Taxes to spike 63% in Franklin Park as borough adopts ‘fiscally proactive’ 2026 budget
Franklin Park residents will see a 63% jump in taxes in 2026. The millage rate was increased by 1 mill, to 2.59 mills from the current 1.59 mills, to address deficits in the budget and reserve funds. While the budget passed unanimously Dec. 3, the millage rate passed 4-2, with...
Who are Pittsburgh Mayor-elect O’Connor’s latest picks for his administration?
Pittsburgh Mayor-elect Corey O’Connor this week announced his picks for more key posts in his administration. Sharon Werner — a former chief of staff to U.S. Attorneys General Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch — will be the city’s chief operating officer. Sophia Shapiro, the daughter of Gov. Josh Shapiro, will...
Reserve commissioners approve $6M 2026 budget with no property tax increase
Reserve commissioners have approved the township’s $6 million budget for 2026, which carries no property tax increase. The township’s property tax rate will remain at 6.47 mills. For a property at the township’s median value, the annual township property tax bill will stay at about $615. Commissioners approved the budget...
Brackenridge garbage rates remain steady but residents to pay for oversized items
Brackenridge residents will have a new garbage hauler in 2026. Council on Thursday approved a bid from Shank Waste Service in Lower Burrell which maintains unlimited pickup from borough homes. Rates will remain at $70 per quarter, but residents will pay a slight charge for items considered oversized, Council President...
Planned $68M health sciences building at Duquesne University to open in fall 2028
Duquesne University officials say a new, $68 million health sciences facility will locate clinical services, consolidate programs and strengthen the college’s role in regional health care. Duquesne announced Tuesday that it plans to build a new, 80,000-square-foot health sciences facility at the corner of Forbes Avenue and Magee Street that...
Former teacher accused of sexual assault most recently taught at private Butler County school
A former Highlands School District teacher charged last week with sexual assault against children continued to teach after leaving the district in 2022. Sean Dicer, 53, of Brackenridge was most recently employed at Penn Christian Academy, a private school in Penn Township, Butler County. Dicer was arrested Thursday and charged...
Food truck found operating without permit
The Cousins Maine Lobster food truck operating in Richland last week was ordered to close by the Allegheny County Health Department — for operating without a permit. However, a week later, Annalisa Sangiovanni, an administrator for Cousins Maine Lobster’s Pittsburgh franchises, said the issues have been remedied. “Our original Pittsburgh...
Hempfield students, teachers pitch in to donate holiday meals to local families
Spanish teacher Natalie Fetterman couldn’t unhear the numbers — the 326 Hempfield Area students who take advantage of the district’s weekend food program. That’s in addition to the 900 students throughout the district’s nine school buildings who are registered for free or reduced cost lunches. “These numbers aren’t something that...
False fire alarm fines begin in Greensburg with the new year; ordinance holds property owners accountable
New rules regarding false fire alarms in Greensburg are set to go into effect Jan. 1. Greensburg council on Monday unanimously approved updating an ordinance that holds property owners accountable for alarm malfunctions, particularly when firefighters repeatedly respond to the same building. Fire Chief Tom Bell said firefighters have been...
Election victors join Plum School Board; new president named
Plum School Board has four new members after a slate of Election Day victors took their seats this month. Jill Klipa, Adam Hill, Tiffany Hyde and Geter Sloan were sworn in to office by District Judge Mike Doyle. Hill served one term from 2019 to 2023, but the other three...
New administrator sees growth potential at PennWest University
The new vice president for strategic enrollment management at Pennsylvania Western University believes strong admissions recruitment and providing a solid student experience can turn the tide of declining enrollment there. Darren Wagner was named to the post at PennWest — which includes campuses at Clarion, California and Edinboro — Dec....
Cause of blaze that destroyed Hempfield home under investigation
A state police fire marshal is investigating the cause of a blaze that destroyed a home in Hempfield’s Fort Allen section Tuesday morning. Flames and billowing smoke ripped through the residence at 318 Hopi Drive after the fire was reported about 9:15 a.m. Hempfield Fire Department Chief Anthony Kovacic confirmed...
