Irwin family welcomes first New Year’s baby born at Allegheny Health Network
Rachel Solis was due to deliver a baby Jan. 5. She had experienced a few labor pains of late and had the family car packed and ready to go, just in case. Her family visited relatives for a New Year’s Eve dinner, but Rachel never finished her meal. Halfway through...
Temps in the teens? No problem for Connellsville Polar Bear Plunge participantsVideo
Everyone has their own strategy for the Connellsville Polar Plunge on New Year’s Day. For Dale Kooser and Geoffrey Bittner, it’s get in and get out. “My rule, though, is it doesn’t count if you don’t dunk your head. You’ve got to go underwater,” Bittner said, decked out head-to-toe in...
Hempfield man charged with fatal shooting on New Year’s Eve
A Hempfield man is charged with criminal homicide after police said he shot and killed a man late Wednesday night. Shortly before 8:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, Westmoreland 911 officials received a call from a man identifying himself as Robert D. Naugle Jr., 30, of Hempfield. Naugle told emergency...
Polar plunge draws the brave to Mon Wharf for New Year’s Day jump into Monongahela River
Brave participants jumped into the Monongahela River along the Mon Wharf in Pittsburgh Thursday morning at the annual Pittsburgh Polar Bear Plunge. Proceeds from T-shirt and other sales at the event benefited WTAE’s Project Bundle-Up....
Snowstorm drops up to 5 inches of snow across region
The new year rang in with high winds and heavy snow overnight that put a damper on the First Night turnout in Pittsburgh and left a fresh blanket of white across the region. Pittsburgh police said there were no issues during the First Night celebration as there were light crowds,...
The Stroller, Jan. 1, 2026: 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. Happy New Year! May...
Cosmic chaos: Supermoon, meteor shower to grace Western Pa. skies Saturday
Two astronomical phenomena — a supermoon and a meteor shower — will collide in Western Pennsylvania skies Saturday. Supermoons occur between three and four times per year and meteor showers grace skies about six times annually, said Daniel Vanden Berk, director of Saint Vincent College’s Angelo J. Taiani Planetarium. But...
In photos: Pittsburgh’s Cultural District helps bring in the new year with First Night eventVideo
Despite a snowy and cold New Year’s Eve in the Pittsburgh region on Wednesday night, a crowd of revelers gathered Downtown for the 32nd annual Highmark First Night, hosted by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. The five-hour long event that spanned several blocks in downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District ends with the...
Pittsburgh rings in new year with First Night festivitiesVideo
Levi Griffith-Esposito’s New Year’s resolution is to be more creative and artistic. The Carson Middle School student is well on his way completing his first project, a multi-colored 2026 hat as part of Pittsburgh’s First Night Celebration. Arts and crafts were among the many activities Wednesday evening provided by the...
As another year ends, community remembers Monroeville Mall’s heyday during annual ball drop
For folks who can’t stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve, Monroeville Public Library’s annual ball drop at noon has become quite the tradition. The celebration began at the library several years ago but relocated to Monroeville Mall four years ago as its popularity grew. This year, festivities started...
PennDOT eases some interstate restrictions in Allegheny County; Beaver, Lawrence limits remain in place
PennDOT has lifted the speed restrictions on highways in Allegheny County while they remain in effect in Beaver and Lawrence counties. The transportation department recommends motorists avoid unnecessary travel but those who do head out will see speeds reduced to 45 mph on these highways: Beaver County: I-376 (Beaver Valley...
Chartiers Valley’s ‘Badges and Baristas’ connects students, police over coffee
What better place to build conversations and camaraderie among Chartiers Valley High School students and area police officers than the school’s Coffee Tree Roasters? Chartiers Valley School Resource Officer Kyle Kelsch and student Sofia Bragano coordinated the second annual Badges and Baristas event Dec. 19 at the coffee shop, where...
Unity supervisors agree to double property tax, increase fire tax by 50%
Unity Township’s supervisors agreed Wednesday to double the township’s general purpose property tax to 4.4 mills, expecting to raise an additional $600,000 in revenue to cover rising expenditures. Supervisor Mike O’Barto noted the increase in that tax is the first approved in more than 50 years. And the resulting millage...
