Local category, Page 3058
2 houses damaged in Duquesne fire
Two houses were damaged and one person is displaced after a fire in Duquesne on Sunday. The fire was reported around 11:20 a.m. at an abandoned house at 18 South Seventh St. The fire quickly spread to a neighboring house that was occupied. Duquesne Volunteer Fire Department Chief Frank Cobb...
Somerset police believe fire victim identified
Police believe they have identified the body of person burned at the scene of a fire at a stack of poles in Somerset on Saturday, but the identity will not be released until it is forensically confirmed and next of kin has been notified, Somerset police said Monday. Police Chief...
Mt. Pleasant Councilman John Rogacki dies, remembered as community asset
John Rogacki was the type of elected official that every municipal government should have in its ranks, said Mt. Pleasant Council President Jack Caruso Jr. The lifelong Mt. Pleasant resident didn’t shy away from sharing his opinion, whether his fellow council members liked it or not. “That was one of...
Riverhounds top Louisville City for first win this season
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds scored just once in Saturday’s United Soccer League Championship matchup at Louisville City. But that was all that was needed as the Riverhounds scored a 1-0 shutout victory. The win was the first of the season for Pittsburgh, which owned a loss and two ties over its...
Latrobe man killed in Unity motorcycle crash
A Latrobe man died in motorcycle crash Saturday in Unity, according to state police. Troopers said Mark Gerard Gruss, 60, was driving a 1998 Harley Davidson Ultra at 4:40 p.m. on Saint Vincent Drive near Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve when he apparently lost control. The motorcycle crossed into the opposite...
Cassandra Gross family grapples with one-year mark of her disappearance
There is little joy left at Kathe Gross’ home. She’s gotten rid of most of her Christmas decorations. Mother’s and Father’s Day aren’t the same. “I refuse to do holidays,” she said. “There’s no holidays left in this house.” But there are still anniversaries — of the worst kind. Kathe...
Census director: 2020 count will be test of technology, public trustVideo
There’s more riding on the 2020 census than a national head count. Beyond the population numbers, demographic information and statistics the census will sort out, the process the U.S. Census Bureau will use will test the reliability of smartphone technology. “There are some concerns,” said Fernando E. Armstrong, regional director...
Hampton egg hunt slated for community park
Get the baskets and bonnets ready for the annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Hampton Community Park. The event is for children 10 years and younger and free to Hampton residents. It has been a popular draw for the community, said Bill...
Pittsburgh Mills mall’s uncertain future worries shoppers, Frazer officials
It’s been nearly a year since a new owner bought the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer, touting plans to redevelop the struggling, 14-year-old facility. Despite the owner’s hopeful nature in May, township officials say they still haven’t met or had any communication with Long Island-based Mason Asset Management and are...
Motorcycle driver dies in Unity crash
A man driving a motorcycle died in a single-vehicle crash in Unity on Saturday afternoon. The crash in the area of 240 St. Vincent Drive, near Saint Vincent College, was reported shortly after 4:30 p.m., according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. The person who reported the crash saw it...
West Deer priest removed after he admits to inappropriate contact while a seminarian
A West Deer priest has been placed on administrative leave after he admitted to inappropriate behavior with a minor that didn’t involved sexual contact, according to the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik placed the Rev. Thomas Wilson, 74, on leave, according to a diocesan news release sent...
Ex-firefighter, woman charged in Pa. barn fires
NORTHAMPTON, Pa. — A former volunteer firefighter is charged along with a woman in a series of barn fires in eastern Pennsylvania. State police said 20-year-old Justin Emmons was arrested during a Friday evening traffic stop in Bucks County and returned to Northampton County to face charges including causing or...
Pittsburgh police: Missing Carrick teen found safe, returned to family
Pittsburgh police have found the Carrick teen who had been missing since Wednesday. “Thanks to all for your shares and concern,” the department posted on its Facebook page....
