Carnegie Mellon among 40 private universities named in federal price-fixing lawsuit
Forty of the nation’s leading private colleges and universities, including Carnegie Mellon University, are accused in a federal class-action lawsuit of conspiring with the College Board to, in effect, overcharge students. The suit was filed Monday in Chicago before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The...
Upper St. Clair mom wins battle for names of cops who fatally shot her son
For months, Susan Shepherd fought to learn the names of the police officers who fatally shot her mentally ill son in Upper St. Clair so she could sue them. But Baldwin Borough, Bethel Park and Brentwood refused to tell her who pulled the trigger on Jan. 7 when members of...
North Huntingdon man to serve jail time for possessing child porn
A North Huntingdon man was ordered to serve at least nine months in jail after he was sentenced Tuesday for possession of child pornography. James Frederick Molzer, 32, pleaded guilty in July to 11 felony counts in which investigators said he possessed multiple images of children performing sex acts. According...
Judge says New Kensington murder case likely to move forward
A Westmoreland County judge said Tuesday a New Kensington man charged last summer with the murder of his former roommate has been found to be mentally competent. Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Mears said a psychological evaluation appears to have cleared the path for the prosecution of Nico Lee Harris,...
Innamorato proposes 46.5% Allegheny County property tax hike
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato proposed a 46.5% property tax hike Tuesday evening to help address a growing budget deficit. Innamorato included the 2.2-mill increase in her $3.1 billion budget proposal for 2025. It would be the county’s first property tax hike since 2011 and the largest one in recent...
Jeannette police officer charged with falsifying traffic stop reports
A Jeannette police officer is facing 18 misdemeanor charges because, investigators say, he was falsifying reports related to traffic stops, according to court papers. Matthew S. Painter, 40, of Penn Township was charged Tuesday with tampering with records. He is on paid administrative leave, according to city Manager Ethan Keedy....
Pittsburgh councilman pitches selling Municipal Courts Building to Allegheny County for $9M
A Pittsburgh councilman wants to sell the Municipal Courts Building to Allegheny County for $9 million to save the city the costs of upkeep and utilities at the Downtown facility. Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, introduced legislation Tuesday that would instruct the city to scrap its existing lease agreement with the...
No charges yet in crash that killed 11-year-old Roxanne Bonnoni in Natrona
Seven weeks after 11-year-old Roxanne Bonnoni was struck and killed by a vehicle near her North Canal Street home in Harrison, there is no word on whether the driver of that vehicle will face charges. Allegheny County Police, who led the investigation into the incident, said their report and evidence...
Pa. Supreme Court hears challenge to life without parole in Pittsburgh felony murder case
Nearly 200 spectators packed a Pittsburgh courtroom Tuesday as the Pennsylvania Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the mandatory sentence of life without parole for second-degree murder violates the state constitution. The punishment, often called death by incarceration by opponents, applies to nearly 1,100 people in Pennsylvania currently serving time...
Greensburg officials weigh options for Advance Furniture site: park, merchants, apartments
An empty parcel in Greensburg’s downtown could be home to a small park, a spot for merchants and space for gatherings and activities. Calling it a “small but mighty lot,” Chelsea Puff, senior project manager with Strategic Solutions, said a simple approach is the tentative plan for the site. The...
Monessen ‘Wall of Fame’ class includes Joe Montana’s midget football coach
Carl Crawley’s favorite sport? Whichever one was in season. “I played volleyball and we won the state championship,” said the 1957 Monessen graduate. “I was a baseball player and could knock the ball out of the park. Basketball, football, I ran track. My favorite was the one I was doing...
Spacefaring tree takes root at Pittsburgh’s Riverview Park
A tree grown from a seed that orbited the moon is taking root in Pittsburgh. Allegheny Observatory and Riverview Park were chosen to be the caretakers of a Moon Tree, according to Kerry Handron, special events and outreach coordinator at the observatory. The small sweetgum tree was delivered this summer...
