Volunteers plant trees along Penn Hills section of Allegheny River Boulevard
About 30 volunteers spent part of Nov. 16 planting eight trees near a stone turnout along Allegheny River Boulevard in Penn Hills. The event was a partnership between the Penn Hills Shade Tree Commission, the Allegheny River Boulevard Preservation Association and TreeVitalize Pittsburgh, an application-based program that offers trees as...
Former Westmoreland County director of purchasing charged with theft of nearly $10K
Westmoreland County’s former director of purchasing was arrested Tuesday on felony charges accusing him of stealing $9,800 by allowing department employees to work an extra 30 minutes daily. County detectives said Kristopher R. Cardiff, 47, of Trafford, was not authorized by the county’s salary board to extend the workday for...
Ex-federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh weigh in on attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz
Robert Cindrich served as the federal government’s top prosecutor in Pittsburgh during the Jimmy Carter administration. He took over the U.S. Attorney’s Office a few years after Dick Thornburgh, who later went on to be a Republican governor of Pennsylvania and attorney general of the United States. To Cindrich, who...
Springdale assessment appeals prompt 19% tax hike
Reassessments on industrial properties in Springdale have led to a loss of $11 million in expected revenues, and borough property owners will likely foot the bill. The borough is considering hiking real estate taxes by 19% next year to cover the assessment losses in addition to a spike in the...
Recount begins in McCormick-Casey Senate race
Election workers in Allegheny County on Wednesday joined their counterparts across the state as they launched a legally mandated recount in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race. About 100 workers began processing hundreds of thousands of ballots on scanning machines at a warehouse on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Abigail Gardner, spokeswoman for Allegheny...
Innamorato touts public safety spending in proposed 2025 budget
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato Wednesday said the $57 million she’s proposing in public safety spending in her 2025 budget would help fund the ongoing modernization of an outdated public safety radio system, ensure there are enough county police to handle emergencies, and roll out a pilot program for civilian...
Chartiers Valley kindergarten students thank, honor veterans with annual tea
Chartiers Valley kindergarteners gave a patriotic thank-you to area veterans during the Primary School’s annual a few days after Veteran’s Day. “This Veterans Day event is such a special event for our kindergarten students and the veterans,” said Suzanne Schweikert, Kindergarten teacher and coordinator of the Veterans Day Tea. “…The...
Online store pops up selling unlicensed Franklin Regional merchandise
The reaction to Franklin Regional School District’s announcement that school-branded merchandise would be consolidated under a single vendor was swift and harsh. Negative criticism came from groups across the district that purchase branded merch for athletes, clubs, fundraisers and more. Parents and boosters aired concerns about not being able to...
Free Thanksgiving food available at Pittsburgh convention center
Are you in need of Thanksgiving dinner this holiday season? Free Thanksgiving food items are available Saturday at Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center. As part of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh’s annual Thanksgiving Distribution and Health and Human Service Fair, people can receive meal items on Saturday. The...
New contract includes 2.4% annual raises for Greater Latrobe teachers
Greater Latrobe teachers will receive annual pay raises under a new five-year contract approved this week by both the union and the school board. Running through July 31, 2029, the new labor agreement provides an average annual pay hike of 2.43% for teachers who are at the top rung of...
Unity seeks state funding to help replace poor-rated Monastery Drive bridge
Unity supervisors are setting their sights on a bridge on Monastery Drive as the next candidate for replacement in the township’s ongoing effort to update its infrastructure. The supervisors estimate the Monastery Drive bridge project will cost approximately $1.2 million. They’ve applied for about $1 million of that amount through...
South Buffalo plans 15th year of no tax increases
South Buffalo is maintaining a 15-year streak of no tax hikes as part of its proposed $2.5 million budget. Supervisors approved a preliminary spending plan after a series of public budget workshops, with formal passage scheduled for Dec. 16. The property tax rate is expected to remain at 5.7 mills....
