Western PA Local News category, Page 355
Tarentum spray park opening scheduled after minor delay
After a slight setback, the countdown is on for the opening of Tarentum’s popular spray park. The facility along First Avenue is scheduled to open May 30, a bit later than usual. Manager Dwight Boddorf said the section typically opens on or near Memorial Day but was pushed back after...
How do you navigate new covid vaccine guidance? We asked the experts
A drastic shift in national policy recommends that only people 65 and older and others with certain health risks should get annual covid-19 vaccines, but at least one vaccine expert says the guidance raises as many questions as it answers. The Food and Drug Administration published its new policy Tuesday...
Plum School Board primary narrows large candidate pool by 3
Among 11 candidates who were seeking four open seats on Plum School Board, eight emerged from Tuesday’s primary elections. Though nearly every candidate was cross-filed to run in both races, Plum Democrats and Republicans did not elect a single common candidate. Included in the eight victors are several board incumbents...
Nonprofit would boost children’s literacy in Pittsburgh area
Ryan Scarola has a vision to serve children in the Beltzhoover and Mount Oliver neighborhoods with free books, after-school programming and creative writing workshops through a new nonprofit, The Reading Room. A fundraiser May 15 at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall helped launch that mission. There, about...
All candidates make it through Gateway school board primary
All of the candidates for Gateway school board will appear on at least ballot in the general election. With all precincts reporting, the Democratic ballot saw Janette Beighel, Leslie McBride, Anthony Mock and Rick McIntyre take the top four spots. Beighel and McBride both earned just over 18% of 10,504...
Gateway school board expected to OK budget, grant money
Gateway school board is expected to adopt a 2025-26 general fund budget when directors meet May 27. Property owners in the district will pay more an additional 1.2 mills in real estate taxes, from 24 mills to 25.2 mills, for next school year. That’s about $2,527.18 on each $100,000 of...
Bridgeville area primary roundup: Montani, Trainor top vote-getters in Chartiers Valley; Bigham wins in Carnegie
Primary election results narrowed down the Chartiers Valley School Board race from nine candidates to six. The candidates included incumbents Mitch Montani, Herb Ohliger, Megan Sexton and Lisa Trainor; and newcomers Mark Dodson, Mark Fiorilli, Nancy Herzing, Erin Rodgers and Patrick Tardio for four seats on the school board. All...
Refosco, Cartwright secure Democratic spots on ballot for Penn Hills Council
Two members have been selected from three Democrat candidates to run for Penn Hills Council in November. According to unofficial election results from the Allegheny County Office of Elections, newcomers Kimberly “Kim” Refosco, 45, and Ian Cartwright, 47, will be in the competition for two four-year term seats. Uncontested in...
Cops seek answers in shooting outside UPMC McKeesport
A man who police say was shot outside a McKeesport hospital by the driver of a car he was trying to get into remained hospitalized Wednesday in critical condition. Allegheny County Police continue to investigate why the victim was trying to get into a stranger’s car early Tuesday morning. Jim...
‘Thank You, Pittsburgh’: O’Connor hits the streets in appreciation of voters
Standing in a light rain in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood Wednesday morning, Corey O’Connor recalled how his father had shown gratitude to the voters who elected him to City Council and then mayor’s office. His father, the late Bob O’Connor, had gone into the basement the morning after he was first...
Springdale residents, borough mull proposed parking restrictions near high school
A proposed ordinance in Springdale would restrict parking on certain roads near Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School and make several other streets “permit parking only.” The ordinance — which could go into effect this summer — would not allow any parking on the cemetery side of School Street, the south side...
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium welcomes new lion
The lionesses at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium have a male companion. Hondo, an 8-year-old male African lion from the Idaho Falls Zoo, arrived at the zoo in Highland Park to join lionesses Abana and Scarlett. He and the lionesses will alternate being on view in their outdoor habitat. Typically,...