Murrysville bridge over Turtle Creek to close for repairs
The small bridge carrying Old William Penn Highway over Turtle Creek in Murrysville will close next week for temporary repairs. Beginning Oct. 14, the bridge near the intersection Old William Penn Highway and Hills Church Road will close as work crews begin temporary repairs aimed at bringing its weight limit...
Greensburg considers ban on open burning to curb pollution
Greensburg council is considering enacting a ban on open burning that officials said is aimed at fires involving waste in an effort to control air pollution. An ordinance is set to be introduced at Monday’s council meeting and may be approved in November. Solicitor Zachary Kansler said the ordinance would...
Roundup: Man arrested outside Kennywood after fight with police; $1M lottery ticket in Findlay
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Oct. 8: Man arrested outside Kennywood amid fight with police A 25-year-old man was arrested by Allegheny County Police in connection to a fight over the weekend outside of Kennywood Park. Jabari Ata Wilson Jr., who in court...
The Stroller, Oct. 8, 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. A-K Hope Center event...
Rosters, opportunities grow with school sports co-ops
Jocelyn Spinelli was the only girl from St. Joseph High School in Harrison who ran cross country last year. Each meet, the 15-year-old would wear a soccer uniform loaned to her by the school and run as an independent. Her father was her coach. The school doesn’t have an official...
Stewart Elementary aide Mary Esler resurrects A-K Valley’s past for Brackenridge ghost tour
Lower Burrell resident Mary Esler loves striking up a flashy costume this time of year, whether it’s a queen’s gown for the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival or a holiday character for the students at Stewart Elementary School. “I just have a blast,” the 62-year-old Burrell School District aide said. Next week,...
Greensburg bishop calls Irwin pastor’s actions ‘an egregious failure’
An Irwin-area Catholic priest who resigned amid questions about how the parishes he led hired a man who had a criminal record has returned to ministry, Greensburg Catholic Bishop Larry J. Kulick said. But the Rev. John Moineau will be moving from his former post at Irwin’s Immaculate Conception and...
‘Unity we all need’: Jews, allies commemorate 1-year mark of Hamas attacks
Michal Alon’s voice shook just once Monday evening as she described how she found herself, a year ago, in a military base with a terrorist. The nurse and mother was tending to a wounded Israeli watchtower guard in Zikim, a base that sits about a half-mile from Israel’s border with...
Pitt offloads sprawling but underused Harmar research park for $5 million
Even as it plans for growth, the University of Pittsburgh has reduced its footprint by 85 acres through the sale of a sprawling but underused research park in Harmar. The $5 million transaction of Pittsburgh Applied Research Center (U-PARC) in Harmar was completed Sept. 24, said Pitt spokesman Jared Stonesifer....
Ross record store meets demand for vinyl while continuing family tradition
Reports of vinyl’s death were greatly exaggerated. The mid-1980s advent of the compact disc prompted many a misguided music collector to dispense with scratch-susceptible records and replace them with the new medium. Eventually, the convenience of streaming services basically sent CDs the way of the dodo, while the products they...
Attempted murder charge dropped as part of Penn Hills woman’s plea in East Huntingdon fight
A Penn Hills woman was ordered Monday to serve up to seven years in prison for her role in an 2022 incident at an East Huntingdon home that left one man injured. Kristen Marie Kruel, 28, pleaded guilty to lesser charges of theft, receiving stolen property and tampering with evidence...
Ligonier supervisor’s lawsuit claims he was targeted over calls for police department reform
A Ligonier Township supervisor contends he was targeted for retribution by local police over his efforts to reform the department. Supervisor Erik Ross, in a lawsuit filed this month against the Ligonier Valley Police Department and three officers, claimed they misused the criminal justice system in an effort to discredit...
Car fire briefly snarls traffic on Route 28 northbound
No injuries were reported in a car fire Monday that briefly backed up traffic on Route 28 in Tarentum. A Jeep caught fire along the northbound lanes just north of the Tarentum exit shortly before 2:30 p.m. Crews from Citizens EMS and Hilltop and Citizens Hose fire companies responded to...
