Latest electronic billboard goes up in Tarentum
Tarentum’s newest electronic billboard was set into place Tuesday. Set atop a 70-foot pole, the two-sided display will be visible from the Tarentum Bridge. It is the third on the Tarentum end of the bridge, going up about a year after a similar sign on the other side of the...
‘We deserve a better Pittsburgh’: Corey O’Connor formally launches mayoral bid to oust Gainey
Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor on Tuesday formally declared his candidacy for Pittsburgh mayor, saying the city deserves transparency, thriving neighborhoods, safe streets, booming businesses and improved public safety staffing. The announcement sets up what will likely be a fiercely fought Democratic primary on May 20 as O’Connor tries to...
Greensburg police sell guns long held in storage at station
Greensburg police are selling four long guns that were seized in a criminal case years ago, said police Chief Charles Irvin. City council on Monday unanimously approved selling the firearms to Hufftown Highpower in South Greensburg for $1,660. Irvin said the guns were ordered by a judge to be used...
Judge honors Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair outstanding citizens
All eyes were on two faithful and foundational local women in District Judge Ron Arnoni’s courtroom on Dec. 4 as Arnoni continued his annual tradition of honoring and recognizing deserving residents with his Outstanding Citizen of the Year Awards. Nominated by their peers, 2024’s honorees Diane Ford of Bethel Park...
Hempfield Area to tackle 1 of 3 roof replacements, test pool ahead of high school renovation
As Hempfield Area moves forward with a nearly $281,000 roof repair at Fort Allen Elementary, the district also plans to address projected million dollar roof projects at two of its other schools next summer. The school board voted Monday to hire Garland Company Inc. to replace the roof covering Fort...
Historic North Huntingdon bridge in poor condition, slated for replacement
PennDOT is planning to replace a bridge on Leger Road in North Huntingdon that has historic significance but is in overall poor condition. The project is slated for construction in 2026. It will involve a 5-mile detour, sending traffic over sections of routes 30 and 993 and Brownstown Road. According...
Morning Roundup: Sinkhole opens up in East Liberty; man charged in stabbing; person flown to hospital following crash
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Dec. 10: Pittsburgh water officials investigate East Liberty sinkhole A large sinkhole was discovered in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood on Monday. TribLive news partner WTAE reports that a 10 feet wide, 4 feet deep sinkhole opened in front...
Sewickley Heights homeowner plans to rebuild on site of 2023 house explosion
Nearly a year has passed since an explosion leveled a caretaker’s house on John Tippins’ sprawling Sewickley Heights property. But, as the managing director of a Downtown-based private equity group gets ready to rebuild on the Backbone Road site, at least one neighbor still is wondering what happened to the...
Frigid temperatures in Pittsburgh area return following rainstorm later this week
A warm-up throughout the Pittsburgh area will transition into frigid conditions with a chance of snow later this week. Temperatures on Tuesday will reach highs in the upper 50s, warming up conditions across the region, but don’t expect that to last long. Rain showers are reported to start Tuesday afternoon...
Ski season to start Saturday at Hidden Valley Resort
The ski season will begin Saturday at Hidden Valley Resort in Somerset County. Operated by Vail Resorts, Hidden Valley will offer skiing from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. The slopes will be closed on Monday, reopening on Dec. 20 for the season’s...
The Stroller, Dec. 10, 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. Rotary offers annual scholarships...
Finances, student experience important during Burrell School District reconfiguration
Money, schedules, busing and the student experience are top of minds of Burrell’s Huston Middle School focus group as the school will shift to accommodating fifth graders next school year once Stewart Elementary closes. District administration has been working on schedules and building organizations for the review of the focus...
Altoona thrust into spotlight after suspect in UnitedHealthcare’s CEO’s killing nabbed at McDonald’s
ALTOONA — Karen Townsley praised the McDonald’s employee who reported to police Monday suspicions that a customer was the man being sought by New York City authorities in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO. “I was pretty shocked,” she said. “I thought he was probably from New York City.” The...
