2 children among 5 hurt in 5-vehicle crash involving Plum school bus
Two children were among five people taken to area hospitals after a five-vehicle crash that included a Plum school bus Tuesday afternoon, according to borough police. The crash, at Golden Mile Highway (Route 286) and South Duane Drive was reported shortly after 3 p.m. The circumstances of the crash were...
Trial begins for Monessen man accused of sexually assaulting autistic woman
The lawyer for a Monessen man told a Westmoreland County jury that a sexual relationship between his client and a Rostraver woman more than two years ago was consensual. Jerry Francis Griest, 63, is charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault in...
Pittsburgh Walk of Fame nominations open for Strip District installment
Over 250 different legends with Southwestern Pennsylvania roots have been nominated to receive a bronze star in the future Pittsburgh Walk of Fame. “It’s been amazing and heartwarming to see the number of people that have been nominated and the variety of their talents and skills and areas of expertise,”...
‘I want our employees to feel safe’ Jeannette mayor says as city eyes updated panic buttons
Jeannette Mayor Curtis Antoniak on Tuesday called for panic alarms to be installed at city hall after an unnerving situation was reported last week by the administrative assistant. “We need to protect these workers,” Antoniak said. Andrea M. Beneke said a person came into her office at city hall last...
Atria’s in Mt. Lebanon to reopen as 1930 by Atria’s
Atria’s recognizable building on Beverly Road, which originally housed a neighborhood grocery store, then bar and restaurant, is being rebranded. Atria’s in Mt. Lebanon will become 1930 by Atria’s, a nod to the year when Italian immigrant Joe Atria established a modest grocery store. It was once a barbershop and...
Frazer promotes Sgt. Aaron Scott to police chief
Not much will change for Frazer police Sgt. Aaron Scott after being promoted to chief this week. “It’s just a new uniform and a different badge,” he said. “It’s still work as usual.” Supervisors approved the appointment eight months after the death of former Chief Terry Kuhns. Scott, 39, had...
Kiski Township passes 32% real estate tax hike
The Kiski Township supervisors have settled on a 32% property tax hike to balance this year’s budget. After a brief negotiation, the board opted for a 1.75-mill increase, raising the millage rate from 5.5 mills to 7.25 mills. The owner of a home assessed at the township’s median value of...
Three Rivers Arts Festival to be shorter this year
Downtown Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Arts Festival will be shorter this year. Pittsburgh Cultural Trust spokesman Derek Scalzott confirmed the festival will be held June 5-8 — four days. The Arts Festival is typically 10 days. “The Cultural Trust is committed to serving the community, and this free festival is a...
Oakmont couple wins tickets to Super Bowl
Jeanine Gevaudan was born and bred a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. “Growing up, on Sundays we were at my grandma’s house watching the games, there’d be a big spread — it was always Steelers Sunday,” said Gevaudan, 52. In her adulthood, Gevaudan is a season ticket holder. Coming from a family...
Volunteers sought to help establish new Bridgeville butterfly garden
With plans underway for a butterfly garden in Bridgeville, officials are seeking help from people who are interested in planting and maintaining the space. Borough officials in November authorized repurposing a lot on Baldwin Street, behind Beer Warehouse, as a butterfly pollinator garden. Councilwoman Justine Cimarolli said the opportunity to...
Plum community rallies to get bicycle for carless teen so he can make calls as junior firefighter
Kevin Butler has not known 17-year-old Elijah Mendez for long, but the Plum High School senior has made an impression. Butler, a master sergeant with the school’s Air Force Junior ROTC program, met Mendez in August when he became a cadet. “He’s a very kind, thoughtful, on-point young man. He’s...
Morning Roundup: Man facing over 600 sexual abuse charges; fire at Marshall-Shadeland home
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Jan. 7: State police say man faces over 600 charges of sexually abusing a child Pennsylvania State Police in Butler have filed 610 criminal charges against a man accused of sexually assaulting a child over nine years. According...
