Western PA Local News category, Page 45
AARP teams up with McCandless for free paper-shredding event during Fraud Prevention Month
When someone throws away documents with personal data on it, whether bills, junk mail or private papers, they could be tossing away their identity as well. “Our paper documents contain a surprising amount of personal information. When they’re thrown away intact, they can become an easy target for fraud and...
The Stroller, March 17, 2026: 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. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!...
New mental health diagnosis could impact guilty plea in St. Clair murder-for-hire case
A new mental health diagnosis could impact the planned guilty plea of a 20-year-old man who admitted to killing a St. Clair woman in her home at the request of her daughter. Robert Jack, 20, was the key witness during a weeklong trial in Westmoreland County court in February. His...
Playing it safe: Chimney sweeps say annual cleanings are a necessityVideo
It’s a dirty job. But if you don’t want to risk a chimney fire, someone’s got to do it. For anyone over the age of 40, the phrase “chimney sweep” probably conjures up memories of Dick Van Dyke’s sooty face, derby cap and famously terrible Cockney accent in “Mary Poppins.”...
Pittsburgh faces longer allergy seasons, study findsVideo
Allergy season in Pittsburgh kicks off in spring, but symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes and congestion are starting sooner and lingering longer, a study shows, as warmer temperatures extend the pollen season. Climate Central, a nonprofit organization that researches climate science, released a study that showed Pittsburgh’s freeze-free season, which...
Shaler Area 1 of 6 schools in nation selected for Japanese Language Education Assistant Program
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. First conceptualized following several meetings between former Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and former U.S. President Barack Obama, the J-LEAP program has...
How a single word caused a Pittsburgh homicide mistrial
The witness’s testimony was supposed to be simple. Pittsburgh police Officer Andrew Dice was expected to describe for jurors an interaction he’d heard at the Allegheny County Jail when dropping off a homicide suspect. Ambrose Sample Jr., charged with fatally shooting his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend during a child custody exchange on...
Fox Chapel Council approves new police policy, resolution limiting interactions with ICE
Fox Chapel officials have approved a new police department policy and borough resolution limiting interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Council unanimously voted Monday, March 16, to approve the policy. However, its members voted 4-1-2 on the resolution. Council President Andrew Bennett dissented. Council Vice President Harrison Lauer and...
What happened to Daphy? Haitian woman’s death prompts Pittsburgh immigration lawyer to question ICE procedures
An immigration attorney is raising questions about a Haitian woman’s death in Pittsburgh this month days after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took her into custody and then released her with an electronic ankle monitor. Daphy Michel, 31, of Charleroi was found unresponsive at a bus shelter on March 2...
Keystone Oaks plans renovation projects at its 3 elementary schools
The Keystone Oaks School District is undergoing a multimillion-dollar project to renovate its three elementary schools. The district plans general maintenance upgrades like HVAC, electrical and window and door replacements at Fred L. Aiken, Dormont and Myrtle Avenue elementary schools over the next couple of years. “The schools have not...
O’Connor’s budget headaches included inheriting millions in unpaid Pittsburgh Water bills
Last summer, the City of Pittsburgh got a $5.2 million water bill for six months of service. It didn’t pay. So when Mayor Corey O’Connor took over from Ed Gainey in January, he took on both that debt and the rest of Pittsburgh Water’s 2025 charges. The total owed to...
Penn Hills mother now charged with homicide in death of 3-year-old son
Police on Monday charged a Penn Hills woman in the death of her 3-year-old son. Lagomau Malu, 23, was arrested last week after her son Devin died at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Doctors at the Lawrenceville hospital told police the boy had suffered 11 fractures, which “are indicative of...
Sharpsburg woman to stand trial after police find dead dog in feces-filled home
A Sharpsburg woman is headed to trial after police said they found a dead dog and two neglected animals inside a feces-filled home that “was deplorable and unfit” for pets. Caitlin Marie Franks, 21, waived a preliminary hearing Monday on 15 animal cruelty charges in front of a district judge,...
