Western PA Local News category, Page 35
50 days in solitary leads to $37K verdict for convicted murderer in Pa.
A convicted murderer serving a life sentence at the state prison in Greene County won a $37,500 jury verdict this week over allegations he was improperly held in solitary confinement for 50 days. In 2018, Maurice D. Able filed a federal lawsuit on his own behalf against the Pennsylvania Department...
Redding up the river: New law helps removal of abandoned boats before NFL Draft
As crews build out the North Shore for the NFL Draft that opens in 50 days, another project is now underway: clearing abandoned boats from the rivers. Michael Hills, president of the Pittsburgh Safe Boating Council, said there has long been an effort to rid Allegheny County of abandoned boats....
Hempfield man on trial in rape of mentally disabled woman
A Westmoreland County jury is expected to begin deliberations Thursday morning in the case of a Hempfield man accused of raping a woman with an intellectual disability in late 2022. Dennis Hertzog, 58, is on trial on charges of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and aggravated indecent assault. The charges...
Chilling for charity: Fox Chapel Area students take the Polar Plunge
A group of Fox Chapel Area students for the fourth consecutive year took the plunge to help raise money for Special Olympics. High schoolers, along with students from Dorseyville Middle School, participated in the 2026 Cool Schools Polar Plunge at Acrisure Stadium on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. The event held Feb....
Greensburg Ollie’s Bargain Outlet reopens after rodent infestation closure
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet in Greensburg has reopened after an eight-day closure related to a rodent infestation. Signs announcing the closure were removed from the front doors, and shoppers were going in and out of the store Wednesday afternoon. Greensburg code enforcement officer Steven Kohl said he reinspected the store Wednesday....
Judge denies bail for McDonald man accused of shooting at police
An Allegheny County judge on Tuesday denied bail for a McDonald man accused of firing repeatedly at police officers last year during a suspected mental health crisis. Stephen Budai, 45, of McDonald is charged with four counts each of firing on a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment...
Hempfield man charged with animal cruelty after bringing injured parakeet to Greensburg bar
A Hempfield man was charged this week with animal cruelty after Greensburg police said he took an injured parakeet to a bar. Police said the bird, which had a broken leg and was underweight and weak, was taken to an emergency animal hospital, according to court papers. Officers were called...
Hateful broadcasts disrupt Pittsburgh public safety radio for 3rd day
For the third consecutive day, an unknown person Wednesday broadcast racist and obscene messages over a public-safety radio channel in Pittsburgh with seeming impunity. The foul comments follow earlier transmissions of antisemitic language and a death threat against the city’s mayor. “The mayor of Pittsburgh will be killed soon,” an...
Astrobotic designing wheels for mobile moon outpost as part of NASA Artemis program
Astrobotic announced Tuesday it’s developing specialized wheels for a mobile lunar outpost, a critical component of the NASA-led Artemis moon exploration program. The Pittsburgh-based aerospace and robotics company has been hired by Thales Alenia Space to build a wheel system that can withstand the moon’s extreme temperatures, radiation, dust and...
Roving patrols planned through St. Patrick’s Day for impaired drivers
Police will be on the lookout for St. Patrick’s Day revelers behind the wheel starting this weekend in a coordinated enforcement initiative to keep impaired drivers off the road. The “Operation Sober Shamrock” campaign starts Thursday and runs through Saturday. While St. Patrick’s Day is still more than a week...
Highlands Frozen Rams take the plunge for Special Olympics
Highlands School District students raised a cool $3,990 for Special Olympics last week. The Frozen Rams Student Team, organized by teacher Scott Silverman, participated in the Polar Plunge at Acrisure Stadium on Pittsburgh’s North Shore Friday. Among 73 participating schools, Highlands ranked 12th in total fundraising. More than three dozen...
NFL Draft opens online fan registration
Fan registration for the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh is open. In a joint release, the league, Visit Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Steelers said the event will transform Pittsburgh’s central neighborhoods into an “expansive Draft campus” showcasing the city’s landmarks and rivers. The league is encouraging draft attendees to download...
