Harrison man charged with bringing daggers into Allegheny County Courthouse
A Harrison man was arrested when, police say, he tried to take two daggers concealed in a cane into the Allegheny County Courthouse. Allegheny County Sheriffs charged Stephan Michael Ratulowski, 40, with two counts of prohibited offensive weapons and one count of possession of a weapon in a court facility....
Labor Day travel could be busiest ever at Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport experienced its busiest July in almost 20 years — and the high numbers are expected to carry over into travel during Labor Day weekend, the Transportation Security Administration said. This July, the airport saw over 962,000 travelers flying in and out, which was the highest number since...
Pittsburgh Brewing making traffic adjustments for Cole Swindell concert
Traffic headaches from a recent car cruise at Pittsburgh Brewing in East Deer have officials there making adjustments for the facility’s biggest concert of the summer. The brewery on Sunday night will host country music artist Cole Swindell — the headliner of the venue’s inaugural concert series. The event comes...
Police say DNA tests link former Latrobe man to alleged rape of teenage girl
Police charged a former Latrobe man Tuesday in connection with rape accusations made by a teenage girl. Authorities said DNA found on the girl’s clothing was a match for Randy B. Shipley Jr., 39, who is now an inmate at a state prison in Central Pennsylvania. The girl reported the...
Bullet casing found at Freeport Area Middle School tied to track equipment
A bullet casing found Monday in a Freeport Area Middle School parking lot came from a track starting pistol, according to Buffalo Township police. Chief Tim Derringer said his department was notified of the false alarm Tuesday morning. Multiple officers had been stationed on campus as the district’s investigation unfolded....
Hempfield hopes to bolster identity among its multiple neighborhoods
Hempfield officials can now start looking for funding to turn a signage and branding plan into visible markers in the community. Township supervisors approved the plan Monday that could lead to a new logo and signs at entry points and in neighborhoods, among other changes, said manager Aaron Siko. “Hempfield...
New Springdale parking regulations focus on supporting borough businesses
Watch where you park in Springdale, especially if you’re a renter. The borough has outlined new rules regulating parking in the town. “We have a pretty wide parking ordinance in our codified ordinances,” Solicitor Craig Alexander said. He said council wanted to amend that to include additional “no-parking” streets, to...
Allegheny Township woman loses part of leg in fence hole digging mishap
A 42-year-old woman suffered a leg amputation in an accident that happened while digging holes for a fence Monday evening, Allegheny Township police Chief Dan Uncapher said. Family identified the woman as Trish Watt. The incident in the 1300 block of Route 356 was reported shortly before 6 p.m. According...
Book review: ‘Steel City’ novel a vivid journey through Pittsburgh’s industrial heyday
In the late 19th century, Pittsburgh was in many ways the center of the universe. From steel to electricity to food, the innovators and barons of America’s biggest industries called the Steel City home. In his debut novel, “Steel City: A Story of Pittsburgh,” William J. Miller Jr. transports the...
Penn Hills woman killed in crash on Route 28 in East Deer
State police say a woman died Tuesday morning after her vehicle crossed over the grass median on Route 28 in East Deer and went airborne before colliding with two oncoming vehicles. Sheena Marie Fitzgerald, 36, of Penn Hills had been driving south at a high speed between the highway’s Tarentum...
Morning Roundup: Pittsburgh firefighters deal with car fires
Here are the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Aug. 27: Pittsburgh firefighters respond to 2 vehicle fires in 3 days Pittsburgh firefighters responded to two vehicle fires that damaged three vehicles over three days, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety. Around 5 a.m. Saturday, two vehicle fires were reported...
Heat prompts Pittsburgh Public Schools to change schedule at 37 facilities without AC
Hot and muggy weather is expected today and Wednesday, prompting some schools in the area to change their schedules. While air temperatures are expected to be in the low-to-mid 90s both days, when combined with the humidity it will feel close to 100 degrees, National Weather Service meteorologist Rich Redmond...
The Stroller, Aug. 27, 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. 56 East Band to play Tarentum Park Tarentum Summer Concert Series...
