Greensburg names Baltzer Meyer the city’s official historical society
Greensburg named Hempfield-based Baltzer Meyer the city’s official historical society Monday. The Baltzer Meyer Historical Society has collected records and artifacts from communities across Westmoreland County for more than three decades, said Vice President Franny Petras — including Greensburg. “We have military records. We have family trees. We have research...
Hempfield reviews visions for high school renovation project after construction stalled last year
More than a year after halting a high school renovation that came in over budget, Hempfield Area School District is getting back on track with the project. Architect Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates laid out visions for the project during a school board meeting this week, touching on improvement priorities and...
Pittsburgh Public Schools unveils plan to consolidate, reconfigure facilities
A plan to reduce the footprint of Pittsburgh Public Schools from 54 to 42 schools was introduced Tuesday. Education Resource Strategies suggests closing 14 schools and 10 facilities, reconfiguring 12 schools and opening three new schools. The consultant was hired by the district and examined community feedback and a variety...
Video, witnesses lead to suspect’s arrest in fatal Homewood stabbing
Surveillance video and witness statements helped Pittsburgh police piece together what they believe happened in the early morning hours Monday leading to a fatal stabbing in Homewood, according to court papers. Detectives said Raniesha Scott, 27, and Maurissa L. Plummer, 21, both of Homewood, had been arguing for hours when...
Morning Roundup: Fire at Downtown Pittsburgh apartment building; TSA at Pittsburgh airport finds 35th gun of 2024
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Oct. 16: Residents return to apartments after Downtown Pittsburgh fire Residents were allowed to return to Midtown Towers in Downtown Pittsburgh after a fire Tuesday evening, according to city police. Firefighters were called to the Liberty Avenue apartment...
Retired teacher keeps feeding Deer Lakes students
Retired Deer Lakes teacher Carol McCaskey was tired of seeing students come to school with a stomachache. “Us teachers knew the truth. We knew it was because they didn’t have food at home,” said McCaskey, who spent nearly three decades at East Union Intermediate Center and, before that, several years...
The Stroller, Oct. 16, 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. Free rides available to...
Couple, pet rescued from house fire in Unity
A couple and their pet dog were rescued by a neighbor when fire broke out in their Unity home Tuesday night. A smoke alarm awakened the pair as they were sleeping on the first floor of their Dos Drive home, according to Tom Schultheis, township emergency management coordinator. Blocked by...
Lane restrictions set for I-70, Route 51 as interchange revamp proceeds, old bridge is razed
Overnight single-lane restrictions will be in place for several days on a section of Interstate 70 as crews demolish the bridge that used to carry Route 51 over the interstate in Rostraver. The bridge is being replaced by a more complex crossing as part of a $120.7 million project to...
Hay smolders days after Hempfield barn fire, sparks concern for residents
A fire that destroyed a storage barn Saturday afternoon at Westmoreland Equestrian Center in Hempfield left behind a field of hay that is continuing to smolder and smoke, sparking concerns from nearby respiratory-challenged residents. As of Tuesday, it wasn’t clear how much longer the smoldering may continue at the site...
Pittsburgh seeks early end to $24M tax break for Squirrel Hill parcel
A formerly blighted parcel of land in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood that enjoyed a 20-year tax break to spur development could return to the tax rolls next year — nearly a decade earlier than expected. If City Council agrees, Pittsburgh, its school district and Allegheny County will see estimated total...
Judge rejects prosecutor’s request for lengthy sentence for Delmont man
A Westmoreland County prosecutor said rehabilitation was not a viable option for a Delmont man convicted this year of the attempted sexual assault of a woman. Assistant District Attorney Mike Pacek, during a sentencing hearing Tuesday for Brandon J. Pyle, 28, argued that his lengthy history of inappropriate and criminal...
Seward man pleads guilty to attempted child rape
A Seward man pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges relating to attempted sex with an underage girl. Anthony Ronald Laughard, 43, was charged last year following an undercover sting operation conducted by the state police. According to court records, Laughard made contact with a person through online communication he believed to...
