Owners of boutique in Ross, South Hills donate sweaters to honor loved one’s memory
When Julie Durbin was undergoing cancer treatment, she was always cold. She would bring a cardigan, a sweater that opens in the front and comes in various lengths, to her appointments. “Cardigans added a layer of warmth and comfort and protection for her,” said her sister Dione O’Dell. “She was...
Lawyers portray Jordan Brown as either innocent boy or perpetrator of ‘perfect crime’
Pennsylvania State Police must have believed Jordan Brown committed the perfect crime in 2009, his lawyer told a jury Tuesday. In just two minutes, according to the scenario described by attorney Alec Wright that he attributed to state police, the then-11-year-old went upstairs in his Lawrence County home, retrieved his...
Harrison seeking safety boost along Freeport Road
Harrison officials are seeking to boost safety along Freeport Road for vehicles and pedestrians. Police Chief Brian Turack said traffic signals along the business stretch are “pretty outdated.” “They were all added or designed at different times so none of them really work together,” he said. Commissioners have hired HRG...
Old Stone Church once again site of Monroeville’s holiday kickoff
“This time of the year is for faith, family and friends,” said Master of Ceremonies Mike Wargo as he kicked off the 55th annual tree lighting and holiday concert Nov. 26 at the Old Stone Church in Monroeville. Wargo, a financial adviser and previous master of ceremonies, went on to...
Attorneys for Springdale residents seek reargument over boiler house ruling
Attorneys representing 16 Springdale residents seeking to block an implosion of the former power plant’s boiler house say they weren’t required to go through other outlets to challenge the demolition and permitting, contrary to a recent state Superior Court decision that ruled they should have. That’s part of the argument...
Bethel Park club learns about service dogs for veterans
Members of the Bethel Park-based Ruthfred Acres Woman’s Club honored veterans during November meeting. The speaker was Brian DeLong, a U.S. Air Force veteran and regional coordinator for the Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs program. He is an active member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 764 in Peters, where...
Bethel Park/Upper St. Clair Troop 4 Scout earns Eagle rank
Quinlan David Reynolds of Scout Troop 4, Bethel Park/Upper St. Clair, was recognized for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout in a Court of Honor ceremony held this fall. The final hurdle in the quest for the highest rank for Boy Scouting is the Eagle Project, a community service challenge....
Harrison business delivers Christmas locally and in hurricane-ravaged North Carolina
Harrison real estate agent Cameron Yockey wants to work some holiday magic at home and more than 400 miles away in communities ravaged by Hurricane Helene. Through his company, Realty One, Yockey is spearheading a toy collection to provide a joyful Christmas for children in North Carolina towns that are...
Cheswick budget maintains property taxes, increases sewage, trash rates
Cheswick Council approved its 2025 budget on Tuesday with no tax increase, but residents will see increases in their trash and sewage rates. The fixed sewage rate for borough customers will increase 12%, or $10.68 per quarter, from $88.03 to $98.71. The increase is to cover the borough’s share of...
Dueling bills propose conflicting approaches to affordable housing in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh has 90 neighborhoods, but only four of them require large housing developments to include affordable units for lower-income people. Mayor Ed Gainey wants to expand that mandate, known as “inclusionary zoning,” to all parts of the city. Gainey’s administration is pushing for a blanket strategy, arguing that affordable housing...
Carrick man indicted for attempted murder of DEA agent
A federal grand jury has indicted a Pittsburgh man on charges of attempted murder and assaulting a federal officer nearly four months after authorities say he fired at least 18 shots at a Drug Enforcement Administration agent who later found a large stash of fentanyl at the man’s home. Drew...
Chartiers Valley hires assistant superintendent, high school principal
Chartiers Valley will have new leadership in key administrative positions when 2025 arrives. The board on Tuesday, Dec. 3 hired Michael Sable — who was appointed as high school principal this summer — to be the assistant superintendent for a 5-year term. Lesley McDonough, assistant principal at Woodland Hills High...
