Western PA Local News category, Page 4
Leechburg natives, locals work to find town’s modern identity
Lou Phillips was born and raised in Leechburg. He attended Leechburg Area High School, where he played baseball, basketball and football. He sang in the chorus, dabbled as a thespian in the school’s theater program and participated in countless clubs the school had to offer. “You get to try everything...
Efforts to clean, beautify Pittsburgh ramp up before 2026 NFL Draft
Sam Williams rolled a yellow garbage can down the sidewalk in Pittsburgh’s Market Square, pausing to grab his broom and sweep up some debris. Then, he reached his gloved hands into a metal trash can, tied off the overflowing bag and replaced it with a new one. Williams is one...
Penn-Trafford area: Living wax museum, chicken barbecue, painting classes, more
Kids’ Living Wax Museum Bushy Run Battlefield will host a Kids’ Living Wax Museum from 1 to 3 p.m. April 12 at the museum, 1253 Route 993, Penn Township. Children in first through sixth grades can sign up to give a one- to three-minute presentation on a historical figure. Participants...
Hempfield Area School Board approves bids for long-awaited renovation at $119 millionVideo
Hempfield Area will move forward with its long-awaited high school renovation after bids were approved by the school board Monday night. Bids proposed last week — for general contracting, electrical, HVAC and plumbing work — came in just under $119 million, about $30 million lower than an estimate pitched about...
Northbound Route 28 ramp to Route 8 North scheduled for overnight closure
The off-ramp from northbound Route 28 to northbound Route 8 in Etna will be closed overnight Wednesday, PennDOT announced Monday. The left-hand off-ramp will be closed for guide rail replacement work from 9 p.m. Wednesday to 5 a.m. Thursday. The posted detour will be: • Continue past the closed ramp...
Donut Connection in New Kensington to close
Donut Connection along Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington will close its doors Tuesday, according to the owner of the franchise. Rakesh Patel said he is looking for a location in the Alle-Kiski Valley to open a new franchise. He said he’s eyeing New Kensington or Lower Burrell. Patel purchased...
Penn Township man remains jailed as defense claims horseplay in injury case
A Penn Township man remains in jail as his attorney claims a neighbor’s brain trauma and fractured skull resulted from a wrestling match and horseplay. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani rejected a request Monday from Jake G. Stepansky to be released on nominal bond. Stepansky was charged...
Fisher House at O’Hara VA’s Heinz campus will be 2nd in area to offer free lodging for military families
When Linda Pezzino’s husband, Joe, was treated for lung cancer at the VA Pittsburgh Health Care System in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, she found comfort in staying at a “home-away-from-home” on the shared hospital campus. The Fisher House, a short-term accommodation for military families, provided Pezzino with a quiet environment, a...
Daniel Unico, Duquesne basketball fan and businessman, dies at 99
Daniel Unico, who created a family business making pizza and bakery boxes in Pittsburgh in the 1960s, believed that much of the success and joy he got from life came from his years studying business at Duquesne University after World War II. He spent the rest of his life thanking...
Plum teen’s flawless NCAA bracket journey concludes after 48 correct picks
The last remaining perfect March Madness bracket is no more. Otto Schellhammer’s predictions held until the first game of the NCAA Women’s Sweet 16 on Friday, when Notre Dame defeated Vanderbilt, 67-64. “I’m not too sad about it,” Otto said Tuesday. “It would have been cool to have gone further.”...
Westmoreland names acting public defender after office leader suffers medical emergency
Westmoreland County commissioners have moved quickly to fill a leadership vacancy in the Public Defender’s Office. The move comes after the man hired in February suffered a serious medical emergency that is expected to keep him off the job for a prolonged period. James Spriestersbach, 41, was tapped in mid-February...
1 dead in Wilkinsburg apartment fire
One person is dead after a fire broke out at an apartment building in Wilkinsburg on Monday. Emergency response crews were dispatched at noon to the 2400 Block Laketon Road, said Kasey Reigner, spokeswoman for Allegheny County Emergency Services. The fire was reported to have broken out on the fourth...
