Western PA Local News category, Page 398
Rob Gronkowski, U.S. Steel partner to pay $400K to make over Woodland Hills fitness center
A Woodland Hills alumni who parlayed the strength fostered in the high school’s weight room into an NFL career has partnered with U.S. Steel to create an upgraded fitness center at the high school. “We started working on this eight or nine months ago,” Ty Brown, the district’s athletic director,...
Giant goldfish at Presque Isle serves as reminder for invasive species week
Think goldfish are tiny? Think again. A massive goldfish turned up during an electrofishing survey in Presque Isle on Lake Erie, prompting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to share the shocking find on Facebook for National Invasive Species Awareness Week. “Your pet store goldfish after two years in the...
Whitehall historian provides Underground Railroad perspective
In greeting members of a full-house audience, David Thomas set the scene for the evening’s topic, the Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania. “Think of your journey here tonight. It’s a little drizzly, a little dark out there,” Thomas, president of the Whitehall Borough Historical Society, said. “Now think of what it...
Police seek owners of collectible coins recovered during shoplifting, gun theft, drug arrest in Unity
State police arrested a Cook Township man Friday on a shoplifting charge and found him in possession of a gun they say was stolen and 63 collectible coins they believe could be linked to a local theft. Police said they found the coins and a silver bar in 26-year-old Alexander...
Pittsburgh Brewing’s St. Patrick’s Day event to feature festivities, parade
The Pittsburgh Brewing Co. is getting ready to paint East Deer green for the second year in a row. The brewery’s Irish City St. Patrick’s Day Celebration will take place Saturday, March 15 at Pittsburgh Brewing, 150 Ferry St. in the township’s Creighton neighborhood. The event is for people 21...
Fence project at Natrona Community Garden strives to keep deer at bay
Bill Godfrey knows that lettuce, peppers and fruit grown in the Natrona Community Garden are vital to feeding residents of the Harrison neighborhood. But that doesn’t include the deer. “There was a total destruction of our garden last year once a herd discovered it and had a gourmet salad buffet,”...
Last defendant in torture death of Oakmont girl is found guilty of 1st-degree murder
In hundreds of text messages between them, the sisters who helped kill the 3-year-old girl referred to her in any number of ways. Ugly. Animal. Crackhead. Ebola. But never once, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Bruce Beemer noted, did they call her by her name: Bella. “The malice, the wickedness,...
Killer of Uber driver seeks new trial over claims of racial, political bias
The man convicted last month in the high-profile murder of an Uber driver in Monroeville wants a new trial because of what his lawyer called “political and racial bias” by the Allegheny County district attorney and the lead detective on the case. In a court motion, the attorney for Calvin...
Local groups take financial worries out of prom season
Hidden behind the glitz and glam of dresses, suits, pictures, flowers and all things that makes prom night magical is the realization of how quickly the expenses can add up. For the students and families worried about the cost as prom season approaches, there are groups in the area that...
Officials say flights to Fort Lauderdale to resume from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport
Direct flights from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will resume in May, the Westmoreland County Airport Authority announced Friday. Spirit Airlines will initially operate two weekly flights to the south Florida city, a move officials said will return profitability and jobs to Westmoreland County’s lone commuter airport....
Man, 41, dies at Allegheny County Jail while awaiting arraignment
A 41-year-old man died early Friday morning at the Allegheny County Jail while awaiting an initial court appearance, jail officials said. The man, who wasn’t identified, was brought to the jail at 6:44 p.m. Thursday. He was accused of resisting arrest and drug offenses. He was taken to a hospital...
Company’s proposed move from New Kensington to Plum includes large office building
A New Kensington company didn’t want to look too far away for a new home where it could bring its operations together. In addition to a proposal to build a storage yard and maintenance facility at 1450 Greensburg Road in Plum, once the location of Golf Oasis, Geo-Solutions also plans...
