Police search for missing Homewood teen
Pittsburgh police seek the public’s help in locating a missing Homewood teen. Sincere Mack, 16, was last seen in the Homewood area Monday night, Oct. 7. He is described as standing 5 feet 11 inches, weighing 160 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. Sincere is also known to frequent...
Man, 82, faces trial for exposing himself to kids outside Sewickley ice cream shop
An 82-year-old man facing trial on charges that he exposed himself to children outside a Sewickley ice cream shop was previously sentenced to probation on indecent exposure charges in two separate incidents, court records show. Allegheny County Police last month charged David Whitten of Franklin Park with corruption of minors,...
A Western Pennsylvania native, college student and Florida visitor all brace for Hurricane Milton
Kyle Swan evacuated from the Tampa area Wednesday morning after official notice that his family’s Sarasota, Fla., home would be in the path of impending Hurricane Milton. “It was very worrisome,” he said. “I’ve lived here my whole life, and I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a Category 5 hurricane.”...
Penn Township author to discuss self-publishing
Penn Township author Leslie Savisky will offer tips on how to self-publish books during a program Thursday at the Penn Area Library, 2001 Municipal Court, Harrison City. Savisky is a freelance writer for Pittsburgh Parent magazine and the Monroeville Times Express. She is the author of the self-published novels, “Other...
Man used toddler as ‘human shield’ during SWAT situation, police say
A man used his toddler as a shield from police during a standoff Tuesday, according to authorities. Manuel Antonio Turcios-Perez, 23, faces charges of endangering the welfare of children, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, unlawful restraint and disarming a police officer in connection to the five-hour standoff that occurred in his...
Gia Visto reopens after Health Department hang-up
Gia Visto, the Italian restaurant in Penn Hills that closed under Allegheny County Health Department orders in August, has reopened after getting a permit and upgrading its kitchen. Owner Jill Varmecky characterized the permit situation as a mix-up. “I’ve always had a pleasant relationship with the Health Department all these...
Gateway students explore different paths at college fair
For Gateway counselors, graduating from high school is not the end. In fact, it’s just the beginning. The expectation is that all students research the path they’d like to take after graduation. whether it be joining the workforce or military, pursuing a skilled trade, or enrolling in a traditional college,...
Bob Butter, Pittsburgh’s ‘patriarch of public relations,’ dies
Tree of Life Congregation Rabbi Jeffrey Myers made a daily call to Bob Butter for comfort and advice. Butter, a public relations giant in Pittsburgh, helped Myers handle the media onslaught after the Oct. 27, 2018, attack on Tree of Life in Squirrel Hill. “We knew we would need extra...
Obstruction charges filed against Blackburn Center staff in child custody case
Four employees of the Blackburn Center in Greensburg are facing charges after, state police said, they denied entry to troopers attempting to serve an emergency child custody order. Police reported prying a door open Oct. 1 in an effort to locate the child after repeated attempts to get inside a...
Bradford Woods Conservancy celebrates 30th anniversary
When a commercial nursery in Bradford Woods closed in the 1980s, developers no doubt eyed up the 4½ acres as a potential site for pricey homes. Property owners Ted and Janet Eck had a different idea. “When they left, they wanted to have their property remain open space for the...
Verona police identify cigar theft suspect, issue arrest warrant
Verona police are looking for a Buffalo, N.Y., woman suspected of stealing nearly $1,500 in high-end cigars. Caitlin Connelly, 40, was caught on Verona News and Cigars security footage taking six boxes of cigars by West Tampa Tobacco, a high-end cigar company based in Florida, without paying on Sept. 26,...
Plum man to face trial for sexual assault of 14-year-old girl
A Plum man will face trial on charges of sexually assaulting one of two girls he took to his home after encountering them outside a borough bar in June. John Dale Vorous, 61, was shackled and wearing prison garb when he waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday before...
