Morning Roundup: Masked men jack car in Oakland; man hospitalized after fall in Uniontown parade
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Oct. 30: Masked suspects steal car in Oakland University of Pittsburgh Police say two men in black masks and hoodies stole a delivery driver’s car in Oakland. Just before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the driver exited his vehicle to...
Rachel Carson Ecovillage promises to bring cohousing, a new way of living, to region
The first residents of a new cohousing community in McCandless are expected to begin moving into their homes early next year. After five years of planning and preparation, the homes that will make up the Rachel Carson EcoVillage at Providence Heights were expected to quickly begin taking shape in November,...
Plum teen uses artistic skills, special effects makeup to create unique looks
Myiah Pastorius was 11 when she began watching horror movies. Knowing the gore in the likes of “Friday the 13th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” wasn’t real left Myiah, of Plum, more curious than scared. She began looking into how to recreate the injuries, facial deformities and conditions characters in...
Rising health insurance costs are pinching business owners — and driving them to cheaper alternatives
It’s a never-ending battle for Rebecca Kasavich, owner of Copies at Carson, to fund health insurance for workers at her commercial print shop in Pittsburgh’s South Side. About 15 years ago, she made employees pay into their plans for the first time — a common move for businesses struggling with...
Mansions at Lake MacLeod in Pine to be featured in Symphony Splendor House Tour
For the first time, palatial mansions in Lake Macleod will welcome guests for an up-close look at these homes dressed for the holidays. Five one-of-a-kind residences in Pine are part of the Symphony Splendor 2025 Holiday House Tour North. Hosted by the Pittsburgh Symphony Association to benefit the Pittsburgh Symphony...
North Hills Community Outreach welcomes donations to help others during SNAP pause
With SNAP benefits on pause, North Hills Community Outreach is stepping up to help the people it serves and is asking the community for assistance. As of Oct. 15, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services announced that SNAP, a supplemental nutrition assistance program, will not be issued because of the...
New, fresh foods market will end ‘food desert’ in Sharpsburg
John Jericho of Sharpsburg is tired of leaving Sharpsburg to buy groceries. The senior citizen soon won’t have to leave the borough to access fresh, quality produce and groceries with the opening of a new market called Harvest on Main Community Market, set to open in early 2026. Harvest on...
Off-duty miracle: Arnold police chief, wife save life of Lower Burrell crossing guard
Sometimes it’s just not your time. Such was the case for Dennis “Denny” Soroka on Sept. 20. The 80-year-old from Lower Burrell is alive through a miracle of happenstance: He suffered cardiac arrest at just the right place and time, in a store that had an automated external defibrillator and...
Westmoreland happenings: Pancake dinner, bingos, meetings, more
Fundraisers • Community Church of Hecla, 537 Hecla Road, Mt. Pleasant Township, will host a Vera Bradley bingo at 1 p.m. Nov. 2 at the church. Doors open at noon. A light lunch will be served. Details and tickets: 724-396-8065 or 724-244-2586. • A pancake and sausage dinner will be...
The Stroller gets a sick day
No Stroller today Due to illness, The Stroller column does not appear today. The column will return as soon as The Stroller feels better....
6 Westmoreland karate athletes recognized at international competition
Six Westmoreland County karate athletes received medals at the International Combat Organization World Championships in Wales earlier this month. Norwin freshman Gabby Viola received nine gold medals, three silver and two bronze, as well as the “overall fighting grand champion” and “most decorated athlete titles.” Her 8-year-old brother, Will Viola,...
Tips for Cops fundraiser has huge turnout; organizers set goal of $6,000 to help needy
Monroeville police Officer Robert Gowans said cops can sometimes get a bad rap. That wasn’t possible on Oct. 19, when off-duty officers turned out in force to help the less fortunate. Police from Penn Hills, Wilkins, Churchill and Monroeville traded in their uniforms for aprons to serve a hungry crowd...
6 in school board race for 4 Ligonier Valley 4-year seats; 2 face off for 2-year term
Six candidates are vying in the Nov. 4 election for a quartet of four-year seats on the Ligonier Valley School Board. Two other hopefuls — John Fitchwell, selected by Republican Party leaders, and Maureen Ittig, chosen by the Democratic Party — are facing off for a two-year seat. The winner...