Pittsburgh man, 56, killed in East Hills shooting
A man fatally shot in Pittsburgh Tuesday morning was a 56-year-old resident of the Garfield neighborhood, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said. Pittsburgh police found Mark M. Easley around 1:50 a.m. behind a building in the city’s East Hills neighborhood, authorities said. He had been shot in the head....
Cars crashing into buildings: Increase seen in these high-hazard calls
They are among the most dangerous and unpredictable incidents first responders face: Vehicles crashing into buildings. In a few chaotic seconds, a routine drive transforms into a complex emergency involving potential mass casualties, fire hazards and the threat of structural collapse. For first responders, it is the call that typically...
Derry Township man gets prison for assault and strangulation of girlfriend
A Derry Township man was ordered to serve up to five years in prison for the assault and strangulation of his live-in girlfriend in early 2020. Wayne Nestler Jr., 36, pleaded guilty Monday to two felony counts of strangulation and one misdemeanor offense of simple assault in connection with allegations...
Morning Roundup: Water main repairs close section of Route 28
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Dec. 9: Water main repairs close section of Route 28 A section of inbound Route 28 has been closed as crews repair a water main break. The issue was reported Monday afternoon on a hillside across from the...
The Stroller, Dec. 9, 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. Lower Burrell Christmas celebration...
Downtown New Kensington no longer a food desert with opening of Horizon Market
Downtown New Kensington will no longer be considered a food desert once a small-scale grocery store opens there Wednesday. Shoppers will have access to fresh produce, seafood, milk, meat and more when Horizon Market opens at 4 p.m. at 912 Seventh St. near the BP gas station, in the former...
Cutting-edge Tourette syndrome treatment helps woman reclaim daily life
In the Neurology Department at Allegheny General Hospital’s Hemlock Building, Abigail Bailey’s body folded forward in her chair. Her muscles tightened as if someone had forced the air from her lungs. Her nose burned, her chest hitched and she gripped the chair’s armrests to keep from collapsing. Abigail’s younger sister...
Buffalo Township proposes 22% tax increase in preliminary budget
Buffalo Township residents could see a bump in their property taxes if supervisors approve the township’s preliminary budget later this month. The budget proposes raising taxes about 22% from 13.5 mills to 16.5 mills. That means the owner of a property at the median assessed value of $22,290 would pay...
MicroSociety builds confidence, challenges students at Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship
Mini-city Soarmania is celebrating its fifth anniversary. Not a place found on the map, Soarmania was meticulously created and carried on by students of Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship. For one period each day, PHCSE transforms into the MicroSociety Soarmania, where students apply academics to real-life experiences. Running from...
Without closures, Pittsburgh Public Schools projects $6M deficit with 4% tax hike
Pittsburgh Public Schools officials plan to move into the new year with a more than $6 million projected budget deficit despite a proposed 4% tax hike. In a budget hearing Monday night, multiple district residents implored school board members and administrators to find creative ways of raising revenue beyond the...
Allegheny County sheriff admitted to hospital last week, in stable condition
Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus is in stable condition after being hospitalized last week, according to spokesperson Mike Manko. Kraus was “under the weather” all of last week and decided to see a doctor on Thursday, Manko said. “That doctor suggested he go to the hospital where doctors made the...
Greensburg keeps property tax rate steady, despite drop in total assessed value
Despite a $2.6 million drop in assessed property value for next year, Greensburg council passed a 2026 budget that keeps the millage rate steady. That decrease in total assessed value will result in about $21,500 less in property tax revenue for the city. When initially preparing the 2026 spending plan,...
Mum’s the word: NFL, Visit Pittsburgh host private town hall on draft plans
As a Pittsburgh councilman, Anthony Coghill chairs City Council’s public safety committee and serves on the Sports & Exhibition Authority’s board. But even those credentials could not score him an invitation to a closed-door “town hall” Monday with NFL officials about the 2026 NFL Draft coming to Pittsburgh in April....