Death penalty dropped against Allegheny Township man in Blawnox workplace slaying
An Allegheny Township man won’t be facing a possible death penalty when he goes to trial on charges of killing his ex-girlfriend at their Blawnox workplace in March. The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office rescinded its intention to seek the death penalty against Sean Black, 43, because of opposition from...
Game Commission pitches in $1.3 million for Indiana Township land purchase
The Pennsylvania Game Commission will cover half of the $2.6 million cost to buy 280 acres in Indiana Township as part of an Allegheny Land Trust-led conservation effort. Game commissioners voted unanimously last week to put $1.3 million toward purchasing two parcels near Emmerling Community Park, along with additions to...
Killer of off-duty Oakdale cop fires lawyer, disrupts sentencing
A Pittsburgh man on Wednesday disrupted his sentencing for the 2022 road-rage killing of an off-duty Oakdale police officer by firing his lawyer, arguing with the judge and inconveniencing the victim’s relatives. Kevin McSwiggen, 42, of the city’s Greenfield section, was scheduled to be sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas...
Westmoreland happenings: Oktoberfest dinner, collectibles sale, meetings, more
Fundraisers • Community Church of Hecla, 537 Hecla Road, Mt. Pleasant Township, will host a turkey dinner from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 12 at the church. Dine in or takeout. Details and takeout orders: 724-516-0494 or 724-466-2855. • First United Church of Christ, Irwin, will have an Oktoberfest dinner...
Ex-Pittsburgh building inspector gets probation, avoids prison in bribery case
A former Pittsburgh building inspector will not go to prison after pleading guilty in federal court to accepting bribes. U.S. District Court Judge Mark Hornak on Wednesday sentenced Walter Eiseman, 59, to 18 months of probation and 90 days of home confinement. Eiseman also must pay a $1,500 fine and...
Westmoreland approves tax break for developers restoring blighted property in Trafford
Developers seeking to set roots in Trafford will receive a tax break following approval by the county last week. Trafford Borough Council approved in June an ordinance establishing a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance — or LERTA — zone that will give a real estate tax break to developers who...
Washington County woman sues ex for sending nude images to hundreds of co-workers
Selena Ball and Michael Grisetti had been together for years. They worked for the same company, Crown Castle Inc. at Southpointe in Washington County, shared a home and had two young children. At some point between mid-2021 and April 2022, Grisetti video-recorded Ball getting out of the shower. But she...
Feeling marginalized, Freeport mayor to call it quits
Freeport Mayor Zack Gent is planning to step down at the end of the year due to his new, on-the-road job and what he called clashes with council over fiscal responsibility. The five members in attendance at this week’s council meeting barely reacted when Gent informed them of his surprise...
New Kensington fire station named for city’s only firefighter to die in the line of duty
New Kensington’s only volunteer firefighter to die in the line of duty has been gone longer than he lived, but he has not been forgotten. Eric Lee Mangieri was 25 years old when he became trapped in a burning house on Freeport Road on Aug. 7, 1995. A memorial to...
Pine survivor’s story promotes early checks for ovarian cancer
In September, she took a trip to Texas. In November, she’ll be in the Big Apple. “Last year, I went to Arizona,” Desolina Postreich said as she approached her 14th birthday. “That was my first time ever flying alone.” While she enjoys her opportunities to travel around the country at...
Morning Roundup: Ambridge hostage situation ends with man in custody
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning: Wednesday, Oct. 9: Ambridge standoff involving 2-year-old ends peacefully A roughly five-hour standoff in Ambridge on Tuesday afternoon ended peacefully, according to authorities. A large police presence was seen in the area of 6th Street in Ambridge at around...
The Stroller, Oct. 9, 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. Evening of activities planned...
Mega Millions lottery ticket price and jackpots to jump next year
Michelle Majocha figures the odds are pretty good that more than doubling the cost of the Mega Millions lottery ticket from $2 to $5 next April won’t help sales of a lottery game that offers a jackpot of millions. With the news this week the consortium directing the 45-state Mega...
