Western PA Local News category, Page 500
Provisional ballot challenges heard in Westmoreland County
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg students Sadiki Raessa and Brionna Woodson were anxious to cast their first votes in a presidential election. Raessa, 22, of Lancaster and Woodson, 21, of Philadelphia learned Tuesday their votes will not count. Both were among the 39 voters whose provisional ballots were rejected by...
Man jailed after bringing flash-bang grenade to Pittsburgh airport, police say
Security at Pittsburgh International Airport Tuesday morning caught a West Virginia man they said was trying to carry a live flash-bang grenade onto a flight. Allegheny County Police said they arrested Zachary Velling, 25, of Morgantown, after the Transportation Security Administration officers found the device in a passenger bag at...
Medical examiner rules July 4 double drowning in Pine as accidental
The drowning deaths of two men in a swimming pool in Pittsburgh’s North Hills this summer were both accidental, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said Tuesday. Christopher Gebhardt, 63, of Pine, and William Miller, 57, of Cranberry were found dead in the pool in the 200 block of Whetherburn...
Pittsburgh officials want to resume free spay, neuter services for cats, dogs
Pittsburgh City Council will consider resuming a program offering free spay and neuter services for pet cats and dogs as well as stray cats. Proposals introduced Tuesday would expand contracts for Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh to perform the work from 2025 through 2027. Contracts for spay and neuter services...
Plans advance for Bridgeville butterfly-pollinator garden
A vacant lot along Baldwin Street in Bridgeville soon will be repurposed into a butterfly-pollinator garden. Council on Nov. 11 authorized repurposing the lot, which is behind the Beer Warehouse, next spring. The borough’s planning commission recommended the lot be used for a butterfly pollinator garden, according to Manager Joe...
$58K needed to remove fuel tank at Palmer airport in Unity
The Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity will pay about $58,000 to dispose of an abandoned fuel tank it removed during a $22 million project to expand its terminal by 32,000 square feet. A vacant hangar was demolished after the Westmoreland Airshow in August as part of the terminal expansion...
Bethel Park native Rick Sebak presents ‘A Short History of Route 88’
Beloved Pittsburgh documentarian Rick Sebak returned to his hometown of Bethel Park on Nov. 2 to present his short film “A Short History of Route 88” to community members at the Schoolhouse Arts and History Center. Tim Moury, president of the Bethel Park Historical Society, introduced Sebak to the audience...
Tarentum book and author fair to give boost to ‘borough renewal’
Author Annie Kayser of Springdale took more than two decades to pen her first novel, and now she can’t wait to celebrate it. “Out of the Ashes” is a 500-plus-page book that details a journey of self-fulfillment. Kayser’s first effort in writing, released in October, spanned 26 years as she...
Ross postal employee never misses work despite duties for Pittsburgh Steelers
Who bleeds black and gold and postal blue? Your local mail distribution clerk Mike Sieber, who moonlights as a member of the chain gang for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In all of the 40 years that Sieber has worked for the McKnight Post Office in Ross, he has never called off...
Chartiers Valley theater gets crack at Harry Potter play
Chartiers Valley thespians are bringing a Broadway show to Collier. The high school’s theater department is presenting “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” making it the first school in Western Pennsylvania to perform the show, said Director Kim Giffin. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, Nov. 13-16, at...
Federal judge hears evidence on blocking Pyrex plant closure in Charleroi
A federal judge will decide by the end of Thursday whether to block the closure of a Pyrex-making glassware plant in Charleroi that is a major employer in the Mon Valley. The Pennsylvania Attorney General is seeking a preliminary injunction to prohibit Centre Lane Partners, a private equity firm working...
1 injured in Washington Township crash; Route 66 reopened
One person was taken to a hospital after a tri-axle truck crashed early Tuesday on Route 66 near Poke Run Church Road in Washington Township. Police Chief Jason Montgomery said it was a single-vehicle accident. The driver was alert and conscious, Montgomery said. The cause is under investigation. “It looks...
