Faces of the Valley: Teacher provides special experiences for New Ken-Arnold kindergarten students
Julie Erb remembers one of her kindergarten students years ago telling her all they wanted for Christmas was a blanket. “A lot of kids, we don’t know them. Kids in the past have told me there’s no Christmas tree at home,” said Erb, a kindergarten teacher at Martin Elementary School...
The Stroller, Dec. 24, 2025: 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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Merry Christmas “No one...
Toys for Tots campaign: More Western Pennsylvania children in need
Demand for Toys for Tots assistance climbed in the Alle-Kiski Valley this holiday season and held steady in Westmoreland County, reflecting continued financial strain on families. In the Alle-Kiski Valley, coordinators reported about 700 more children in need of holiday gifts this year, a significant jump from last year, when...
Ligonier Valley School District silent on how graduate entered high school, harassed student
A Ligonier Valley graduate pleaded guilty Monday to harassing a student inside the high school, but district officials are refusing to say how the graduate bypassed security to enter the building — or to commit to changing safety measures. Xavior P. Reynolds, 18, of St. Clair Township entered Ligonier Valley...
Officers bring gifts, holiday cheer during 14th annual Presents From PoliceVideo
When Aspinwall police Deputy Chief Michael Vith enters a room, it isn’t typically accompanied by whooping and applause. Then again, he’s not typically carrying a sack full of presents with Santa and Mrs. Claus trailing close behind. “It’s a little different from when we walked into the hospital, huh? Everyone’s...
Plum’s Make-A-Wish telethon cracks $1.25 million all-time total in 25th edition
When Rick Berrott started Plum’s Make-A-Wish telethon in 1999, the event lasted a few hours and was filmed on VHS tapes. But in its 25th edition on Monday and Tuesday, students stayed on the digital airwaves for more than 12 hours to crack an all-time total of $1.25 million. Berrott,...
Federal agency recommends 2 safety recommendations in Clairton Coke Works plant
An independent, nonregulatory federal agency investigating a deadly explosion at the U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works plant this fall issued two interim safety recommendations Tuesday. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board recommends U.S. Steel thoroughly evaluates all buildings at the Clairton facility that are currently occupied or could...
Court papers shed light on ICE arrest of Latino man in Mt. Washington
A man who struggled with federal immigration officers last week in Mt. Washington before being whisked away in a white van is a Nicaraguan national targeted after he tried to buy a gun, according to papers filed Tuesday in federal court. Darwin Alexander Davila-Perez, whose age is not listed in...
Pa.’s top election official battles DOJ demand for voter data
Pennsylvania’s top election official wants a judge to toss out a lawsuit by the federal government demanding “highly sensitive personal information” about the state’s voters. The U.S. Department of Justice sued Pennsylvania in September after the state initially failed to turn over data about its nearly 9 million registered voters....
In brief: Happenings across the North Allegheny Journal area
Garden club to explore microgreens Longvue Acres Garden Club’s January program, Let’s Explore Microgreens!, will be held at 7:45 p.m. Jan. 27 at Northmont United Presbyterian Church, 8169 Perry Highway, McCandless. Local gardener and Ingomar Garden Club member Linda Womsley will explain microgreen basics, including what they are, why we...
Body of missing Avonmore man found after multiday search, EMS official explains the difficult recovery process
Authorities confirmed Tuesday that the body of 31-year-old Cory Dominic Cook has been recovered, ending a multiday search along the Allegheny River near Manor Township in Armstrong County. Cook’s body was pulled from the Allegheny River around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to a press release by Armstrong County Coroner Brian...
Burrell’s Kids for Kids market grows, engages older students in 6th year
Madison McMann and Lyla Twidwell had their business strategy down to a science Tuesday morning at Charles A. Huston Middle School in Lower Burrell. Lyla, 10, had a display of earrings she molded and created together with her aunt, Laura Twidwell. Madison, 10, was selling art pieces she had made....
Gainey to let 2026 Pittsburgh budget become law without his signature
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey plans to let next year’s $693 million, City Council-backed budget — and the 20% property tax hike set to come with it — become law without his signature. Gainey, in a letter Tuesday to council President R. Daniel Lavelle, called the 2026 budget he initially pitched...
