Morning Roundup: 2 men stabbed in Pitcairn; rape suspect taken into custody in Penn Hills
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Jan. 9: 2 men stabbed in Pitcairn Two men were stabbed in Pitcairn on Wednesday night, according to Allegheny County Police. Police said they were notified of an alleged assault at 7:16 p.m. in the 300 block of...
Trump might still have sway in U.S. Steel-Nippon deal
President-elect Donald Trump’s comments Tuesday, touting a United Arab Emirates company’s planned $20 billion investment in U.S. data centers, could spark hope for the proposed takeover of U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel. Though Trump previously said he was not in favor of a foreign company assuming ownership of the...
The Stroller, Jan. 9, 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. Westmoreland Museum of American...
Free school lunches could be on the table again for all students beginning in the fall
A pair of state lawmakers are advocating to again provide universal free lunches to students in the coming school year, though nobody knows for sure how much it would cost. State Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-North Hills, and Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Berks, will reintroduce the Universal School Meals legislation, aimed at...
Astrobotic will shoot for the moon again this year
After Peregrine Mission One burned up in the atmosphere and broke apart over a remote part of the Pacific Ocean a year ago, Astrobotic has been prepping for a second attempted launch to the moon in 2025 — Griffin Mission One lunar lander. Peregrine was supposed to solidify the Pittsburgh-based...
Rivertowne Pub demolition bids submitted for review by North Huntingdon commissioners
The condemned former Rivertowne Pub & Grille on Route 30 in North Huntingdon — a piece of the defunct, bankrupt Rivertowne Brewing Co. — likely will be razed this spring, township officials said Wednesday. The North Huntingdon commissioners expect to vote on a demolition contract when the board meets Jan....
Nonprofit founded in 1928 looks to bolster membership, awareness among Fox Chapel-area municipalities
A community-based nonprofit is looking to boost membership and raise awareness throughout the Fox Chapel-area communities it has served for almost 100 years. The District Association of the Fox Chapel Area raises funds that are donated directly back into the communities in the Fox Chapel Area School District — Aspinwall,...
‘I Voted’ sticker contest voting opens in Allegheny County
Are you tired of receiving the generic American flag “I Voted” sticker that’s given out during elections? Well, you now have a chance to provide input for the design of the Allegheny County “I Voted” sticker that will be used in the upcoming primary and general elections. Voting is open...
Gateway’s makerspace is ‘hub of creativity and innovation’
A new, inventive makerspace dubbed Gator Commons at Gateway High School’s Library Media Center is becoming “a hub of creativity and innovation,” according to teacher Dawn Nicolazzo. Equipped with a button maker, Cricut design space computer, sublimation station and printer, heat and die presses and other supplies and tools, students...
Photographer uses his lens for ‘A Different Perspective’ at Monroeville library
Jim Meehan’s love of photography began in the 1990s. He got his first film camera so he could participate in a school photography contest, and the Pittsburgh native discovered a passion for capturing the world around him. Meehan started out photographing landscapes and events, as his passion for travel, art...
Winter play returns to Gateway with ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’
Gateway High School theater will perform “The Importance of Being Earnest” at the Robert A. Read Performing Arts Center this month. The winter play returns after a three year hiatus. “I had some students come to me last spring asking me to help make the winter play happen,” producer Mary...
Latrobe’s Adelphoi to double capacity at charter school; expansion set for summer debut
Latrobe’s Adelphoi expects to debut an expansion of its Ketterer Charter School in June, more than doubling its capacity to provide instruction for area students who face emotional, behavioral or academic challenges. Construction is underway on two additions to the 45,000-square-foot school that is chartered by the Greater Latrobe School...
Attempted homicide added to Mt. Pleasant man’s charges in truck chase, shooting
A Mt. Pleasant motorist accused of chasing another driver and shooting at his vehicle had his day in court delayed Wednesday as state police refiled the charges against him, adding attempted homicide. Paul A. Caletri III, 30, also is charged with aggravated and simple assault, criminal mischief, reckless driving and...