Latrobe man charged with gun permit violation at Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoint
Allegheny County Police have charged a Latrobe man with a firearms violation after a handgun was discovered in his carry-on bag Wednesday morning at Pittsburgh International Airport. Police identified the passenger as 51-year-old John Frye. They determined he did not possess a valid concealed carry permit. Transportation Security Administration officers...
Wilmerding teen charged with homicide in double fatal shooting in Pitcairn
Allegheny County Police have charged a Wilmerding teen in the fatal shooting of two other teens on June 26 in Pitcairn. Jamon Brookins, 16, is charged as an adult with two counts of criminal homicide and a felony robbery count. Police said Brookins, then 15, fired multiple times at Tyrant...
All treats, no tricks: Mt. Pleasant Halloween parade lacks notoriety from past year
Last year’s Halloween parade in Mt. Pleasant Borough brought the small community of 4,250 people plenty of publicity, but not in the way officials would have liked. This year, organizers promised to be extra vigilant about parade participants to avoid a repeat appearance of a controversial entry like one last...
With full slate of candidates, GOP leaders hope to chip away at Allegheny County Council’s Democratic majority
If every registered voter in Allegheny County turned out, and Republicans joined forces with independents and third-party voters, Democrats would still win by nearly 90,000 votes. But the county’s GOP committee chairman told TribLive the party is feeling momentum heading into Tuesday’s election and hopes to pick up at least...
Dizzying heights at venues like PPG Paints Arena unsettle upper-level spectators
For Pittsburgher Fabian Carrazana, going to a hockey game or concert means braving the vertigo-inducing pitch of PPG Paints Arena. “The upper bowl is terrifying,” Carrazana said Wednesday, two days after witnessing a man at a Pittsburgh Penguins game suffer life-threatening injuries after falling from the venue’s upper level. “It’s...
Feds charge weight-loss clinic operator in Pittsburgh area with giving customers cow drugs
A woman who ran two weight loss clinics in the Pittsburgh area is charged in federal court with mislabeling animal medication and giving it to humans. Nicole Millen is charged with a single misdemeanor count of drug mislabeling. A federal court docket sheet shows she is scheduled to plead guilty...
State Attorney General’s Office agents investigate at New Kensington property
Investigators with the state Attorney General’s Office conducted an investigation at a New Kensington home Wednesday evening. Attorney general’s agents were on scene at 918 Baldrick St., which is near the intersection of Stevenson Boulevard and Seventh Street. The agents on scene were unable to comment. New Kensington police Chief...
Hampton resident presses for action on intersection in need of stop control mechanism
The Hampton Council meeting began Oct. 22 as it always does, opening with concerns from any residents and property owners. One resident worried about a dangerous intersection stepped up to air her concerns for a second time. Lauren Scheiber addressed Hampton Council about Wildwood Road Extension and Middle Road. “Back...
Judge reinstates house arrest for Jeannette man charged with assault of county detective
A Westmoreland County judge has reinstated house arrest for a Jeannette man accused of breaking into an off-duty county detective’s home last year and assaulting him. The reversal by Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger came after the alleged victim, Detective Nick Caesar, voiced safety concerns about defendant Jonathan E....
PennDOT holds annual training session in advance of winter season
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 12 held winter training Wednesday in Unity for snowplow operators. They practiced using wing plows mounted on the sides of their big yellow trucks while maneuvering through a course marked by orange cones. Drivers had to back into a parking spot, avoid obstacles such as...
Murrysville massage parlor worker pleads guilty to prostitution
A woman charged in connection with a raid at a Murrysville massage parlor pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor prostitution charge on Wednesday. Police said Weihong Wang, 63, was one of two women working last month during a raid of the Asian Garden Spa on Route 22. Police said Wang offered...
5 things to know about Obamacare open enrollment
Steep discounts for millions of Americans on Obamacare won’t expire until Dec. 31, but an exodus from the government health insurance program is expected to start Saturday when open enrollment kicks off for 2026. Nearly all people browsing Affordable Care Act plans will see higher prices than last year because...