$1 million-for-life winning lottery ticket sold in Freeport
There may be a new millionaire in the Freeport area since a winning scratch-off ticket was sold at a borough gas station. The lucky ticket, a $50 scratch-off, was sold at the BP gas station on Buffalo Street, according to a Pennsylvania Lottery release. The ticket is the winner of...
Structural issues delay Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge reopening in Pittsburgh
A key Pittsburgh bridge project has hit a speed bump. The Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge in Oakland, which was expected to reopen sometime this year, now won’t open until 2028 at the earliest. “As work continues on the Charles Anderson Bridge, inspectors have identified unexpected deterioration in portions of the...
‘Brilliant, bold and unapologetically proud’: Senior at Pittsburgh Obama leads, gives back to community
Zaire Howze-Jetter had previously told people he’d study veterinary sciences upon his graduation this spring from Pittsburgh’s Obama Academy. “That was just something I told people, because I didn’t really know,” said Howze-Jetter, 17. But as he progressed at the East Liberty magnet school, excelling in academics, he began to...
New Kensington’s St. Patty’s Day Pub Crawl returns for 5th run
Downtown New Kensington will be a one-stop shop Saturday for green beer, “leprechaun sangria” and small Irish-inspired plates during the fifth annual St. Patty’s Day Pub Crawl. Participating business owners, who lauded the event’s success, said it’s a great opportunity to expand customers’ dining horizons. Johanna Walters and David Atkinson,...
Export seeks funding to create historical mine area, trail connectionVideo
Export officials have spent the past decade shining a light on its future, revamping the borough’s downtown area and paving its central parking lot. Now, they want to shine a light on its past. But it will take a big chunk of grant money to get it done. The borough...
Bikeshare workers form union in Pittsburgh
Workers at Pittsburgh bikeshare nonprofit POGOH have unionized. The organizers filed to join the Transport Workers Union of America last month, and they said in a Tuesday press release that POGOH employees “voted overwhelmingly” to do so. TWU already represents workers for bikeshare organizations in New York City, Boston, Chicago,...
Ex-Allegheny County health inspector, a Sikh man, claims he was forced to shave beard, files lawsuit
A Sikh man and former inspector with the Allegheny County Health Department is suing the agency in federal court alleging discrimination because of his beard, which he claims he was once forced to shave while at work. Navin Kohli, who served as an environmental health specialist, on Tuesday filed the...
Applications for Hempfield senior tax rebate available
Applications for Hempfield’s new senior tax rebate program are available. The program was created in January after township supervisors added a 3-mill tax to fund the fire department. For residents who qualify, it will essentially wipe out the cost of the added tax, keeping their township property tax bills steady....
Retired dentist shares life-changing benefits of somatics in free class at Fox Chapel library
Retired dentist Tom Capriotti discovered pain relief through somatic movements more than 20 years ago. Capriotti, 75, of Oakmont is a certified personal trainer and instructs a one-hour class for adults, Simple Movement Through Somatics, fon Mondays at Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel. Somatics are movements that teach the...
Chartiers Valley teacher Jill Chan wins World Affairs Council award
Chartiers Valley High School teacher Jill Chan won the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh’s Oehmler Award, an honor that recognizes a teacher who exemplifies outstanding dedication to elevating youth voice and leadership. “I was very surprised when I heard that I received the award because I didn’t even know that...
Georgia man charged in connection to Carrick homicide
A Georgia man has been charged with homicide after police say he caused his brother-in-law’s death and hid the body under an 18-wheeler in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood. Steven Thomas, 52, of Statesboro, Ga., is charged with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse. At 8:29 p.m. Monday,...
Ligonier Country Market lease negotiations continue as traditionally scheduled opening nears
With the Ligonier Country Market’s May 16 opening day just over two months away, the future of the 50-year-old local tradition remains in limbo as organizers and their longtime landlord attempt to resolve a soured lease dispute. The Loyalhanna Watershed Association, which has hosted the market on its 9.6-acre property...
Westmoreland commissioners to revamp airport authority board
The board that oversees operations at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity is poised to be significantly revamped through a series of new appointments Westmoreland County commissioners are expected to vote on this week. Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew said they will appoint four new members to the nine-person...
