Local category, Page 3119
Defense attorney says client didn’t intend to be involved in Latrobe murder
The lawyer for a Latrobe man told Westmoreland County jurors Tuesday his 19-year-old client never intended to be involved in a murder. Defense attorney Michael DeMatt conceded that Colin Gearhart was present but was not involved with the robbery and shooting that left a friend dead in front of his...
Trial set to begin for motorist accused of killing East Huntingdon pedestrian
Opening statements and testimony will begin Wednesday in the third-degree murder trial of a New Stanton motorist charged with being under the influence of drugs when he hit and killed a pedestrian walking his dog on Christmas Eve 2016. Jurors were seated Tuesday in the case against Matthew Ramsay, 31,...
Burrell students get high-tech homework assignment from electronics maker
Talk about your homework. Burrell High School students took home a robotic arm, a 3D printer and a heavy assignment from a visit to a Harrison circuit board producer. Tuesday’s visit to EPD Electronics by 14 Burrell students wasn’t your typical field trip and, according to school administrators and students,...
‘Mac Miller’s Blue Slide Park’ appears in Apple, Bing map searches
Mac Miller’s name now appears in some online searches for the late Pittsburgh rapper’s neighborhood playground. Blue Slide Playground in Squirrel Hill’s Frick Park has been rebranded as “Mac Miller’s Blue Slide Park” via Bing and Apple Maps searches. Miller’s name did not appear attached to Blue Slide Playground on...
Spotted lanternfly webinar teaches about permit, species
Wondering if you need a spotted lanternfly permit? A March 21 webinar will work to answer questions about the invasive species and which Pennsylvania businesses are required to have a permit. The spotted lanternfly was originally found in Berks County in 2014 and can damage grape, hops and logging industries....
‘Disturbing’ James Bond Facebook meme spurs Highlands to ax would-be security firm
Highlands School District officials say “disturbing” Facebook posts were the impetus for the district to rescind its contract with a school security firm. Days after the board approved a contract with Olympia Security Group in mid-February, “various people in the community” alerted substitute Superintendent Monique Mawhinney and other officials to...
Turnpike delays expected Wednesday between Allegheny Valley, Butler Valley
Westbound motorists on the Pennsylvania Turnpike may experience delays Wednesday while crews apply pavement markings between the Allegheny Valley and Butler Valley exits. Three intermittent, 15-minute traffic paces are planned between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to allow completion of the work. During the paces, turnpike maintenance crews and state...
Cavitt Road in Monroeville to close Wednesday until possibly Friday
A small section of Cavitt Road in Monroeville will be closed starting Wednesday morning to possibly Friday. A Nixle report to Monroeville residents said the road will close due to road work at 7 a.m. March 13 between Asbury Court and William Penn Highway. The closure may continue overnight Wednesday...
Pittsburgh Council to amend gun legislation Wednesday, but no vote expected
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday will amend - but not vote on - controversial legislation that would ban certain firearms and accessories from within city limits, a sponsor of the bills said Wednesday. Councilman Corey O’Connor of Swisshelm Park said council would amend the proposed legislation to add information, including...
Electronics, hazardous waste to be accepted at Monroeville recycling event
Monroeville Department of Public Works will host a recycling collection event in April. Erie-based Environmental Coordination Services & Recycling will accept electronics and household hazardous waste from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 6 at Monroeville Public Works, 200 Starr Drive. This is the municipality’s second such event of the...
Allegheny Township approves money for Tredway Trail expansion
Allegheny Township is set to begin the next leg of the Wynn and Clara Tredway Trail. Supervisors awarded a $249,000 contract to A. Folino Construction of Oakmont to build the 1.5-mile extension from underneath the Freeport Bridge toward the junction of the Kiski and Allegheny rivers. Work is expected to...
PennDOT releases $500.7 million in liquid fuel taxes for local road and bridge work
Let the pothole patching crews roll. Officials at PennDOT said the state has forwarded liquid fuels taxes totaling $38.57 million to municipalities in Allegheny County and another $15 million to Westmoreland County communities as part of the March 1 distribution of $500.7 million statewide for road and bridge maintenance and...
