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...
Police say Sewickley Township man charged at neighbor with a knife
A Sewickley Township man is behind bars after state police said he charged at his neighbor over the weekend with a knife, according to court papers. Kurtis C. Baker, 33, was arrested after the neighbor grabbed the knife and held the suspect down until troopers arrived. Baker is charged with...
Oakmont dementia care residents volunteer with Humane Animal Rescue Pittsburgh
Mary Brown doesn’t often participate in the programming offered at Presbyterian SeniorCare’s Woodside Place in Oakmont. She prefers to stay in her living space at the dementia care facility or feed the squirrels outside. She has named them George and Frankie. Something changes, though, when residents go on a field...
Penn Hills Center sold to out-of-state investment firm for $20.5 million
The Penn Hills Center and several outparcels near the shopping plaza on Rodi Road have been purchased by a New York-based firm for $20.5 million. Under an LLC created early this year, Asher Group reached a deal with First National Realty Partners in May to add the popular retail destination...
Officials say they’ve not been contacted by Trump campaign about 2nd Butler rally
Butler-area officials said they have not heard from the Donald Trump campaign about an announced second rally in Butler County. The first Trump rally in Pennsylvania since the assassination attempt will see the former president in Harrisburg in Dauphin County on Wednesday. The rally will feature U.S. Senate candidate Dave...
Etna community honors late Mayor Tom Rengers with formal proclamation
The late Etna Mayor Thomas J. Rengers may be gone, but Etna officials are making sure he’s not forgotten, by proclaiming July 29, 2024, as “Mayor Tom Rengers Day.” Rengers served as mayor since 2004 and died while in office last December after a prolonged illness with cancer. He was...
Morning Roundup: South Side patrol figures; road work projects to impact traffic
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, July 18: Latest South Side patrol figures released Pittsburgh police officers on the bureau’s South Side Entertainment Patrol made seven arrests along East Carson Street over the weekend. The special patrol was launched last summer to tamp down...
Motorcycle riders, Derry walkers to honor local Army Ranger, 2 others killed in Battle of Mogadishu
Angie Burd and members of her family will lead the way Saturday as a group of motorcycle riders takes a patriotic road trip from Hempfield to Derry Borough. They’ll be at the forefront of the sixth annual Fallen Hero Ride — an event that will honor her uncle, Derry native...
The Stroller, July 30, 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. Lenny Collini Family Pak to play Tarentum Park Tarentum Summer Concert...
Global program pushes male athletes to talk about dating abuse, sexual violence
Ryan Reitz is used to having difficult conversations. For the past seven years, Reitz has facilitated the Coaching Boys Into Men program with male athletes in locker rooms across Westmoreland County — diving into topics such as consent, respect and dating violence. Sometimes, encouraging athletes to participate in the conversations...
Upper Burrell residents hope to see progress on speeding issues along Greensburg Road
Many of Tim Rote’s neighbors along the 2200 block of Greensburg Road in Upper Burrell have a “horror story” about what they say is a lack of safety on the road. Bill Smith recalls getting rear-ended while pulling into his driveway about 15 years ago with his son in the...
Amazon’s New Stanton facility could provide economic boost, challenge for small businesses, officials say
Amazon’s efforts to attract 600 workers for its new warehouse in New Stanton is like a double-edged sword for Westmoreland’s economy — great for job creation but potentially tough on small businesses that must compete for talent with the multibillion-dollar behemoth. “It’s great that they have selected New Stanton,” but...
West Leechburg residents set to take assessment complaints to county courthouse
West Leechburg residents are preparing to take their complaints about property assessments directly to Westmoreland County commissioners. After months, and in some cases years, of complaints about what residents say is an unfair property tax system, frustrations peaked this spring when Leechburg Area School District property taxes increased 10.4% in...
Oakmont, Verona chase suspect still at large after ditching gun, police say
A Penn Hills man who twice evaded police in Oakmont and Verona Tuesday remains at large. Oakmont and Verona police filed separate charges against Damian Baverso, 18, and issued separate warrants for his arrest. The chase in Oakmont began when officers tried to arrest Baverso near the Rite Aid on...