The Stroller, Jan. 7, 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. Lower Valley Food Bank...
Commissioners look to ‘retool’ Westmoreland election bureau
The search for a new director of Westmoreland County’s election bureau could begin in earnest this month as officials said Monday they want to have a new leadership team in place before the May primary. Former director Greg McCloskey retired in December, leaving a vacancy officials have yet to begin...
Parents of teen killed in McCandless crash sue driver for wrongful death
The parents of a Beaver County student who was killed when the car she was traveling in with five others crashed at a McCandless intersection are suing the driver. Taylor Orlowski, 18, of Baden was killed in the one-car crash Dec. 23, 2023. Jonathan Tourney, 14, of Richland also was...
Snow doesn’t mean postponements for W.Pa. school districts, although some still opt to cancel
Before snow started to fall Sunday night, many Western Pennsylvania school districts made the decision to cancel Monday’s classes or shift to remote instruction. Districts opting to use a flexible instruction day asked students to use computers to complete schoolwork from home. Students in districts that canceled classes enjoyed what...
Man who tossed explosives at police officers during Pitt protest sentenced to 5 years
The University of Pittsburgh police sergeant said Brian DiPippa ruined her life. DiPippa, 38, was protesting at a university event in Oakland hosted by the Pitt College Republicans on April 18, 2023, when, investigators said, he threw a homemade explosive into a line of officers providing security there. The officer,...
New year, new focus on performing arts at Point Park, president says
Point Park University is revamping its performing arts department, it announced Monday. The School of Dance and the School of Theatre, Film and Animation will be the two parts of Point Park’s Conservatory of Performing Arts. “With having these two new focused schools, we’re really positioning Point Park and Downtown...
Florida man accused in theft of $156K check from Mt. Pleasant Township company
A missing $156,000 check written by a Mt. Pleasant Township manufacturer led state police to a Florida man who is accused of intercepting it and taking it for himself. Potensky Jean-Pierre, 26, was jailed over the weekend on charges including theft, forgery, corrupt organizations and dealing in proceeds from an...
4 juveniles charged, staff members injured in riot at Fairfield youth facility
Four juveniles are charged as adults in connection with what police described as a riot that caused significant damage at a Fairfield youth facility. State Trooper Steve Limani said more charges are likely as police continue to examine surveillance video from Outside In School of Experiential Learning. The chaos started...
Man struck by plow truck in Hempfield parking lot
A man hit by a pickup truck clearing snow from a Hempfield orthopedics office parking lot Monday morning is expected to survive his injuries, according to state Trooper Steve Limani. The 74-year-old man was walking in the parking lot on Pellis Road just before 8 a.m. when a Chevrolet Silverado,...
Bird flu kills 200 snow geese in Pennsylvania
About 200 snow geese were found dead last week in the Allentown area — likely because of the bird flu. The dead birds were found in both Nazareth Township in Northampton County and Upper Macungie Township in Lehigh County, the Pennsylvania Game Commission reported. Preliminary in-state testing revealed the presence...
Proposed Allegheny County Jail warden spent career with state Department of Corrections
The proposed choice to become Allegheny County’s new warden retired two years ago from a lengthy career with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and once served for several months as the interim warden at the jail he now seeks to run. According to his resume, Trevor Wingard most recently served...
Local Remedy Brewery values community support in Oakmont
After almost a year of work, Local Remedy Brewing opened its home on Allegheny Avenue in Oakmont on Friday. “It’s definitely been an eventful and fun summer,” Local Remedy President Matt Synan said. Synan began brewing with his friends in the basement of his Cheswick home. After successfully selling their...
Although the building is gone, former Monsour hospital workers retain ‘family’ foundation
Editor’s note: “From the archive” is a recurring series highlighting vintage photos submitted by community members or gathered from the Tribune-Review’s files. If you have a photo you would like to see featured here, please contact gtrcity@triblive.com. In its heyday, Monsour Medical Center was ahead of its time, said Deborah...
