Western PA Local News category, Page 526
Greater Latrobe moves ahead with $2.6M stadium project as teachers contract talks continue
Greater Latrobe School Board is moving forward with an estimated $2.6 million upgrade to the running track and other features at Memorial Stadium, but one board member and at least one parent think the district should delay that investment. Parent Josh Cunningham, who also is a teacher at the nearby...
Fox Chapel Area Newcomers Club marks 50 years building connections
When Rita Ruscetti moved to O’Hara in the mid-1980s, she connected with new friends in no time. It was easy, she said, as a member of the Fox Chapel Area Newcomer’s Club, which hosted a slew of dinner parties, scavenger hunts and card games for people adjusting to life in...
Pickleball Club serves up campus camaraderie at Fox Chapel Area High SchoolVideo
If you thought pickleball was only for the older set, guess again. Young whippersnappers have taken up the sport and are loving it, too. Just ask Fox Chapel Area senior Peter Mascilli, 17. The O’Hara resident started an on-campus pickleball club at the high school to deflect boredom and promote...
Springdale teen creating a ‘scene of our community’ for mural outside library
At first, Ariana Caltagarone wasn’t sure if she wanted to take on painting a 459-square-foot mural on the wall leading up to the Springdale Free Public Library. The library had requested proposals for a mural, and her mom, Melissa, encouraged her to apply. But the 16-year-old from Springdale Township had...
Podcast: Changing dynamics of Black voters in Allegheny County
Last week, Pittsburgh’s Hill District hosted the Freedom Is at Stake GOTV Bus Tour, making a stop at Freedom Corner. The event aimed to mobilize voters and emphasize the critical importance of participating in elections. With the support of organizations like Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the Urban League of Greater...
Palace Theatre hosts free trunk-or-treat, haunted history tour for the first time
The “trunk-or-treat” event has exploded in popularity over the past decade, with shopping centers, nonprofits and even car dealerships getting in on the action. The Palace Theatre in Greensburg will host its first trunk-or-treat on Halloween, but it will take place alongside a heaping helping of haunted local history. “This...
Westmoreland happenings: Dollhouse show, art exhibit, Polish platter dinner, more
Art • A collection of paintings created by local artists to celebrate the 250th nniversary of Unity Cemetery and Chapel will be on display through Oct. 28 at the Latrobe Art Center, 819 Ligonier St. Admission is free. A reception will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Oct. 18 at...
Jeannette man charged after incident at Westmoreland County prison
A Westmoreland County Prison guard had a concussion and shoulder injury after police said he was attacked by an inmate, according to court papers. Westmoreland County detectives reported watching a video of the Aug. 28 incident in which Jericho M. Dechicchis, 23, of Jeannette, was seen in a processing room...
Morning Roundup: 3 firefighters injured in Ross blaze; 2nd gun found this week at Pittsburgh airport
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Oct. 17: 3 firefighters injured in Ross blaze A smoky fire at a Ross auto service station Wednesday evening sent three firefighters to a hospital with minor injuries, Trib news partner WTAE reported. The blaze at Tao’s Auto...
Pedestrian killed by vehicle in Jefferson Hills
A pedestrian was killed after being hit by a vehicle in Jefferson Hills on Wednesday evening, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. Jessica Schroeder, 26, of West Elizabeth was on foot on Route 837 in front of the Shop N Go convenience store at 7:30 p.m. when she was...
Escalating medication errors pose grave risks for Pennsylvania patients
A Pittsburgh-area woman died after having an allergic reaction to an antibiotic she was given not once, but twice, during surgery to repair a hernia. During the first surgery, the procedure was halted because of the allergic reaction. The second time, the surgeon insisted she get the antibiotic because he...
Window manufacturer’s student exchange program emphasizes the importance of skilled trade jobsVideo
High schools have made a concerted effort in recent years to introduce students to the skilled trades and make them aware of well-paying career opportunities that do not require a college degree. A Penn Township company is taking that concept international. Ventana USA, a custom window manufacturer, is working with...
