Use it or lose it: Experts push for meaningful reading for kids during the summer break
Eight-year-old Hannah Woch has a stack of chapter books she plans to read this summer. It’s important to read over the summer, said Hannah, a student at Bon Air Elementary School in Lower Burrell. “Now that I’m reading, I understand more stuff,” she said. With the school year concluding in...
Artist who served in National Guard adds mural to Mt. Pleasant’s Veterans Wall
More than 2,700 names of those who have served in the military in various eras are etched in granite slabs on Mt. Pleasant Borough’s Veterans Wall. Soon, those who visit that patriotic landmark will have another way to reflect on the local legacy of service, by viewing a mural added...
Experts laud legal system for withstanding pressures of Trump trial
It wasn’t the guilty verdict in the trial of former President Donald Trump that made the biggest immediate impression on legal experts. Rather, they said Friday, it was that under the harshest media glare and most intense pressure, the criminal justice system functioned as it should, and the rule of...
Fort Ligonier reenactors portray historical figures from across globe
About 50 reenactors portraying 18th century military units from across the globe roamed the grounds of Fort Ligonier during Memorial Day weekend as musket and cannon fire pierced the air. Revolutionary War era reenactors intermingled with French and Prussian militia units, an Austrian officer and a Hungarian soldier, said Matt...
Hunker man receives probation for role in shooting of 2 dogs
A Hunker man convicted of involvement in covering up the shootings of two dogs and hiding their bodies was sentenced Thursday to six months of probation. Judge Scott O. Mears ordered that supervision of Jason W. Beal, 38, can be terminated once he pays all court costs and fees. Beal...
Three Rivers Arts Festival gets 2nd day of sunny skies
The Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival entered its second day under sunny skies in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District Saturday. The 10-day festival began Friday and runs through June 9. The festival features performances on multiple stages, gallery exhibitions, public art installations, activities for all ages and an Artist Market open...
Pride takes to the streets of Pittsburgh for annual parade, celebrations
The Pittsburgh Pride parade kicked off a busy day of activities and festivities in the city Saturday. The parade was scheduled to start at noon, traveling down Liberty, over the Andy Warhol Bridge and finish at Allegheny Commons Park West on the North Side at 1 p.m. Richard Parsakian, a...
‘We’re all happy he’s back’: Fans gather in Pittsburgh for Kenny Chesney concert
The sun had not been up for long Saturday before members of “No Shoes Nation” began gathering on Pittsburgh’s North Shore for Kenny Chesney’s “Sun Goes Down” tour that night at Acrisure Stadium. They came by land and by sea, from near and from far — with and without tickets...
First lady Jill Biden assures Pittsburgh Pride revelers that president stands with them
That few seconds of meeting first lady Jill Biden on Saturday, and taking a quick photograph, was the thrill and privilege of a lifetime for Carol Mullen of Regent Square. But what Biden had to say after about 20 minutes of meeting revelers at Pittsburgh Pride in Allegheny Commons Park...
St. Joseph High School’s Class of 2024 includes 26 graduates
St. Joseph High School in Harrison held its 108th graduation Friday evening. A Baccalaureate Mass and graduation ceremonies were held for the 26 graduates in the Walter Dlubak Center. The event was livestreamed....
Man fatally shot in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood
A man died Friday night in a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood, police said. The ShotSpotter gunfire detection system registered 17 gunshots just after 10 p.m. on the 600 block of Sherwood Avenue. Police found Israel Young, 18, of Pittsburgh with gunshot wounds to his chest and leg. He was...
The Stroller, June 1, 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. Local cat sanctuary seeking volunteers Zen Cat Sanctuary, a nonprofit cat...
Law changes give options for schools, but don’t expect 4-day weeks
A change in Pennsylvania’s education laws allows school districts to move away from a requirement that students attend classes for 180 days each school year. But anyone dreaming of four-day school weeks shouldn’t get their hopes up. By changing just one word in the state’s school code late last year,...
