Pittsburgh controller portrays city’s fiscal situation as serious but not dire
Pittsburgh is facing concerning but manageable financial challenges amid declining revenues, an end to federal pandemic relief money and broad economic uncertainty, city Controller Rachael Heisler said Thursday. “I am very concerned about where things are headed,” Heisler said as she released the 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, which outlines...
Real ID deadline looms: TSA to enforce at airports nationwide
In less than a week now, the federal Real ID requirement goes into effect and will be enforced by TSA agents at airports across the country. Starting May 7, anyone 18 years of age or older will need a Real ID or another acceptable form of identification like a passport...
New zombie rock musical ‘Romero and Juliet’ features local actors
A new musical is set to hit the stage at Saint Vincent College in Unity next month. But according to its lyricist and co-creator Scott Logsdon, the whole concept is the result of a typo. Several years ago, while corresponding with a friend about auditions for a showing of Shakespeare’s...
DA drops attempted homicide charge against man charged in Brookline business district shooting
Prosecutors have dropped an attempted homicide charge against a man arrested for a daylight shooting in a Pittsburgh neighborhood business district, but he will face trial for aggravated assault and a firearms count. Amirre Brown, 20, on Tuesday waived his preliminary hearing in a Downtown Pittsburgh courtroom. Pittsburgh police said...
McCandless Council approves 17-acre green space purchase next to Potter Park
McCandless Council approved a combined purchase of 17 acres from property adjacent to Potter Park for $475,000 at its April 28 meeting, creating one of the largest town-owned properties. Potter Park, off Harmony Road, currently sits at approximately 11 acres but will be expanded with the acquisition of the additional...
Help available for those still without power
The following events are planned to help residents with the power outages: Buffalo Township • Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company, 565 Sarver Road, will be open from 2 to 4 p.m. today for food, water, ice and charging cell phones. Freeport • Freeport Fire-EMS will offer charging and light refreshments...
Kids are focus of Latrobe 4th of July festival, among performers at Friday showcase
Organizers of the Latrobe Fourth of July Celebration are planning to focus on children at this year’s two-day event, set for July 3 and 4. There will be added attractions for attendees younger than 18, in keeping with the theme for the town’s festival and its popular parade — “Building...
For those without power, experts offer next steps after severe storms
As hundreds of thousands go without electricity after severe storms battered the region, officials and experts have begun weighing in with guidance about how to proceed. Though some customers have had their power restored since the storm, Duquesne Light said it could take five to seven days to fully restore...
Home improvement: Bellevue business owner helps clients spruce up residences, businesses
Diana Edwards is a style consultant — for homes and businesses. Owner of LIME Painting North Pittsburgh, a luxury home painting and home improvement business, Edwards connects clients with the resources to spruce up their residence or business from adding a fresh coat of paint to an exterior or interior...
Some fear effort to aid developers in Pittsburgh will doom broader housing reform
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday advanced a bill to shrink the minimum size of lots for residential development, casting further doubt on the future of a broader housing reform package that has been stalled for months. The measure, sponsored by Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, would allow developers to build...
Uprooted: Tree removal crews tackle surge in calls after powerful storm in Western Pa.
Lori Abbott was watching TV Tuesday night when the lights cut out, a sudden outage triggered by the severe storms sweeping through the Pittsburgh area. “I wanted to see what was going on,” said Abbott, 65, as she walked outside her Milton Street home in Regent Square. “I came out...
Tax diversion for Esplanade project approved by Pittsburgh Public Schools board
The Pittsburgh Public Schools board on Wednesday approved a tax diversion for the sprawling Esplanade development, which plans to bring a Ferris wheel, housing and other amenities to the city’s Chateau neighborhood. The developer, Cecil-based Piatt Companies, has now secured approval from the city and school district for the tax...
More storms expected in Western Pennsylvania
Another round of storms is expected to hit Western Pennsylvania on Thursday, even as communities are still reeling from severe weather that knocked down trees, ripped roofs from buildings and left thousands without power on Tuesday. A threat of thunderstorms — some severe — will return Thursday afternoon and evening,...
