Local category, Page 3077
Jury seated in Youngwood man’s sexual assault trial
A jury was seated Monday for the rape and sexual assault trial of a Youngwood man who police say harbored a 13-year-old runaway who was one of his alleged victims. Darell Deisean Walker, 23, was charged in four separate cases in which he was accused of sex crimes against three...
Swissvale man accused of East Liberty bank robbery, chase and resisting arrest
A Swissvale man is accused of robbing an East Liberty bank and then leading police on a foot chase Friday along Frick Park’s Tranquil Trail. Police said Lamar Sewell, 38, entered a Key Bank branch at about 9:15 a.m., pointed a handgun, demanded money and then fled. He drove his...
Assault, DUI cases among those recently handled in Judge DeLuca’s Penn Hills court – Apr. 1, 2019
Penn Hills District Judge Anthony L. DeLuca handled the following cases recently. Defendants will have court dates set in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Charges were filed by Penn Hills police unless otherwise noted. Held for courtDaniel Recklein, 34, of Penn Hills on charges of simple assault, strangulation and harassment....
Stalking, burglary trial delayed for Unity man
A Unity man told a Westmoreland County judge on Monday he wants to serve as his own lawyer during his upcoming trial on stalking and burglary charges. Terry Marincic Jr., 50, is facing trial in three separate cases in which he was accused last year of making as many as...
Democrats pass on endorsements for Westmoreland primary election; GOP likely to follow suit
Westmoreland County Democrats will not endorse candidates in next month’s primary election. About 150 committee members met over the weekend at Ferrante’s Lakeview in Hempfield and unanimously voted to hold an open primary and forego endorsing candidates seeking countywide offices. “There are some excellent Democratic candidates running across Westmoreland County,...
Pittsburgh Youth Chorus gets little singers some big experience
A few years ago, Olivia Laubham and Evelyn Maiman were just starting out with the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus and were a little nervous about getting onstage. Today, they might not be considered stage veterans yet, but after performances with the Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Pittsburgh Public Theater, they’re...
Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner scheduled for preliminary hearing in Detroit April 11
Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner faces a preliminary hearing later this month in Detroit on charges stemming from an altercation with Detroit police last month. Neither Wagner nor her husband, Khari Mosley, appeared in person Monday at a probable cause conference, according to Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Maria Miller. Local...
DISH Network strikes deal to avoid subscribers losing access to WPXI
WPXI-TV struck a last-minute deal with DISH Network to avoid interrupting viewers’ access to the Pittsburgh station, officials said Monday. Their prior contract expired Sunday. The NBC-affiliate headquartered in Pittsburgh’s Summer Hill neighborhood had warned that viewers who use DISH Network for their satellite TV services might lose the channel...
North Allegheny fashion club hosting show to benefit special needs beauty pageant
The fashion club at North Allegheny Senior High School is hosting a show titled “Fashion Throughout the Decades” at 7 p.m. on Saturday. The April 6 event sponsored by the school’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America club will feature designs inspired by ensembles worn in previous decade. The...
Voices of Westmoreland seeks views of county candidates
Voice of Westmoreland, a nonprofit organization that promotes racial, economic and educational equity in the county, is asking candidates seeking office this year answer a series of questions leading up the May 21 primary election. On Monday, questionnaires were sent to county candidates asking views about issues that impact working...
Pittsburgh police injured in Tree of Life shooting throw first pitch at Pirates home opener
Four Pittsburgh police officers injured during the October synagogue shooting threw out the first pitch during the Pirates home opener at PNC Park on Monday. Officers Timothy Matson, Anthony Burke, Dan Mead and Michael Smidga each threw pitches during the pregame ceremony. Officers Anthony Burke, Timothy Matson, Dan Mead, and...
West Newton couple continue battling legal hurdles to regain custody of infant daughterVideo
A West Newton couple was back in court Monday taking another legal step they hope will reunite them with their infant daughter, Cali, who was removed from their custody almost two months ago. Tiffany Aquilina, 37, and her husband, Robert, 38, waived their scheduled preliminary hearing on charges of endangering...
