Community blood drives scheduled for August to address shortage
Vitalant, a nonprofit blood and biotherapies health care company based in Pittsburgh, is planning a series of community donor drives to help boost blood supply in the region. The company has declared an emergency shortage of type O blood — the most transfused blood type. While O blood types are...
Find a ‘cooler weather’ road trip in Western Pennsylvania
Bruce Gezon of Murrysville is no stranger to a nice, scenic drive. Gezon, a member of the Sports Car Club of America’s Hall of Fame, has been designing rally courses for a half-century. With late-summer temperatures continuing to stay in the 80s and 90s, spending an afternoon outdoors might not...
Judge rejects effort to dismiss charges against East Huntingdon man injured in police shootout
A Westmoreland County judge has rejected defense calls for dismissal of charges against an East Huntingdon man wounded by Pennsylvania State Police in an exchange of gunfire last winter. Defense attorney Jill Devine during a court hearing Tuesday contended there was no evidence James R. Miller Jr. intended to kill...
Swissvale woman sentenced to 6 years probation for yearslong sexual relationship with teen
A judge on Tuesday sentenced a Pittsburgh-area therapist to probation for having a yearslong sexual relationship with a boy starting when he was 14. Rachel Witkowski, 43, of Swissvale pleaded guilty to three of the 11 charges against her — statutory sexual assault by a person 11 or more years...
The Stroller, July 31, 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. Back-to-school bash planned in Freeport Freeport Area Library, 428 Market St.,...
Westmoreland happenings: August Fun Fest, Bible school, fire station open house, more
Church News • St. James Church, 306 St. James Lane, New Alexandria, will have all-day Eucharistic Adoration Aug. 6 for the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Mass will be celebrated at 8 a.m., adoration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and benediction will be at 6 p.m. Drop in...
Sewickley officers planning first National Night Out celebration
The Sewickley Police Department has joined a national effort to promote police-community partnerships. The borough force will host its inaugural National Night Out celebration from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6. Nevin Avenue will be closed between Hill and Hopkins streets for the event. Officers will provide safety information and...
Pittsburgh Brewing teams with Pitt for blue-and-gold I.C. Light can
A collaboration between Pittsburgh Brewing Co. and Pitt Athletics on a limited edition Pitt I.C. Light can has been brewing for about two years. The can features royal blue and university gold team colors in addition to the recognizable “Pitt” script and “Hail to Pitt.” It is available this week...
Ex-administrator in Penn Hills School District says he’s struggling to find work after ‘frivolous’ harassment charge dropped
Robert Kollar is rebuilding his career after a now-dismissed harassment charge tarnished his reputation and led him to resign as director of human resources for the Penn Hills School District. In May, a judge threw out the case, which alleged that Kollar placed his midsection on an individual’s back, but...
Fox Chapel Parks Conservancy to host inaugural fun walk, 5K
Fox Chapel Parks Conservancy plans to host a new way for people to explore one of the borough’s prime recreation sites. The inaugural Fox Chapel Foxtrot 5K & 1 Mile Family Fun Run is set for Sept. 8 in McCahill Park. “The idea is to have a community event that...
Shot hits Station Square restaurant; no injuries
A restaurant window at Station Square on Pittsburgh’s South Side was hit by a gunshot Tuesday afternoon, Pittsburgh Police said. No one was injured when one of the bullets damaged one pane of a two-pane window about 2:30 p.m. at Joe’s Crab Shack, 226 W. Station Square Drive, police said....
‘A failure on multiple levels’: Records reveal security lapses at Trump rally
Five days before Donald Trump took the stage at the Butler Farm Show grounds for a rally, the Secret Service was busy rolling out its strategy to protect the nation’s 45th president. The advance planning was hardly unusual as part of the agency’s mission to guard the nation’s current and...
New Kensington man pleads guilty to drive-by shooting of high school classmate
A New Kensington man was ordered Tuesday to serve up to 14 years in prison for the attempted homicide of two occupants of a vehicle during a drive-by shooting in New Kensington. Ernest Gary IV, 20, pleaded guilty to seven offenses including two counts of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, reckless...
