Lower Burrell Mayor Nico Pampena was full of smiles as he shook hands with a bevy of officials after taking office Saturday, when Richard Callender abdicated his seat for a day. Nico, 9, was excited to get to inspect the city’s fleet of police cars, fire trucks and other vehicles...
Shaler woman to run Pittsburgh marathon dressed as pierogi, trying for world recordVideo
Some run for fitness and personal goals. Others run for fundraisers. On Sunday, Amanda Webb will run out of love of Pittsburgh. And she’ll do it dressed as a pierogi. Webb, 39, of Shaler will run the 26.2-mile Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon in a pierogi costume for a shot...
Robotics team captures top honor at FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship
A team of nine local high school students, including some from North Allegheny and Sewickley Academy, captured the Inspire Award at the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) World Championship on April 27 in Detroit, Michigan. The Inspire Award is the equivalent of the Oscar for high school robotics, said Marcel Bergerman,...
5 running unopposed for Fox Chapel and O’Hara councils
Fox Chapel and O’Hara voters won’t have a contested council race in either community during this month’s primary election, according to the Allegheny County Elections Bureau. In O’Hara, there are two Republican candidates vying for two open seats. The terms each run four years and represent the township at-large. •...
Westmoreland County Special Olympics celebrates 50 years at competitionVideo
Skyler Wood is an Olympian. Wood, 10, a fourth-grader at RK Mellon Elementary School in Bolivar, flashed a big smile as he was presented with a gold medal for winning his heat in the 50-meter dash Saturday morning at Westmoreland County’s Special Olympics track and field event. “I’m going to...
Fox Chapel area Girl Scouts host bike safety check to earn Bronze Award
Members of Fox Chapel Area Girl Scout Troop 52751 earned one of the highest honors doled out by the organization, the Bronze Award, after hosting a bike rodeo on April 27 for other children. The troop includes Olivia Ferguson, Adele Grady, Nadia Grady, Lexi King, Emily Korczynski, Julie Patterson, Elyse...
Steelers LB Ryan Shazier’s wedding creates social media buzz
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier has yet to recover enough to return to the gridiron, but he was able to dance at his wedding Friday night, according to video that was spreading virally on social media. About a year and a half ago, Ryan Shazier was told he had a...
Nearly 50 dogs removed from Mercer County home, 10 others died
Nearly 50 dogs were removed from a house in Mercer County, about 60 miles north of Pittsburgh. “It’s probably one of the hardest calls we’ve ever been on,” officials from the Humane Society of Mercer County said in a post on the organization’s Facebook page. According to a report from...
Penn Hills Police police dog gone but not forgotten
Penn Hills police have announced the death of its police dog. Penn Hills police announced via Facebook the passing of Riggs, a 12-year-old Dutch shepherd from Holland. Riggs served with Officer Ryan Walters since 2009. The department said Riggs was diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer, and Walters made...
Special meeting set for Monday in Oakmont to hire new borough manager
Oakmont officials may have found their new borough manager. A special meeting is set for 7 p.m. Monday, May 6, at the borough building to approve the new hire. A workshop meeting will follow. More than 70 people have applied and s dozen were interviewed since the original announcement of...
2 Pittsburgh-based companies help refugee moms
This is about moms helping moms. Pittsburgh based Hello Neighbor and Lark Adventurewear, both founded by local mothers making an impact regionally and nationally through their individual work, have teamed to make a difference in the lives of refugee moms, according to a news release. Lark Adventurewear is a company...
Analysis: Pittsburgh crime rate declining
There was a 7% decrease in crimes in Pittsburgh during the first quarter of the year when compared to the first quarter of 2018, according to an internal analysis released Saturday. The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police’s Crime Analysis Unit also found there was a 12% decrease compared to the five-year...
