Western PA Local News category, Page 539
Barefoot Dutchman visits Westmoreland on trek to support men’s mental health
The Barefoot Dutchman made his way through eastern Westmoreland County on Thursday, carefully placing one unshod foot in front of the other. Anton Nootenboom, a native of the Netherlands and veteran of its army, has adopted the nickname as he nears completion of a shoeless eastward trek across the United...
Northern Lights could make appearance over Western Pa. skies
A forecast of clear skies and solar flares Friday night means it might be possible to view the northern lights in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, according to the National Weather Service in Moon. The phenomenon, also called the aurora borealis, could be visible this far south of the Arctic Circle...
Student representatives join Chartiers Valley School Board
Two Chartiers Valley High School students joined the school board to provide updates on student affairs. The board on Sept. 24 welcomed Layla Asbury and Brady Baranowski. Asbury, 16, of Bridgeville, is a junior. She is involved in school theater and is the social chair of Student Council. “Due to...
Months after husband’s death at Trump rally, Helen Comperatore ‘still trying to heal’
Helen Comperatore still is processing the death of her husband, Corey, 50, who was shot and killed two months ago during a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump at the Butler Farm Show grounds. “I think it’s the trauma of it all,” Helen Comperatore said. “I think that’s something...
Woman calls brother killed in Strip District her ‘superhero’ as shooter heads to prison
A Pittsburgh man who followed two people in his car after a bar brawl in the Strip District and then shot them, one fatally, as they drove across the 16th Street Bridge, will serve at least 40 years in prison. Jeffdyn Rushton, 36, of the city’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood was sentenced...
Latrobe man convicted of providing drugs that resulted in 2021 fatal overdose
A Latrobe man was convicted Thursday of providing drugs that resulted in a fatal overdose. Jurors found Zachary Dunlap, 30, guilty of drug delivery resulting in death, conspiracy and possession with intent to deliver in connection with the Jan. 8, 2021, death of Robert J. Verscharen. Prosecutors contended Dunlap provided...
August Wilson’s niece highlights his life, film adaptation of ‘The Piano Lesson’
The latest adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson’s work, “The Piano Lesson,” will hit theaters on Nov. 8. Wilson’s niece and executive director of The Historic Hill Institute, Dr. Kimberly Ellis, gave the keynote speech on Sept. 27 at the 109th meeting of the Association for the Study of...
Harrison Realtor Cameron Yockey spearheading Helene relief mission
Cameron Yockey watched the devastation from Hurricane Helene unfold on TV and social media until he could no longer stomach it. He posted to Facebook on Wednesday that a one-day collection would happen at his Harrison real estate office before he and other volunteers hit the road to Black Mountain,...
12 Pennsylvania billionaires among Forbes’ richest people in America
Of the 400 richest people in America, 12 billionaires are located in Pennsylvania — with three in the Pittsburgh area, according to the Forbes annual list released this week. The list estimates Americans’ wealth as of Sept. 1. In total, the 400 are worth a record $5.4 trillion, up nearly...
Murrysville area: Leaf collection dates, author reading and more
Leaf collection in Murrysville Murrysville residents can schedule a curbside leaf pick-up through local hauling contractor Republic Services for the following Saturdays: Oct. 19, Nov. 9 and 16, and Dec. 7. There is a 20-bag limit on each collection date. The deadline to sign up is the Thursday prior to...
Franklin Regional prepares for homecoming, annual bonfire
Franklin Regional has released its schedule for homecoming activities. The school’s annual homecoming bonfire will be from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at the high school, 3200 School Road in Murrysville. There is no cost to attend, but proceeds from club booth sales will benefit individual high school clubs. The homecoming...
Ferris wheel takes over Roberto Clemente Bridge for OktoberfestVideo
During his lunch break, Jonathan Daybear decided to walk over to Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente Bridge to take in the view from atop the 60-foot Ferris wheel set up for Oktoberfest. “I didn’t think it was going to be such a gorgeous view,” said Daybear, 45, of Lawrenceville, who works as...
Did gifts from Trump, Vance at Sprankle’s, Primanti Bros. break election law?