Plum residents to get new annual or quarterly bills for garbage, stormwater fees
Plum residents will pay two fees in a new way in 2025. Starting next year, current and delinquent charges for garbage collection and the borough’s flood prevention or stormwater fee will be billed by Keystone Collections, replacing the Plum Borough Municipal Authority. Keystone also collects the borough’s earned income tax....
Westmoreland happenings: Christmas programs, makers market, theater, more
Christmas events • Cook Township Community Center will host a free opportunity for children to meet Santa Claus at 1 p.m. Dec. 7 at the center, 1698 State Route 711. There will be photo ops with Santa with backdrops, a cookie-decorating station, and free cookies and hot chocolate. • The...
Buy Old World ornaments at Northern Tier Library
Northern Tier Regional Library is offering a limited number of Old World Christmas ornaments for purchase. Each ornament is hand-blown, silvered and hand-painted in the traditional fashion. Three styles are available: Snowman and Book Worm, $20 each, and Love You to the Moon, $22. Ornaments come with boxes, and there...
What to know about sinkholes amid fears a Unity woman fell into one
Authorities fear a grandmother from Unity who disappeared while looking for her cat may have been swallowed by a sinkhole. Crews searching for Elizabeth Pollard, 64, learned Wednesday morning that they have to switch up their tactics after the integrity of the mine where they’ve been digging is being compromised....
The Stroller, Dec. 4, 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. Christmas open house planned...
‘It’s been difficult:’ Unity sinkhole rescue effort turns into recovery missionVideo
Efforts to rescue a woman believed to have been swallowed by a sinkhole in Unity have turned into a recovery mission, authorities said Wednesday evening, as first responders believe the chances of finding Elizabeth Pollard alive are slim. After nearly two days of nonstop efforts to locate Pollard, involving volunteers...
Alexander P. Bicket, South Africa native who became Allegheny County judge, dies at 68
As a judge, Alexander P. Bicket made those around him feel at ease. Whether it was from the bench of his third-floor courtroom with the parties before him or in his chambers, where he regularly welcomed students, interns and young lawyers, he was unassuming. A native of South Africa —...
DEP suspects Unity sinkhole caused by abandoned mine
The Unity sinkhole investigators suspect a woman fell into late Monday could be the result of an abandoned mine, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. The DEP’s Bureau of Mine Safety was dispatched to Unity’s Marguerite Road early Tuesday. Upon initial review, officials suspect the sinkhole was caused...
North Hills School District’s holiday-themed efforts raise money for families in need
The weather may have been frightful, but the proceeds made folks smile. Despite cold, steady rain on event night, North Hills School District’s Hilltop Holiday Town and A Night Around the World raised $1,551 on behalf of families in need, including $200 in online donations. Inside the high school, guests...
North Hills, Shaler Area students combine on conservation project
Teachers tend to notice when substantial numbers of students fail to report to school. On the morning of Sept. 21, 2021, Abbey Nilson started to worry about the empty desks in her sustainability class at Shaler Area High School. As it turned out, some 40 students had to be rescued...
Gateway chooses new board leaders, therapy dog introduced
Gateway School Board has a new president and vice president after a reorganization meeting on Monday. With five votes, Director Leslie McBride was selected as the new president for 2025. Robin Mungo, current president, received four votes. Valerie Warning was nominated as vice president, receiving five votes from board members....
‘Gut punch’: Trump upsets local union leaders by opposing U.S. Steel-Nippon deal
On Monday night, President-elect Donald Trump reiterated his opposition to the proposed $14.9 billion sale of U.S. Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel Co., vowing to block the deal when he takes office. Some steelworkers in Pittsburgh’s Mon Valley who support the deal — and Trump — weren’t happy. “I am...
Allegheny County Council passes compromise budget with 36% property tax hike
Allegheny County Council passed a 36% property tax increase for next year — the first in more than a decade, but lower than what was initially proposed by Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. Council members supported the property tax increase by a 10-5 vote in a mostly peaceful meeting Tuesday...
