Cause of 2024 Jeannette fire that killed 5 cannot be determined, investigators say
The cause of a fire last year in Jeannette that claimed five lives has been ruled undetermined, police Chief Derek Manley said Friday. A state police fire marshal has spent the past year sifting through evidence from the March 20, 2024, blaze on Guy Street. Family members and friends gathered...
Aspinwall police charge East Deer man for harassment of Trump supporters
An East Deer man was cited for harassment and disorderly conduct by Aspinwall police in connection with two separate incidents in which it appears he targeted supporters of President Donald Trump. In October, Christopher Brown, 60, allegedly stood in front of a Fourth Street home and yelled profanities and insults...
1 injured, dog killed in West Deer fire
A man was transferred to the hospital early Friday morning after his mobile home caught fire. The fire was reported just before 6 a.m. on the 300 block of Inwood Court in West Deer Township. When emergency crews arrived, they found that the man living in the home had escaped...
69-year-old man found dead, 40 cats rescued from Ligonier Township home
A 69-year-old man was found dead and about 40 cats were rescued from a home in Ligonier Township. The man, who was not identified, was found dead after police were asked to do a welfare check Monday evening, according to Coroner Tim Carson. The death is not considered suspicious. Jen...
Jury finds man guilty of 1st-degree murder for killing ex-girlfriend in front of their toddler
An Allegheny County jury only needed about three hours Friday before finding Terrence Washington guilty of first-degree murder in the 2020 shooting death of his ex-girlfriend, Makeida Thompson. The prosecution had lobbied for the verdict, telling the jury that Washington meant to kill the mother of his child during a...
Scaled-back South Buffalo housing plan set to break ground this spring
Armstrong County’s first housing development since the 1980s, planned for South Buffalo’s RIDC Armstrong Innovation Park, has been scaled back from 90 to 60 homes. County Commissioner Pat Fabian told TribLive that Butler County-based developer America First Enterprises has pulled back on the plan it announced last year, which called...
Remains found in North Carolina linked to former Westmoreland resident
Remains found in North Carolina in 2022 have been linked to a woman who has ties to Westmoreland County. Sharon Johnston told the Anson Record last week that officials in Anson County said DNA results indicate the remains of an unidentified woman belong to her daughter, Amber Rae Johnston. Anson...
At the library: Here are a few special programs happening at Shaler North Hills Library
As one of the busiest libraries in Allegheny County, Shaler North Hills Library prides itself in offering a wide variety of programs for children, teens and adults. The library at 1822 Mt. Royal Blvd., which opened in 1942 with 3,000 books, today provides free access to more than 130,000 items,...
Acmetonia environmental program expands outside the school’s walls
Acmetonia Elementary School student Maverick Gniewkowski was surprised when he learned there are 86,000 miles worth of rivers and streams in Pennsylvania. “I thought there would be less than that,” said Maverick, 10. That fact was one of 100 questions Maverick and his fourth-grade peers studied this month when preparing...
Allegheny Valley school officials approve construction of $2.68 million athletic field
Allegheny Valley School Board has given its final approval for construction of a proposed multipurpose athletic field. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to spend $2.68 million for the field. Located along Butler-Logan Road, across from Springdale Junior-Senior High School, the field will provide a home for the district’s football, soccer...
Upscale, nature-inspired housing plan progresses in Fox Chapel
A niche housing plan is the result of two former Fox Chapel siblings determined to honor their late parents’ legacy and preserve the land of their beloved family homestead in Fox Chapel. Susan Bailey and her brother Dan Sciullo co-own Willow Farms, a custom home development in a country-like setting...
Schedule set for demolition of Homer City power plant towers
Preparations are underway for the expected demolition Saturday morning of the stacks and towers at the former Homer City Generating Station. The operation will be weather dependent. It could be delayed for hours or days if weather conditions including wind speed and barometric pressure are not favorable. The old coal-fired...
Bridgeville gears for 125th anniversary with logo contest
Bridgeville is kicking off its 125th anniversary with a logo contest. The borough was incorporated in 1901, and borough officials and organizations are planning a weeklong celebration next summer to commemorate Bridgeville, its history and its residents. “We chose to do a logo contest because this event is all about...
Morning Roundup: Fire breaks out at Derry Township home of Westmoreland 911 dispatcher
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, March 21: Fire breaks out at home of 911 dispatcher in Derry Township Emergency crews reported to the home of a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher in Derry Township after a fire broke out Friday morning. Westmoreland County 911 said...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: March 21-23
Spring is officially here, but the weather is still fickle. So, while we’re waiting for March to go out like a lamb, here are some fun (and mostly indoor) events to pass the weekend around the Pittsburgh region. NatureFest On Saturday, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Oakland will...
The Stroller, March 21, 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. Jared Ryder Foundation to...
Leechburg churches combine forces for mission trip to North Carolina
Two Leechburg churches are finalizing plans before heading south on a mission of mercy. Members of Cross Roads Community Presbyterian Church and First Evangelical Lutheran Church are teaming up to go on a mission trip this year to aid those affected by Hurricane Helene last year. Rev. James Arter of...
Greengate Mall topic of historical society lunch and program
The Live Casino in Hempfield will be the location for a nostalgic look at the former Greengate Mall, which was a shopping destination for decades. Gary Nelson will present the program, “Remember When We Shopped at the Greengate Mall,” from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. April 6 at the casino along...
Latrobe teen stirs up success in culinary competition
Asher Jaffre is no slouch in the kitchen, and he comes by it honestly. His parents own two — soon to be three — Jaffre’s restaurants in Westmoreland County. “My dad got me into cooking,” said Jaffre, 17, of Latrobe. “I used to help him bread zucchini when I was...
Hempfield Area High School students show off winning Chain Reaction machine
Standing around a machine made of wood, plastic tubes, a spatula and an imitation frying pan, a team of Hempfield Area High School students showed the school board the work that won them first place in a February engineering competition. For nearly two decades, science teacher Tom Harden has sent...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: March 21-23
Spring is officially here. It’s time to leave winter behind and look forward to many warmer days (and nights) enjoying the outdoors. But while temperatures are still keeping us indoors, here are some events this weekend to keep you occupied around Westmoreland County. Maxim Lando with the WSO For the...
Shapiro touts AI program for state employees during visit to Carnegie Mellon
Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled the results of the first-ever generative artificial intelligence pilot program for state employees during a visit Friday to Carnegie Mellon University. Partnered with CMU and OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research organization, Shapiro signed an executive order in September 2023 to expand and govern the use of...
Rally supporting Penn State New Kensington underscores educational, economic needs
Kelli Collins believes Penn State New Kensington changed her daughter’s life. “For a kid that struggled in high school, she ended up on the Dean’s List,” Collins said of her daughter, Molly, who graduated from the Upper Burrell campus last year. “She gained so much self-confidence from this school because...
Memorial observance honors 5 victims of Jeannette house fire 1 year ago
Miranda John has found ways to honor the memories of her four children and fiancee over the past year. There have been balloon releases on each of their birthdays. She has donated baskets of items to Westmoreland Hospital for newborns who share the birthdays of Kyson, 7; Kinzleigh, 6; Keagan,...
New Kensington daycare hosts ‘Dr. Seuss’ family night in celebration of Read Across America
Dozens of families throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley flocked to the All Kids Are Special Childcare and Learning Center in New Kensington for its annual Dr. Seuss Family Engagement Night. Part of this month’s Read Across America celebration, preschoolers and toddlers, accompanied by their parents, participated in a variety of games...