Anti-Israel referendum bid in Pittsburgh fails again
An effort to use a referendum to ban Pittsburgh from doing business with companies linked to Israel has again failed after the parties agreed Friday morning that the petitioners did not gather the required number of signatures. Following a short hearing before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge John T. McVay,...
Farmer x Baker relocating from Aspinwall to Sharpsburg
A popular riverside dining experience is leaving Aspinwall. Farmer x Baker, a shipping container-turned-eatery cafe in Aspinwall Rivertrail Park, is the culinary creation of owner/ baker/chef Jennifer Urich. But the popular al fresco cafe of six years closed in November. Urich cited ongoing friction with park officials as the reason for...
Amazon to install automated vehicle inspection device at Aleppo Township Industrial Park
Amazon wants to add an automated vehicle inspection facility on its property in Aleppo Township Industrial Park. Company spokesman Sam Fisher on Feb. 26 said he did not have any township-specific information but shared a report with an overall look at the devices. The machine uses a series of plates...
Sponsors sought for golf outing in firefighter’s memory that benefits camp for burn victims
Balls of Fire, a memorial golf fundraiser May 12 in honor of volunteer firefighter Dan Stack, will benefit Camp KOALA, a free five-day summer camp for children in the region who have suffered burn injuries. Money raised from the event, which will be held at Wildwood Country Club along Sample...
Northland Public Library closes in on fundraising goal toward renovations
Nearly 70% of a $75,000 fundraising goal toward the major renovation at Northland Public Library has been reached, and the team hopes to exceed that amount. The public library along Cumberland Road in McCandless has been undergoing an extensive building renovation construction project since the groundbreaking in September. The $75,000...
Hempfield woman driving school bus van dies after tractor-trailer strikes 2 vehicles; Greensburg Salem student driver injured
Rene Davis was remembered Friday for the dedication and care she demonstrated as a school bus driver serving the Greensburg Salem School District. Davis, 60, of Hempfield was killed Friday morning when her school bus van was struck by a tractor-trailer that ran through a red light on Route 22...
Morning Roundup: Seasonal skiing at Boyce Park ending; McKeesport bar shut down after deadly shooting
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, March 7: Seasonal skiing at Boyce Park ending Skiers, snowboarders and tubers: Time is running out to hit the Boyce Park slopes. Allegheny County announced Thursday the roughly three-month regular season at the slopes in Plum will come...
Chief: North Huntingdon fire department working to improve insurance ratings, community confidence
After being slapped with the worst possible fire insurance score in July, the Strawpump fire department in North Huntingdon has added members and continues to respond to calls as it works to regain an acceptable rating, the department’s new chief said. Township commissioners in November approved a plan from the...
The Stroller, March 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. Bowling fundraiser to aid...
Safer schools: Pa. program has intercepted over 120 weapons in schools before they could be used
Thirty-five weapons were intercepted before they could be used to commit acts of violence in Pennsylvania schools last school year, as officials credited the anonymous safety reporting system Safe2Say Something for preventing catastrophes. Since the program’s inception six years ago, at least 123 weapons — including guns and knives —...
Plum residents raise objections to 2nd proposed injection well
The Plum Zoning Hearing Board will reconvene on March 31 as the borough and environmental advocacy group Protect PT expect to wrap up testimony in their case against allowing development of a second injection well at a site along Old Leechburg Road. The board continued the hearing for a third...
Greensburg teen’s Eagle Scout project revitalizes gazebo at Unity’s St. Xavier preserve
A gazebo at the St. Xavier Nature Preserve in Unity no longer has a roof covered in moss and filled with gaping holes. That’s thanks to the work of Greensburg teen Ty Schlesman, who gathered materials and recruited helpers to renovate the structure as his Eagle Scout project. The gazebo...
Western Pa. wood carver recalls special gifts he made for President Carter and first lady Rosalyn
It’s not every day that a person gets to give a work of art to a former U.S. president and first lady who also were fellow trout anglers, but that is what happened to a member of the Forbes Trail Chapter of Trout Unlimited. With the death of 100-year-old former...
