Proposed Penn Hills budget includes no tax increase; first hearing coming up
Penn Hills will hold its first hearing on its proposed 2026 budget at 7 p.m. Nov. 24. The public is welcome to ask questions about the $78.9 million spending plan — which includes no tax increase — and provide feedback on what the township’s goals and financial priorities should be...
Hunter dies after fall in South Huntingdon
A hunter in Westmoreland County died after falling on Tuesday. A county 911 supervisor said first responders were called to South Huntingdon’s Mendon neighborhood just after 12:30 p.m. Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said Michael Hinerman, 50, was found on his property in a wooded area along McCune Road in...
Pittsburgh Mills property owners ordered to pay another $17.6 million in fines
Property owners for the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer were ordered to pay more than $17 million in response to poor road, sidewalk and door conditions at the mall complex, an Allegheny County judge ruled Tuesday. In sum, Judge Thomas Flaherty handed down $17,634,080 worth of fines against the four...
Local news festival Newsapalooza set to return this week
Newsapalooza, a two-day local news festival in Pittsburgh, will return for another year on Thursday and Friday. The event will take place at Point Park University and its Pittsburgh Playhouse theater. Presented by Point Park’s Center for Media Innovation, Newsapalooza saw its first edition last year. Attendees can expect numerous...
‘I was paranoid’: Severe psychosis drove fatal stabbing of liquor control officer on Montour Trail
By the time Antonia Quesen fatally stabbed a man running on the Montour Trail last year, she was profoundly paranoid. Since her junior year in college studying art, her mom told a judge on Tuesday, Quesen believed people were poisoning her; that there were 5G chips in the covid-19 vaccine;...
Tarentum taxes to remain steady under proposed budget; utilities to increase slightly
Property taxes were held steady in Tarentum, although residents will likely see a slight increase in some utility costs. The proposed $5.7 million general fund budget was passed Tuesday. It maintains a property tax rate of 5.98 mills. If approved, the owner of a home assessed at the borough’s median...
Tarentum man mauled by his own dogs
A Tarentum man who faced charges last year after his pit bulls attacked several people on Halloween was mauled by his three dogs Tuesday at a borough apartment. Brandon Baynes, 37, suffered severe injuries to his face, Tarentum police said. Emergency crews were called early Tuesday to an Allegheny County...
New rules take bite out of red tape for food trucks in Pittsburgh ahead of NFL Draft
Pittsburgh on Tuesday made it easier for vendors to set up retail or food stands throughout the city. The changes will take effect shortly, well in advance of the 2026 NFL Draft in April. The three-day event — which will span Downtown and the North Shore — is expected to...
Ross Manager Ronald Borczyk, a West Deer resident, announces retirement
After nearly 30 years as an elected and appointed local government official, Ronald Borczyk is calling it a career. Borczyk, 67, will retire Jan. 9 from his current position as manager of Ross, Commissioner Dan DeMarco announced during the commissioners meeting on Monday, Nov. 17. “We’re gonna miss you, Ron,”...
SWAT, U.S. Marshals arrest South Side homicide suspect
A SWAT team and U.S. marshals on Tuesday arrested a Penn Hills man who had been on the lam in connection with a fatal shooting last month in Pittsburgh’s South Side entertainment district. Video footage showed Moniem Strothers, 26, shoot Steven Robertson, 33, once in the neck in the 1200...
Allegiant pilots picket for higher pay outside new Pittsburgh airport terminal
Allegiant Air pilots picketing outside the new Pittsburgh International Airport terminal said they’re fed up with sluggish union contract talks and pay well below industry standards. Jumping to another carrier, including other budget airlines like Spirit or Southwest, could bring more than double the hourly pay, they said. “All we’re...
Verona Police launch new features on refurbished website
The Verona Police Department has streamlined multiple services and information access through its newly refurbished website. The improvements will significantly improve the department’s online presence, according to a post on its Facebook page. New services available on the site include paying parking tickets online, requesting police reports, applying for handicap...