Police regionalization makes progress in Leechburg, other communities
After months of discussion, the committee exploring a merger of Leechburg and nearby police departments is in what one committee member called “the last mile” of deciding the future of policing there. A draft charter agreement that would define how a merged police department would operate was presented to Leechburg...
Judge finds DA’s office failed to give evidence to defense in Pittsburgh triple slaying
A judge Wednesday refused to throw out a death penalty case in a Pittsburgh triple killing despite finding that prosecutors failed to turn over evidence to the defendant. As a result, the jury trial for Ronald Steave will go forward Monday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Steave, 32, is...
Vance laments high prices, promotes drilling in Pittsburgh visit
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance appeared Thursday afternoon in Downtown Pittsburgh, where he praised the city’s industrial history, lamented rising prices for Pennsylvanians and said drilling is the answer. “The most important thing to do to lower prices is to unleash Pennsylvania energy,” Vance told more than 300 cheering...
Fields or Wilson? Steelers fans weigh in before big game
If Sarita Pearce had her way, Mason Rudolph would still be quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. “I don’t care what anybody says, I love Mason,” said Pearce, 64, of Lincoln Place. “Anytime they would bring him in, he did well.” She’s not thrilled with the Steelers’ current quarterback situation. “I’m...
The Stroller, Oct. 17, 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. Festival to celebrate autumn...
Fractured Allegheny Township supervisors limit their own speech in 2-1 vote
Mike Korns spent about 10 minutes Monday night making his case against a resolution that would limit the ability of citizens and his fellow Allegheny Township supervisors to speak at monthly meetings. “We are supposed to debate and deliberate on these motions,” he said. “We’re actually supposed to try to...
Harbor Freight plans January opening in New Kensington
Harbor Freight’s store in New Kensington will open in late January, a company spokeswoman said Wednesday. In Riverview Plaza along Tarentum Bridge Road, it will be the company’s 67th store in Pennsylvania and fourth in Westmoreland County, said Donna Walker, a spokeswoman for Harbor Freight in Calabasas, Calif. “It will...
Burrell schools contend with whether to keep 5th grade at the middle school after next year
Burrell School District officials are grappling with one of the oldest questions in public education. For decades, schools generally have used the same format for organizing grade levels: the oldest students attend high school and the youngest students attend elementary or primary school. But what about those students in the...
Dominus High School staffs up, plans for remodel of Wilkins office building
Dominus High School, a start-up entrepreneurial academy in Wilkins with ties to the Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship, has made some crucial strides toward a fall 2025 opening. For one, it has its founding principal: M. Louis Robinson III, a self-described “social edupreneur” with about 20 years of experience...
Sharpsburg Community Library to offer remote item pickup, similar to Amazon lockers
By the end of the year, patrons at Sharpsburg Community Library will be able to order a book for remote pickup, much like they order clothes or other items for delivery to Amazon lockers. Leaders said the initiative will address barriers to library services, including limited transportation. Many people in...
Check out these upcoming programs at the Cooper-Siegel and Sharpsburg libraries
The Cooper-Siegel Community Library and its Sharpsburg branch offer a variety of programming for visitors of all ages. To view a complete list of offerings, visit coopersiegel.librarycalendar.com. Events at both libraries are listed and can be viewed according to age group and location. Registration is required for most programs as...
Ligonier inmate dies in Westmoreland County jail
Westmoreland County officials report that a Westmoreland County Prison inmate from Ligonier who was found unresponsive in his cell Oct. 11 had committed suicide. Coroner Tim Carson said appears the death of Charles Madden Jr., 53, was a suicide. No foul play is suspected. A final autopsy report is pending....
MAWC recovers over $826K in stolen funds, upgrades cybersecurity efforts
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County officials said the water and sewer utility has recovered more than $826,000 that was stolen in what it called a “vendor impersonator scheme.” The authority was targeted in June by scammers who posed as a vendor awaiting payment for work as part of the agency’s...