Monroeville councilman gets primary nod for mayor’s seat
Incumbent Monroeville Councilman Dennis Biondo may have lost the primary for his council seat, but he’s trading it for a run at the mayor’s office. With 100% of precincts reporting, Biondo beat out primary challenger Mandal Singh, taking home nearly 74% of more than 3,300 votes, according to unofficial results....
All Franklin Regional school board candidates make it through primary
All of the candidates for Franklin Regional school board made it through Tuesday’s primary and will appear on at least one side of the ballot in the general election. On the Republican side, Shannon Venditti took home the most votes with just over 22%, followed by Bill Csaszar (21.43%) and...
Roundup: Flood watch issued for Southwestern Pa.; shootings in Homewood North
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, May 21: Flood watch for Southwestern Pa. The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a flood watch for Allegheny, Westmoreland, Washington, Greene and Fayette counties as more strong storms begin to move through the area Wednesday. TribLive...
The Stroller, May 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. Taiko drum group to...
Pa. set to expand cellphone ban for drivers — aiming to shift focus from phones to freeway
Fair warning: Come June 5, it will not be legal to hold a cellphone — even during calls — while driving in Pennsylvania. The new law expands the state’s restrictions on cellphone use while driving. Those who are caught violating the law will receive written warnings until June, 5, 2026....
Going with the flow: Local businesses aren’t too concerned yet about impact of tariffs
As U.S. tariffs on foreign goods continue to fluctuate, local business owners are sharing their opinions and concerns. The tariffs are part of President Donald Trump’s “Fair and Reciprocal Plan.” The plan is designed to counter nonreciprocal trading arrangements with trading partners by determining the equivalent of a reciprocal tariff...
Pittsburgh parks rank 15th nationally, research says
Pittsburgh parks have placed 15th out of 100 on the annual 2025 ParkScore Index, which is conducted by the national nonprofit Trust for Public Land. The ranking matches Pittsburgh’s all-time high on the list in 2020, and is two spots above its rank last year of 17th place. Will Klein,...
Inaugural Jim Roddey Leadership Awards honor 2 people who Roddey selected himself
Ethan E. Nicholas kept his promise. He learned that from someone who knew about doing what you say you’re going to do — Jim Roddey, the first Allegheny County executive and civic leader. In latter years of Roddey’s life, Nicholas told him that he wanted to create a leadership award...
Part 2: Richland History Group continues tale of Massey Harbison’s 1792 trek to escape captivity
Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of a two-part series on Massey Harbison by the Richland History Group. Part 1 appeared in the May edition of the Pine Creek Journal and is available online. Last month’s Part 1 of 22-year-old Massey Harbison’s agonizing, six-day, 70-mile journey through the Pine and...
Leechburg Area School Board results: Lovelace, Stewart, Brady and Reinke win both party noms
It appears that two incumbents will be joined by two former school directors on Leechburg Area School Board in December. According to Armstrong County Office of Elections and Westmoreland County Office of Elections unofficial election results, Darius Lovelace, 73, Candi Stewart, 68, Neill Brady, 76, Danielle Reinke, 44, won both...
12 candidates secure nominations to run for Allegheny County Common Pleas bench
Twelve candidates secured nominations Tuesday to run for eight seats on Allegheny County’s Court of Common Pleas in November’s general election. In Tuesday’s primary, 22 candidates sought nominations to run in November, with six people cross-listed on both the Republican and Democratic tickets and the remaining 16 running solely as...
Pittsburgh voters approve series of ballot referendums
Pittsburgh voters on Tuesday supported a series of ballot referendums that will determine whether the city can discriminate in its business dealings, prohibit the use of the Home Rule Charter amendment process to add rules that conflict with federal or state laws, and bar the city from selling or leasing...
Pecarchik wins over GOP incumbent in Westmoreland register of wills primary
Westmoreland County Republicans Tuesday nominated former acting Register of Wills Katie Pecarchik to serve an abbreviated two-year term to head the office, apparently ending the short tenure of her replacement. Pecarchik, 57, of Hempfield defeated incumbent Jon Wian, who was endorsed by the GOP committee, and Kimberly Horrell, a former...