Totteridge majority owners take full acquisition of course, continue to expand housing community
Zoltan and Patrick Cendes have helped to build 100 patio homes and 30 single-family homes in the Totteridge Golf Course housing community in Salem since becoming majority owners in 2015. This month, they acquired full ownership of the more than 500-acre property while finishing development of 30 new homes, said...
10 Latrobe-area restaurants offer a week of specials
“A Delicious Week in the Neighborhood” is the theme of the latest edition of Latrobe Restaurant Week. Running Monday through Saturday, June 8, the event coincides with the town’s annual Mister Rogers Family Days celebration. Ten local eateries are offering dining specials during the week. Specials vary among the participating...
Festival time at Mammoth Park in Mt. Pleasant Township
Tasty food, music, arts and crafts and bingo and games will be featured at the family-friendly Mammoth Fest on Sunday at Mammoth Park along Route 982 in Mt. Pleasant Township. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be live music performances by The Wrangler Band,...
Fred Rogers exhibit tours to kick off Latrobe’s Family Days celebration of children’s TV host
An open house Monday at the Fred Rogers Institute in Unity Township will kick off the annual Mister Rogers Family Days celebration that continues through June 8 in neighboring Latrobe. Located on the campus of Saint Vincent College, the institute will offer free activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m....
Lack of funding might force closure of 88-year-old Eureka Community Ambulance Service
Eureka Community Ambulance Service in Tarentum is placing its own call to 911. Leaders said Thursday the 88-year-old emergency response service likely will close or significantly curtail operations by January, barring crucial and consistent funding from local, state and federal sources. “When we provide a $900 ambulance service and get...
Couple brings former Latrobe bakery back to life as farm-to-table restaurant
Hungry visitors who arrive at 335 Main St. in Latrobe are greeted by a familiar name, Mailey’s, spelled out on the tile flooring and an overhead sign. Inside they’ll find something new: a casual dining experience where there had been a bakery for many years and, more recently, a cafe....
Portion of Route 356 in Allegheny Township to close through August
A portion of Route 356 will close Thursday and is expected to remain closed through the end of August as crews replace a bridge over Pine Run, according to PennDOT. Traffic will be blocked from Melwood Road/Hyde Park Road to La Belle Vue Road in Allegheny Township. Crews have already...
Arnold wants to renegotiate with water authority for shutoffs
Arnold officials want the leverage of being able to shut off water service to residents who don’t pay their sewage bills. They just don’t want to pay quite so much for that power. Under an agreement with the Municipal Authority of the City of New Kensington, the water supplier to...
3 men arrested in 2 separate grandparent scams in Salem, North Huntingdon
Two New York City men and a Georgia man are accused of trying to scam three grandparents in the area out of $33,000 this week in two separate incidents in which the suspects claimed a family member had been arrested, authorities said. Jean Carlos Mendoza, 23, of Brooklyn, and Jason...
As fire department OT costs approach $200K, Jeannette chief asks for 4th firefighter
Jeannette council members are looking for ways to adjust staffing in the fire department as the city has paid $182,600 in overtime to its three full-time firefighters between 2021 and 2023. More overtime is being accrued in 2024 as two firefighters currently are working 36-hour shifts while the third is...
‘I can’t imagine why you would do this,’ judge tells man whose jailhouse threat cost him probation
Westmoreland County Judge Christopher Feliciani was moments away from granting leniency to a man who testified against three of his co-defendants in connection with a 2022 fatal shooting in New Kensington. But the judge abruptly halted a sentencing hearing after learning that the defendant — Raquan Carpenter, 20 — may...
Copperheads, timber rattlers and the rare Eastern massasauga among Pa.’s venomous snakes
Summer is rapidly approaching, and, for a lot of people, that means getting into the great outdoors — whether it’s spending a few days camping, hiking a favorite trail or just getting out and enjoying a wooded park. Pennsylvania’s snake population also is enjoying the nice weather, and that can...