Heisler warns of ‘widespread service disruptions’ if Pittsburgh fleet isn’t funded
Pittsburgh Controller Rachael Heisler is urging officials to create a fund for nonprofits to help buy new emergency vehicles as the city struggles to maintain an aging, breakdown-prone fleet. If Pittsburgh doesn’t significantly bolster investments to the fleet, the city could experience “widespread service disruptions” in the coming years, Heisler...
Wilkinsburg man accused of beating woman to death in Plum
Allegheny County Police have accused Shawn Higgins of beating his girlfriend to death in Plum on Saturday. Higgins, 62, of Wilkinsburg is charged with criminal homicide in connection to the death of Jacqueline Pryber. Police in Washington Township, Westmoreland County, initially located Pryber’s body in the passenger seat of Higgins’...
With state budget passage, Gateway School District anticipates $600,000 bump in revenue
During Gateway School Board’s study session Nov. 17, the board discussed the impact the state budget finally passing will have on the district. The district anticipates receiving a net increase of $612,021 in state revenue for the 2025-26 school year. Superintendent Guy Rossi stressed the amount still needs to be...
Latrobe prepares for health cost hike next year, looks to hold line on taxes
Latrobe officials plan to hold the line on taxes next year despite an increase in health benefit costs and moves to boost staff and equipment for a shift to in-house garbage hauling. City council voted last week to advertise a proposed 2026 budget with projected revenues of $7.52 million, which...
Hunt Elementary initiative’s goal is to send every student home with food before Thanksgiving
When students at Roy A. Hunt Elementary School go home for holiday breaks, their teachers worry. Almost 87% of the school’s students are economically disadvantaged, according to data from the state department of education’s Future Ready Index. So, with the recent federal government shutdown concurrent with a state budget impasse...
Travelers have good reviews for Pittsburgh airport’s new terminal
The Pittsburgh International Airport’s new landside terminal mostly cruised through its first day of operations Tuesday. Perhaps the most notable snag was a technical issue at the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint in the early morning hours, temporarily snarling lines. Besides that, passengers and airport officials had little negative to report...
Pittsburgh native Michael Misko keeps whimsy alive with comedy-laden magic act
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. Most people start their career sitting behind a screen in an office cubicle, but Pittsburgh-raised magician Michael Misko’s career started in the...
The Stroller, Nov. 18, 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. Food collection to benefit...
Expert says 50-year mortgage proposal would be a ‘generational debt’ trap
To address mounting concerns about housing affordability, President Donald Trump recently floated the prospect of a 50-year mortgage, days after several key election contests that centered on cost-of-living issues. “All it means is you pay less per month,” Trump said in an interview last week. Yet the president’s idea is...
North Allegheny School District’s 2026-27 calendar makes room for construction
An earlier first day of school — Aug. 18 — for the upcoming 2026-27 school year will help accommodate pending construction beginning at several schools in the North Allegheny School District. Hosack, Ingomar and Peebles elementary schools, as well as Phase 1 of the high school and the natatorium, are...
McCandless spreading extra cheer with 5th annual Winterfest
Winterfest, gingerbread houses and lights, oh my. Creative bakers with a flair for architecture can test their edible skills in a new gingerbread house contest in McCandless, with all entries to be judged at the fifth annual Winterfest, the town’s signature seasonal celebration, scheduled for 3 to 7 p.m. Dec....
Gallery: End of an era for Pittsburgh’s old airport landside terminal
The brand new $1.7 billion landside terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport opened to travelers early Tuesday morning. On Monday evening and into the early morning hours of Tuesday, commuters flowed through the old landside terminal one last time — from the former airline check-in spaces to the TSA lanes to...
Springdale incumbent mayor increases lead to 3 votes
Springdale’s Republican incumbent Mayor Joel Anderson now leads his opponent by three votes after Allegheny County updated its unofficial election results. The unofficial results currently show Anderson with 521 votes to Democrat John Murray’s 518. Initial unofficial results had shown Anderson leading by a single vote, 517-516. Anderson did not...
