Western PA Local News category, Page 617
Franklin Regional teacher returns from scientific expedition on Lake Erie
Franklin Regional Intermediate School science teacher Brienne May thought she understood the problem micro-plastics posed to the environment. Then she took a look through the lens of a microscope, at what appeared to be a completely empty petri dish full of water from Lake Erie. “I saw a rainbow of...
Electric vehicle owners will have to pay $200 in annual taxes starting in 2025
Twenty years ago, John Belak was watching David Letterman, listening to Tom Hanks gush about his electric-powered vehicle. “He was telling him about how he got an electric car, and he was going to save the world,” the Murrysville man said. At the time, Belak was paying about $40 a...
Plum seniors donate to Make-A-Wish to paint parking spaces
Some of Plum’s incoming seniors are reserving their parking spaces in colorful and creative ways. After paying $75 to park for the 2024-25 school year, 60 seniors paid $30 more to paint their spots, with the proceeds benefitting Make-A-Wish, said Rick Berrott, a television production teacher and co-sponsor of the...
Pharmacists nervous but optimistic as Gov. Shapiro signs pharmacy benefit manager regulation into law
Even as Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a bill regulating pharmacy benefit managers into Pennsylvania law Wednesday, some local pharmacists remained apprehensive about the future. The bill sets restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers, third-party intermediaries that work with drug manufacturers, pharmacies and insurance providers. Pharmacy benefit managers reimburse pharmacies for the...
Butler County airport authority denied Trump campaign request because of conflicting event
Donald Trump’s campaign reached out to local officials about holding a rally at Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport but had to find another venue after learning an event was already scheduled there for July 13, according to the Butler County Airport Authority’s chairman. Instead, Trump held his rally at the Butler Farm...
Traffic restrictions in place ahead of visitation for Corey Comperatore
Road restrictions have begun ahead of public visitation for Corey Comperatore, the Buffalo Township man fatally shot at a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump on Saturday. The visitation is set for 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Laube Hall in Freeport. Southern Armstrong Regional...
Plum School Board approves additional services toward $30M building project
The Plum School District will pay an engineering firm about $42,000 for services related to a looming $30 million building project. A renovation and addition is in the works for O’Block Elementary School, accounting for most of the spending, while the district’s middle school would undergo some renovations. At a...
North Huntingdon rejects lease for gas drilling on township land
North Huntingdon will not permit a driller to tap into the natural gas reserves some 8,000 feet beneath a 4.5-acre piece of property owned by the township. The North Huntingdon commissioners on Wednesday rejected, by a 5-2 vote, a proposed lease from Apex Energy LLC of Marshall for the rights...
Ollie’s on schedule for September opening at Pittsburgh Mills
Bargain hunters like Tammy Wilson will have a new place to shop come fall. An avid fan of discount stores, Wilson nearly shrieked when she heard the news that Ollie’s Bargain Outlet is scheduled to open by late September at the Village at Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer. “It will definitely...
Video reportedly shows Trump rally gunman on grounds an hour before shooting
New video sent to TribLive appears to show Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman who killed one person and injured 3 others — including former President Donald Trump — at Saturday’s rally, lurking just outside Butler Farm Show grounds about an hour before he opened fire. Authorities said Crooks, a 20-year-old...
Whitehall Public Library honors Freedom House Ambulance with summer reading program
Whitehall Public Library is dedicating its summer reading program to the remarkable and largely untold story of the Freedom House Ambulance Service, a pioneering Pittsburgh initiative that revolutionized emergency medical care. John Moon, a former Freedom House emergency medical technician and retired assistant chief of Pittsburgh Emergency Medical Service, wasn’t...
Morning Roundup: Arrest made in Downtown Pittsburgh shooting; free Carnegie Museum day
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, July 18: Arrest made in connection with Downtown Pittsburgh shooting Detectives from the Pittsburgh Police Violent Crimes Unit made an arrest in connection to a shooting that shut down Smithfield Street in Downtown Pittsburgh for a couple hours...