Saint Vincent College Swing Dance Club has public hoppingVideo
Three seasoned ballroom dancers picked up a new step Saturday. The Lindy Hop was no match for “ballroom buddies” Lisa Pope of Latrobe, Bruce Meyer of Hempfield and Keith Munshower of Brackenridge. Rock step, triple step, step, step, triple step. And in no time, they had it, rotating around with...
Hammer-wielding burglar caught on video breaking into Beaver County homeVideo
Authorities in Beaver County are seeking the public’s help to identify a hammer-wielding burglar who smashed a glass door to enter a house and steal a jewelry box. It happened at 4 a.m. Saturday and was captured on surveillance video. Hopewell police said it happened on Grand Avenue and the...
Volunteers turn out to get Tarentum’s community garden ready for spring
A Boy Scout pointed out a big worm in the freshly placed compost, and Widgie Carson picked it up. “They’re not like a snake,” she said to a few Scouts she was giving tiny red beets to plant. “They won’t hurt you.” The Scouts, members of Troop 180, and Carson,...
3 hurt when Duquesne police car chasing speeder crashes into Port Authority bus
A Duquesne police officer crashed his marked patrol car into a Port Authority bus while chasing a speeder Saturday afternoon, the department said. The crash happened shortly before 12:30 p.m. at Duquesne Boulevard and Grant Avenue. The officer involved, who was not identified, was not hurt but was taken to...
Passion women’s football team begins season against Cleveland
The Pittsburgh Passion women’s semi-pro football team will face the Cleveland Fusion on Saturday to kick off its 17th campaign. The game, set for West Allegheny’s Joe P. DeMichela Stadium, will kick off at 6 p.m. Gates open at 5:30. Tickets for all Passion home games are $15 for adults...
Harmar bald eagles suspected to have hatched an eaglet
The Harmar bald eagles reportedly welcomed a newly hatched eaglet early Friday in their nest on a hillside above Route 28. Confirmation was still pending Saturday morning from the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. Without the benefit of a live webcam, observers including a photographer documented the birds likely feeding...
Alzheimer’s community forum set at Greensburg Hempfield Area Library
A community forum about Alzheimer’s disease is set for Thursday at the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library. The two-hour forum, hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association, is open to the public and will provide information about the disease, dementia and memory loss as well as a conversation about how to help the...
Riverhounds go for first win of 2019 at Louisville City
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds will try to break into the win column Saturday evening as they will visit Louisville City for a United Soccer League Championship matchup. The Riverhounds own two draws in three matches this season. Included in the start was last Saturday’s 2-2 tie against Bethlehem. Saturday’s game, set...
2 health care leaders receive Greensburg Salem alumni honorsVideo
Several members of the Greensburg Salem High School Class of 1977 gathered for an impromptu reunion Friday to help honor two of their classmates. Albert J. Novak Jr. of Hempfield and Dr. Susan Manzi of Wexford were honored as the school’s 2019 Distinguished Alumni at a dinner presented by the...
Pittsburgh man accused of attacking woman in McCandless parking lot
A Pittsburgh man is accused of attacking a woman in a McCandless parking lot this week and trying to steal her wallet, according to court papers. Taylor Dale Wible, 18, of the Terrace Village neighborhood, was being held in the Allegheny County Jail on $100,000 bail. He is charged with...
Wrong-way driver killed, other driver hurt in crash on I-79 in Washington County
A wrong-way driver died early Saturday in a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 79 in Washington County, according to investigators. Amanda Sue Towns, 25, of Morgantown, W.Va., was traveling north in the southbound lanes at 3:50 a.m. in North Strabane Township, just north of the Canonsburg exit, according to a news...
Wild for flowers: Spring blooming season finally arrives in Pittsburgh region
Wildflower season is arriving in Southwestern Pennsylvania. With warmer temperatures comes nature’s wonders springing from the earth in a variety of colors and shapes. Some wildflowers have already started blooming in lower elevations, and this week would be a good time to check out the early types, said Rachael Mahony,...
