Western PA Local News category, Page 589
Vance criticizes Biden, Walz during visit to Lower Burrell VFW
Vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance used his speech to an invitation-only crowd at Lower Burrell’s VFW post to criticize President Joe Biden’s administration for its withdrawal from Afghanistan. “We lost 13 brave service members we didn’t need to lose,” said Vance, flanked by Republican lawmakers, most of whom also are...
Morning Roundup: Standoff ends in arrest in Monongahela; Mayor Gainey’s communications director resigns
Here are a few news items for Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024: Standoff ends in arrest in Monongahela A Carnegie man was arrested Wednesday evening after an hourslong police standoff in Monongahela that began after a chase. Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh told Trib news partner WTAE that Emmanuel Houghton,...
Man accused of killing his mom in Homestead double homicide
A man accused in a double homicide in Homestead was arrested Wednesday, according to Allegheny County Police. John Malcolm Smith V, 25, of McKeesport is charged with fatally shooting Antoinette Porterfield, 45, and John West, 54. Porterfield is his mother, police said. They were killed Tuesday around 4 p.m. in...
Highlands’ tennis team preps for all-away season while courts are renovated
The girls tennis team at Highlands School District will be serving up their skills away from their home court this season while the district completes a $1 million capital project. Court resurfacing and a revamped track at the nearby middle school are included in the work. “Crews will come Monday...
The Stroller, Aug. 15, 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. Professional wrestling event to benefit Citizens Hose/EMS/Rescue Citizens Hose Fire, EMS...
Study to determine feasibility of roundabout at tricky Chartiers Street intersection
A Robinson-based traffic engineering firm will analyze the feasibility of a roundabout at a Chartiers Street intersection that straddles Bridgeville and Upper St. Clair. Bridgeville Council on Monday, Aug. 12 authorized working with Upper St. Clair to have Trans Associates prepare a roundabout traffic analysis, plan and estimate to determine...
Westmoreland DA unveils courthouse retreat for crime victims
It was a pre-teen victim of a sexual assault who two years ago made it clear to Westmoreland prosecutors that the sterile courthouse environment was not a comfortable place to spend time. Victims and their families had few options during court downtime. They could sit outside the courtroom as a...
Man killed in Wilmerding
Allegheny County Police are investigating the murder of a man in Wilmerding. Officers were dispatched to the 100 block of State Street for a shooting around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday. First responders found a man fatally shot. No further information about the victim or possible suspects was immediately available. Anyone with...
Retired Ligonier Valley teacher calls for investigation into how incident with special needs student was handled
It’s been a year and a half since Linda O’Sullivan had a life-changing encounter with a special needs student while she was working as an art teacher at Ligonier Valley High School. Now retired, the 60-year-old Ligonier Borough woman is still recovering from face, head and neck injuries resulting from...
North Huntingdon karate school owner in critical condition after motorcycle crash
Elizabeth Lindsay is no stranger to pushing physical limits. The owner of C.S. Kim Karate in North Huntingdon, Lindsay has practiced karate since she was 4 years old. The 39-year-old Greensburg resident earned a place in a national Black Belt Hall of Fame in 2019. Her brother, Peter Lindsay, believes...
Guilty plea averts trial for woman accused of running over man with car in Hempfield
A woman pleaded guilty to lesser charges Wednesday in a case brought after she was accused of running over her boyfriend with a car at a Hempfield home last year. Cassidy Christi Colbert, 30, of East McKeesport, was originally charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault, simple assault and other...
Defense contends biased probe led to arrest in New Kensington boy’s death
Lawyers for Brackenridge man facing a potential death penalty if he is convicted of killing of his 9-year-old son contend the investigation that led to his arrest in 2022 was the product of biased prosecutors and based on insufficient evidence. Jean J. Charles, 44, is awaiting trial on charges of...
New home placements in Monessen help address ‘dire need’ for revitalization
Five houses that could be in place this fall in Monessen may be a harbinger of how Westmoreland County communities can move forward after clearing out abandoned homes. Westmoreland Community Action is embarking on the project that executive director Mandy Welty Zalich hopes will grow. Both county Commissioner Sean Kertes...
