Herminie man charged with arson in September fire at his residence
State police believe a Herminie man set the house where he was living on fire during an argument, according to court papers. Timothy James Gillin, 50, was arrested last week on arson and related charges. In court papers, a state police fire marshal said witnesses reported Gillin left the house...
‘Anything you want’: Granddaughter of Elizabeth Pollard, troopers connect again for toy spree
Serenity Pollard had a big smile on her face when she dropped two Barbie dolls into her shopping cart. She beamed when she grabbed toys featuring cartoon character Bluey off a shelf at the Hempfield Walmart Monday. The 5-year-old girl’s grin was contagious as she pedaled a bicycle around the...
Probe continues in Vandergrift bar shooting
It’s not unheard of for commotion to erupt in and around Anthony’s bar in Vandergrift. “There’s typically fights in the parking lot right here,” said Kristen Hawley, who lives across the street from the bar. But gunshots are a first. Two people opened fire early Sunday morning, wounding each other...
Gilpin waiting to see if water system can be sold
The fate of the Gilpin Municipal Authority is up in the air after officials were unable to fill soon-to-be empty positions. According to township Supervisor Charles Stull, the authority has two employees who are set to retire at the end of the year and officials have been unable to find...
Kinetic Theatre’s ‘Sherlock Carol’ is a witty seasonal melding of classic tales
“Moriarty was dead, to begin with.” That sentence would cause any lover of 19th-century British literature to do a double take. One half of the line mirrors the opening of Charles Dickens’ novella “A Christmas Carol,” while the rest evokes Professor James Moriarty, the greatest foe of Arthur Conan Doyle’s...
Morning Roundup: 2 shot in Turtle Creek; firefighter injured in Homewood blaze
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Dec. 16: Firefighter injured in Homewood house fire A Pittsburgh firefighter was injured Sunday night while battling a house fire in the city’s Homewood neighborhood. Crews responded around 7:40 p.m. to a one-alarm fire on the 7300 block...
For the 35th year, the Fox Chapel Area School District telethon is raising money for Backpack for Hunger
There are children in the Fox Chapel Area School District who go hungry. Weekends can be times when they don’t have a hot meal. An extended number of days away from school such as the upcoming holiday break can mean even less available food. Their peers are doing something about...
In brief: Plum, Oakmont area news, events for the week of Dec. 16, 2024
Plum Council approves borough budget Plum Council unanimously approved the borough’s $26.3 million 2025 budget on Dec. 9. The budget leaves the borough’s property tax rate unchanged at 6.63 mills. The annual borough property tax bill on a home at Plum’s median assessed value of $116,700 is about $774. The...
In brief: Penn Hills and Verona area happenings, week of Dec. 16, 2024
School board reorganization retains top leadership Penn Hills School Board members gathered Dec. 3 in the newly minted Sen. Jay Costa Media Center in Linton Middle School for their annual reorganization meeting. With eight out of nine members present, Erin Vecchio was voted in as school board president for the...
Allegheny County’s tax-hike compromise: How 1 low-key councilman finessed a budget deal
Bob Palmosina watched nervously as his colleagues on Allegheny County Council cast their votes Dec 3. For weeks, Palmosina, a Democrat from Banksville, had worked feverishly to cobble together a workable budget deal. Council and County Executive Sara Innamorato were locked in a stalemate over her proposed $3.1 billion spending...
The Stroller, Dec. 16, 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. AK Heritage Museum to...
Plum School District awarded $300K from state DEP toward electric school buses
The Plum School District got a little more help in its quest to transition part of its fleet from traditional to electric school buses. The state Department of Environmental Protection announced the district was awarded $300,000 to buy three electric school buses. The money is part of more than $2.55...
Unregulated Delta 8 remains a concern amid marijuana legalization talk, as teens and toddlers gain access to it
As the debate over recreational marijuana continues, a related issue medical and legal experts say poses a threat to children is a growing concern. Delta 8 edibles look like the kind of sugary, fruit-flavored gummy candy toddlers devour by the handful. But pediatricians say these products — packaged almost identically...