Gilpin passes budget with no tax increase
The Gilpin supervisors have passed a 2026 budget with no tax increase. The budget includes a little over $971,000 in revenue and just over $1.06 million in expenditures. Sharon Long, the township secretary/treasurer, said the township will be using money left over from this year to close the gap. Larger...
PitCare Meals on Wheels delivers comfort, conversation, a few surprises ahead of holidays
Dec. 18 was a special day for PitCare Meals on Wheels recipients. In addition to the standard hot meal and bagged lunch, everyone received a cozy blanket, courtesy of St. Regis Parish in Trafford, and a “blizzard bag,” which was donated by the Monroeville Rotary. As the name suggests, the...
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Dream on
If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas in Western Pennsylvania this year … keep dreaming. No snow is in the forecast for Thursday, according to Andrew Kienzle, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Moon. Highs in Western Pennsylvania are expected to be in the upper 40s — which will...
Stove sparks house fire in Harrison
Crews battled a house fire Tuesday at 54 Chestnut St. in the Natrona section of Harrison. The call came in at around 11:30 a.m. Bob Bolt of Garfield Street said his sister, Shari Bair, was inside the house cleaning her oven when it caught fire. “She came to my house...
Penn Hills man accused of fighting Plum police after being revived from drug overdose
A man repeatedly attempted to fight Plum police officers after being revived from an apparent drug overdosed Monday, police say. Frank Russo, 39, of Penn Hills is charged with three counts of felony aggravated assault, obstructing administration of the law and resisting arrest, among other misdemeanors. Officers were dispatched to...
Northland Public Library’s $4 million renovation complete; open house set sometime in January
Just in time for the new year, the much-anticipated “New Northland” has opened its updated and expanded space, according to an announcement from the library Dec. 19. Northland Public Library’s two-story building extension, new accessible lower-level entrance, expanded and dedicated teen space, coffee shop and more were set to open...
Recycle your Christmas trees here in Allegheny County
The Allegheny County Parks Department will again offer its Christmas Tree Recycling Program this holiday season. Residents can drop off natural Christmas trees from Friday through Jan. 18, at any of the county’s nine parks. Drop-off is available daily from 8 a.m. until dusk. All lights, decorations, tinsel and stands...
First competition year for Deer Lakes esports team ends with state title
Dominic Huggins wasn’t sure what to expect when his mom signed him up for the Deer Lakes Middle School esports team. An eighth grader, he certainly never expected to be a part of a state championship-winning team. “I didn’t know I could compete,” said Huggins, 14. “I got into it...
South Central Armstrong Regional Comprehensive Plan takes steps toward completion
Gilpin, Leechburg, Parks Township and Bethel Township are one step closer to completing a South Central Armstrong Regional Comprehensive Plan. A little over a year ago, a pre-planning committee was formed that includes Charles Stull, a Gilpin supervisor; Chuck Pascal, a Leechburg councilman; Mary Beth Girardi, of the Leechburg Planning...
Cranberry approves next step for Meijer superstore development
Cranberry supervisors have moved forward with plans for Henderson Crossing, a mixed-use development anchored by a Meijer grocery store and a Meijer Express gas station. A proposed development would give Meijer a 159,000-square-foot supercenter in the township, officials previously told TribLive. After a public hearing, supervisors on Dec. 11 granted...
Hempfield looks to address concerns about speeding motorists on Westland Drive
Hempfield will work with a Pittsburgh engineering firm to determine if improvements to Westland Drive can remedy residents’ concerns about speeding in the neighborhood. Supervisors on Monday approved an agreement for $51,080 with Wooster and Associates to study the road that spans the Wendover and West Point neighborhoods. Township public...
North Allegheny fourth grader’s holiday vision wins Downtown hotel’s annual card contest
A vision of snowy woods and candy canes came to mind for a North Allegheny student, whose design won Omni William Penn Hotel’s annual holiday card contest this year. Charlotte Neumann, a fourth grader at Bradford Woods Elementary School, was one of the 56 students from the school who submitted...