Convicted Trafford rapist accused of attacking woman in Penn Township
A sex offender who served a lengthy prison sentence for rape is back behind bars after Penn Township police charged him with attacking a woman he solicited for sex. Paul Daniel Zagwoski, 56, of Trafford is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $100,000 bail on misdemeanor counts of...
Questions raised after Kamala Harris campaign accused of altering headlines in Google ads
News outlets have noticed the headlines of their published articles on Google search do not match the ones written on their websites. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is reportedly modifying headlines on news articles within sponsored search advertisements on Google to appear as if those outlets are seemingly partial toward...
4 residents and Plum police officer recognized for saving woman from fiery crash
Several good Samaritans and a Plum police officer were recognized for their efforts in saving a woman from a fiery crash last month. A Lower Burrell woman suffered a medical emergency while driving the morning of July 17. It became a tumultuous ride as her vehicle struck a street sign...
Highlands School District considering tax appeal settlement with the Highlands Mall
The Highlands School District could reap a tax windfall of $28,000 if the board accepts an assessment appeal settlement proposal from the owners of the Highlands Mall, the 15-store shopping plaza off of Freeport Road. The district also would earn more tax income each year going forward. The Highlands Mall...
Murrysville dance school will open 2nd location in Plum
Technically, Donna Zerjav of Murrysville runs Donna’s School of Dance in her spare time. In her day job, Zerjav works as a claims adjuster for Erie Insurance. But “Donna the claims adjuster” isn’t how most people know her. It’s “Donna from Donna’s School of Dance.” That’s because the business has...
Faces of the Valley: Harmar man uses nature, film to promote waterway conservation
Ian Smith is a go-with-the-flow type of guy. Whether it’s the flow of an ocean or a river, he’s there. Smith fell in love with surfing after taking lessons on the East Coast and decided to bring the activity home with him. “I loved the sport and wanted to bring...
Remember When: 6 family members perished in ferry tragedy on Allegheny River near Brackenridge
One of the major problems facing the early settlers of the Alle-Kiski Valley was crossing the rivers. Before 1900, for the residents of communities near Tarentum, the closest bridge crossing was Garvers Ferry Bridge, which was built in 1886 near Freeport. The problem was alleviated, somewhat, in 1900 with the...
Increased police presence in Harrison’s Sheldon Park ‘paying huge dividends’Video
Promised foot patrols by police officers in Harrison’s Sheldon Park neighborhood have led to fewer altercations in the neighborhood and a better rapport between law enforcement and residents, officials say. In response to a shooting in the neighborhood nearly two months ago, Allegheny County Housing Authority Police Chief Mike Vogel...
Parents, students get a look at newly renovated Gateway Middle School
Gateway School District students entering fifth through eighth grade are getting a chance to tour their newly-remodeled — and consolidated — middle school this week. Gateway Middle School in Monroeville opened its doors to incoming students starting Monday, after extensive renovations over the past three years. It will consolidate the...
‘He breathed and lived Gateway’: Scott Williams remembered for community service
Friends recall a favorite saying of the late Scott Williams of Monroeville. “There’s a right way, there’s a wrong way, and then there’s the Gateway.” A paraplegic since the age of 18, Williams, 59, died July 26, 2024, at UPMC Montefiore Hospital in Oakland after a prolonged battle with cancer....
Sunrise School in Monroeville celebrates summer picnics
Sunrise School in Monroeville, part of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, had a “Picnic Month” theme during recent lessons. The school’s pupils, ages five to 21, are primarily special education students from the eastern part of Allegheny County. Class curriculum is geared toward learning support, life skills, multi-disabilities and autism, as...
Innamorato nominates ex-Peduto staffer for Allegheny County manager position
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato on Wednesday nominated John Fournier — the deputy city administrator for Ann Arbor, Mich. — to serve as county manager. Fournier previously spent a decade living in Pittsburgh and worked as deputy chief of staff for former Mayor Bill Peduto. Allegheny County Council must approve...