Pittsburgh to clear Downtown homeless camp due to drug problems
Pittsburgh officials are clearing out a Downtown homeless camp after reports of drug use there, Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said Tuesday. The camp sits next to the Fort Pitt Commons office building off Grant Street and Fort Pitt Boulevard. People living at the camp will be offered shelter elsewhere...
Hampton’s Depreciation Lands Museum celebrates season with Hydref fair
Of the year’s four seasons, three generally go by a single name, whether it’s spring, summer or winter. The exception runs between Sept. 22 and Dec. 20, a time we know either as autumn, the relatively formal term based on the Latin autumnus, or fall, which not only is easier...
Bolivar man ordered to serve 10- to 20-year prison sentence for sexual assaults of child
A Bolivar man was sentenced Tuesday to serve 10 to 20 years in prison for the repeated sexual assaults of a young girl. Jerry Boring, 60, was convicted by a Westmoreland County jury in April of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault in connection with accusations...
Trump to hold rally Saturday at Arnold Palmer airport
Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally Saturday in Westmoreland County. Trump, the GOP nominee for president, is scheduled to appear at 6 p.m. at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity. Trump’s visit will come two weeks after he last appeared in the region. On Oct. 5, Trump returned...
New Kensington police use Taser, dog to arrest man who ran from fight at Sheetz
New Kensington police used a Taser and a police dog to apprehend a man who they say ran from a fight at Sheetz on Saturday. Noah Benjamin Reed, 20, of Springdale was found to be carrying a 9 mm hand gun with an extended magazine, police said in a criminal...
‘It’s not happening’: Westmoreland airport director dispels rumor regarding overnight immigrant flights
Thousands of immigrants are not being flown in overnight to Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity, said Gabe Monzo, Westmoreland County Airport Authority executive director. To some chuckles from board members and others in attendance at the authority’s board meeting Tuesday, Monzo addressed the nuisance that has become part of...
New installation to brighten Mellon Square for Light Up Night in Pittsburgh
A new light installation will launch in Pittsburgh’s Mellon Square just in time for the holiday season. Titled “Aurora: Illuminating the Holiday Magic of Mellon Square,” the installation was created by Pittsburgh-based artist Joshua Challen Ice, and it will debut on Nov. 23 for Light Up Night in the city....
Gotta go? Pittsburgh pushes for more public potties Downtown
Pittsburgh officials want to expand access to public bathrooms Downtown, where restrooms can be hard to find. City officials and the nonprofit Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership last September rolled out the “Pittsburgh Potty” initiative, which saw temporary bathrooms installed near the Gateway Center T Station Plaza and the intersection of Smithfield...
2 who fled Scottdale police are caught in Aliquippa
Two people accused of fleeing from police Friday in Scottdale are now being held at the Westmoreland County Prison. A borough officer who stopped about noon at a Water Street convenience store reported recognizing Westley Matthews, 43, of Bullskin, as a person who had warrants out for his arrest. When...
Delmont plans to lower speed limit on Athena Drive
Delmont officials will begin the process to lower the speed limit on Athena Drive from 35 miles per hour to 25 mph. “This is partly the result of some complaints we’ve gotten over the years from residents,” Councilman Stan Cheyne said. “I also recall that Ace Hardware mentioned an issue...
JD Vance to visit Pittsburgh this week
Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the Republican candidate for vice president, is set to visit Pittsburgh Thursday. Vance is expected to deliver remarks at 12:30 p.m. at The Pennsylvanian on Liberty Avenue Downtown, according to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign. Doors will open for the event at 10:30 a.m. Vance...
Buffalo Township cutting it close on finalizing covid relief-funded remodel of offices, police station
With the clock ticking to allocate its roughly $1.2 million in covid relief funds, Buffalo Township has taken another step toward remodeling its joint administrative office and police station. Supervisors this month put out a request for proposals and expect bids to come back within 30 days. That leaves the...