Penn Township vocalist wows crowds with national anthem renditionVideo
It’s possible that Antolena Damico was literally born to sing the national anthem. After all, she shares an Aug. 1 birthday with the song’s lyricist, Francis Scott Key. Over the past three years Damico, 12, of Penn Township has gone from singing the anthem at her older brother’s midget football...
Free Moon landing presentation coming Sunday to Apollo
Although the “Destination Moon: the Apollo 11 Mission” exhibit is over at the Heinz History Center, one of its historians is coming to Apollo to speak about the historic NASA mission on Sunday, at 6:30 p.m., for a free public event at the Women’s Christian Temperance Union of Apollo building,...
Multiple fire departments responding to house fire in Rostraver Twp.
Multiple fire departments in Rostraver Township were responding to a house fire Monday that had spread to an adjoining garage, a Westmoreland County dispatcher said. The dispatcher said the fire was reported on the 400 block of Rankin Road at 3:53 p.m. Reports said the garage had a mobile home...
Three TJ students reach out to community to help those in need
Maddie Sneddon collected more than 400 books from the Thomas Jefferson community to donate to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Taylor Myers raised nearly enough money to donate two wagons to the hospital to allow little children to get out of their rooms and explore the hallways while getting treatment. Alaina...
North Hills gardening enthusiasts making it easy to get growing this spring
Gardeners itching to get out and start beautifying their landscapes and grow fresh produce can pick up a wide variety of flowers and plants at a number of upcoming events in the North Hills: NHCO community garden Volunteers interested in growing produce that will be distributed to needy families in...
Study: Pittsburgh No. 1 market for first-time homebuyers
Western Pennsylvania first-time homebuyers take heart — Pittsburgh is the best U.S. city based on affordability and several other measures, according to Yahoo Finance. A survey by Bankrate.com said Pittsburgh tops the list of the 10 best major metropolitan areas for first-time homebuyers. The ranking was based on 13 measures...
Penn Hills attorney joins councilman in mayoral bid
A Penn Hills attorney has thrown her name in the race to become the municipality’s next mayor. Pauline Calabrese, 57, a Democrat, joins Penn Hills Councilman John Petrucci, also 57 and a Democrat, as a candidate for the open seat. Current Mayor Sarah Kuhn will not seek re-election. Calabrese practices...
Sheds catch fire in Cheswick, send flames ’60 feet into the air’
Firefighters responding to a call on Cheswick’s South Highland Avenue on Sunday night knew they weren’t going to an ordinary fire. The volunteers could see towering flames above the neighborhood and then heard multiple explosions. “You could see the flames all across Cheswick,” Cheswick fire Chief Rick Franks said. “Flames...
Hiking and biking trail, roads open at Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood Green siteVideo
Pittsburgh’s sprawling Hazelwood Green property along the Monongahela River opened to the public Monday for the first time in more than 100 years. Officials opened Blair Street, a $21 million thoroughfare formerly known as Signature Boulevard, providing the first public access to the 178-acre site that until the 1990s featured...
Hope springs eternal on Pirates’ Opening Day
It’s important to have priorities. As big-league baseball returned to Pittsburgh on Monday with the Pirates opening their home schedule at PNC Park, die-hard fans chose going to the sun-drenched yet chilly opener over work, school and other lesser priorities. “I skipped school for this, but I don’t think I’ll...
Community input sought for redesign of dangerous Pittsburgh intersection
Pittsburgh wants residents to weigh in on the proposed redesign of a dangerous four-way intersection in Larimer. The city is planning improvements at Frankstown and Lincoln avenues and Enterprise and Lowell streets and wants community input on possible new safety features and travel improvements. Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure...
Jergel’s fundraiser to honor teen who lost cancer battle
The family of a Pine-Richland High School student who died last spring following a 20-month long battle with a rare form of cancer is hosting a fundraiser in his name on Sunday at Jergel’s Rhythm Grille to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Zachary Kass-Gerji died March 26, 2018 from a rare...
Traffic restrictions start Tuesday on Butler Logan bridge over Route 28
Traffic restrictions will start Tuesday morning on the bridge carrying Butler Logan Road over Route 28 in Frazer, PennDOT announced Monday. Traffic will be reduced to a single, alternating lane controlled by temporary traffic signals. The restriction is expected to start at 7 a.m. Tuesday and be in place through...
