In brief: Penn Hills and Verona area happenings, week of March 10, 2025
More Real ID days set for spring The Penn Hills PennDOT Driver License Center, 11620 Keleket Drive, will host a Real ID Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 14 and May 5. Applications for Real IDs will be the only services available during the event. No other driver’s...
Parents unable to save 2-year-old from Butler County fire
A 2-year-old boy died Saturday morning from a fire in Butler County, according to state police. State police said they were contacted about the fire on Old Route 422 in Clearfield around 8:45 a.m. Alex Umbaugh and Melina Bryner were able to get out of the home, which state police...
Springdale residents clean up, take in changed landscape following completion of power plant demolition
Springdale is different. The power plant that dominated its sky, serving as a landmark and part of its identity, is gone — mostly. A mass of mangled metal an estimated 35 feet high remains, the rubble left after Saturday’s final demolition of the 13-story boiler house at the Cheswick Generating...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Feb. 27-March 5, 2025
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, TribLive’s “Scenes from the Valley” photo package brings to life activities and moments happening in your backyard. To have a photo considered as a “Scenes from the Valley” candidate, please...
Search continues for missing Pitt student on spring break in Dominican Republic
Officials believe a University of Pittsburgh student missing since Thursday in the Dominican Republic died of drowning, according to a report by ABC News. A search is continuing for Sudiksha Konanki, 20, who was last seen just before 5 a.m. Thursday, March 6, at the Hotel Riu Republica in Punta...
Westmoreland happenings: Irish history program, senior citizen news, more
Church News • Greensburg Church of the Brethren hosts a night of fun and fellowship for individuals and groups with developmental disabilities from 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays at the church, 554 Stanton St., Southwest Greensburg. Dinner is included. Participants must be accompanied by a family member or caregiver. Donations...
1 identified after fatal Homewood North shooting
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner has named Therreus Lindsey, 27, as the man found dead after a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Homewood North neighborhood Friday night. Officials were called to the 7200 block of Mount Vernon Street around 11:30 p.m. Friday night following reports of the incident. When police arrived on...
Alle-Kiski Valley Senior Citizen Centers calendar: March 9, 2025
Armstrong County Senior Centers Apollo Wednesday: bingo. Thursday: 10 a.m., St. Patrick’s Day party. No bingo. Hours: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays. Details: Charlotte at 800-368-1066 or Amy at 724-478-1410. The center is at 707A N. Fifth St., Apollo. Freeport Tuesday and Thursday: bingo. Wednesday: craft workshop. The center...
TribLive reporter’s quarantine journey with mother becomes award-winning story, book
Five years ago, as the covid-19 pandemic gripped the region, TribLive reporter JoAnne Klimovich Harrop quarantined in a nursing home with her mother as society began to shut down. Harrop left her husband, her home and her career to stay in the former Charles Morris Nursing and Rehabilitation Center with...
The Stroller, March 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. Drive-thru food distribution set...
‘We had so many plans’: Hempfield man mourns wife, a school van driver, after fatal crash
Harry Davis wasn’t surprised to hear others speak about his wife’s kindness after she was killed Friday morning. “It doesn’t surprise me,” Davis said. “From being around her, I know how she is with other people and (how she) wanted to help people.” Rene Davis, 60, of Hempfield was killed...
Westmoreland commissioners approve new labor deal, suspend work rules for nonunion staff
Westmoreland commissioners last week ratified a new labor deal for the county’s largest municipal police force and issued the temporary halt of a hiring policy that officials claim has skewed hiring and pay scales throughout the government. The commissioners approved a five-year contract with the Park Police Association of Westmoreland...
Flight 93 memorial supporters step up fundraising as potential for job cuts looms
The Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial is ramping up fundraising efforts and volunteer recruitment in light of job cuts in the National Park Service around the country. While it’s unclear if any of the national parks in Western Pennsylvania have been affected by the cuts, Donna Gibson, executive director...
Pitt-Greensburg charity basketball game benefits the Welcome Home Shelter
Pitt-Greensburg students may have won the competition against faculty and staff on the gym floor, but a local homeless shelter was the ultimate victor when it received a donation of $1,250 from the school’s annual Charity Basketball Game. The event, now in its 18th year, was organized by the Student...
5 years after covid struck, Pennsylvanians assess pandemic’s impact
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5 years after covid struck, Pennsylvanians assess the pandemic’s impact
Five years ago this month, Pennsylvania’s chief executive scrambled to manage a global health crisis for which no one in the world was prepared. As leader of the nation’s fifth most-populous state, then-Gov. Tom Wolf found himself winging it like everyone else. He had no playbook for covid-19. “It looked...
Forum covers the ‘roses and thorns’ of Hempfield firefighting
Creating an “inviting environment” was the theme at Hempfield Township’s second annual fire forum Saturday morning. The first forum took place last year to smooth over concerns, answer uncertainties about the state of the fire department and clarify the “nonchartered” process, where a fire station goes under the direct management...
Brackenridge councilman steps down after 8 years
John Stanzione is leaving Brackenridge Council but he really doesn’t want to. Stanzione announced he is resigning at Thursday’s council meeting. He said the reason is his family has outgrown his two-bedroom home on Pacific Avenue and he hasn’t been able to find one in the borough that would suit...
The Stroller, March 8, 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. Charity hoops game to...
State lawmakers hope pressure, even legislation, can keep Penn State New Kensington off the chopping block
Alle-Kiski Valley lawmakers are hoping the combination of political pressure — and even legislation — can help keep Penn State New Kensington off the chopping block when the university considers the closure of branch campuses. “I am in the process of putting out a letter to the university president in...
Last of Springdale boiler finally falls; owner says property under sales agreement after cleanup
The final remains of the massive boiler house at the former Cheswick Generating Station was pulled down shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday. Thick dust, including pieces of fiberglass insulation, enveloped the lower Springdale neighborhood adjacent to the property after the building fell. It was the conclusion of a demolition attempt...
Greensburg Salem raises money for student activities with ‘Mr. GS’ competition
Greensburg Salem held its Seventh annual “Mr. GS” competition Friday evening, raising money for student activities at the high school. Audience members paid for tickets to choose who they wanted to win the event. Nine seniors competed in various events: Cooper Dann, Logan Dunkerley, Wesley Heverly, Logan Lewis, Ethan Miller,...
University of Pittsburgh housekeepers union reaches 1-year contract, says university fears federal funding cuts
The union representing University of Pittsburgh cleaners, housekeepers, grounds crew, and movers and receivers says it has agreed to a one-year contract as the result of uncertainty in education funding from the federal government. The union, 32BJ SEIU, is a branch of the Service Employees International Union. In a press...
‘Fiscal prudence’ at Pitt, CMU means Science Writers 2025 won’t be held in Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University won’t be teaming up to host a national science writers conference they’d initially committed to support. Pitt and CMU committed to host the Science Writers 2025 conference last year, but on Feb. 13 they withdrew that commitment, according to a statement from...
Pine considers joining Lights Out program to protect birds during spring, fall migrations
Pine officials are making strides to protect birds as spring approaches. The township, which was named a Bird Town this year, is considering participating in a new initiative called “Lights Out” to help prevent bird deaths associated with nighttime light pollution. However, the board of supervisors recently tabled a vote...