The Stroller, May 1, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Artisan festival planned in...
Blawnox centennial book reveals tiny borough’s big history
A 52-page book to celebrate the Blawnox centennial might surprise readers with its eye-opening tidbits about the rivertown. The limited edition “Blawnox: 1925-2025,” authored by O’Hara historian Tom Powers, will reveal the clothing store millionaire who funded the community of Hoboken — the borough’s original name. It also will detail...
Monroeville area: Scottish Heritage Day, Cross Roads yard sale, car show, more
Scottish Heritage Day Hillcrest United Presbyterian Church will host a Scottish Heritage Day on May 4. The all-ages event is open to the public and will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the church, 1622 James St. in Monroeville. The day will kick off with a worship service...
Billboard effort focuses on firefighting recruitment in Western Pa.
“Ordinary people trained to do the extraordinary.” That’s the message on a billboard along Perry Highway in McCandless, and Ingomar Volunteer Fire Company Chief Greg Quatchak hopes it will pique some interest. “Hopefully, we get a lot of inquiries,” Quatchak said. Ingomar’s phone number and website also are listed on...
3 Republicans vying for 2 Marshall supervisor seats in May primary
Editor’s note: The North Allegheny Journal is featuring candidate interviews only in contested races. Three Republicans are vying for two supervisor seats in Marshall for the May 20 primary. Here is a look at the candidates: Nina Faber Age: 50 Political affiliation: Republican Political experience: Nothing recent Education: Bachelor’s degree...
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra returns to Saint Vincent
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performed Wednesday evening at the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica in Unity. The show, “Music for the Spirit,” paid tribute to Douglas R. Nowicki, OSB, the 11th and second-longest-serving archabbot in Saint Vincent’s 178-year history. He oversaw the expansion and renovation of Saint Vincent’s Robert S. Carey...
School districts deal with lost power, cleanup
Schools throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley and well beyond were shuttered Wednesday, and maybe longer, after Tuesday’s fast-moving thunderstorms. Several trees, two power poles and a transformer were brought down by strong winds at New Kensington-Arnold’s Valley High School and a portable toilet was flipped upside down. The district canceled school...
Lawsuit blames bar for serving man who caused cousin’s death in DUI crash
A man who caused a drunk-driving crash last year in Pittsburgh that killed his cousin is being sued for negligence in her death along with the Mt. Washington bar where they were said to be drinking that night. Eonna Page, 25, was killed on March 2, 2024, in a crash...
Rustic Ridge Mine gets OK for new work under Pa. Turnpike, expects to extend operation 6-8 years
Rustic Ridge No. 1 Mine near Donegal has state approval to expand its operations under the Pennsylvania Turnpike and tap into 1,450 acres of a coal seam in an area along Route 711. The work is expected to extend the mine’s life by six to eight years, said Mark Tercek,...
Evergreen Drive-In screen toppled; Westmoreland County recovers from storms, 79 mph winds
Joe Warren has been in the drive-in movie scene for about six decades. But he has rarely seen devastation to an outdoor theater like he did Wednesday morning at Evergreen Drive-In. Warren, owner of the East Huntingdon theater, surveyed the splintered wooden trusses and bent metal scraps piled in the...
Greensburg man sentenced to prison for girlfriend’s beatings
A Greensburg man will serve up to eight years in prison for two brutal attacks that injured an East Huntingdon woman in 2023. James Dennis Lehneke Jr., 48, pleaded guilty in two separate cases to multiple felony charges, including strangulation, aggravated assault and related offenses that police said occurred several...
What is a derecho? Meteorologists weigh label after powerful storms slam Western Pa.
After powerful storms swept through Western Pennsylvania this week, meteorologists hesitated to apply labels — though terms like derecho began to circulate. A derecho is a fast-moving, long-lived windstorm that the National Weather Service says can produce tornado-like damage — but in a single, straight path. To qualify, it must...