No tax hike expected for Vandergrift property owners
Vandergrift has no plans to raise real estate taxes next year, according to its preliminary spending plan. The proposed budget would keep the property tax rate at 28 mills. Expenditures are projected to hit about $2.5 million, roughly $30,000 more than expected income. That gap would be covered by leftover...
Westmoreland happenings: Festival of trees, Organ recital, pancake breakfast, more
Fundraisers • St. James Lutheran Church, Youngstown, will have a Festival of Trees from noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 23 at the church, 4329 Route 982. More than 50 trees will be raffled. There will be a bake sale, children’s crafts, a photo booth, photos with Santa and free hot...
Frazer tax rate to hold steady but assessed values could go up, raising tax bills for some
Frazer officials don’t plan to raise property taxes next year, but some homeowners could pay more nonetheless. The township’s $1.3 million budget will maintain a tax rate of 3.5 mills, but Supervisor/Township Secretary Lori Ziencik said the board plans to reduce the Homestead Exclusion from $40,000 to $20,000. That means...
SUV driver crashes into building in Bloomfield
A person driving an SUV crashed into an apartment building in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood Tuesday evening, also striking a tree, utility pole and a pedestrian. WTAE reported that Pittsburgh Police were called to the intersection of Baum Boulevard and Liberty Avenue outside the Albion at Morrow Park apartments around 5:30...
Pittsburgh man arrested in connection with Wilkinsburg killing
Allegheny County Police made an arrest Tuesday night in connection to a fatal shooting that occurred in Wilkinsburg this summer. Police arrested Amir Johnson, 24 of Pittsburgh, in the city’s Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood on Tuesday evening, according to a press release. Johnson is facing multiple charges to include homicide, robbery, and...
Nearly 200 speak at Allegheny County council in support of proposed tax increase to fund programs
A large group of residents, community group leaders, and service providers filled Allegheny County Council chambers Tuesday night to speak in support of a proposed tax increase to fund county government. TribLive newspartner WTAE reports that about 200 people spoke Tuesday night during the council meeting, nearly all in support...
First snow of season likely in Southwest Pa. this week
Pittsburgh’s winter weather is making a preview this week, as the Southwestern Pennsylvania region is likely to see some snow within the next 48 hours. Meteorologists at TribLive newspartner WTAE report that rain showers will hit Wednesday afternoon and will be scattered throughout the area. Wednesday will be warm during...
Estimated building project cost comes in $10M over Plum School District’s borrowing ability
An addition and renovations at two schools are expected to cost the Plum School District nearly $10 million more than officials have said the district can borrow. The total estimated cost of the work is about $39.6 million, representatives of HDG Architects reported this month to the school board. The...
The Stroller, Nov. 20, 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. American Cancer Society seeks...
‘A lot for our small town’ or ‘all for it’: Penn Township residents weigh in on proposed turnpike interchange plan
As the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission continues with its design of an interchange for Penn Township, Randee Barrett isn’t sure what will happen with her family’s farm on Pleasant Valley Road. The farm falls near the proposed interchange site — the intersection of Route 130 with Nike Site, Sandy Hill and...
Need for English as Second Language education growing in Westmoreland schools
Westmoreland County’s ever-diversifying population is having an impact in public schools, where a growing number of students do not speak English as a native language and educators are facing increased demands as they to try to help bridge the language gap. “The number of English Learners (students whose native language...
Splash pad planned for Latrobe’s public swimming pool
Patrons will have a new way to get wet at Rogers McFeely Memorial Pool when the outdoor Latrobe swimming venue adds a splash pad. Plans are to install the new feature by the 2026 swim season, replacing a little-used baby pool, said Craig Shevchik, executive director of Greater Latrobe Parks...
Woman hit by car in East Deer
A woman was struck by a car Tuesday evening while walking across Freeport Road, near its intersection with Murrayhill Road, in East Deer. Responders were dispatched at 5:18 p.m. to the intersection, where the woman was hit by a car turning left from Murrayhill onto Freeport Road, said Jack Bailie,...
