Westmoreland municipalities, organizations benefit from casino revenue
Revenue from Hempfield’s Live Casino Pittsburgh will provide $800,000 to help the North Huntingdon Township Municipal Authority replace one of its 14 pump stations. And the money couldn’t have come at a better time. “With each passing year, the structural integrity of this station comes into question, and it’s been...
Pittsburgh Planning Commission supports tiny houses for homeless
More than a year after the concept was first introduced, zoning changes that would pave the way for Pittsburgh to build tiny houses and other temporary managed communities for the homeless is advancing. Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission on Tuesday unanimously supported a zoning bill that would allow for interim housing. That...
Mutual Aid CEO resigns from post after less than 2 years
The CEO of Westmoreland County’s largest ambulance service resigned this week after less than two years on the job, according to a statement released by the service’s board of directors Tuesday. Gene Komondor was hired as CEO of Mutual Aid in April 2023. He served as North Huntingdon’s emergency management...
Cardinal Coffee opens cafe in Jeannette, continues legacy of owner’s deceased son
The past 15 years of Robert Zollinger’s life would undoubtedly look different if it weren’t for the dream of his son, Jason. Jason Zollinger envisioned running his own coffee roastery — a vision he put into motion through Cardinal Coffee Co. in 2010. Inviting his dad to join in on...
Judge throws out claim against Pittsburgh in Kopy’s Bar brawl as trial continues
A federal judge on Tuesday threw out a civil case against the City of Pittsburgh for failing to have a policy in place to prohibit off-duty officers from drinking on the job. Frank DeLuca’s civil trial on claims of malicious prosecution and excessive force against individual police officers involved in...
Norwin library renovations begin; library to reopen Wednesday
The Norwin Public Library in Irwin will reopen Wednesday after being closed for two days this week as work begins on a $500,000 renovation project, the library director said. The library was closed Monday and Tuesday to allow for the beginning of the renovations to the library on Caruthers Lane,...
Consol merger with Arch: Well-positioned for global sales
Pennsylvania’s largest coal company on Tuesday completed its merger with the nation’s second-largest coal producer, creating an industry giant with 25 million tons of annual exporting capacity at a time when global coal use remains strong, according to industry observers. Consol Energy Inc. of Cecil and Arch Resources Inc. of...
4 North Hills High School students make finals in ‘I Voted’ sticker contest
Among the 10 high school finalists in Allegheny County’s “I Voted” sticker contest, four come from one place — North Hills High School. The contest asked local high schoolers to design a 2-inch sticker to be given to Allegheny County voters in the upcoming primary and general elections in 2025....
Plum Council approves volunteer firefighter stipend program
Some Plum volunteer firefighters soon could be pulling down a paycheck for their services. Borough council this week approved an agreement with the Plum Fire Chiefs Association to test a stipend program. The fire chiefs, from the Holiday Park, Logans Ferry Heights, Renton and Unity departments, still need to sign...
Why Western Pennsylvanians are hungry for WegmansVideo
Western Pennsylvanians expressed their excitement after New York-based grocery chain Wegmans announced its first foray into the area. The new store will be located in Cranberry Township, a significantly shorter drive than the current closest locations in Erie and State College. So why all the fuss? What does Wegmans offer...
Jeannette man accused in hatchet attack now faces rape charges
A Jeannette man accused of attacking another man with a hatchet last year is now facing rape allegations. Additional charges were filed last week against Kyle Joseph Bair, 32. State police said their investigation into rape accusations started in February after a man reported Bair raped him while he was...
Wegmans looks to open Cranberry location in late 2027, hints at further expansion in regionVideo
Wegmans executives said they are eyeing late 2027 as the target date to open their recently announced Cranberry location and hinted there could be more stores coming to the Pittsburgh area. The store still has to get final approval from Cranberry Township and enter the permitting process for the proposed...
Problem traffic light off Route 28 in Harmar corrected, officials say
A traffic light in Harmar, blamed over the weekend for traffic snarls on Route 28, has been fixed, township and PennDOT officials say. The light, at the end of the Route 28 southbound exit ramp to Harmar, was the focus of motorists’ ire because its cycle was only allowing a...
