Morning Roundup: Man facing over 600 sexual abuse charges; fire at Marshall-Shadeland home
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Jan. 7: State police say man faces over 600 charges of sexually abusing a child Pennsylvania State Police in Butler have filed 610 criminal charges against a man accused of sexually assaulting a child over nine years. According...
The Stroller, Jan. 7, 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. Lower Valley Food Bank...
Commissioners look to ‘retool’ Westmoreland election bureau
The search for a new director of Westmoreland County’s election bureau could begin in earnest this month as officials said Monday they want to have a new leadership team in place before the May primary. Former director Greg McCloskey retired in December, leaving a vacancy officials have yet to begin...
Parents of teen killed in McCandless crash sue driver for wrongful death
The parents of a Beaver County student who was killed when the car she was traveling in with five others crashed at a McCandless intersection are suing the driver. Taylor Orlowski, 18, of Baden was killed in the one-car crash Dec. 23, 2023. Jonathan Tourney, 14, of Richland also was...
Snow doesn’t mean postponements for W.Pa. school districts, although some still opt to cancel
Before snow started to fall Sunday night, many Western Pennsylvania school districts made the decision to cancel Monday’s classes or shift to remote instruction. Districts opting to use a flexible instruction day asked students to use computers to complete schoolwork from home. Students in districts that canceled classes enjoyed what...
Man who tossed explosives at police officers during Pitt protest sentenced to 5 years
The University of Pittsburgh police sergeant said Brian DiPippa ruined her life. DiPippa, 38, was protesting at a university event in Oakland hosted by the Pitt College Republicans on April 18, 2023, when, investigators said, he threw a homemade explosive into a line of officers providing security there. The officer,...
New year, new focus on performing arts at Point Park, president says
Point Park University is revamping its performing arts department, it announced Monday. The School of Dance and the School of Theatre, Film and Animation will be the two parts of Point Park’s Conservatory of Performing Arts. “With having these two new focused schools, we’re really positioning Point Park and Downtown...
Florida man accused in theft of $156K check from Mt. Pleasant Township company
A missing $156,000 check written by a Mt. Pleasant Township manufacturer led state police to a Florida man who is accused of intercepting it and taking it for himself. Potensky Jean-Pierre, 26, was jailed over the weekend on charges including theft, forgery, corrupt organizations and dealing in proceeds from an...
4 juveniles charged, staff members injured in riot at Fairfield youth facility
Four juveniles are charged as adults in connection with what police described as a riot that caused significant damage at a Fairfield youth facility. State Trooper Steve Limani said more charges are likely as police continue to examine surveillance video from Outside In School of Experiential Learning. The chaos started...
Man struck by plow truck in Hempfield parking lot
A man hit by a pickup truck clearing snow from a Hempfield orthopedics office parking lot Monday morning is expected to survive his injuries, according to state Trooper Steve Limani. The 74-year-old man was walking in the parking lot on Pellis Road just before 8 a.m. when a Chevrolet Silverado,...
Bird flu kills 200 snow geese in Pennsylvania
About 200 snow geese were found dead last week in the Allentown area — likely because of the bird flu. The dead birds were found in both Nazareth Township in Northampton County and Upper Macungie Township in Lehigh County, the Pennsylvania Game Commission reported. Preliminary in-state testing revealed the presence...
Proposed Allegheny County Jail warden spent career with state Department of Corrections
The proposed choice to become Allegheny County’s new warden retired two years ago from a lengthy career with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and once served for several months as the interim warden at the jail he now seeks to run. According to his resume, Trevor Wingard most recently served...
Local Remedy Brewery values community support in Oakmont
After almost a year of work, Local Remedy Brewing opened its home on Allegheny Avenue in Oakmont on Friday. “It’s definitely been an eventful and fun summer,” Local Remedy President Matt Synan said. Synan began brewing with his friends in the basement of his Cheswick home. After successfully selling their...
Although the building is gone, former Monsour hospital workers retain ‘family’ foundation
Editor’s note: “From the archive” is a recurring series highlighting vintage photos submitted by community members or gathered from the Tribune-Review’s files. If you have a photo you would like to see featured here, please contact gtrcity@triblive.com. In its heyday, Monsour Medical Center was ahead of its time, said Deborah...
Latrobe eyes rules for smoke shops, convenience stores, sites with gaming devices
Latrobe is considering an ordinance that would set operating restrictions and establish permitted zones for smoke and vape shops and neighborhood convenience stores. A second proposed ordinance would set guidelines for establishments operating gaming devices. While gaming devices offering players payouts have been proliferating among businesses and clubs in Latrobe,...
In brief: Plum, Oakmont area news, events for the week of Jan. 6, 2025
Plum School Board approves pay increase for security, crossing guards The Plum School Board in December approved a 20% pay increase for security and crossing guards. The hourly pay rate increased from $15 to $18 on Jan. 1. Guards will receive a 3% annual raise, contingent upon receiving a satisfactory...
In brief: Penn Hills and Verona area happenings, week of Jan. 6, 2025
Open forum to discuss transportation rescheduled The Penn Hills School Board has postponed an open forum to discuss transportation services in the school district after there was a heating system failure at Linton Middle School. According to a post on the district’s website, the forum will be hosted later in...
Snowstorm brings modest totals in most of Western Pa.
The predicted snowstorm that closed schools and caused traffic restrictions Monday failed to live up to the hype in many parts of Western Pennsylvania — at least so far. Officials had expected 2 to 4 inches of snow in the Pittsburgh area and higher accumulations south of Interstate 70. But...
Morning Roundup: Man shot in Aliquippa; Carnegie grocery store ordered to close
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Jan. 6: Man shot in Aliquippa A man was shot at an Aliquippa bar over the weekend, according to police. Aliquippa police said they were dispatched at 11:45 p.m. Saturday to Kendrew’s Lounge along Brodhead Road for reports...
The Stroller, Jan. 6, 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. Free lunch planned at...
‘I just like the nature of it’: Bushy Run volunteer of the year says of site
Melissa Fligger looks fondly on her childhood days spent walking Bushy Run Battlefield’s 218 acres of woods, trails and open fields. She and her father often took the two-minute walk from their Penn Township home to the state historical site of the 1763 clash between the British and Native Americans...
Homicides, shootings down in ’24 in Pittsburgh, reflecting nationwide trends, data shows
Like many U.S. cities, Pittsburgh saw homicide and nonfatal shooting rates drop in 2024 to pre-pandemic levels. That trend did not play out, however, in the suburbs ringing the city in both Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, data shows. “America’s crime trends in 2024 were remarkably positive with an enormous decline...
Craft breweries adjust to industry change as closings outpace openings for 1st time in 20 years
Thirty years ago, if someone said, “I’m going out to grab a craft beer,” the person they were talking to might not have known what that meant, let alone where they would go to get it. Today, in Greensburg alone, it could mean eight different taprooms, and that’s not counting...
Longtime Pittsburgh-area architect, artist Syl Damianos gifts last large-scale work to Longwood at Oakmont
A large sculpture adorning the wall of a dining room at Longwood at Oakmont is something of a penance for its creator, Sylvester “Syl” Damianos. Damianos, 91, and his wife of 67 years, Eva Lu, moved from their home of 53 years in Edgewood to a country home at the...
Farmers market to join shuttle service in increasing access to food in New Kensington
A new farmers market could join an existing shuttle service as an additional option to provide access to food for people in New Kensington. The New Ken Downtown Partnership plans for the weekly market to be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays from April 19 to Oct. 25 at...