Pittsburgh Botanic Garden appoints new executive director
After nearly a decade, the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden — one of the largest botanical gardens in the U.S. by acreage — will have a new executive director starting in April. Announced Monday, Abigayle Tobia has been appointed to lead the nonprofit’s 460-acre site in Collier, succeeding former Executive Director Keith...
‘Letters from Jumonville: The Pennsylvania Soldiers’ Orphans Schools’Video
In the aftermath of the Civil War, Pennsylvania faced the harsh reality that thousands of children were left orphaned. In “Letters from Jumonville: The Pennsylvania Soldiers’ Orphans Schools,” TribLive Director of Visuals Sean Stipp explores the creation of a state-funded system designed to educate and care for these children. Letters...
Ligonier Valley High School students to compete for $6K prize in statewide PennDOT challenge
Ligonier Valley juniors Matthew Sutton and Callen McPherson will compete for a $6,000 prize against high schoolers statewide through PennDOT’s annual innovation challenge. The challenge, held for the past nine years, invites high school students to address a current transportation issue. Participants present potential solutions to the problem before a...
6 men charged in antisemitic attack of Pitt student in 2024
Six men accused of assaulting a Jewish student at the University of Pittsburgh in Oakland in 2024 are facing hate crime and obstruction charges in federal court after an indictment was unsealed Monday. The defendants are accused of approaching a Jewish man as he walked in Oakland, making virulent antisemitic...
DeShantz opens NOLA-inspired speakeasy in Pittsburgh’s Strip District
Pittsburgh, often credited as the birthplace of the speakeasy, has gained another speakeasy-inspired bar. The Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group opened Vieux Carré speakeasy on Friday in the Strip District. Meaning “old square” in French, the new venture is billed as a “hidden cocktail destination,” accessible through an unmarked door within...
Annual electric car show coming to Murrysville
The Three Rivers Electric Vehicle Association is hosting its annual “Drive Electric Earth Month” car show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 18 in Murrysville. The group is made up of electric vehicle owners, educators, hobbyists and enthusiasts. This year they will be celebrating the life of former club...
AHN sets up medical support for fans during NFL Draft
With hundreds of thousands of visitors expected in Pittsburgh for the upcoming NFL Draft, Allegheny Health Network announced Monday that it will provide medical care throughout the event. The walk-in AHN Downtown Express Care Clinic, located at Highmark’s Penn Avenue Place, will expand its hours and capacity during draft week....
Greensburg fire company 8 names firefighter of the year
Fire Sgt. Austin Wentzell has been recognized as the 2025 Firefighter of the Year for Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department Hose Co. No. 8. Wentzell joined the department in 2019 and is frequently present at the station outside of work hours to make sure he is available when an emergency call...
Murrysville to equip officers with bicycles for better access in trails, parksVideo
As spring begins to emerge through occasional bouts of snow, local parks and trails will see a significant boost in activity. In Murrysville, police plan to use a state grant to reinstate bicycle training to better serve the community in areas where a patrol car cannot go. “We have an...
Pivik Elementary students — with help from donation — raise more than $27K for heart association
Plum’s Pivik Elementary School sat high on a leaderboard of state schools after students helped to raise more than $27,000 for an annual drive benefiting the American Heart Association. The school ranked fifth in Pennsylvania and the highest in the region by far for the association’s Kids Heart Challenge Fundraiser....
2 more charged in connection with 2025 Monessen shooting
Two more people are facing charges in connection with a shooting last year in Monessen that left one of the suspects hurt. Brendon Redden, 27, of Pittsburgh, was arraigned last week on attempted homicide, conspiracy, aggravated assault and related offenses. City police said he was shot in an exchange of...
Trafford man accused in stabbing
A man was hospitalized after being stabbed Saturday night in Trafford, police said. Timothy Rosario, 29, of Trafford, was arrested on attempted homicide, aggravated assault and related offenses. Borough police said they were called to a home on Westmoreland Road at 10:15 p.m. and found Rosario standing outside with a...
Carnegie Mellon buys Chatham’s Eastside building but will lease back a portion
Carnegie Mellon University has bought Chatham University’s Eastside building, but will lease a portion of the building back to Chatham. Chatham closed on the 250,000-square-foot building, located at 6585 Penn Ave. near Bakery Square, last week, President Lisa Lambert said in a letter to the school community. Carnegie Mellon will...