Lower Burrell man to seek insanity defense in fatal shooting of Mogie’s Irish Pub tavern owner
A Lower Burrell man accused of killing a popular tavern owner plans to use an insanity defense at his murder trial. Nathan Salem, 47, is scheduled for trial in Westmoreland County court in June for the Dec. 21, 2023, fatal shooting of David “Mogie” Magill. Prosecutors say Magill, 64, was...
Acme pair charged with murder after toddler dies of methamphetamine overdose
Two Acme residents are facing third-degree murder charges after a 15-month-old child died from a methamphetamine overdose in a home investigators found was freezing and filled with waste. Michael Blasser, 34, and Ashley Makarsky, 31, were arraigned Monday on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment. The charges stem...
Intoxicated truck driver accused of assaulting state trooper in South Huntingdon
A New York City man whose commercial truck became disabled Monday in South Huntingdon is accused of spitting on a state trooper and calling him a racial slur, according to court papers. Troopers said Enayet Hossain, 47, of the Richmond Hill section in Queens, is subject to removal from the...
Kotecki Dog Park closed as safety precaution
High winds over the weekend caused a pole at the Kotecki Dog Park in Lower Burrell to lean far enough that officials decided to close the park Monday and Tuesday out of “an abundance of caution.” Mayor Chris Fabry said it doesn’t look like the pole will fall, but the...
College of 2nd chances: Professor who has taught at CCAC since it opened reflects on 60-year tenureVideo
Microbiology professor Francis Maxin has taught at Community College of Allegheny County since it opened its doors 60 years ago. He has no plans to retire anytime soon. “How can I retire? The college can’t afford my retirement present,” Maxin joked. “I want a BMW with a heated steering wheel.”...
UPMC warns embattled data exchange Health Gorilla may have improperly pulled patient records
UPMC says its medical records may have been improperly accessed by Health Gorilla, a patient data gatekeeper accused in federal court of mismanaging sensitive information. Health Gorilla requested data “under the pretext of providing treatment to shared UPMC patients and claimed it had permission to do so,” according to a...
Allegheny YMCA reopens on North Side after $26M renovation
Crowds were eager to get a glimpse of the newly renovated Allegheny YMCA on Pittsburgh’s North Side on Monday. The historic 1926 facility at 600 W. North Ave. opened to excited patrons before dawn, following a $26 million, yearlong renovation. “It’s gorgeous,” said Linda Scott, membership services coordinator. “We’re getting...
Sale of long-vacant property in Pittsburgh’s Fairywood section expected to create jobs
The sale of a 25-acre property in Pittsburgh’s West End — dormant for nearly 15 years — is expected to boost local tax revenue and spur economic redevelopment in the city’s Fairywood section. The property, which includes a 150,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility, was sold for nearly $26 million to...
Penn State police crack down on e-scooter use
Penn State police will be cracking down on students’ e-scooter use following spring break. In a Facebook post before spring break, Penn State University Police and public safety asked those who currently use an e-scooter on campus to “please take it and leave it at home when you return.” “Police...
Allegheny County sets dates for mail-in voting and certifies Feb. 24 special election
While certifying the results of Feb. 24’s special election in the South Hills, the Allegheny County Board of Elections approved plans for the upcoming midterms. Voters can expect much the same process that has been followed in recent years. This includes the option to request a mail-in ballot and return...
Verona shooting was targeted, police say
A shooting Sunday night in Verona was not a random act of violence, according to borough police Chief Thomas Dessell. “This was targeted,” Dessell said. As of Monday morning, police had not identified a suspect, he said. First responders were called around 10:20 p.m. to the 500 block of Vogels...
Freeport Area School District eyeing options as budget deficit looms
Freeport Area School District officials are looking at a possible $180,000 deficit as the June 30 budget deadline approaches. That is the message Brad Walker, district business manager, recently delivered to the school board. “That is based on no new local revenue to our funds,” Walker said. The district has...