As pressure mounts on Boeing, Pittsburgh’s top airline will keep flying 737 Max 8
Pittsburgh International Airport’s leading airline said Tuesday it will continue flying its Boeing 737 Max 8 airplanes as aviation authorities in some countries grounded that model of aircraft following Sunday’s Ethiopian Airlines crash that claimed 157 lives. At least 24 Southwest Airlines flights using the 737 Max 8 came through...
Community pep rally rev up North Hills fans for spring sports season
The North Hills School District helped fans get ready to cheer on the teams competing in the spring sports season with a Community Pep Rally on Monday. Members of the spring varsity track, lacrosse, softball, baseball, boys’ tennis and boys’ volleyball teams were introduced at the March 11 event and...
Pa. Army National Guard in Mt. Pleasant hosting open house March 27
Anyone wondering what it takes to join the Pennsylvania Army National Guard will have an opportunity March 27 at the 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Armory in Mt. Pleasant Township during a public open house. Master Sgt. Angela Burd said the event, to be held from 2-7 p.m., is aimed at...
County’s annual youth marble competition kicks off at Block Northway
Allegheny County kicked off its annual marble-shooting competition at The Block Northway in Ross Township on Monday evening. Children 14 and younger are participating in the week-long competition to determine the winners who will compete for the title of 2019 Allegheny County Marbles Champion. The Allegheny County Parks and Recreation...
6th flu-related death reported in Allegheny County
An Allegheny County resident in her mid-80s has died from flu-related complications, according to a statement from the county health department Tuesday. This brings the total number of flu-related deaths in Allegheny County during the 2018-19 flu season to six. Flu cases, hospitalizations and deaths this season are significantly lower...
Beechview woman earns high school diploma 47 years after dropping outVideo
Bonita Guesman is living proof that it’s never too late to go back to school. The 63-year-old Beechview resident can, at long last, say she’s a high school graduate. “I’m glad I did it,” Guesman said. She earned a high school diploma from the Career Online High School as she...
Man indicted in scheme to fraudulently process credit card payments
A man set up an elaborate network of shell companies to trick credit card companies into processing payments for designer drugs, kratom and CBD oil, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania said Tuesday. U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said Lancelot De Montsegur, also known as Patrice...
Penn Hills essay contest aimed at spreading word about impact of litter
The Penn Hills Anti-Litter Group is sponsoring an essay contest in an effort to get young people thinking about how litter affects their community. Students in grades 7 to 12 who participate in the group’s inaugural essay contest are encouraged to write an essay 300-500 words long answering one or...
Police: Time change may have contributed to girl being hit by car in West View
A North Hills Middle School student who was hospitalized after being hit by a car in West View Monday morning likely was the victim of poor visibility caused by the change over to daylight saving time, according to authorities. “Springing ahead” by one hour over the weekend to adjust to...
Section of Hulton Road on Penn Hills-Plum border to close Wednesday
A section of Hulton Road on the border of Penn Hills and Plum is scheduled to be closed from Wednesday to Friday. Beginning early Wednesday, Hulton Road will close to all traffic between Michael Drive and Iowa Street so crews can locate underground utility lines in advance of a project...
La Palapa food truck allowed to re-open
A county health department order against La Palapa food truck was lifted March 19. The Allegheny County Health Department had ordered the food truck to close until repairs to the truck’s water system were completed, according to an inspection report filed March 9. The report also mentioned that the truck...
North Allegheny Orchestra hosting free Disney-themed concert for kids
Members of the North Allegheny Orchestra will dress as popular Disney characters and perform a selection of the animation studio’s favorite music on Saturday March 23 at Carson Middle School. The free concert featuring musicians dressed as Belle, Ariel, Aladdin and others begins at 11 a.m. Kids are encouraged to...
Work to resume soon on waiting area, boarding bridge at Unity airport
Work is expected to resume soon on an expanded passenger holding area and a new boarding bridge at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity. The Westmoreland County Airport Authority on Tuesday approved a $90,000 change order for the boarding bridge, the enclosed structure that passengers use to walk from...
