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...
In brief: Herald area events for the week of Dec. 2, 2024
O’Hara organizing a ‘Spread Cheer’ food collection O’Hara Township is sponsoring a Spread Cheer Food Drive from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 14 in the municipal parking lot to support St. Vincent de Paul in Sharpsburg. Nonperishable items that can be used as side dishes for the holidays and...
Springdale Township eyes 46% tax increase, its first hike in 9 years
Springdale Township property owners can expect a 46% tax increase in their real estate property bills — in addition to recent hikes to their water, sewage and garbage bills. “With inflation, we were overdue for an increase in millage,” said Tim Basilone, vice president of the township commissioners. The proposed...
Greensburg Salem approves $68K contract to upgrade sound systems in high school gym, auditorium
Greensburg Salem will spend nearly $68,000 to upgrade sound systems in the high school gym and auditorium. The current systems are antiquated and unreliable, Superintendent Ken Bissell said. “There are times where kids onstage are singing or saying their lines and it cuts out,” Bissell said of the auditorium system....
Search and rescue teams gain access to mine where Unity woman fell down sinkhole, fresh crew arrivesVideo
The search for a woman suspected of falling down a sinkhole in Unity on Monday evening continued under floodlights late Tuesday, with authorities vowing to keep looking for her underground until she is found. Search and rescue personnel gained access to a mine believed to have caused the sinkhole Tuesday...
Monongahela Rye, Jasper’s Stash and White Rye among spirits offered at West Overton Village holiday market
Seasonal shopping in historic surroundings awaits visitors to the Holiday Markers Market Saturday and Sunday at West Overton Village along Route 819 in East Huntingdon. Admission is free to browse among a different selection of 30 craft vendors featured each day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The setting is...
Morning Roundup: Metal debris on Parkway East causes multiple flat tires
Here are a few news items for Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024: Drivers suffer popped tires on Parkway East PennDOT officials said nearly 30 drivers ended up with flat tires after hitting a metal grate on the Parkway East near the Churchill exit. A large number of vehicles were forced to...
The Stroller, Dec. 3, 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. Plum Christmas celebration set...
Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count puts the focus on our feathered friends
Susan Miller is used to spotting birds on her nature walks. That makes the Plum naturalist a perfect candidate for the annual Christmas Bird Count, a worldwide effort to document local bird populations. The survey is the largest citizen science effort held for one day, between Dec. 14 and Jan....
Dick’s to bring House of Sport concept to Westmoreland Mall
A Dick’s House of Sport planned for the vacant Sears spot at Westmoreland Mall would be the second House of Sport concept store in the Pittsburgh region. It also follows a trend as malls evolve to remain relevant in the wake of the collapse of former retail giants like Sears....
Oklahoma Borough family leans on faith, community after fire ravages home
John Walsh and his family are trying to rebuild their lives from scratch from out of a hotel in Harmar. No one was hurt when a fire gutted their Oklahoma Borough home Saturday, but their two dogs and two cats were killed and nearly all of their possessions were destroyed....
Delmont will lower Athena Drive speed limit to 25 mph
Delmont will officially lower the speed limit on Athena Drive to 25 mph. Council voted 6-1 at its November meeting to reduce the top speed on the stretch of Athena between Freeport Street and the borough line just north of Park Drive. Council President Andy Shissler voted no. Athena is...
Pine-Richland senior named bocce player of month
Pine-Richland High School senior Ben Dudkowski was named the Clearview Federal Credit Union Bocce Player of the Month for November. The program recognizes Special Olympics Pennsylvania’s Three Rivers Region’s exceptional athletes and unified partners who demonstrate sportsmanship, teamwork and dedication on and off the bocce court and who promote inclusion...
Hampton police participate in holiday charity campaigns
Hampton police are letting both their hair and their giving spirit grow out this holiday season as they once again participate in multiple holiday charity efforts, including the No Shave and Presents from Police campaigns. For the fourth annual No Shave campaign, Hampton officers including Patrolman Ben Brown are growing...
