Western PA Local News category, Page 3112
Trial date set for Jeannette woman accused in boyfriend’s 2016 death
Jury selection for the murder trial of a Jeannette woman accused in the bludgeoning death of her 19-year-old boyfriend will begin May 13. During a brief hearing Tuesday, Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani said Crystal Belle’s first-degree murder trial is expected to take about a week to...
2 bears killed by cars in West Deer, Hampton in as many days
Two young black bears, possibly siblings, were hit by cars over the weekend in West Deer and Hampton. There were no reports of injuries to people in either incident, according to Dan Puhala, a Pennsylvania Game Commission warden who covers northern Allegheny County. The first bear was hit early Saturday...
Highlands fails in argument to keep employee’s name secret
Highlands School District should not have kept secret the name of an employee it suspended in February, the state’s Office of Open Records has ruled. The office issued a final determination Tuesday in response to an appeal filed by the Tribune-Review after Highlands refused to release the employee’s name. The...
Hempfield Project 18 students to host local election forum Thursday
Project 18 students at Hempfield Area High School are gearing up for a political forum that will host candidates for the upcoming township supervisor and school board elections — a forum students have been preparing for all school year. The class, which teaches high school seniors about state and local...
PPG gingerbread house exhibit moving to Pittsburgh’s City-County Building
Pittsburgh’s annual gingerbread house display and competition at PPG Place is moving this year from its longtime home to Pittsburgh’s City-County Building on Grant Street. Highwoods Properties, the owner of PPG Place, announced last year that it was renovating its Wintergarden area as a banquet and conference facility and would...
Work on Marshall’s replacement for ‘Country Castle’ under way
For a quarter century, kids in Marshall and surrounding communities have had their own “castle” to pique their imaginations and provide countless hours of fun while they get fit. But the cost of maintaining the wooden Country Castle play area and the lack of safety upgrades available means it’s time...
Police: Pittsburgh woman seeking PFA arrested on warrant, had gun in purse
Allegheny County Sheriffs’ deputies charged a woman seeking a protection-from-abuse order at Pittsburgh Municipal Court early Tuesday after they discovered a warrant for her arrest and a loaded pistol in her purse, authorities said. Tiffany Towns, 36, of the city’s North Side, walked into the court building on First Avenue...
‘Steel City Showdown’ to test waters for Pittsburgh esports
It’s only a matter of time before competitive video games are bigger than football, according to Matt Roche, corporate and strategic partnerships manager for the Pittsburgh Knights esports organization. “In terms of viewership alone, we’re on track to surpass the NFL in the next couple years,” he said. The 2018...
Still no deal between New Kensington-Arnold School District, teachers union
Seven hours of negotiations Monday night didn’t produce an agreement between New Kensington-Arnold School District and its teachers union. The district’s 167 teachers have been working without a contract since Aug. 31, 2017. The session Monday was the first since April 11. Phil Cope, a spokesman for the teachers’ union,...
Delmont schedules borough-wide clean-up for mid-May
Delmont’s annual borough-wide clean-up is set for May 16-18 at the borough public works garage on Bierer Street. Three dumpsters will be placed at the garage where residents can dispose of a wide variety of trash at no cost during daylight hours. Participants may be asked to provide proof of...
West Community Center fitness room closing for equipment upgrades
The fitness center at Lauri Ann West Community Center in O’Hara will close tonight for equipment upgrades. The closure, which is expected to last three days, also effects the indoor track. The fitness center is a paid gym inside the community center at 1220 Powers Run Road. It is expected...
Vandergrift man charged in death of infant son headed to court
A Vandergrift man whose 1-month-old son suffocated and died in September told detectives he shouldn’t have fallen asleep with the infant on his chest, a detective with the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office testified Tuesday. “He had agreed with us that he probably shouldn’t have done that,” Detective John Clark...
Cavitt Road in Monroeville still closed, officials determining scope of work
Officials in Monroeville are trying to determine the scope of work needed to reopen a municipal road that was closed almost 50 days ago. In an announcement posted to the borough website Monday, officials said they are looking into whether the issues that have caused Cavitt Road to be closed...
Kennywood, Idlewild, Sandcastle could get new owner
The Spanish company that owns Kennywood Park in West Mifflin is courting a takeover offer from an international investment company. Piolin Bidco S.A.U. has offered $703 million to buy the remaining interest in Parques Reunidos, owner of Kennywood, West Homestead’s Sandcastle and Ligonier’s Idlewild parks, El Pais newspaper of Madrid...
Ross posts list of streets slated for paving
Ross Township has published a list of streets in the municipality that will paved this year. As a result, road paving and bridge repairs are the two largest line items in this year’s budget. The township’s $22.9 million spending plan for 2019 earmarks $2 million to pave roads and $890,000...
Patti LaBelle to headline Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival
The iconic Patti LaBelle will be the featured performer at the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival in June. Presented by the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, the event is curated and directed by Janis Burley Wilson, president and CEO of the cultural center. The festival is a combination of...
Man linked to Unity woman’s disappearance facing new charges from jail
Criminal charges continue to pile up against a Unity man who is under investigation in connection with the death of Cassandra Gross, who has been missing for more than a year. State police Tuesday filed two new cases against Thomas Stanko, 48, accusing him of asking a woman to falsify...
Vandergrift photographer will be art league’s featured speaker
Photographer and illustrator Tom Gallovich of Vandergrift will be the featured speaker at the East Suburban Artists League’s meeting on Thursday. Gallovich — author of “Power Composition for Photography: Develop Your Artistic Eye,” which provides advice for aspiring shutterbugs — is a former instructor at the Oakbridge Academy in Lower...
West View taking applications for youth summer jobs
West View residents between the ages of 16 and 18 can apply for summer jobs in the borough’s Public Works Department. The work will involve assisting public works crews with day-to-day operations. Applications can be picked up at the administration office from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The office is...
Fox Chapel Area students take top spot at Allegheny County Envirothon
Fox Chapel Area High School students will compete in a statewide environmental competition after claiming first place at the local level. District students won first and third places at an April 26 Allegheny County event, Envirothon, hosted at Boyce Park. The winning team includes junior Sina Shaik and seniors Megan...
Westmoreland County 2019 high school rankings released
The top Westmoreland County high school ranked 63rd among public schools in Pennsylvania, according to new rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. The magazine did not provide specific rankings for schools listed from 516-673. Rankings are based on college readiness, math and reading proficiency, math and reading performance,...
Public meeting set for adoption of South Greensburg comprehensive plan
Swapping blight for beauty, including through public spaces and building improvements, is a key component for South Greensburg’s future. So are better parks, improved recreation opportunities, restored infrastructure and a revamped and reimagined town center radiating from the intersection of Broad Street and Huff Avenue that draws visitors through arts,...
Allegheny County 2019 high school rankings released
Below is the Top 10 high schools in Allegheny County, according to new rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. Rankings are based on college readiness, math and reading proficiency, math and reading performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rate. The county rankings are followed by...
Pittsburgh area jobless rate falls, lowest since ’76
The Pittsburgh area unemployment rate dipped slightly to 3.9% in March, the lowest level since 1976, when the region’s steel industry still was vibrant. The jobless rate, adjusted for seasonal factors, dropped 0.1 of a percentage point in March, and was down from 4.4% a year ago, according to the...
18 of Pennsylvania’s top 100 ranked high schools are in Pittsburgh region
Southwestern Pennsylvania has 18 of the Top 100 high schools in the state, according to new rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. The rankings are based on college readiness, math and reading proficiency, math and reading performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rate. High schools...
