The Stroller, Feb. 14, 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. Happy Valentine’s Day! Don’t...
At fire academy, high school students earn class credit while training to be firefighters
Desiree Schramm wasn’t looking to become a firefighter when she was choosing electives during her junior year at North Hills High School. “I was scheduling for classes and, ‘What’s this?’ ” said Schramm, of Ross, now 18 and a senior. “This is actually pretty cool.” What Schramm stumbled across was the...
Westmoreland high school students pursue first responder certifications
Students in 10 of Westmoreland County’s school districts don’t have to wait until after graduation to pursue a career as a first responder. Through the Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center’s Protective Services class, students in grades 10-12 at select Westmoreland schools can earn certifications in firefighting, policing, EMS and...
Westmoreland leaders look to workforce, housing, internet projects for improving ‘State of County’
Westmoreland County’s manufacturers generate $1.3 billion in annual wages and account for 22% of that sector in the seven-county Pittsburgh metropolitan area. While those attending Thursday’s annual State of the County luncheon heard those encouraging statistics, county leaders pointed to the need to attract more people to live and work...
Former Everson secretary-treasurer to fill revamped fiscal director slot for Latrobe
An Everson native who recently served as secretary-treasurer of that Fayette County borough is set to take on a new role: overseeing Latrobe’s city budget. Timothy Pisula is set to start work as Latrobe’s fiscal director March 10 after city council this week unanimously hired him for the revamped position....
Under cover: Game commission releases bonus stock of pheasants in Pa.Video
Pheasant hunters aren’t just good at flushing out the birds they’re hunting. They’re pretty adept at figuring out where the Pennsylvania Game Commission is likely to stock them. As Warden Zebulun Campbell and his crew pulled into a small parking lot near Loyalhanna Lake on Thursday morning, a half-dozen hunters...
Weapons, drug charges against former Pagans member dismissed in New Kensington
Weapons and drug charges against a former member of the Pagans motorcycle gang have been dismissed. The charges, including prohibited possession of a firearm, against Bill Robert Rana, 44, of Sharpsburg were dismissed after a preliminary hearing Thursday before New Kensington District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. Rana and three...
Woman dies after being found shot in crashed car in Sheraden
A 26-year-old woman has died after being shot Thursday morning in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said. The victim, Taylor Hall, was pronounced dead at an area hospital Thursday morning after the shooting in the 3100 block of Kelvin Street, the medical examiner said. Pittsburgh police...
Allegheny County property tax bills lack new payment deadlines
Allegheny County residents will begin receiving 2025 real estate tax bills this week, but deadline information in the enclosed bulletins is wrong because of last-minute changes, according to County Treasurer Erica Rocchi Brusselars. On Tuesday night, Allegheny County Council voted to extend property tax deadlines by about a month, including...
Closing of Salem’s Market in the Hill District leaves residents shocked, disappointed
Salem’s Market and Grill is temporarily pausing its operations in the Hill District location. The grocery store at 1850 Centre Ave. has been open for a little over a year and came as a great relief for the predominantly Black neighborhood, which had been without a grocery store since the...
Mon View Heights owner from New York, charged in $580K theft, surrenders in West Mifflin
One of three men from New York accused of stealing $580,000 related to the Mon View Heights housing complex in West Mifflin surrendered to authorities on Thursday. Jonathan Liani, 39,was arraigned and is free on $250,000 unsecured bail, according to court records. Allegheny County detectives said in court papers filed...
Murrysville area: FR students excel in music competition and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. FR students dominate Young Artists Competition Franklin Regional music students again dominated the winners’ list in the annual Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artists Competition. FR students swept the Level I (through ninth grade) instrumental category, with eighth grader Ava Zannikos (flute) taking...
FBI tries new tack to thwart crypto crimes
The thousands of investors had different goals for growing their money last year, from paying for cancer treatments to helping loved ones, to just making a good return. But all had one thing in common: they were victims of cryptocurrency scams that totaled an estimated $5 billion in potential losses....
Heroin or litter box: Arnold stabbing suspects don’t agree on cause of fight
Two men who police say stabbed each other in an Arnold apartment Sunday morning were fighting over either heroin or a dirty kitty litter box, according to a criminal complaint. Police charged Michael James Holliday, 43, of Arnold and William Johnson, 54, of Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood each with felony aggravated...
New rescue truck at Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services expands specialized response
While most fire departments across the state are struggling to stay afloat, Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services is finding itself on solid ground. A merger of Aspinwall and Sharpsburg, the department is expected to purchase a $1.3 million heavy rescue truck that not only will respond to local emergencies but...
Plum School District planning $270K replacement of tennis courts
Replacing the tennis courts at Plum High School is a matter of safety, Superintendent Rick Walsh says. The courts are in such bad condition that students will play this coming season on courts at Allegheny County’s Boyce Park. “A few years ago we put a Band-Aid on the tennis courts,”...
Sheriff: 2 stolen guns recovered at New Kensington home
Westmoreland County authorities recovered two stolen guns while serving protection from abuse and eviction orders in New Kensington on Wednesday morning. The Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office charged Ralph Earl Scott Jr., 18, of New Kensington with two counts of prohibited possession of a firearm and two counts of receiving stolen...
Shaler Area parents, administration talk increased security at school board meeting
At the first meeting of the Shaler Area School Board following an incident on Jan. 30 where a student brought a handgun on a school bus, tempers were mild as parents and administration discussed safety measures. The meeting took place in the Shaler Area Middle School library, a bigger venue...
Hill District’s only grocery store pauses operations
The Hill District’s lone grocery store is closing its doors as it looks to rework its business model, Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority announced Wednesday. Salem’s Market opened on Centre Avenue about a year ago, bringing fresh food access to the city’s Hill District neighborhood. “We know community members are disappointed...
Morning Roundup: Break leaves part of Reserve Township without water
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Feb. 12: Break leaves part of Reserve Township without water Water service will be cut off for the southern portion of Reserve Township Thursday morning as crews make emergency repairs. Township officials said water service will be turned...
The Stroller, Feb. 13, 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. Night at the Races...
Brackenridge sewing group, Holy Scraps, uses skills for community good
When life gives you scraps, make a quilt. That’s the motto of a weekly sewing group, Holy Scraps, run from the Salvation Army Allegheny Valley Worship and Service Center in Brackenridge. “These ladies have a tremendous heart for serving the community,” Capt. Selah Bender said. “They really use their talents...
HGTV names Latrobe among 50 ‘Most Charming Small Towns in America’
Latrobe was deemed one of the “20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2018,” according to Smithsonian Magazine, and it hasn’t lost its appeal, according to HGTV. The cable network recently named Latrobe among “50 of the Most Charming Small Towns in America.” HGTV cited Latrobe’s features associated with one...
Expert, business opinions split over Trump tariffs on steel, aluminum
If the stock market is any indication, domestic steel and aluminum manufacturers can expect a boost from the 25% import tax on these materials imposed by President Donald Trump. U.S. Steel, Alcoa and a slew of other companies that stand to benefit from Monday’s executive order have seen their stock...
Franklin Regional cheer squad makes semifinals in state championships
When most people in the community see Franklin Regional cheerleaders, it’s in the context of supporting another athletic team. “They see our athletes under the Friday night lights, or during basketball season, when they’re there to engage the crowd, entertain and support the team,” said FR cheer coach Ashley Harmon....