New Kensington community remembers Officer Brian Shaw at 6th annual fundraising event
For the sixth year, Mogie’s Irish Pub in Lower Burrell will host a benefit concert honoring fallen New Kensington Officer Brian Shaw organized by the foundation that bears his name. Shaw was a member of the New Kensington department for five months when he was shot and killed during a...
The Stroller, July 18, 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. Fireman’s Festival set Saturday in West Leechburg The West Leechburg Fireman’s...
Pittsburgh police charge 2 more people in connection with fatal Arlington Heights shooting
Two more people have been arrested in connection with a June 17 murder in Pittsburgh’s Arlington Heights neighborhood. Michael Anthony, 40, of Penn Hills and Jonathan Robinson, 43, of Pittsburgh were apprehended by city police with the assistance of Allegheny County Police and the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task...
Monroeville area: Vocalists sought, summer picnic, flea markets, more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Monroeville Chorus seeks new voices Monroeville Chorus, formed in 1953, is seeking new adult members who love to sing, spread joy and happiness. No audition is necessary, and all voice ranges are welcome. The group performs for community events and...
Library’s new digitization station will make analog memories last
Any music lover knows that media formats come and go. Back in the mid-1990s, I was excited to start a collection of cassette tapes when I received a portable cassette player for my 13th birthday. CDs were cutting edge technology then, their shiny holographic surfaces evoking gleaming spaceships and hovercars....
Gateway ‘monster’ project brings preschool creatures to life
Imagine as a child having your own creature – with names such as Red-Ranger, Cone-Jumper or Joker – come to life. After reading the interactive story “Go Away Big Green Monster” last year, Tracy Ricciardi’s preschool class at Gateway High School drew pictures and created their own monsters using templates....
Corey Comperatore, slain at Trump rally, remembered at ‘very heartwarming, powerful and intimate’ vigil
A Buffalo Township venue known for the roar of dozens of race car engines and cheers of thousands of fans was a haven for hundreds of mourners of a late fire chief who lost his life protecting his family. There were several moments of silence in memory of Corey Comperatore...
Power outage blamed for smoke in several buildings at Saint Vincent College, prompting evacuations
An electrical power outage caused several motors in Saint Vincent College buildings to start smoking, prompting an evacuation of multiple buildings Wednesday evening, fire officials said. According to Chief Brian Schultheis of the Lloydsville Volunteer Fire Department, no one was injured. Some groups of students are on the grounds for...
Trial continues for man accused of killing off-duty Oakdale officer
Deena Stipetich doesn’t remember hearing the gunshots. But she does remember seeing her husband stand over her 23-year-old son lying in the street, begging him to live. “‘Stay with me, Chuckie. Stay with me,’” he told him. She doesn’t remember hearing her son respond. But she does remember seeing bubbles...
Butler Township official describes how small-town cops tried to thwart Trump shooter
As a House committee took steps Wednesday to grill the Secret Service director about her beleaguered agency’s actions surrounding the attempt on Donald Trump’s life, a local official in Butler County described how two small-town police officers tried unsuccessfully to thwart the gunman. The details from Butler Township’s manager emerged...
Police: Man shot in Frazer, in stable condition
A man was shot Wednesday afternoon at a location off of Clarks Pike Road in Frazer, police said. The incident occurred at about 4:50 p.m. in which an unidentified man was shot in the leg. Allegheny County Police said the victim was transported to an area hospital and was listed...
Judge limits taxpayer funds for father’s death penalty defense in New Kensington slaying
A Westmoreland County judge said she will limit defense spending of taxpayer funds for the pending trial of a Brackenridge man who faces a potential death sentence in connection with the alleged killing of his 9-year-old son. Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio said Wednesday excessive costs incurred by public defenders...
Vandergrift building partially collapses, 911 dispatcher says
A Vandergrift building partially collapsed Wednesday evening, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. Vandergrift fire, police and EMS crews were dispatched around 5:10 p.m. to a building located at 125 Grant Ave., the dispatcher said. The rear of the structure had collapsed. The cause of the collapse has not...