State officials visit Strengthening Families program in Monessen
The simple act of untangling a human chain can teach a lot about trust and teamwork. On Tuesday, participants in the Westmoreland Drug and Alcohol Commission’s Strengthening Families program mashed together, crossed their arms and grabbed hands. Next, they worked together to undo the knot they had formed. Jessica Anderson,...
Dominican trucker faces second deportation for New Stanton fentanyl sale
Westmoreland County prosecutors said a Dominican Republic national faces deportation for the second time after he serves an eight-year prison sentence for selling fentanyl to an undercover state trooper two years ago in New Stanton. Leonardo Antonio Ramirez was convicted in May by a Westmoreland County jury of three drug-related...
PennDOT plans Route 119 detour in New Stanton
PennDOT road work is set to trigger a detour beginning Wednesday on Route 119 in New Stanton and traffic interruptions on Thursday on Route 51 in Rostraver. Motorists heading south on Route 119, from Youngwood toward Connellsville, will be diverted along a detour because the southbound ramp they normally use...
Route 366 reopened after Tuesday evening closure due to tree falling
A tree fell across Tarentum Bridge Road on Tuesday evening and is blocking the Route 366 bypass in New Kensington. Police and firefighters are on the scene and rerouting traffic. Westmoreland County Public Safety said the road reopened around 7 p.m. after being closed for a little more than an...
Motorcyclist seriously injured in Harrison crash
A 19-year-old motorcyclist from Brackenridge was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash Saturday in Harrison, police said. Officers responded at about 3:45 p.m. to Dallas Avenue and Freeport Road, near Eat’n Park, to find the man’s motorcycle had collided with the passenger side of a Chevy sedan, Chief Brian Turack...
Penn State fraternity brothers plead guilty in student’s 2017 hazing death
Two former Penn State University students and fraternity leaders pleaded guilty to their roles in the 2017 hazing death of Timothy Piazza, the Attorney General’s Office announced on Tuesday. Brendan Young, 28, and Daniel Casey, 27, pleaded guilty this week to 14 counts of hazing and one count of reckless...
Michael Sable named principal at Chartiers Valley High School
A new face will be leading Chartiers Valley High School in the coming years, as Michael Sable was hired as the school’s principal at a salary of $130,000. “I’m extremely honored to be high school principal,” Sable said. “I’m excited to meet everyone, and I’m ready to lead students to...
Race benefits North Hills Community Outreach
North Hills Community Outreach and the Northgate High School cross country team will run the streets of Bellevue and Avalon on Aug. 10 in support of helping people in the local area. The North Boroughs 5K is a partnership between the local nonprofit and the runners that raises money for...
Steelers affiliate receives $850K settlement in dispute over Acrisure Stadium scoreboard
Pittsburgh’s Sports and Exhibition Authority has settled a yearslong dispute over whether it should have to pay for a costly upgrade to the scoreboard at Acrisure Stadium. The authority agreed to pay $850,000 to PSSI Stadium LLC, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The disagreement began when PSSI upgraded the...
Pittsburgh moving ahead with food justice fund grants after slow start
Pittsburgh is moving ahead with a plan to distribute money from its food justice fund after a slow start that left some activists frustrated. The city included $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars for the new fund, which intends to bolster fresh food access across the city, in...
Red-light district: Pittsburgh mulls tech to catch traffic-light scofflaws
Drivers running red lights in Pittsburgh could one day be fined through an automatic enforcement system. Legislation introduced Tuesday to City Council would allow Pittsburgh to install cameras at high-risk intersections to ticket drivers who blow through red lights. “This technology will allow us to crack down on dangerous driving...
Jeannette Public Library closed after bomb threat
The Jeannette Public Library was closed Tuesday after a bomb threat was called into city hall, according to library board members. The threat was called in on Monday and indicated a bomb would be present at the library Tuesday, said board president Joann Billheimer and board member Chad Krawtz. Police...