Jordan Brown, arrested for murder at age 11, testifies for first time
Nearly 16 years after he was accused of killing the woman he thought of as his stepmother, Jordan Brown testified for the first time Monday, describing for a jury the events of Feb. 20, 2009. In appearance, only Brown’s clothes — a gray suit and tan, striped tie — and...
Coroner: Unity woman died of head, torso injuries after fall into sinkhole
Elizabeth Pollard died of head and torso injuries, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson, who released the 64-year-old Unity resident’s preliminary autopsy report Monday. Pollard was searching for her cat Dec. 2 behind Monday’s Union Restaurant in Unity when he ground gave way beneath her, and she fell straight...
Deadline nears for registering for state health insurance coverage for 2025
The 430,000 Pennsylvanians who use Pennie, the state-operated marketplace for health insurance, must make a decision by Dec. 15 which plan they want in 2025. Pennie is an option for those meeting federal poverty income guidelines and it gives people the chance to be able to get affordable health care...
Greensburg man sentenced to jail for decades-old sex crimes against children
A Greensburg man was ordered to serve nearly one year in jail after he pleaded guilty to charges that he sexually assaulted two young girls two decades earlier at multiple locations around Westmoreland County. Morton William Thomson Jr., 66, was charged in December 2022, more than 20 years after his...
Apollo man says he pulled truck driver out of flaming vehicle at fatal New Kensington crash
Jonathan Dibler works repairing vehicles damaged in crashes or other mishaps. He’s not so well-versed when it comes to rescuing people from those crashes. But that’s what the 18-year-old employee at Caliber Collision in New Kensington did on his lunch break Monday. “It was instinct,” Dibler said. “It was an...
Former teacher avoids jail for possession of child porn
A former Indiana County high school teacher who pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography this fall avoided a jail term Monday. Charles Kirkland, 33, of Derry Township was ordered to serve 14 years on probation even as a Westmoreland County prosecutor argued that he should spend at least three...
7 planets will align for viewing in early 2025
This January, the seven visible planets will align in the sky in a “planet parade.” The rare celestial event will start just before Jan. 21, with Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus lining up for several weeks, Business Today reported. People will be able to view Venus, Mars, Jupiter...
FBI arrests Upper St. Clair man accused of trying to join Hezbollah in Lebanon
A 24-year-old former U.S. soldier living in a Pittsburgh suburb has been charged in federal court with lying to the FBI after, authorities said, he flew to the Middle East and attempted to join the terrorist group Hezbollah. Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, of Upper St. Clair traveled to Lebanon in...
Tourism grants awarded to Westmoreland businesses, attractions
Since Julia Taneja and her husband opened a luxury boutique hotel at a renovated coal baron mansion in Greensburg nearly two years ago, they’ve attracted visitors from throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. A $19,000 grant from revenue generated by Westmoreland County’s 5% hotel room tax will...
Vote for local high school artists in ‘Paint the Plow’ contest
High school students across the state have decorated winter snow plows, and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials want the public to vote on their local favorites. The annual Paint the Plow contest is part of PennDOT’s annual campaign drawing awareness to winter driving safety. Students were asked to create a...
Pittsburgh Popcorn Company hit with health code violations
The Allegheny County Health Department issued 13 health code violations to the Pittsburgh Popcorn Company’s processing facility. According to the Food Safety Assessment Report, an inspection took place on Dec. 4 at the facility in the South Side Slopes. Out of 33 total food safety assessment and general sanitation categories...
Lower Burrell to unveil Christmas in the Woods to promote unity, community
A family-friendly, free Christmas event is coming to Lower Burrell for the first time in decades. The city’s Parks and Recreation Commission is hosting Christmas in the Woods Saturday at K-9 Officer Derek Kotecki Park in Lower Burrell. “We wanted to create an enchanting, immersive experience in the woods that...
