Western PA Local News category, Page 491
Yough water level remains low after relatively dry summer, fall
The lack of rainfall statewide has created some unique circumstances. Seawater in the Delaware River. Exposure of a Fayette County bridge not seen in 30 years. And a rare opportunity to haul tires and trash from the Youghiogheny River in Westmoreland County. In April, the Youghiogheny River was 14 feet...
‘A deep cut’: Veteran Pittsburgh battalion chief dies fighting East Hills blaze
Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Battalion Chief John P. Walsh died of natural causes Wednesday night while in command at a structure fire in the city. Walsh, 60, of Brighton Heights collapsed while supervising firefighters battling a blaze in the 700 block of Wilkinsburg Avenue in Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood, officials...
Steelers tailgating ranked best in Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Steelers tailgating is the best in Pennsylvania. Of course, we knew that. But now it’s official, at least according to a new national poll that compared other football tailgating options. LiveSportsonTV.com carried out the poll, which asked 3,000 football fans nationwide one question: Which tailgate party/gameday experience would you...
Is your water fluoridated? Here’s where to find out
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged that one of his first acts in the new Trump administration would be to “advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water.” However, water fluoridation is usually determined by local governments, and it’s uncertain whether Kennedy would have the authority to mandate...
Hartwood Elementary honors veterans
Hartwood Elementary School hosted a campuswide Veterans Day event on Nov. 11. The students — many of whom dressed in red, white and blue garb and wore handmade hats — gathered outside to raise the American flag, sing patriotic songs and honor everyone who has served in the armed forces....
The Stroller, Nov. 21, 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. Allegheny Township to celebrate...
Alle-Kiski Valley railroad crossings among ‘riskiest’ in state, feds say
Western Pennsylvania is home to nine of the state’s 20 riskiest rail crossings, according to Federal Railroad Administration data. Three of the crossings are within about 7 miles of each other in the Alle-Kiski Valley, between Cheswick and Brackenridge. The Cheswick crossing, at the borough’s Blockdale Street, ranks as the...
Ruling on Springdale boiler house doesn’t mean structure is coming down soon, attorney says
A state Superior Court ruling seemingly clearing the way for the implosion of the former power plant in Springdale doesn’t necessarily mean the structure is coming down anytime soon. John Kane, an attorney representing the 16 borough residents seeking to block the implosion at the former Cheswick Generating Station boiler...
Allegheny Shores moves forward with site prep, thanks to $1 million infusion from state
Sharpsburg Councilman Corey Ochai believes that the transformation of a 52-acre brownfield along the Allegheny River will grow the borough in the right direction for all. “I don’t think we’re outgrowing the town’s DNA but improving on it,” said Ochai, of the Allegheny Shores project that broke ground in 2022....
Shuttered DoubleTree hotel in Monroeville has new owner, will host church services, pastor says
The shuttered DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in front of the Monroeville Mall has a new owner, and a local church plans to move its ministry there, the pastor said Thursday. Two Trees Global LLC, a real estate company affiliated with Grace Life Church, closed on the purchase of the former...
Monroeville resident helps followers fold their way through the holiday
Madonna Yoder’s Advent of Tessellations is back for a third year of folding fun. Also called tiling, tessellation is the process of covering a surface using geometric shapes with no overlapping. The technique of origami tessellation creates detailed, repeating patterns by folding a piece of paper, making a grid of...
Monroeville Public Library: 60 years in the books
“We’re able to make a difference because of you.” Those were the words of Monroeville Public Library Director Nicole Henline during a 60th birthday party for the institution this month, thanking the community members for their continued support. Mayor Nick Gresock presented the library with a proclamation and declared Nov....
Strawpump’s low fire rating prompts intervention from other North Huntingdon fire departments
Two North Huntingdon fire departments will split the Strawpump fire district in the eastern end of the township because of the department’s poor insurance rating that has caused homeowners in that area to see their property insurance bills jump. The township commissioners Wednesday approved the plan devised by North Huntingdon’s...
Dozens of Pittsburgh residents speak out about controversial zoning proposals
A public hearing before Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday at times grew raucous, with dozens of residents sharing conflicting opinions about dueling zoning bills that have divided Pittsburghers and city leaders. Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration has pitched a comprehensive zoning reform bill. Among many other things, it includes a...
Severe storms knock out power to thousands; possible tornado being investigated
Did a tornado move through east-central Allegheny County on Wednesday? That’s what the National Weather Service in Moon Township will look to find out as they conduct a survey Thursday, according to a post from the agency on social media. Heavy rain and wind blew through the region Wednesday, knocking...
Defense questions DNA evidence, proposed death penalty in New Ken case of father accused of killing son
Attorneys for a Brackenridge man accused of murdering his 9-year-old son in New Kensington argued Wednesday in Westmoreland County Court that homicide charges against their client should be dropped, as they took issue with DNA and other evidence prosecutors have indicated links him to the crime. Public defenders Wayne McGrew...
Ex-Monroeville doctor gets probation for health care fraud over opioid prescriptions
A former Monroeville doctor who signed blank prescriptions for opioids without even seeing his patients will serve 18 months’ probation and pay restitution. Joseph DiCroce, 68, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court for one count of health care fraud. He pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Although sentencing...
Pittsburgh police charge man in Northview Heights homicide
Pittsburgh police are accusing a man of fatally shooting his companion in the back when, investigators say, they opened fire on a group of people earlier this month in the city’s Northview Heights neighborhood. Police on Tuesday arrested Ernest Terry, 18, of Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar and charged him with the death of...
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...