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...
Jury finds Monessen man not guilty of rape, sex assault charges
A Monessen man was acquitted of sexual assault charges on Wednesday. After nearly two hours of deliberations by a Westmoreland County jury, Jerry Francis Griest, 63, was found not guilty of three charges in connection with allegations made by an autistic woman who claimed she was raped after she rejected...
Pittsburgh to settle 2 lawsuits over South Side bar brawl involving cops, PagansVideo
The City of Pittsburgh will pay $170,001 to settle two of four lawsuits against it stemming from a brawl at Kopy’s bar on the South Side six years ago between members of the Pagan motorcycle gang and several drunk, undercover police officers, according to an attorney. Two remaining plaintiffs will...
Defense claims Mt. Pleasant woman’s drinking not the cause of crash that injured pedestrians
Westmoreland County prosecutors contend a Mt. Pleasant woman was severely drunk when she drove her sports utility vehicle off the road and struck two pedestrians in early July 2020. Assistant District Attorney Theresa Miller-Sporrer told jurors on Wednesday that Elizabeth Sirianni’s decision to drive home after drinking at two local...
Trial begins for brother accused of ordering gunfire that started Jeannette shootout
Terra Dudley knew her son was in trouble but hesitated when she pulled out a gun to defend him as he fled from a barrage of bullets. She then fired at the teenage boy who had taken aim at her 17-year-old son, James Sanders. “My heart broke. I had just...
Former Pine-Richland trainer accused of filming boys in locker rooms
A former Pine-Richland School District athletic trainer has been charged with secretly filming male students in locker rooms and bathrooms, according to state police. Samuel Elliot Fischer, 34, faces child pornography charges for the allegations in connection with Pine-Richland and other school districts. He recorded boys in locker rooms in...
Phipps Conservatory’s cafe, catering workers fear for their jobs amid vendor switch
Meredith Raubaugh doesn’t know what she’ll do for work after her gig as a catering server and cafe cashier at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens ends next week. She and about 30 others who work in the the Pittsburgh conservatory’s cafe and catering departments are expected to lose their jobs...
Medical examiner IDs man found dead on Wilkinsburg sidewalk
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office Wednesday identified the man authorities found dead last weekend on a Wilkinsburg sidewalk as Dorrel Ferguson, 19. Police were dispatched at 8:25 p.m. Saturday to the 1000 block of Ross Avenue, where the unidentified man, later identified as Ferguson, was found dead on the...
Podcast: Biden blocks the sale of U.S. Steel, lawsuits follow
Citing national security concerns, President Joe Biden blocked the $15 billion international sale of U.S. Steel to Japanese company Nippon Steel on Jan. 3, 2025. In a joint statement after the announcement U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel called Biden’s action political. The companies then filed a federal lawsuit against the...
Former Derry Area Aqua Club president accused of stealing $24K from organization
The former president of the Derry Area Aqua Club was jailed Wednesday on police accusations that she used money from the organization to pay for gambling and sports betting, according to court papers. Josie Faye Ruffner, 35, of Latrobe, is charged by Westmoreland County detectives with dealing in proceeds of...
Westmoreland happenings: turkey dinner, more
Fundraisers • Jeannette Knights of Columbus hosts bingo at 7 p.m. Fridays in Mersinger Hall at Ascension Church, 615 Division St., Jeannette. Doors open at 6 p.m. and early birds begin at 6:30 p.m. Players younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Smoke-free venue. Food will be available...
Dick’s Sporting Goods construction begins at The Waterworks
The new Dick’s Sporting Goods store at The Waterworks near Aspinwall is expected to open this summer. The new store is located in the shopping center’s former Walmart anchor space. It is unclear what that means for the Dick’s store at the Pittsburgh Mills mall — just nine miles away...
