Cold snap stresses waterlines, authority workers in New Kensington
Water authority crews in New Kensington are among those run ragged this month fixing leaks and breaks caused by the region’s severe cold snap. Though the recent sub-zero weather caused a lot of waterline breaks, it wasn’t quite as bad as some social media posts make it out to be....
Greensburg craft, gift store invites young artists to sell work
Hannah Smith has created art for as long as she can remember. But until last week, Smith, a homeschooled sophomore who lives in Hempfield, never envisioned her artistic talent could turn into a career. Smith is one of five young artists who stocked the shelves of downtown Greensburg’s Artisans of...
Driver rescued after crashing vehicle through Bellevue parking deck
A vehicle crashed through a parking deck in Bellevue early Thursday morning, according to Emsworth Volunteer Fire Company. Crews from Emsworth, Avalon and Bellevue volunteer fire departments were dispatched to the parking deck shortly after 12:30 a.m. Thursday, according to a social media post by Emsworth. The crash occurred just...
Jeannette man sentenced to up to 9 years for narcotics offenses
Nearly four years after police seized drugs and almost $10,000 from a Jeannette man, he was sentenced to serve up to nine years in prison, according to Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli’s office. Larry Frederick, 35, was arrested in February 2021 after investigators seized from his home nearly 3...
Pa. student scores on national testing lower than pre-pandemic, results show
Pennsylvania public schools still may be grappling with the impact of the covid-19 pandemic, according to a national report on reading and math proficiency among fourth grade and eighth grade students. The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress — released Wednesday by the National Center for Education Statistics — shows...
Celebrate Black history this February at the Carnegie Carnegie
Black history is American history. I’ve heard this refrain often, and the more I’ve grown and learned, the more obvious this truth becomes. There’s hardly an aspect of American history that doesn’t turn out to involve race in some way, once you scratch the surface. When I was younger, the...
The Stroller, Jan. 30, 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. Musical alumni concert planned...
Bethel Park Police officer serving arrest warrant shoots man holding firearm
A Bethel Park man shot by a police officer serving an arrest warrant Wednesday night is charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest, according to Allegheny County Police. Officers went to an apartment complex along Dorchester Drive at 10 p.m. Wednesday to serve William Adam, 45, an arrest warrant related...
In new book, Penn Hills pastor teaches families with sick children to ‘Stand’
When Jay Mitlo’s editors tried to bill his new book as a Christian memoir, the Penn Hills pastor bristled. Yes, the book recounts his son Trey’s journey with terminal cancer, and yes, faith is woven throughout. But above all, “Stand: Emotionally and Practically Surviving When a Child Gets a Life-Threatening...
Penn Hills resident seeks solution to high water bills
Alarm bells went off in Andrew Slavin’s head when he looked at his latest bill from the Oakmont Water Authority. “There is no way that my wife and I used 40,000 gallons of water like this bill says we did,” Slavin said. The Penn Hills man said he is being...
9 additions coming to Ross Park Mall in 2025
Seven new stores, a restaurant and a bank-cafe are set to open this year at Ross Park Mall, some of which are new to the region, according to Simon Property Group, the mall’s owner. Upstairs, there will be a Capital One Café, which will offer customers “a full range of...
Pittsburgh council president says Gainey favors acting police chief for permanent post
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey is close to nominating the city’s acting police chief, a 30-year veteran officer, to lead the police bureau on a permanent basis, City Council President R. Daniel Lavelle said Wednesday. If Gainey presses ahead with Christopher Ragland, he will have to make the case for a...
Judge sets $1M bond for daughter charged with theft of Greensburg Beverage CEO’s estate
The lawyer for a Murrysville woman who, along with her mother, is accused of taking more than $4 million of a relative’s inheritance, told a Westmoreland County judge the case against his client has no factual basis. “Their theory is not supported by the evidence,” said defense attorney Paul Ellis...