Watershed group opposes renewed permit for Donegal area mine discharge
A watershed group is lobbying against a renewed water discharge permit that mine operator LCT Energy is seeking for the Rustic Ridge coal mine. The Mountain Watershed Association claims the new version of the discharge permit would increase the risk of flooding and erosion in Champion and Indian creeks while...
Frazer puts Pittsburgh Mills owner on notice: Fix potholes or face court
Fix the potholes or end up in court. That’s the message Frazer officials gave the owner of the Pittsburgh Mills mall, saying the condition of the parking lots and roads at the shopping center have become a public safety hazard. Potholes at the Mills have become an infamous sore spot...
West Nile virus infections reported in 7 Westmoreland communities
West Nile virus has been detected in five more Westmoreland County communities as high levels of the virus are being found across the state. Since Aug. 7, mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus in Youngwood, Midway, Scottdale, Trafford and New Kensington — joining infected insects sampled earlier this season...
Fundraiser set for family of Paintertown firefighter killed clearing storm damage
A fundraiser will be held at an Irwin art and gift shop on Sept. 15 for the family of an 18-year-old Penn Township firefighter killed this summer while clearing trees downed by a tornado. Feathers Gift Shop at 102 Fourth St., will hold a special event 11 a.m. to 4...
Authorities use tech tools to tie Florida man to vehicle break-ins in Allegheny, Westmoreland counties
Cellphone towers, hotel records, GPS locations of rental cars and license plate readers helped agents from the state Attorney General’s Office nab a Florida man they believe was involved in at least 14 vehicle break-ins spanning two counties. Authorities charged Amahad K. Ware, 26, with numerous counts of dealing in...
Vance to speak Wednesday in Erie
U.S. Sen. JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, plans to hold a rally Wednesday afternoon in Erie. The visit by the Ohio politician, announced Monday, will take place two days before former President Donald Trump, the GOP’s nominee for president, will appear in Johnstown. At the Erie event, Vance...
Slow, steady, bipartisan: Facts, not fiction, guide Rep. Mike Kelly in Trump shooting probe
Controversial claims and conspiracy theories have proliferated in the six weeks since the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. On Monday, the conservative Heritage Foundation hosted an event at which some Republican lawmakers claimed the Secret Service might have been criminally negligent and pushed the notion that...
Woman severely injured in tractor crash in Allegheny Township
A woman was flown from Allegheny Township to a Pittsburgh area hospital with a severe leg injury sustained in a crash Monday afternoon. Westmoreland County Public Safety reported a tractor rolled over onto a woman shortly before 6 p.m. at 1357 Route 356, not far from Leechburg Road. Township police...
How Nintendo nostalgia is driving a new wave of video game production in Pa.
This story first appeared in PA Local, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA taking a fresh, positive look at the incredible people, beautiful places, and delicious food of Pennsylvania. Forty years after the cinder block-sized Nintendo Entertainment System introduced America’s youth to virtual duck hunting and Mushroom Kingdom plumbing, devotees...
Washington County broke law by refusing to tell voters when it rejected their ballot, judge says
HARRISBURG — A Republican-controlled county in Pennsylvania violated state law when election workers refused to tell voters that their mail-in ballot had been rejected and wouldn’t be counted in last April’s primary election, a judge ruled. As a result, voters in Washington County were unable to exercise their legal right...
Jeannette, Greensburg Salem expect supervision of younger students at high school athletic events
Elementary age children attending sporting events at McKee Stadium must have a parent or guardian with them under a new policy approved this month by Jeannette City school directors. Superintendent Matt Jones said the policy stands for any event at McKee Stadium, but it is primarily geared toward high school...
North Versailles man faces felony charge for gun in Verona park
A North Versailles man is facing a felony gun charge after, police say, he was caught trespassing during a Verona officer’s routine patrol on Saturday night. While an officer was securing Riverbank Park, a Verona park that closes at sundown, he came across two men, Rikquan Fulmore, 19, and another...
