Bethel Park School District budget calls for tax increase
Bethel Park School Board is scheduled to vote June 25 on a final general fund operating budget that calls for a 1.5222-mill real estate tax increase. The $110.4 million spending plan includes a recent adjustment to add $2 million award to the district for the purchase of 10 electric buses...
East Deer commissioners oppose idea for bike lanes along busy Freeport Road
East Deer commissioners put the brakes on a plan to install bike lanes along Freeport Road as part of the township’s leg of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. Chairman Tony Taliani said he opposes the idea because of the effect on already-tight parking on the west side of the road....
Shaler Area School District to raise real estate taxes 6.6% with its 2024-25 budget
Shaler Area School District property owners should prepare to pay 6.6% more in real estate taxes. School board members were poised to adopt their near $98.76 million 2024-25 budget at the June 19 meeting. That schedule was after presstime for this issue. The proposed final budget was posted in the...
Westmoreland happenings: Mine disaster program, blessing of animals service, more
Church news • First Presbyterian Church of Belle Vernon, 501 Fayette St., Rostraver, will have a Blessing of the Animals service at 10 a.m. June 22 at the church. Donations will be accepted for Mon Valley Paws. Details: 724-929-7616. Fundraiser • West Newton Public Library, 124 N. Water St., is...
Philips Respironics moves could net more workers in Westmoreland County
Dutch health technology giant Philips Respironics’ planned phase-out of manufacturing operations in Westmoreland County may result in 300 job cuts at its Murrysville and Upper Burrell locations. The news was disappointing to local officials, but they are confident local economies can rebound. The company will be missed, Upper Burrell Supervisor...
Penn Hills School District administrator to become assistant superintendent at Shaler Area
A North Hills High School graduate who was voted most likely to teach in the district will start next school year as one of the top administrators in a neighboring community. Brian Brown, 42, will become Shaler Area School District’s new assistant superintendent in August. He grew up in the...
Take it inside: Here are some indoor options to escape the heat
As heat advisories dominate Western Pennsylvania, the thought of doing anything outside might be overwhelming. That doesn’t mean you have to hide away in your home this week. Here is a list of eight indoor activities to do without breaking a sweat. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens The conservatory is...
Thousands in Southwestern Pa. could be in dark through the weekend, utility companies say
More than 9,000 area utility customers remained without power Wednesday morning, as crews continued to repair damage from storms that swept through the region Monday evening. Duquesne Light estimated that all its affected customers could have power restored by 1 p.m. on Sunday, with many expected to be restored sooner....
Morning Roundup: 1 hospitalized after Wilkinsburg shooting; heat moves weekend Stage AE concerts indoors
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Wilkinsburg shooting sends 1 to hospital A man was taken to an area hospital Tuesday evening in critical condition following a shooting in Wilkinsburg. Officials didn’t release the name of the 34-year-old man, who was...
Central Catholic teacher electrocuted while cycling in North Park
A longtime Central Catholic High School teacher was identified as the bicyclist killed Tuesday after coming into contact with downed live power lines on a North Park trail. Robert “Bob” Anderson, 63, of Mars taught physical education and health classes at the private Catholic high school for nearly 20 years,...
Oakmont Bakery parking lot plan aims to ease traffic near busy sweet shop
Oakmont officials are considering vacating land along Cedar Way to make room for Oakmont Bakery to build a new parking lot. According to bakery owner Marc Serrao, the idea for the lot came as a solution for the consistent traffic on Third Street. “We are trying to keep people from...
The Stroller, June 19, 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. Volunteers, household donations welcome for Hospitality Homes The Hospitality Homes division...
Plum police ask for help identifying man at scene of burglary
Plum police are asking for the public’s help to identify a man seen at the scene of the burglary of a house of worship in May. The burglary at the Imamia Organization of Pittsburgh on Pierson Run Road happened May 21 and was reported to police May 23, police Chief...