Pittsburghers mourn Iron City Beer sign on social media
Pittsburgh’s iconic Iron City Beer sign atop Mount Washington is no more. Instead, an ad for the law firm Pond Lehocky is going up in its place. Iron City used the prominent billboard from 1938 until the mid-1950s. The Lamar-managed advertising space was later occupied by advertisements for Alcoa, Bayer,...
Seneca Hills Village Singers spread cheer with holiday concerts
The Seneca Hills Village Singers spread some holiday cheer in December. The chorus performed Christmas concerts on Dec. 12 at Seneca Manor, an assistant living facility, and Dec. 13 at Seneca Senior Living, an independent facility, both in Penn Hills. Members of the Seneca Hills Village Singers include Janet Agnew,...
Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson will seek 2nd term
Tim Carson is seeking a second term as Westmoreland County coroner. Carson, 53, a Republican from Scottdale, won the four-year seat in 2021. In an announcement about his candidacy, Carson pointed to strides he said he has made in modernizing the office after he took the reins. He also touted...
10 restaurants, stores and chains we’d like to see come to Pittsburgh
A long-sought Wegmans will finally be coming to the Pittsburgh region, with the grocery store chain on Monday announcing plans to open a location in Cranberry. Other coveted regional chains have popped up locally in recent years, with Raising Canes opening its first location in Oakland in 2023 (followed by...
O’Connor vows to support families, children if elected Pittsburgh mayor
Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor, campaigning to be Pittsburgh’s mayor, stood in front of Cowley Recreation Center in Troy Hill Tuesday, pointing out the broken windows and boarded-up doors. City officials had hoped to use federal covid-19 relief money to fund improvements to the center. That hasn’t happened. If he’s...
Civil lawsuits from families of former nurse Heather Pressdee’s victims continue to work through courts
Eight months after Heather Pressdee pleaded guilty to murdering at least three patients in nursing centers where she worked, wrongful death lawsuits against many of those centers continue to wind their way through the courts. Pressdee, 42, is serving three consecutive life terms without parole, plus an additional 380 to...
Burrell finalizes Huston Middle School plan that separates grade levels
The Burrell School District will move forward with a teacher-proposed reconfiguration of Charles A. Huston Middle School as it prepares to welcome fifth graders next school year. The reconfiguration, which garnered approval this week from a task force set up to plan the reconfiguration, places two fifth-grade classrooms on the...
Pine-Richland School Board rejects book during heated meeting
The Pine-Richland School Board voted against incorporating “Angel of Greenwood,” a novel set during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, into its ninth grade curriculum during an often hostile meeting Jan. 13 that stretched nearly to midnight. Board members, administrators and several public attendees traded barbs over the district’s ongoing controversy...
Stretch of snowy, cold weather pulls cross country ski lovers onto Laurel Highlands trails
Jean Thompson learned one thing Friday — don’t lean back. That tip made the Fairchance woman’s first time cross-country skiing alongside her friend, Kristin Dunham, a fun experience. Despite the cold air atop Laurel Ridge at the border of Fayette and Somerset counties, both women had smiles on their faces...
Salem continues development review for concrete plant that’s already developed
When a Salem business owner asked if his building could encroach on the township’s established front-yard setback, planning commissioners opted not to make any recommendation and allow the board of supervisors to decide. The reason? The building is already there. It is part of the Daniels Concrete business on Route...
Mom, son sue Greensburg Salem district, claiming discrimination and mistreatment
A mother and her son filed a federal lawsuit Monday against Greensburg Salem School District, claiming officials there discriminated against the boy when he was mistreated in an elementary school special education classroom. The mother said in the suit that she repeatedly told officials at Robert. F. Nicely Elementary School...
Morning Roundup: Pair of South Side robberies under review; Pittsburgh activates 6 warming centers
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Jan. 14: Pair of South Side robberies under review Pittsburgh police are reviewing surveillance video related to two robberies at South Side businesses. Two males dressed in black hooded sweatshirts and masks threatened employees at the BP gas...
