McCandless man charged with firing shots into neighbor’s house
A McCandless man is charged with shooting at least 10 rounds of bullets into a neighbor’s home Wednesday afternoon. McCandless police responded to the 8000 block of Ringeisen Road at about 3:30 p.m. for reports of shots heard and a woman reported a neighbor was firing bullets into her house....
The Stroller, June 20, 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 the Blue fundraiser to include music, car show The fifth...
Becks Run Road businesses concerned as water main project disrupts access
Page’s ice cream shop and Bad Azz BBQ are seasonal businesses — from spring into fall. When owners heard about the closure of Becks Run Road that connects Pittsburgh’s South Side to the Carrick/Baldwin area, they had concerns about how to let customers know they are open. “I think there...
New rate designs recommended for Springdale water customers
Springdale officials are considering two options for changing the way it bills for water service, one of which could raise rates for residential customers. The borough in May decided to undergo the rate study, saying that since the $7 million water plant was completed in 2020, officials have not done...
Divine Mercy Academy student credits love of reading for spelling prowess
Don’t try to stump Divine Mercy Academy’s Owen Brown with words like irreconcilable or independence. The sixth grader competed against twenty-five other students in grades 4 through 6 at the Pittsburgh Diocesan Spelling Bee on May 21. The spelling bee was held at St. Louise de Marillac School, 310 McMurray...
1st recipient of UPMC breast cancer vaccine is hopeful it will help others
As a young girl, Maria Kitay visited the hospital when her cousin, Clara Carbone Caputo, had breast cancer. “She put her back up against the wall, and she said, ‘It’s so painful to have this,’ ” Kitay said, tearing up at the memory. Her cousin later died of her illness, and...
Greensburg Salem tax increase is less than hike recommended by business manager
Greensburg Salem school board members voted Wednesday night to raise taxes by 2.5 mills to a total of 92.22 mills, and use around $380,000 from the district’s reserves to balance the $51.5 million 2024-2025 district budget. The 2.5 mill increase, netting the district around $588,000 in new revenue, was an...
16th Street Park in Sharpsburg may get multiple upgrades by next summer
New benches, decorative fencing and a basketball court are just some of the upgrades being planned for 16th Street Park in Sharpsburg. Borough officials announced the project at their council meeting last month. “Nothing is wrong with the park. It’s just all improvements,” borough Manager Christine DeRunk said. “These are...
Spring Art Fling in Blawnox draws crowd, artists to borough
A giant purple hand, student sketches, miniature creations and a snake made out of painted rocks were just a few of the artworks on display at this year’s Spring Art Fling. The third annual Best of Blawnox artistic celebration took place June 15. About 200 people visited the borough that...
Blessing of the Animals set for June 29 in Aspinwall
One of the Rev. Scott Hill’s favorite annual services will soon take place. The Aspinwall Presbyterian Church will conduct a blessing of animals at 10 a.m. June 29 on the Third Street side of the church grounds. The church is at 299 Center Ave. in Aspinwall. The informal service is...
Leetsdale Council president receives state recognition for community service
Leetsdale Mayor Sandra Ford knows a hard worker when she sees one. Someone who helps make the borough better through countless hours of community participation, continuing education and volunteerism. It is that spirit and drive that Ford sees in Maria Napolitano, council’s president and planning commission secretary . The elected...
Summer reading program continues at Hampton Library
Hampton Community Library’s summer reading program is in progress and ends Aug. 10. Register for in-person programs at the library and start reading to earn raffle tickets for prizes. Please note there are no children’s programs Fourth of July week. Events and programs at the library include: • Saturday story...
Former North Braddock cop indicted on drug trafficking charges
Editor’s note: This story was changed to remove references to the arrest happening in Plum. Incorrect information was provided by the state police. A former police officer was indicted on drug trafficking charges. Craig William Gibson, 47, of McKeesport, a former North Braddock police officer, is accused of trafficking drugs...
Chartiers Valley selects Joseph Dimperio as interim superintendent
A man with more than half a century of experience in public education has been tapped to lead the Chartiers Valley School District, at least in the interim. School directors in June hired Joseph Dimperio as interim superintendent, at a rate of $725 per day without benefits or pension withholding....
Jeannette flood control project set to begin after years of delays
A long-delayed project to ease flooding concerns in Jeannette is finally expected to begin in early 2025, officials said. Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County board members this week formally accepted two low-interest 40-year loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pay for the $14.3 million flooding containment project. It...
Shadyside Starbucks baristas vote to unionize
Nine baristas at the Starbucks in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood unanimously voted to unionize, the workers union said Wednesday. The store on Walnut Street in Shadyside becomes the 17th store to unionize in the Pittsburgh region. Over the past three years, a union wave has hit the coffee giant with over...
Natural gas well impact fee allocations drop, but ‘every little bit helps’
Communities accustomed to receiving large checks from Marcellus Shale wells through the state’s natural gas impact fee will get less money this year because gas prices have fallen and fewer wells are being drilled, according to the state. The state Public Utility Commission will hand out $100 million less next...
Police: Blairsville man stole PennDOT truck fuel, crashed into police cruiser during chase
A Blairsville man is accused of leading Ligonier Valley police on a chase before crashing into one of their cruisers. Travis M. Repinski, 28, of Blairsville was charged with aggravated assault, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, fleeing police, resisting arrest, reckless endangering, weapons violations and related traffic violations....
Excessive heat warning extended in Pittsburgh region
Beating the heat just got harder for Western Pennsylvanians, as the heat dome hovering over the region is now expected to stick around through Saturday evening. The Pittsburgh office of the National Weather Service announced Wednesday that the excessive heat warning is being extended at least one more day and...
Police: Man involved in Export shooting was growing marijuana in basement
A man who police say was involved in a fatal shooting Tuesday in Export is charged with drug offenses after officers found several marijuana plants in his basement. Matthew A. Miller, 32, was taken into police custody Tuesday after a shooting that resulted in the death of Daniel Chicka, 65....
Police say Harrison shooting could have been a drug deal gone bad
Allegheny County Police describe a shooting Monday in Harrison’s Sheldon Park plan as a botched drug deal. According to court documents, Albert Pittman, 15, of Harrison approached a 33-year-old man at the housing complex and “asked for bud,” meaning marijuana. As the pair walked around one of the apartment units,...
Johnstown woman gets life sentence in Indiana County kidnapping, murder
A Johnstown woman has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2022 murder of a man in Indiana County. Taylyn Edwards, 20, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Hayden Robert Garreffa, 19, of Ebensburg. As part of the mandatory life...
Private rape kits at center of dueling lawsuits in Pennsylvania
A Pittsburgh company and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office filed dueling lawsuits this week over the marketing and sale of an at-home rape kit for survivors of sexual assault. Leda Health Corp., based in Lawrenceville, and its co-founder and CEO Madison Campbell, filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday alleging...
Driver may have fallen asleep in fatal Buffalo Township crash
Police continue to investigate after one person was killed after being struck by a vehicle Wednesday morning along Ekastown Road in Buffalo Township. Butler County 911 said the crash involving a vehicle and pedestrian was reported shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday. The Butler County Coroner’s Office pronounced the victim dead...
Podcast: Penn State and the higher education divide
Is there an impending higher educational divide? Penn State announced the restructuring plan for its branch campuses this week. Two local branches, Fayette and New Kensington, will be consolidated under the Allegheny branch. This also comes with a 10% decrease in staff and faculty for all bridge campuses. Simultaneously, Penn...
