Penn State reports chicken pox outbreak at State College
Penn State University has confirmed three cases of chicken pox on its main campus in State College. Students and staff who were in Mifflin Hall between Feb. 17 and 24 or in the Thomas Building on Feb. 20 between 1 and 3 p.m. may have been exposed, the university said...
HOV lanes closed indefinitely as Route 28 repairs are made
PennDOT has indefinitely closed the I-279/I-579 HOV lanes after crews found significant deterioration of a concrete column supporting a ramp over Route 28. Route 28 northbound is under a long-term single-lane restriction starting just south of the I-279 North/East Ohio Street exit while crews make temporary repairs and prepare for...
Suspect shot last month in East Vandergrift police raid dies
The man shot and critically wounded by police last month during a raid on his East Vandergrift apartment has died. Lyle Cessna, 52, died Monday afternoon at UPMC Presbyterian hospital, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. He was awaiting a preliminary hearing in Armstrong County Court on a...
1 dead, 2 seriously injured in 2-vehicle crash in Fayette County
One person died and two others were seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash in Fayette County on Monday night. Pennsylvania State Police said a Chevy Cruze rolled past a stop sign at the intersection of Morgantown and Tent Church roads just after 9 p.m., when it collided with an oncoming...
The Stroller, March 4, 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. Resource center offers free...
Police say Pittsburgh interior designer bilked clients out of nearly $500K
A Pittsburgh interior designer is facing multiple charges after being accused of bilking clients of nearly half a million dollars. Lauren Piasecki, 44, of Morningside has been charged with various counts of theft by unlawful taking, home improvement fraud, receiving stolen property and deceptive business practices, the Allegheny County District...
Driver pleads guilty to killing motorcyclist in Dormont crash, faces deportation
Christian Sluka played multiple instruments in his band, adored his cats and spent much of his time caring for and mentoring his three younger brothers. When he was killed last year while riding his motorcycle in Dormont, it left an emotional and physical void for his loved ones. “I feel...
Lawyers argue whether woman who pleaded guilty in Oakmont child death meant to kill
Alexis Herrera clearly thought of the 3-year-old girl as less than human, the prosecutor said. Herrera withheld food and water. She tied the girl up. She made her sit on the potty for hours. She struck her. She let the other children in the house hurt the girl, too. All...
Police charge trucker in West Virginia crash that pushed SUV of Fayette man into Cheat Lake
An arrest warrant has been issued for a tractor-trailer driver who authorities said was driving recklessly during a January snowstorm when the rig collided with an SUV driven by a Fayette County man, propelling it into West Virginia’s Cheat Lake. The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office charged Sukhjinder Singh of New...
Where is the top-selling liquor store in Pennsylvania?
The wine and liquor store atop the Eastside retail center at the border of Pittsburgh’s Shadyside and East Liberty neighborhoods has been in elite company for more than five years. But in the 2023-24 fiscal year, the Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection tallied the most sales in the...
Ukrainian supporters rally in Pittsburgh after Trump’s contentious meeting with Zelenskyy
Monday’s lunch hour in Downtown Pittsburgh featured a sea of blue and yellow as rallygoers gathered on Grant Street to support Ukraine in the wake of President Donald Trump’s contentious meeting Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. Chants of “Ukrainians and Zelenskyy proud and true, the...
Shaler Area student to be charged for allegedly assaulting basketball referee
Shaler police are in the process of charging a juvenile after they allegedly punched a referee on March 1 during a fourth grade basketball game at Shaler Area Elementary School. According to Lt. Josh Watkins, police likely will charge the suspect, a Shaler Area High School student, in juvenile court...
Tennessee man pleads guilty to indecent assault of 3 North Huntingdon children
A Tennessee man will serve 10 years on probation for the indecent assault of three young children more than four years ago in North Huntingdon. Joseph Aaron Smith, 40, pleaded guilty Monday to three misdemeanor counts of indecent assault based on allegations that he had improper sexual contact with the...
Derry farmer joins board of directors at food-centered nonprofit
Derry Township farmer Rick Ebert has joined the board of directors at Food21, a Pittsburgh-area nonprofit that works to create sustainable jobs, economic opportunity and access to nutrition by converting undervalued community assets into food-centered ventures. The group has partnered with the Larimer Consensus Group to renovate the gymnasium of...
Gainey, O’Connor trade barbs over campaign money from GOP donors
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Monday slammed his opponent in the upcoming Democratic mayoral primary race for accepting campaign donations from Republicans. But Gainey acknowledged he’s taken money from GOP contributors, too. His challenger, Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor, said he’s proud to have gathered a diverse array of voters...
Developer of upscale 55-plus housing to pitch Frazer plan
A developer seeking to build upscale 55-plus housing in Frazer is expected to present its plan Tuesday. Foxlane Homes is scheduled to have a conditional use hearing at the start of the township supervisors meeting, after which the board could vote on the project, Supervisor/Secretary Lori Ziencik said. The public...
Man accused of attacking Arnold landlord after breaking into woman’s apartment
Police responded to an Arnold apartment building Friday night after a city officer heard a man attacking its landlord over the phone, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case. Police charged Joseph Anthony Rodrigue, 20, with felony counts of aggravated assault, burglary and criminal trespass and misdemeanor charges...
3 charged after drive-by shooting in Mt. Pleasant Township
Three men were jailed Monday on $500,000 bail each after, state police said, they were involved in a drive-by shooting in Mt. Pleasant Township. A home on Poker Road, just off Route 982 in the village of Mammoth, was damaged by bullets while people were inside, police said. The front...
Uncertainty swirling for university researchers impacted by proposed NIH cuts
Democrats and university officials say uncertainty is rampant after proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health, and fear the move could cost the region thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars. About 21,000 jobs are supported by NIH funding in the state, according to figures cited by...
10 Japanese exchange students to attend Shaler Area High School classes in March
Hailing from Niigata High School on Japan’s western coast, 10 Japanese students attended three days of classes at Shaler Area High School. The students, mostly third-year high schoolers, sat in on science, technology, engineering and math classes from March 10-12 in an effort to learn more about American STEM education....
West Deer VFDs say state grants help lighten financial burden
West Deer Fire Chief Luke Raynovich breathes a sigh of relief with every dollar donated to his department. “It takes some of the financial burden off,” said Raynovich, chief of West Deer No. 1. “With the fire department being volunteer, there is always stress with money and needing to update...
Landlords and Vandergrift officials clash over proposed rental licensing fee hike
Vandergrift won’t be able to hike its rental licensing fee without a fight. Some local landlords say increasing the annual cost to register their units from $50 to $200 will eat into their already slim margins and inflate rents, ultimately harming their most vulnerable tenants. “I am all for the...
4 escape injury in Frazer rollover
Four occupants of an overturned pickup truck late Sunday in Frazer appear to have escaped injury, according to officials. No cause for the crash was available early Monday. Frazer police Chief Aaron Scott said the report was not yet complete. Frazer and East Deer volunteer fire departments were called at...
New Hempfield municipal complex connection will extend to Five Star Trail
While construction at Hempfield’s new municipal complex continues, the township was awarded a $1.76 million state grant that will connect the site to the Five Star Trail. Township Manager Aaron Siko said the money will be spent to realign Spruce Street and create a shared lane for bicycles along Rugh...
Quaker Valley senior soars to new heights with rare Scouting milestone
A Quaker Valley High School senior has 138 reasons to celebrate. Liam Welge, 18, recently “aged out” from his Boy Scout experience with Scouting America, but not before earning every scouting merit badge possible. “It rarely happens,” said Welge. “I did it because it gives you a little bit of...
