Local category, Page 550

In November, Paul McDonnell lost his wife of 30 years, Terri, to pancreatic cancer. “We did hospice at home, and I didn’t do any support groups when she was sick,” he recalled. “There was too much care that had to be given.” After Terri’s passing, he took the suggestion of...

The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty against an Allegheny Township man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and shooting another man at a Blawnox warehouse in March. Sean Black, who turns 43 on Thursday, is accused of shooting Courtney Smith, 30, multiple times early in the...

Westmoreland County Commissioner Ted Kopas on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton and called on the state Senate to initiate proceedings to have her removed from office. Hamilton was not at the courthouse on Wednesday and could not be reached for comment. A Hempfield Republican,...

When she was a child, Cherie King remembers visiting a store on Clay Avenue in Jeannette with her grandmother to buy a pair of shoes. By her 20s, the memories centered around going out at establishments downtown. Jeannette was different then, but there’s no reason a vibrant business district can’t...

The Hempfield School Board will vote next week to adopt a preliminary 2024-2025 general fund budget, which includes a $3 million deficit. The proposed budget includes nearly $106.6 million in total revenues and about $109.6 million in expenditures, according to district business manager Paul Schott. This is a 0.36% decrease...

A Pine-Richland parent suing the school district over its transgender nondiscrimination policy does not have standing to do so because her child has not been affected by it, a federal judge has ruled. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman IV issued his 17-page opinion in the case, which...

Who wants to buy a used prison toilet? Judging by the volume of calls auctioneer Bill Anderson has received about the sink-and-toilet combos that are being auctioned from the former state prison in Hempfield, some people are considering the purchase. “The county put out the legal notice for the auction...

A yearslong dispute over whether the state has the right to regulate a Mt. Lebanon Catholic school’s before- and after-school program has landed in federal court amid allegations that the school is being subjected to a religious and politically motivated attack. South Hills Catholic Academy on Tuesday filed a lawsuit...

Westmoreland Heritage Trail officials will host their annual festival and poker run June 1 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Murrysville. Each participant in the poker run will stop at five checkpoints along the trail to choose a playing card. At the end of the event, participants will have a...

The three venues at Live Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield will put on a summer concert series, with a lineup comprised of local artists. The performances are free. Here’s the lineup for each of the venues: Sports & Social May 10: Brothers Kelly May 17: Tres Lads May 24: Metro May...

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette publisher and editor-in-chief John Block wants to sell the paper as well as its parent company, Block Communications Inc., according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in an Ohio court. The civil suit in Lucas County Common Pleas Court was filed by Block Communications CEO Allan Block, John Block’s...

The Murrysville Area Watershed Association gained the support of Export officials Tuesday night for an acid mine remediation project that would prevent additional heavy metals and other elements from entering Turtle Creek. The association initially pitched Murrysville council on the project more than two years ago, after working with Monroeville...

Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream has unveiled a new flavor just in time for Mother’s Day. Partnering with Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation, a portion of sales from the “Oh, Baby!” flavor will fund women’s health research. This collaboration celebrates motherhood and highlights the need for advancements in women’s healthcare. It...

The Plum School District is preparing to bid farewell to nearly two dozen employees with more than 550 years of combined service to the district. The district plans to honor its 22 retirees with a reception beginning at 6:30 p.m. May 28 at the high school library. It will be...

Dr. Charles Ashe is a familiar name for many Alle-Kiski Valley natives — he may even have been one of the first people they ever met. For about 40 years, Ashe worked as a private practice doctor and, later, as an Allegheny Valley Hospital pediatrician. He was willing to drop...

The Mario Lemieux Foundation on Wednesday announced a $2.5 million donation to Allegheny General Hospital’s cardiac electrophysiology program. The donation was matched by Highmark, hospital leaders said during an announcement at the North Side hospital. The joint $5 million gift will mark the creation of the Mario Lemieux Center for...

Writers from across Southwestern Pennsylvania will take part in an author expo Saturday, May 18, at the Mt. Pleasant Public Library. It will be from noon to 3 p.m. at the library, 120 S. Church St. Library Director Sarah Buzzard said she was inspired to organize the event after meeting...

Art • Barbara L. Jones, retired chief curator of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, will be the speaker at a free lecture at 7 p.m. May 13 at the Greensburg Art Center, 230 Todd School Road, Hempfield. Jones will give behind-the-scenes look at some of the many exhibits that...

A small property tax increase will help to keep the New Kensington-Arnold School District moving in the right direction, according to board President Tim Beckes. The school board voted 8-0 Tuesday night to approve the district’s $46.2 million proposed final budget for 2024-25. Board member Terry Schrock was absent. It...

Travel can be expensive and, with the Alle-Kiski Valley’s rich history, area residents have plenty of options this summer to enjoy “staycations.” The Allegheny-Kiski Historical Society and Heritage Museum in Tarentum aims to make that easier by laying out the options this weekend at a free event. “Our history can’t...

After passing on the opportunity a few months ago, Lower Burrell officials will participate in a blight inventory study. Council on Monday entered into an agreement with Westmoreland County to participate in the study on behalf of the Alle-Kiski Intergovernmental Council Cooperation Group. The cost for the program is $14,180,...

The new executive director of the Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization is hoping to continue more than a decade of work in the nonprofit sector, this time helping to improve the quality of life in the quaint river town. Jodi Klebick will take the reins of the group, founded in 2014 with...

Rikki Haas and Elizabeth Pribanic were at school Tuesday but had their eyes in the skies. The duo — as calm and as focused as could be — were operating drones outside the gymnasium of Acmetonia Elementary School in Harmar after school. The 11-year-olds were able to maneuver their drones...

PennDOT officials announced the following road work and related closures: • A portion of Hecla Road between Aster Road and Mt. Pleasant Road will closed beginning May 13, as work crews complete the new Route 981 and Hecla Road approach to the roundabout. The work is part of the $55.2...

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado passed through Derry and Ligonier townships early Wednesday, damaging trees, while another touched down briefly in Allegheny County, tearing off a roof. Shannon Hefferan, a meteorologist at the NWS Pittsburgh office, said the EF1 tornado in the Ligonier area generated gusts...