Rotary Club honors outstanding Fox Chapel Area graduates
Ten graduating seniors from Fox Chapel Area were honored by the Rotary Club for their leadership, academics and selfless attitude. “We are most impressed each year by the caliber of students chosen,” said Bob Trimble, the club’s president. “These are smart, likeable kids who will make a terrific contribution to...
Illuminated crosswalk signs installed along Freeport Road in Blawnox’s business district
Motorists driving through Blawnox have some new lights to look out for. The borough recently installed solar-powered illuminated crosswalk signs at four intersections along Freeport Road. They are located at North, Cable and McKinley avenues as well as Humbolt Street. Police Chief Patrick Goodman said those locations were approved by...
15-year-old arrested in Harrison shooting
Allegheny County Police charged a 15-year-old boy as an adult in connection with a shooting Monday in the Sheldon Park housing complex in Harrison. Albert Pittman of Harrison’s Natrona Heights section is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, tampering with physical evidence, firearms not to be carried without a license...
Unity man to serve prison sentence for check scheme to pay for stepdaughter’s wedding
A Unity man was ordered to serve nearly seven years in prison for bilking vendors at his stepdaughter’s wedding and related weapons offenses. Joseph A. Malago, 52, was convicted in December by a Westmoreland County jury of 18 criminal counts in four separate cases. Prosecutors alleged he wrote a series...
How do you beat the heat? Ice cream, splashing and a trip to the library
Kasey Waugaman of Greensburg knows what can happen when a sustained heat wave hits the region. Waugaman was working with an NBC television crew at the 1994 U.S. Open in Oakmont when similarly high temperatures caused spectators and staff to succumb to the heat. “Luckily we were able to get...
Salem woman to serve jail sentence for drunk driving crash that injured bicyclist
Nearly three years after Edward Chatterton was hit by a drunk driver as he bicycled in Export he continues to have physical, emotional and financial struggles. Chatterton testified Tuesday during a sentencing hearing for the woman who prosecutors said was responsible for the crash. “I used to live an active...
Marc Fogel’s family sues U.S. government over failure to declare him ‘wrongfully detained’
The mother of an Oakmont teacher held in Russian prisons for nearly three years filed a federal lawsuit in Pittsburgh on Tuesday against the U.S. Department of State over its failure to declare Marc Fogel as wrongfully detained. Malphine Fogel, 95, of Butler alleges in the complaint that the U.S....
Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ coming to Geyer Performing Arts Center
It’s not every day that actor Brandon Kerr gets excited to be a monster. But when the opportunity arose to play the role of the Beast in the Geyer Performing Arts Center’s upcoming performance of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” he jumped at the chance. “I’ve just always felt like...
‘Don’t sell yourself short’: North Hills commencement speakers offer positivity, encouragement
With high school in the rear-view mirror, this year’s graduates embark on paths that they hope will lead to prosperity, accomplishment and happiness. In preparing her farewell address for the North Hills Class of 2024, Avery Gallagher provided some perspective in that regard. “I thought a lot about what I...
5 ways to celebrate Juneteenth across Western Pa.
Juneteenth is here, and there are many ways to celebrate. Numerous celebrations have occurred leading up to and will continue today, June 19. However, on Wednesday, most are in observance of the national holiday. Juneteenth is a holiday of celebration, liberation and education. It marks the end of bondage for...
Fatal Export shooting stemmed from parking dispute
A fatal shooting in Export Tuesday stemmed from a monthslong parking dispute, police said. Killed was Daniel Chicka, 65, police said. The other man, Matt Miller, 32, wasn’t injured and is in state police custody, said Trooper Steve Limani. He said the shooting took place about 2 p.m. in the...
UPMC moving forward with clinical trials for early stage breast cancer vaccine
A group of Pittsburgh researchers hopes an experimental vaccine now being tested will stop some forms of early-stage breast cancer in their tracks. Through an upcoming clinical trial, approximately 50 women will receive the new vaccine developed by UPMC and University of Pittsburgh researchers. UPMC plans to introduce the first...