Data center welcome news for Burrell School District and Upper Burrell
Recently plagued by static business growth resulting in tax increases, the news of a data center coming to Upper Burrell is welcomed by Burrell School District officials. “The district faces increasing costs annually, so all property development and growth that results in increased tax revenue helps to offset these costs,”...
Laurel Mountain Ski Resort ready for season opening
Laurel Mountain Ski Resort is set to open for the season Friday. The skiing venue atop Laurel Ridge then will be open every day through New Year’s Day, except for Dec. 23, according to Vail Resorts, which operates the site. According to the site’s Facebook page, regular operating hours will...
In brief: Herald area events for the week of Dec. 16, 2024
National Art Honor Society wins 3rd in city’s gingerbread contest Members of the National Art Honor Society at Fox Chapel Area High School won third place in the high school category of the City of Pittsburgh’s 22nd annual Gingerbread Display and Competition with their creation titled “Coraline House.” The confection...
Check out these upcoming programs at the Cooper-Siegel and Sharpsburg libraries
The Cooper-Siegel Community Library and its Sharpsburg branch offer a variety of programming for visitors of all ages. To view a complete list of offerings, visit coopersiegel.librarycalendar.com. Events at both libraries are listed and can be viewed according to age group and location. Registration is required for most programs as...
Charles ‘Kamikaze Kid’ Bonasorte, former Pitt football player, Oakland kiosk owner, dies
Charles Bonasorte, a former University of Pittsburgh football player and owner of a popular Oakland kiosk, died Friday. Pittsburgh Sports Now’s Harry Psaros said Bonasorte’s death is “a profound loss for the Pitt community.” Bonasorte was raised “just a stone’s throw from the Cathedral of Learning,” Psaros wrote, and frequented...
1 injured after Squirrel Hill Tunnel crash
One person was taken to the hospital after a crash in the Squirrel Hill Tunnel Sunday afternoon. The wreck was reported around 1:50 p.m., according to an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher, at the outbound side of the tunnel. The dispatcher could not provide details about the extent of the person’s...
Scenes from the Valley: Images captured in the Alle-Kiski Valley from Dec. 5-11, 2024
Here is a weekly look at recent images captured throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley. From major news events to routine gatherings, TribLive’s “Scenes from the Valley” photo package brings to life activities and moments happening in your backyard. To have a photo considered as a “Scenes from the Valley” candidate, please...
Building the Valley: The Amish Home in Frazer thrives with custom, handcrafted furniture
Anyone seeking custom,
American-made hardwood furniture might want to take a spin through the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer. Nestled inside the shopping center off Route 28 is The Amish Home, a furniture showroom that in recent years built such a clientele that expansion was necessary. It’s housed in an...
Virgin Mary statue damaged in possible act of vandalism at Pittsburgh church
Officials are trying to determine how a statue of the Virgin Mary was toppled and damaged this past week outside St. Peter Catholic Church in Pittsburgh’s North Side neighborhood. Maintenance workers arriving Friday morning discovered the damage where the statue had stood near a side entrance to the church, according...
Westmoreland happenings: Breakfast with Santa, community blood drive, bingo, more
Fundraisers • Greensburg Masonic Center will sponsor a Breakfast with Santa from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Dec. 21 at the center, 349 Donohoe Road, Hempfield. Menu: pancakes, waffles, sausage, fruit cup and beverage. Cost: $10; children, $5; younger than 5, free. Bring a camera for photo ops with Santa. •...
Shooting victim found dead in Swissvale apartment, police say
Allegheny County Police are investigating a shooting that left a man dead Saturday night in Swissvale. First responders answering a 911 call shortly after 8 p.m. found the man dead in an apartment in the 7500 block of Dickson Street, according to police. Officials said they were working to identify...
At least 3 injured in Vandergrift bar shooting, according to dispatcher
At least three people were injured in a shooting early Sunday at a Vandergrift bar, according to a Westmoreland County Emergency Management dispatcher. Officers were called to the scene at Anthony’s Bar, 323 Longfellow St., at about 12:10 a.m., the dispatcher confirmed. Vandergrift Patrolman Joe Gray confirmed that borough Police...