‘Mission remains the same’: Gainey focuses 2025 budget on boosting core services
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Tuesday used his annual budget address to applaud his administration’s efforts to improve core city services, make bridges safer, respond faster to snowstorms and revitalize a Downtown that has seen increasing vacancies since the covid-19 pandemic. The mayor told City Council his proposed budget for...
Holiday Krampus event booted from Market Square, new venue announced
The 2024 Krampus celebration in Pittsburgh has been booted from Market Square and will relocate this year, according to the event organizer. Pittsburgh’s 10th annual Krampusnacht celebration is moving to Penn Brewery in response to an email sent to organizer Mark Menold last December by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s Special...
Carnegie bookstore promotes love of reading, nature
Books have always been a part of Michael Ploetz’s life. Growing up in Buffalo, he found himself gravitating to books. His mother, Deborah, was a reading specialist, instilling a love for literacy. In college, Ploetz worked at Kards Unlimited, a bookstore in Shadyside, getting involved in book buying. He moved...
2 injured in Upper Burrell crash
Two people were injured in a crash Saturday along Route 780 in Upper Burrell. Police and EMS were called to the intersection of Route 780 and Stoney Hill Road shortly before 5 p.m. for the two-vehicle crash. According to a Pennsylvania State Police report, the driver of a Chevy Silverado...
The Stroller, Nov. 12, 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. Progressive Workshop opens center...
‘Killer comfort food’ and classic cocktails await at Lula in Sewickley
Restaurateur Stephen Browning of Franklin Park began flipping pizzas and immersing himself in the restaurant industry when he was 16. At 53, he’s still at it, only now he’s the boss. After always working for others, he’s settled into a positive place as owner and operator of Lula in Sewickley....
Penn Township to host info session on zoning change amid resident concerns
Penn Township will host an informational meeting this month to explain a series of potential zoning changes. Meant to encourage economic development in the township, the proposed changes include Harrison-City Export Road, Mellon Road near Bushy Run Corporate Park and near the intersection of Route 130, Pleasant Valley Road and...
Hoarding disorder can drive families and communities apart. An Irwin nonprofit can help
This story first appeared in How We Care, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring original reporting and perspectives on how we care for one another at all stages of life. Sign up for free here. Cindy’s home has so much stuff that she can’t use certain areas. Boxes form...
School bus crash in North Huntingdon
A Norwin School District bus was involved in crash Tuesday afternoon in North Huntingdon that closed Lincoln Way at Five Pines Road, township police said. The school bus did not have any student passengers, said Lauren Steiner, district spokeswoman. Injuries were reported, but no one was taken for medical treatment,...
Norwin football stadium project could cost more than $25M
It could cost more than $25 million to demolish Norwin stadium and design and build its replacement, an architect told school officials Monday. The stadium’s concrete grandstand would be replaced with aluminum bleachers, a new press box, expanded restrooms and new turf. It will cost about $21.8 million for the...
‘You have to catch it while you can’: People flock to Great Crossings Bridge despite safety risks
People aren’t heeding a warning that it isn’t safe to walk atop the Great Crossings Bridge at Youghiogheny River Lake. The 206-year-old bridge is exposed because of the dry spell, and there’s been a steady stream of sightseers who flocked to — and past — the bridge’s Somerset County entrance...
Chartiers Valley teen accused of threat in custody
The student who authorities believe was behind a threat against Chartiers Valley schools is in custody, police and school district officials said. The threat closed schools in the district Monday, along with classes at the Parkway West Career and Technology Center. The district will be operating on a normal schedule...
Former Springdale Church supplies its 3rd straight official Pittsburgh Christmas tree
Pittsburgh’s latest official Christmas tree will come from Springdale. Sound familiar? Including this year’s 40-foot blue spruce, donated by Guardian Angels Catholic Parish, four of the last six trees selected for display outside the City-County Building Downtown have come from Springdale. And like the past two years, the evergreen hails...
