Bartender at the Aliquippa VFW wanted on charges tied to brutal, prolonged attack
An arrest warrant has been issued for a third person in connection with a brutal beating at a Veterans of Foreign Wars lodge in Aliquippa. City police said Ireland Brown, 21, of Ambridge was bartending at the time of the Jan. 5 attack, according to a post on the department’s...
Murrysville woman accused of falsely reporting the same diamond went missing twice
A Murrysville woman has been charged with attempted insurance fraud after investigators say she was paid to replace a lost diamond, found it but did not report it to her insurance company, then filed another claim that she’d lost it a few months later. Rachel DeSoto-Jackson, 36, of Murrysville was...
Oakmont zoning hearing raises more questions than answers for businesses
Questions remained unanswered and issues unresolved after a public hearing before the Oakmont Zoning Hearing Board was postponed Thursday night and rescheduled for a second time. The hearing was initially scheduled Feb. 8, after an ongoing legal battle involving various Oakmont businesses and the borough was to be brought in...
The Stroller, Feb. 22, 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. Tickets available for annual...
Recent spate of plane crashes has made some travelers wary to fly
Nancy Philpot lost two of her former Westinghouse co-workers in the 1994 USAir Flight 427 crash near Hopewell, Beaver County, which killed all 132 passengers on board. Though she was initially hesitant to board an airplane once again, she eventually got over her fear. But after the past few weeks,...
Warmup could mean bumpy roads as crews struggle to keep up with potholes
Get ready to dodge more potholes. As temperatures are expected to surge from the mid-20s to above 50 degrees by Monday, it could create more potholes on roads, sidewalks, parking lots and other paved areas, experts say. The freeze-thaw cycle isn’t a secret enemy of pavement, but this winter’s temperature...
Vandergrift man apprehended after standoff facing multiple charges
A Vandergrift man is facing a slew of charges after being involved in a standoff with several police agencies Friday afternoon after he allegedly ran from police the day before. Westmoreland County Chief Deputy Sheriff Jen Shipley said 44-year-old Luis Brackman refused to surrender to deputies Friday when authorities attempted...
Westmoreland prosecutors defend conviction of Jeannette man in 1993 fire that killed wife, 2 children
Westmoreland County prosecutors claim overwhelming circumstantial evidence led to the conviction of a Jeannette man who is serving three life sentences for the murders of his wife and two young children three decades ago. But a judge is now weighing whether to overturn James Young’s conviction. Following a jury trial...
Bloser Mansion sold; will remain restaurant, bed-and-breakfast with new name
New Kensington’s historic Bloser Mansion has a new name but will remain a restaurant and a bed-and-breakfast under new owners. Lost Dreams Awakening, founded in 2014 by the husband and wife team of VonZell Wade and Laurie Johnson-Wade, bought the mansion on Sixth Avenue in the Parnassus section of the...
Westmoreland veterans health clinic will expand with move to Greensburg
An expanded outpatient clinic for Westmoreland County veterans is expected to open in two years at a new location in Greensburg. VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System announced Friday that its Westmoreland clinic will be moving about one mile west, from its space behind Westmoreland Mall to a site that will be...
Junior ROTC programs on solid ground thanks to change in federal law
Krysta Harper’s education wasn’t going well when she was a freshman at Plum High School. “My grades were failing and absolutely miserable,” she said. Now a senior, her grades are up and she’s preparing to graduate, thanks in part, she says, to the school’s Air Force Junior ROTC program. “ROTC...
Turf field project moves forward at Allegheny Valley
The Allegheny Valley School District is moving forward with its plan for a proposed multipurpose turf field and track at the high school. The board this week authorized Field Turf USA to proceed with construction drawings and permitting for the proposed turf project at the soccer field, which is across...
‘Make it Seuss’: High schoolers a guiding force behind North Hills Middle School’s ‘Seussical Jr.’
Imagination took center stage recently during North Hills Middle School drama club’s 30th annual winter musical. This year, the theme was Dr. Seuss, and about 100 middle school students and eight North Hills High School students worked together to produce “Seussical Jr.” Middle school musical director and choir teacher Shaun...
Penn Hills police switching to 12-hour shifts
The eight-hour workday soon will be a thing of the past for Penn Hills police. Starting March 31, officers will work 12-hour shifts as Chief Ronald Como and other municipal officials search for any kind of edge in the ultra-competitive realm of police recruitment. “You got to change with the...
Westmoreland happenings: Cupcake competition, gift basket raffle, 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...
Riverview alum wins national teaching award
A Riverview alum has been recognized by the White House for her work in shaping the minds of young scientists and engineers. Ella Hereth, 42, of Indianapolis, was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching — the highest honor a math or science teacher can receive...
National Aviary to take over Shady Side Academy middle school
A Shady Side Academy alumnus is helping the National Aviary find a nest for its next breeding and conservation center, teaching hospital and educational space. S. Kent Rockwell, a Fox Chapel resident and 1962 academy graduate, is in the process of acquiring his alma mater’s 35-acre middle school campus. The...
Morning Roundup: Another pedestrian hit in Pittsburgh; fire damages East Huntington home
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025: Another pedestrian hit in Pittsburgh For the second day in a row, a pedestrian has been hit by a vehicle in Pittsburgh. Police, firefighters and paramedics responded early Friday to a report of a pedestrian...
Iconic Ligonier Beach pool no longer part of long-term township plan
The latest plan for returning the former Ligonier Beach resort to recreational use won’t include reviving the Ligonier Township site’s iconic swimming pool. A locally appointed study committee has accepted a recommendation from consultant Mackin Engineers & Consultants to exclude the swimming attraction from ideas that are being considered for...
Burrell School District weighs options on $24 million in projects that could include air conditioning
Two buildings in the Burrell School District could have air conditioning for the first time if the district moves forward with up to $24 million in projects to upgrade its schools. Burrell High School and Bon Air Elementary, both targeted for improvements, would be slated for new heating and cooling...
The Stroller, Feb. 21, 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. Annual Shamrock Shuffle event...
Westmoreland native paints business windows, collects donations for LGBTQ+ nonprofits
What started as way for artist Victoria “V” Jennings to boost people’s spirits during the covid pandemic has turned into charitable fundraising. The Westmoreland County native has painted murals for about a decade. When the pandemic restrictions of March 2020 continued into the winter, Jennings put her artistic skills to...
Veteran service group organizes birthday card campaign for WWII code breaker living in Monroeville
There is never a good time for war. But for Julia Parsons, the outbreak of World War II came at the right time. In 1942, Parsons was a senior at Carnegie Tech — soon to be Carnegie Mellon University — “about to graduate with a General Studies degree that equipped...
2 found shot dead in crashed car in Pittsburgh, toddler alive in back seat
Two people were found shot dead in a car that crashed in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood Thursday night, a police spokesperson said. A child was found unharmed in a car seat and was taken to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, according to police spokesperson Emily Bourne. Pittsburgh police responded to a...
Smoother rides ahead: Pa. takes step toward revamping Breezewood interchange
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has taken a first step in redesigning the Breezewood interchange to provide a direct link for motorists who want to exit the turnpike and head south to Maryland on Interstate 70. Turnpike officials this week announced Alfred Benesch and Company, which has offices in Cranberry and...