Pittsburgh City Paper closes
Pittsburgh City Paper is closing after 34 years of operation. Employees at the alt-weekly Pittsburgh City Paper publication posted on social media that the news outlet was closing. Colin Williams, news editor at the City Paper, posted on Linkedin on Wednesday saying “It’s the end of an era — ownership...
Brandy Melville’s Shadyside opening rekindles debate over size exclusivity
Emily Anderson remembers feelings of shame and self-consciousness in what she refers to as the “universal experience growing up fat or plus size” while trying to shop at size-exclusive clothing stores. “As a teenager I didn’t feel like I belonged in clothing stores,” said Anderson, a yoga therapist for All...
Holy Family Parish serves Christmas Day meals to community members
On a cool Christmas morning, Holy Family Parish, in the eastern suburbs of Plum, Verona, Oakmont and Penn Hills, continued its tradition of celebrating Jesus’ birth by sharing brunch with about 170 guests at St. Joseph Church Hall in Verona and Our Lady of Joy Church Hall in Plum. The...
Newly elected Allegheny Township supervisors to get 67% pay hike
Annual stipends for newly elected Allegheny Township supervisors will increase from $2,500 to $4,190 following a 2-1 board vote Wednesday morning. Supervisors Jamie Morabito and Jeff Pollick voted at a special meeting Wednesday morning to adjust compensation by $1,690 annually for new supervisors, citing the state’s Act 94, which allows...
Residents escape early morning duplex fire in Unity
Four people escaped unharmed early Wednesday from one side of a burning duplex in Unity, according to Lloydsville fire Chief Brian Schultheis. Firefighters arrived at the Beatty Village Road home, located just off Route 30, around 4:30 a.m. to find flames shooting from the rear of the structure. A neighbor...
Fire safety imperative as cold months increase heating use
Local fire departments are spreading awareness as the peak of “heating fire season” arrives. According to a recent Facebook post from Oakmont Volunteer Fire Department, December, January and February are the peak months for heating fires. Space heaters are most often involved in these incidents, the post said. “Stay safe...
Charges withdrawn against Butler County man previously accused of raping child
Nearly a dozen charges against Michael Garrett Saunders, including rape of a child, have been withdrawn by the Butler County District Attorney’s Office. Saunders, 49, of Winfield was arrested in October 2024 before his case was dismissed without prejudice in July by Judge Joseph Kubit. Butler County authorities refiled identical...
Penn Hills man charged in shooting at South Hills Village Mall
A Penn Hills man has been charged in connection with a shooting Tuesday night at South Hills Village Mall. Elijah E. Brown, 18, is charged with aggravated assault, discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure, receiving stolen property, carrying a firearm without a license and attempting to elude police,...
Firefighters battle blaze in East Huntingdon homeVideo
An East Huntingdon home was destroyed by fire Wednesday morning, and firefighters contended with snow and cold temperatures while extinguishing the blaze. Three people escaped the Mt. Pleasant Road home about 7 a.m. as flames spread through it. East Huntingdon fire Chief Rich DeForrest said it was fully engulfed when...
Up to 5 inches of snow possible by New Year’s Day
Western Pennsylvanians heading to Downtown Pittsburgh on Wednesday evening for First Night festivities should prepare to ring in the new year with snowfall and temperatures in the teens. About 3 to 5 inches of snow is expected to accumulate between mid-afternoon Wednesday and early Thursday morning, said Mike Kennedy, meteorologist...
The Stroller, Dec. 31, 2025: 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. Happy New Year! May...
Flu, respiratory illnesses rising in Pennsylvania
Flu infections are surging across Pennsylvania. The state’s Department of Health has logged more than 35,000 cases since the start of October, with nearly 14,000 coming between Dec. 21 and Saturday. Department spokesman Neil Ruhland described the rise as a “normal annual occurrence” caused by people spending more time indoors,...