Greensburg man to serve 20-to-40 year prison term for child rape
A Greensburg man was ordered to serve up to 40 years in prison for the rape of a child. James Dickant Jr., 35, was convicted of nine counts in a nonjury trial in October in which prosecutors claimed he had repeated sexual contact with a young child over a period...
Trial begins for Taco Bell manager charged with killing employee from Harrison
Both sides agree Zairyre Simmons fatally shot Dorian Carver of Harrison after the two argued at Taco Bell in Scott where they worked. But the prosecution and defense disagree about why. Simmons, 26, is charged with criminal homicide, receiving stolen property and carrying a firearm without a license. His trial...
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio pushes rail safety bill with visit to Tarentum
Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio is hoping he can persuade President Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress to support his renewed push for railroad safety. Deluzio, of Fox Chapel, is reintroducing his Railway Safety Act, a trio of bills aimed at improving federal oversight of railways. It’s an issue he...
Former Plum resident pleads guilty to federal drug trafficking charges, illegal possession of guns
A former Plum resident pleaded guilty in federal court to drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms, federal officials announced Wednesday. Solomon S. Givens, 55, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert J. Colville to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, para-flurofentanyl and a mixture of para-fluorofentanyl...
Rostraver road rage shooter sentenced to 80 years in prison for ‘cold-blooded killing’
A Westmoreland County judge said Wednesday the New Year’s Eve road rage killing three years ago of a Rostraver woman was “one of the most callous, senseless, arrogant cold-blooded killings with malice” that he has seen. Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani sentenced Anthony Hairston, 29, of Belle Vernon, to...
Defense attorneys say aides in Greensburg Salem elementary school followed direction of supervisors
Defense attorneys sought to push blame Wednesday in criminal cases alleging mistreatment of three Greensburg Salem elementary students onto two women who led the classroom, not two aides who were essentially their subordinates. Attorneys for Lorraine F. Robertson, 75, of Greensburg, and Amanda Lehman, 40, of South Greensburg, argued during...
Unity man dies after Ligonier Township head-on crash on Route 711
A Unity man who was severely injured in a head-on collision Monday in Ligonier Township has died. Colin Keough, 18, who lived on American Legion Road, was pronounced dead Tuesday in the intensive care unit at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown, according to Cambria County Coroner Jeffrey Lees. Keough...
Worker at Allegheny Township assisted living facility accused of stealing nearly $60K from resident
A woman working at an Allegheny Township assisted living facility is accused of stealing nearly $60,000 from a resident and permitting him to stay in the facility without paying rent, according to police. Allegheny Township police filed 19 charges against Tanya Lynn Palmer, 50, of Apollo that include theft, theft...
Kiski Area High School student injured by school bus while crossing road
A Kiski Area High School student was taken to a hospital Wednesday morning after walking into the side of a moving school bus. The 16-year-old boy was attempting to cross three lanes of traffic to reach the On The Fly convenience store, according to Allegheny Township police Chief Dan Uncapher,...
New Kensington Bridge construction worker charged in crash that injured motorcyclist
A Herminie man is facing felony aggravated assault charges stemming from a traffic accident last year in New Kensington. Police on Tuesday filed charges against Matthew James Slobodnik, 24, in the crash that happened Aug. 10 at Ninth Street and Industrial Boulevard, which is the intersection just before the New...
Westmoreland happenings: Valentine’s Day card drive, Jeannette bingo
Valentine’s Day • Senior Helpers is collecting handmade Valentine’s Day cards that will be distributed to local senior citizens. Schools, community groups and local organizations are welcome to participate. Arrangements can be made for pickup by Senior Helpers or they can be dropped off at the office, 4000 Hempfield Blvd.,...
Kiski Township planning massive public sewage expansion
Public sewage in Kiski Township could go from a rarity to standard in most well-populated areas of the township before the end of the decade. A draft comprehensive sewage plan introduced this month details intentions to hook up nearly 1,000 homes in and around the township’s Orchard Hill and Spring...