Former President Trump and his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance were both feeling gracious on their last trips through the Pittsburgh area. Trump gave $100 to a woman purchasing groceries at Sprankle’s Supermarket in Kittanning on Sept. 23. Sprankle’s also has locations in Saxonburg and Leechburg. “It just went...
Westmoreland purchases land along Loyalhanna Gorge
Access to a Westmoreland County park along the Loyalhanna Gorge will be expanded through the purchase of four parcels. County commissioners on Thursday approved the $74,000 acquisition from Donald E. Paxton. “This will provide a little bit more space for people to park and enjoy that vista,” said Commissioner Doug...
Clinics round out seasonal pickleball play in McCandless
Pickleball at Devlin Park in McCandless is keeping the courts busy with upcoming clinics and a few more weeks left to play. All parks in McCandless are closed from Nov. 1 until April 1. Four pickleball courts at Devlin Park were opened in spring 2023 and they’re always hopping. ‘They...
Monroeville area: Super bingo, library trivia night, more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Bingo at Divine Mercy Academy Divine Mercy Academy will host a super bingo at 6:45 p.m. Oct. 19 at Christ the Divine Shepherd Church, 245 Azalea Drive in Monroeville. Tickets are $30 and include 10 rounds of regular bingo, three...
Shining Star Gala to honor 12 in McCandless
A volunteer firefighter for more than four decades, Bob Jeke of McCandless is just doing what he was taught to do. “I don’t usually thrive on the praise. I just volunteer because I volunteer. I just started at 16, 44 years ago,” Jeke said. He is one of the 12...
Police arrest 2 in brutal beating of man in Downtown Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh police have arrested two teens in connection with a vicious beating of a man by about eight people in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. Police said the incident, which occurred about 9 p.m. at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and Stanwix Street and was filmed by...
Some opposed to proposed North Huntingdon sports complex
Some North Huntingdon residents acknowledge a proposed $30 million sports complex would be an asset for the community, but they’re questioning whether it should go on public property. “I don’t think anyone is against building a sports complex,” Jesse Adkins of Maple Lane told the township commissioners Wednesday. But Adkins,...
Niche rankings place North Allegheny School District 2nd in state
North Allegheny once again secures its spot as the second-best school district in Pennsylvania out of 496 districts, following Radnor Township in Delaware County, according to the Niche ratings published Sept. 30. The ratings moved North Allegheny up three spots, to 24, from last year’s rank of No. 27 among...
Students feel safe at North Allegheny, per survey
Parents and students strongly agree that North Allegheny feels safe and secure, according to a school district survey conducted in May. All parents in the district and students in fifth, eighth, 10th and 12th grades were queried on school-related topics, and Superintendent Brendan Hyland provided the results to the school...
‘This is a lot worse’: Red Cross volunteers bring experience to help Helene victims
Dennis Bayne and Paul Stillitano have no idea what they’ll be getting into for the next two weeks. The American Red Cross volunteers deployed Thursday morning in an emergency response vehicle from Pittsburgh, headed to North Carolina to help the victims of Hurricane Helene. They won’t know their specific assignments...
Willie Thrower Heart Walk aims to bring awareness of heart disease in New Kensington
Melvyn Smith and Willie Thrower grew up together in New Kensington and used to attend Steelers games together. Now, as one of the founders of the Willie Thrower Heart Walk, Smith is honoring the football legend’s life and legacy. “We wanted to enhance awareness of heart health and acknowledge the...
Unity family’s organic dairy farm earns annual honor from conservation district
Todd Frescura has established a clear path for his cows to move through mud-prone areas of his family’s organic dairy farm in Unity. The cattle walkways help keep dirt out of the farm’s milking parlor and out of a stream on the 100-acre spread that is part of the Sewickley...
Hempfield, Greensburg fire prevention event aims to combine education, entertainment, recruitment
The Hempfield and Greensburg volunteer fire departments will display fire apparatus, talk to area residents about fire safety and recruit new members next week at the 28th annual Fire Prevention Night. The nearly 30-year tradition, held outside of the Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield, is meant to inform the community about...
