North Irwin seeks to join county SWAT
Like its neighbors of Irwin and North Huntingdon, North Irwin wants to join Westmoreland County’s Special Weapons and Tactics team to provide quicker response in times of emergencies, a borough official said. “If there is ever an emergency requiring SWAT services, it would make sense to have that offered locally,...
Latrobe father in ‘prison of grief’ after son’s drug overdose, he tells judge at drug dealer’s sentencing
Robert J. Verscharen helped his mother pick out flowers every spring and summer and hang suet cakes for birds in the fall. Now, Carole and Robert S. Verscharen mourn their son daily, after he died from a drug overdose nearly four years ago. “I continue to talk with him now...
Pittsburgh police kill man during standoff in Allentown
Pittsburgh police fatally shot a 45-year-old man early Friday morning after he fired at police during a standoff along East Warrington Avenue in the city’s Allentown neighborhood, Allegheny County Police said. The victim was identified as Mark Coleman by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner Office. Allegheny County Police homicide detectives...
Bethel Park welcomes assistant manager
After an extensive search, Jahd Burns was hired as Bethel Park’s assistant municipal manager, starting his job in November. “Jahd brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning and program evaluation that will be of great help to enhance the services that we provide to our residents,” municipal manager Kristen...
Rotary club passes million mark with annual fundraiser
After five months of planning, the Upper St. Clair-Bethel Park Rotary Breakfast Club conducted its Chicken BBQ fundraiser in October. The annual event, held at Bethel Park High School, marked its 35th year and continues to be the largest fundraiser the club hosts. “This year, we are poised to raise...
Morning roundup: Somerset man accused of assaulting pregnant woman; dog found in California porta-potty
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Dec. 27: Somerset County man accused of assaulting pregnant woman A Somerset County man was placed in the county jail on Christmas Eve, charged with assaulting a pregnant woman. The Dec. 19 incident began with a verbal altercation...
Extending a life story: Westmoreland coroner’s office joins effort to encourage organ donation
Even though her father isn’t a phone call away anymore, Cassidy Gamble knows his kind nature is still making an impact on others. James Forish became a tissue donor after his Aug. 1 death, allowing his life to continue on in a different sort of way, helping to heal others....
Arnold woman proposing transitional housing program for women
An Arnold woman says she’s following the hand of God, and her sister’s dream, as she works to establish a home for women in need. Amanda Wheeler is seeking approval from the city to open The Battle Life, a transitional housing program, on Fourth Avenue. The home would accommodate up...
The Stroller, Dec. 27, 2024: 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. Annual sport show and...
Duck hunting alive and well for some in Western Pennsylvania
Fat off stale bread and hip to locations of warm sewage outflows, ducks are plentiful on the Allegheny River. “We saw hundreds of ducks today,” said hunter Tyler Bressler of Irwin as he and his family transferred their gear from a jon boat to a pickup at a Harmar boat...
Strong business community, ‘entertailing’ help downtown Irwin thrive
When Irwin native Camille Kovach was looking to move her bookstore from its location in Murrysville this year, she said she never considered moving anywhere but downtown Irwin. Such was her desire to place Completely Booked in downtown Irwin that Kovach leased a storefront on Western Avenue at the bottom...
On the calendar: New Year’s Eve activities followed by Jan. 1 hikes
While there’s certainly nothing wrong with winding down the year quietly at home with family or a few friends, for some of us, winding up and celebrating 2025 is the only way to go. Here are some of the ways to make that happen in and around Westmoreland County, and...
Marc Fogel receives ‘wrongfully detained’ status from U.S. government
For Marc Fogel’s family, the excitement over the U.S. government finally declaring the Oakmont history teacher wrongfully detained by Russia is tempered by the reality that he’s still not home. In mid-October, President Joe Biden called Fogel’s wife to tell her his administration was still working to obtain Fogel’s release...
Body discovered in wooded area in Shaler
Shaler and Allegheny County police are investigating after a body was found in the woods there Thursday afternoon. Shaler Police Chief Sean Frank said officers were called to Hahn Road around 2:30 p.m. The body was discovered by a passerby, according to police....
Pine-Richland welcomes back grads, retirees
More than 70 recent Pine-Richland High School graduates and retirees returned Dec. 20 for the school’s annual Past Graduates and Staff Day. Organized by Jean Whalen, director of college and services, and Frank Hernandez, principal, the day is aimed at facilitating dialogue between graduates and current students to provide insight...
Taekwondo instructor, federal land specialist considers himself a lifelong student
By day, Jeff Horneman helps protect federal land against encroachment as a member of the Army Corps of Engineers. By night, he helps young people learn to protect themselves as a taekwondo instructor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Brackenridge. “We’re teaching kids discipline and how to grow mentally,” Horneman...
Westmoreland happenings: AARP tax services, meeting, more
Meeting • Westmoreland Garden Council, formerly known as the Greensburg Garden Center, will meet at 11 a.m. Jan. 7 at the center, 951 Old Salem Road, Greensburg. A light lunch will be served. Public welcome. Bring a friend. Officers will be installed and a drawing for a week in Williamsburg...
School district telethons raise more than $200K for charities
Telethons at three Pittsburgh-area school districts raised more than $200,000 for charities this Christmas season. Make-A-Wish was the beneficiary of Plum School District’s long-running telethon and a newer one organized by Penn-Trafford. Penn-Trafford raised about $67,400, while Plum collected about $53,700, according to their teacher organizers. Fox Chapel raised $90,228...
Morning roundup: Horse dies in Indiana County barn fire
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Dec. 26: Horse dies in Indiana County barn fire A horse perished in a barn fire Wednesday morning in Indiana County. Crews from multiple fire departments were called at about 7:30 a.m. to the blaze along Kauffman Road...
79-year-old woman struck, killed in Washington County
A 79-year-old woman was fatally injured when she was struck by a vehicle while crossing Route 19 on Wednesday evening in Peters Township, Washington County. Peters Township police said Thursday morning they were not releasing the name of the woman until family members have been properly notified. The crash occurred...
From triumph to tragedy: What a year it was in Westmoreland County
The happenings of the last 12 months in Westmoreland County will be relegated to history and some of them are touchstones that will be long remembered. About 60 miles northwest of Greensburg in Butler County, soon-to-be President Donald J. Trump was grazed by a bullet at the start of a...
Year-in-review: Alle-Kiski Valley residents among victims at Trump rally assassination attempt
As 2024 draws to a close, Alle-Kiski Valley area residents may be looking forward to the uncertainty of the year to come while reflecting on what has passed. And while the region always has its mix of news — big and small, widespread and personal — it found itself thrust,...
The Stroller, Dec. 26, 2024: 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. Free milkweed seeds available...
Good Samaritan finds strength in optimism as he recovers from August shooting in PittsburghVideo
Paul Werder never imagined a simple gesture of kindness could unravel so many lives. The retired banker was driving to his investment property on Pittsburgh’s North Side in August when he passed a man lying on his side. His body lay slung across the sidewalk, his head in a patch...
‘Time of our lives’: Steelers, Chiefs fans celebrate holiday with tailgating before Chiefs stole Christmas
A giant, inflatable Santa Claus nursing a fake Yuengling beer bottle perched Wednesday morning above a sea of tailgaters on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Scores of football fans wore red and white Santa Claus caps. Others meandered through parking lots while donning holiday-themed pajamas. And at least one man dressed up,...
