Pittsburgh woman settles civil rights lawsuit against city, Allegheny County for $70K
A Pittsburgh woman who sued Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh over claims of civil rights violations, false arrest and violent treatment has settled her federal case for a total of $70,000. The county last week paid Joanna Obuzor, 41, of the city’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood, $62,500 after approval from...
Community mourns loss of Penn Hills officer
Members of the Penn Hills community are mourning the loss of a young police officer. The Penn Hills Police Department announced the passing of 26-year-old Ryan Kingerski of Monreoville on social media Wednesday morning. “Officer Kingerski served with unwavering commitment and professionalism, always putting the safety and well-being of our...
Summer Lee, Pittsburgh officials, advocates slam ‘deplorable conditions’ at region’s subsidized housing
Pittsburgh officials and housing advocates are grappling with how to address serious safety issues at privately owned, publicly subsidized housing complexes throughout the region. During a Wednesday City Council meeting, advocates painted a disturbing picture of babies living in apartments plagued by mold, families finding raccoons living in their ceilings...
Plum High School students introduced to various careers during 3rd Career Day
Plum High School students were introduced to new careers or able to learn more about ones they are already interested in Thursday during their school’s annual Career Day. About 160 speakers from the community were expected. They were split up among 45 rooms, with three to five presenters each, with...
Prosecutors reveal suspected motive for St. Clair mother’s murder
Westmoreland County prosecutors contend a long simmering period of discord between a New Florence woman and her mother provided a motive for her killing in late 2023. According to a court filing, investigators believe the Dec. 11, 2023, fatal shooting of 71-year-old Alice Robson was the culmination of years of...
Tupelo Honey reopens in Station Square after rectifying rodent issue
The biscuits are back. A Southern-themed comfort food bar and restaurant in Station Square has reopened after addressing pest management concerns discovered last year by the Allegheny Health Department. Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar first opened in January 2022. In October, the restaurant closed after receiving several pest citations....
Police say man shoots another, then himself in Bethel Park
Police say they responded to a Bethel Park home Thursday after a man shot another man and then himself. Authorities did not immediately identify either man; both were reported to be in critical condition at unnamed area hospitals. The incident occurred in the 500 block of Chessbriar Drive, which is...
Clairton man nabbed in West Newton drug sting
A Clairton man is behind bars after police said he sold 160 bricks of drugs to a confidential informant in West Newton and took $30,750 to settle drug debts, according to court papers. Ismail A. Hamlin, 28, is facing numerous drug and weapons violations in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties as...
Murrysville area: Free tax prep, book study group and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Free tax preparation AARP is currently taking appointments to help area residents prepare and file their 2024 taxes. Appointments are required in advance for sessions that will take place Feb. 21 and 28, March 14 and 28, and April 11 at the...
Irwin man who can’t recall killing girlfriend sent to prison for up to 20 years
An Irwin man who has no memory of killing his girlfriend at a Monroeville hotel three years ago will serve at least 71⁄2 years in state prison. Matthew Gribschaw, 40, pleaded guilty but mentally ill in November to third-degree murder for killing Rochella Anderson, 49. On Thursday, Senior Judge Katherine...
‘You left a hole in our soul’: Man who killed 3 in Homewood gets life
Each person who stepped to the front of the courtroom Thursday wondered the same thing about Ronald Steave. How could he have murdered Nandi Fitzgerald — the mother of his own son — on New Year’s Eve 2021? How could he have seen Fitzgerald’s 12-year-old son, Buddy, who he knew...
This year’s 18 Under Eighteen helping to shape the future
Deer Lakes senior Zier Williams has earned a reputation for his toughness on the football field, rushing for nearly 2,900 yards as a Lancer. Off the field, the teen has become known for compassion and promoting positive change. Williams, 18, has made it a mission to fight for the underdog...
Cold snap stresses waterlines, authority workers in New Kensington
Water authority crews in New Kensington are among those run ragged this month fixing leaks and breaks caused by the region’s severe cold snap. Though the recent sub-zero weather caused a lot of waterline breaks, it wasn’t quite as bad as some social media posts make it out to be....
Greensburg craft, gift store invites young artists to sell work
Hannah Smith has created art for as long as she can remember. But until last week, Smith, a homeschooled sophomore who lives in Hempfield, never envisioned her artistic talent could turn into a career. Smith is one of five young artists who stocked the shelves of downtown Greensburg’s Artisans of...
Driver rescued after crashing vehicle through Bellevue parking deck
A vehicle crashed through a parking deck in Bellevue early Thursday morning, according to Emsworth Volunteer Fire Company. Crews from Emsworth, Avalon and Bellevue volunteer fire departments were dispatched to the parking deck shortly after 12:30 a.m. Thursday, according to a social media post by Emsworth. The crash occurred just...
Jeannette man sentenced to up to 9 years for narcotics offenses
Nearly four years after police seized drugs and almost $10,000 from a Jeannette man, he was sentenced to serve up to nine years in prison, according to Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli’s office. Larry Frederick, 35, was arrested in February 2021 after investigators seized from his home nearly 3...
Pa. student scores on national testing lower than pre-pandemic, results show
Pennsylvania public schools still may be grappling with the impact of the covid-19 pandemic, according to a national report on reading and math proficiency among fourth grade and eighth grade students. The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress — released Wednesday by the National Center for Education Statistics — shows...
Celebrate Black history this February at the Carnegie Carnegie
Black history is American history. I’ve heard this refrain often, and the more I’ve grown and learned, the more obvious this truth becomes. There’s hardly an aspect of American history that doesn’t turn out to involve race in some way, once you scratch the surface. When I was younger, the...
The Stroller, Jan. 30, 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. Musical alumni concert planned...
Bethel Park Police officer serving arrest warrant shoots man holding firearm
A Bethel Park man shot by a police officer serving an arrest warrant Wednesday night is charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest, according to Allegheny County Police. Officers went to an apartment complex along Dorchester Drive at 10 p.m. Wednesday to serve William Adam, 45, an arrest warrant related...
In new book, Penn Hills pastor teaches families with sick children to ‘Stand’
When Jay Mitlo’s editors tried to bill his new book as a Christian memoir, the Penn Hills pastor bristled. Yes, the book recounts his son Trey’s journey with terminal cancer, and yes, faith is woven throughout. But above all, “Stand: Emotionally and Practically Surviving When a Child Gets a Life-Threatening...
Penn Hills resident seeks solution to high water bills
Alarm bells went off in Andrew Slavin’s head when he looked at his latest bill from the Oakmont Water Authority. “There is no way that my wife and I used 40,000 gallons of water like this bill says we did,” Slavin said. The Penn Hills man said he is being...
9 additions coming to Ross Park Mall in 2025
Seven new stores, a restaurant and a bank-cafe are set to open this year at Ross Park Mall, some of which are new to the region, according to Simon Property Group, the mall’s owner. Upstairs, there will be a Capital One Café, which will offer customers “a full range of...
Pittsburgh council president says Gainey favors acting police chief for permanent post
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey is close to nominating the city’s acting police chief, a 30-year veteran officer, to lead the police bureau on a permanent basis, City Council President R. Daniel Lavelle said Wednesday. If Gainey presses ahead with Christopher Ragland, he will have to make the case for a...
Judge sets $1M bond for daughter charged with theft of Greensburg Beverage CEO’s estate
The lawyer for a Murrysville woman who, along with her mother, is accused of taking more than $4 million of a relative’s inheritance, told a Westmoreland County judge the case against his client has no factual basis. “Their theory is not supported by the evidence,” said defense attorney Paul Ellis...
