Local category, Page 3089
Apollo-Ridge support staff get new contract, raises
Apollo-Ridge School Board approved a new, four-year contract with paraprofessionals and secretarial support staff that includes annual raises. The new agreement begins July 1 and lasts through June 30, 2023. Raises during the first year of the agreement range from $1.00 per hour to $3.05 per hour, depending on the...
An awesome friendship between 10-year-olds at Pittsburgh’s Beechwood Elementary
Friendship came naturally for Lawrence Lynch and Gavin Zett. Gavin has Down syndrome and can’t communicate very well with other kids, particularly those outside of his life skills support classroom at Beechwood Elementary in Pittsburgh’s Beechview neighborhood. Lawrence is in a general education classroom at the school. Life skills and...
Jeannette microbrewery seeking volunteers for cleanup day
A lot of junk inside an old building in Jeannette needs to be cleared out before craft beer can be served there. Sobel’s Obscure Brewery is hoping for some volunteer help this weekend. The craft beer community “likes being involved in the start-up in breweries,” said owner Jackie Sobel. But...
New Otter Trot 5K series features 6 trail races
The Conemaugh Valley Conservancy is encouraging people to welcome spring’s return by signing up for its new Otter Trot series of 5K races along regional trails. The six races, spaced over as many months, “seemed like a fun way to get people to explore the trails in the area,” while...
Water main break closes Mt. Lebanon High School
Mt. Lebanon High School is closed Wednesday because of a water main break, the district announced on its website. Cochran Road had been closed near the high school, but has reopened, the Trib’s news partner, WPXI-TV, reported. Drivers are being advised to avoid Cochran between Cedar Boulevard and Washington Road/Route...
40 years ago, Three Mile Island had the nation on edge
Bob Hauser still remembers the metallic taste he got in his mouth while playing in the backyard with his two sons the afternoon of March 28, 1979. “Tony (Hauser’s then-8-year-old son) was climbing a tree and he said, ‘My mouth tastes funny.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, what is that?’” said...
Just Ducky Tours resuming Pittsburgh operations in April
Quack, quack — duck boat tours are coming back. Just Ducky Tours, which operates eight World War II-era amphibious craft out of Pittsburgh’s Station Square, announced on its website that it will be resuming its land and water tours in mid- to late April. The company ended its 2018 season...
A sport that hasn’t gone to the dogs
I have been a sports fan most of my life, but in recent years, my interest in big-time sports has declined significantly. Dog sled racing is an exception; I still find it extremely interesting and am a little frustrated no one else is aware of it and that the local...
Blessed Trinity Academy basketball team earn third in state Diocesan championships
All of the Diocesan champions from around the state came together in Johnstown to play and determine a state champ. Blessed Trinity Academy continued their strong season as they competed and came in third place in the state....
Pine Creek Journal hosting luncheon to kick off new website
Trib Total Media is developing a new community website in the Neighborhood News Network: PineCreekJournal.com! We would like to invite Pine Creek Journal readers to a special preview luncheon on April 9 or April 15 to find out how you can experience your neighborhood news like never before. PineCreekJournal.com will...
Just a Short Run scheduled for Saturday
The 19th annual Sean T. Smith Memorial — Just a Short Run will be held March 30 benefiting local charities working to eradicate leukemia and blood borne cancers. It is held in honor of Sean who died in 1995 from leukemia at the age of 25, according to his brother...
Poetry event to raise funds for Millvale Library after-school meal program
Millvale Community Library will celebrate National Poetry Month with its second annual poetry fundraiser. The all-ages event will occur at 5 p.m. April 13 at the library, 213 Grant Ave. Admission is $5, with all proceeds benefiting the library’s after-school meal program serving approximately 12 to 20 children daily, according...
UPMC opens Health Plan Connect Center in Westmoreland Mall
UPMC customers now can receive health care and insurance information at Westmoreland Mall. A UPMC Health Plan Connect Center is now open across from Kay Jewelers on the lower level. It’s the first such center in Westmoreland County. Health plan members can use the center to make monthly payments, learn...
Woman shot in Swissvale, Allegheny County police investigating
A woman was hospitalized after being shot in Swissvale Tuesday night. Emergency responders were dispatched for the shooting around 9 p.m. along the 7300 block of Brinton Street. Authorities said the victim was found with a gunshot wound to her side. The woman’s condition was not immediately available. Allegheny County...
Police searching for missing Armstrong County man
UPDATE: Walker was found unharmed a few miles from his home about 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, 2019, officials said. Police plan to resume their search Wednesday morning for a missing man with dementia in Armstrong County. Paul Walker, 70, was last seen at his farm on Walker Road in...
SummerSounds celebrates 20 years in Greensburg
The SummerSounds concert series in Greensburg will celebrate its 20th season by going back to the past. The schedule isn’t final yet, but the plan is for all but one of the 13 free concerts to feature an act that has played at SummerSounds before. Organizers announced most of the...
Sweethearts & Heroes to teach Monessen students impacts of bullying
Jason Spector, Rick Yarosh and Tom Murphy have one goal in mind when they pull up to a school — to empower kids and teachers to put an end to bullying. Through the organization Sweethearts & Heroes, the trio travels across the United States to show students the impact bullying...
Volunteers needed for Loyalhanna Watershed litter cleanup
The Loyalhanna Watershed Association is looking for volunteers to clean litter from roadsides near Ligonier and Latrobe. The 14th annual spring cleanup, planned to cover more than 50 miles of roads, is set for 9 a.m. to noon April 27. The association wants to sign up volunteers by April 15....
Highmark reports strong financial picture for 2018
Highmark Health took in $515 million more in revenue last year than the previous year, making 2018 its second-best financial performance since the integrated health care system’s inception, CEO David Holmberg said Tuesday. “We’ve continued to grow and expand, remain financially strong and stable, and maintain our relationships in the...
Highmark CEO: Hospital group wrong for siding with UPMC over AG Shapiro
Pennsylvania’s largest hospital association is mistaken in trying to squash state Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s attempt to halt the looming breakup between Highmark and UPMC, Highmark Health CEO David Holmberg said Tuesday. On Monday, the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania joined UPMC in asking a federal judge to block...
Delmont residents form ‘vision committee’ to consider heritage-trail spur
When AnnaMarie Stackiewicz of Delmont and her husband are on bike trails in the region, one of their favorite parts is when a trail brings them into a town where they can look around or find a bite to eat. They are hoping to bring about something similar when the...
Greensburg Salem Mini-THON raises more than $50K
Greensburg Salem High School shattered its Mini-THON record by raising $50,737 for children with cancer during its 12-hour overnight dance marathon Saturday and Sunday. “The feeling, honestly, is just indescribable right now,” said Natalia Zucco, a Greensburg-Salem senior and chair of the group that organized the event. The money goes...
Kenny Ross sues C. Harper, claiming rival car dealership tried to steal clients
A Westmoreland County car dealership claims a local competitor conspired with a group of employees to steal part of its business. According to a 15-count lawsuit, North Huntingdon-based Kenny Ross Auto Group contends six former workers banded together this month to steal clients, data and purposefully worked to take the...
Utilities, contractors, property owners in Allegheny County issued fines for PA One Call System violations
Several utilities, contractors and property owners in Allegheny County have been fined for alleged violations of the PA One Call system that damaged underground lines in 2018. On Tuesday, the PA One Call Damage Prevention Committee announced 70 disciplinary actions statewide, issuing $75,000 in fines against 33 facility owners, excavators...
Westmoreland, Pa. watch ‘historic’ $270M settlement in Oklahoma opioid lawsuit
The potential impact of a $270 million settlement announced Tuesday between a drug manufacturer and the state of Oklahoma remains to be seen when it comes to dozens of similar lawsuits filed in Pennsylvania, including one by Westmoreland County officials in 2017. But experts said it could be a model...
