A growing concern: Greensburg Garden Center’s May Mart
Carol Martinek is focusing on sprucing up her Cheswick backyard this year. She picked up a few flowering plants at the Greensburg Garden Center & Civic Center’s May Mart on Saturday to put toward the project. Among her purchases were candytuft, cranesbill geranium and the tiny blue flowers of forget-me-nots,...
All 5 rue21 stores in Western Pa. to close their doors after latest bankruptcy filing
Teen clothing retailer rue21, which is based in Warrendale, filed for bankruptcy last week and appears to be closing all of its stores. Employees at the Warrendale headquarters were seen Friday carrying boxes to their vehicles after being informed they were losing their jobs during a virtual meeting Thursday, TribLive...
PennDOT paving to begin Monday on 2 routes on outskirts of Greensburg
PennDOT paving work is scheduled to be underway beginning on Monday, May 6 on the outskirts of Greensburg, simultaneously restricting traffic for several days on two routes providing access to the city from the east. Depending on weather, crews from Tresco Paving Corp. are set to begin milling and resurfacing...
The Stroller, May 4, 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. Free rides available to medical appointments Wesley Family Services now offers...
Going out green: Natural burials offer a time-tested alternative to the modern funeral
Steve Ball’s grave was marked not by a granite headstone or marble mausoleum upon the burial of his cremated remains last year, but a flat rock chipped into the shape of a heart. It came from his backyard in Pleasant Hills, where he kept bees and grew tobacco in the...
Greensburg officials mum on ex-police officer’s pension after guilty plea in drug case
Retired city police Officer Regina McAtee collected at least $46,280 in pension payments before admitting her role in a methamphetamine distribution operation with the disgraced former Greensburg police chief. Now that McAtee, 51, of New Kensington pleaded guilty in federal court this week to engaging in a drug conspiracy, it’s...
Man shot in chest in Wilkinsburg in critical condition
A man was hospitalized in critical condition after being shot in the chest in Wilkinsburg, according to Allegheny County Police. Officers were notified of the shooting around 8 p.m. Friday along the 1500 block of Park Avenue. Police said first responders located a man suffering from a gunshot wound to...
Police say missing woman from Pittsburgh area was killed in Dauphin County
A missing woman now thought to be a homicide victim went to the Harrisburg area in February to live with a boyfriend, Millvale police said Friday. Tracy Scanlon, 54, who also goes by the last name Zalenski, was last seen in late February leaving a wine and liquor store in...
Judy O’Connor, wife of former Pittsburgh mayor Bob O’Connor, dies
Judy O’Connor loved to laugh. “When I’d come home to take care of her the last few months, we’d almost always listen to one of comedian Jim Gaffigan’s stand-up albums,” said her son, Rev. Terrence O’Connor of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Judy Levine O’Connor, wife of former Pittsburgh Mayor Bob...
Former Ligonier Valley police chief charged with sexual assault
The former Ligonier Valley police chief was arrested and jailed Friday afternoon on allegations that he sexually assaulted a patient at a Donegal Township addiction recovery center, according to court papers. John E. Berger, 52, of Ligonier Borough was charged by state police with aggravated indecent assault, institutional sexual assault...
Mutual Aid EMS follows Pittsburgh’s lead to provide blood at trauma scenes
Mutual Aid EMS this week added a lifesaving tool to its emergency response — blood. Dr. Bill Jenkins, the Greensburg-based ambulance service’s medical director, said it will help paramedics better care for patients who are in hemorrhagic shock from some type of trauma, such as a gunshot wound or vehicle...
Pittsburgh EMS expands pilot program for paramedics to utilize mobile blood banks
It didn’t look good for the teenage driver. Shortly after 7:15 a.m. on a rainy Thursday in May last year, the young man — who lost control of his yellow sports car when it hydroplaned on Saw Mill Run Boulevard and he slammed the vehicle into a utility pole near...
Franklin Regional goes down the rabbit-hole with ‘Alice in Wonderland’
It might not be accurate to say Riley Bain was born to portray Alice from “Alice in Wonderland,” but there’s no doubt that she’s done plenty of research for the role. “I have an obsession,” said Bain, 17, a Franklin Regional junior. “I had an ‘Alice’ party for my 16th...
New Mexico man fights extradition to Florida after license plate readers used to track him to New Stanton
The lawyer of a man arrested this week at a Pennsylvania Turnpike service plaza told a judge he will challenge efforts to extradite his client to Florida to answer charges that he shot and killed his own brother. John William Tolbert, 58, of New Mexico, is expected to remain in...
Derry Area set to update high school track, seeks funding for new roofing
Derry Area School District is spending some money this summer to help keep its student-athletes running smoothly. The school board this week awarded a contract to American Athletic Track and Turf to resurface the track at the high school stadium. The board meanwhile is hoping for state funding assistance to...
Indiana Township lands 2 new police SUVs through state grant
Indiana Township police log a lot of miles patrolling the 17-square-mile community. With the addition of three full-time officers this year, for a total of 13, Chief Steve Colucci said police are on the road a lot and “the miles add up.” One of the department’s SUVs racked up 120,000...
Runaway steel cylinder from Pitt construction site kills Western Psych employee, victim identified
A pedestrian was killed Friday in Oakland when a steel cylinder weighing thousands of pounds rolled away from a construction site at the University of Pittsburgh’s new sports performance center and traveled several hundred feet before striking her, authorities said. The metal tube, nearly as long as a pickup truck...
Deer Lakes Middle School provides gaming club to build skills, friendships
For gamers like Deer Lakes seventh grader Lucas Channel, a school club dedicated to Super Smash Bros. and Minecraft sounded like a dream come true. “I love this club,” Channel said. “It’s a bit of time after school where you get to play in a nice surrounding.” The 13-year-old is...
‘A lot more than usual’: 11 sets of twins in Norwin’s class of 2024
Norwin High School senior Julia Walko remembers the time her track coach, Brian Fleckenstein, penciled in her sister to run in a relay in a track meet. “Coach Fleckenstein entered Jenna by mistake,” said Julia Walko. It’s not that Julia was upset at being bumped by her sister, the problem...
From cassette tapes to vinyl records, physical media is trending in Pittsburgh
Cassette tapes brought Veronika Cloutier to Pittsburgh. Vinyl LPs have kept her here. Before moving to Pittsburgh from North Carolina in 2021, the former vocalist and guitarist for the band Attack Cat measured the city’s livability by connecting with a local indie label that releases cassettes. “The fact that there...
New restaurant incubator Frontier Kitchen opens in Sharpsburg
Aspiring business owners with a passion for cooking now have a professional resource in Sharpsburg. Virginia-based Frontier Kitchen is the newest business incubator assisting entrepreneurs in navigating the culinary world. “Our mission is to empower people to achieve their entrepreneurial goals and create strong, sustainable companies,” said co-owner and CEO...
Trout-raising program at Hempfield Area brings conservation to the classroom
From the moment Hempfield Area junior Hayden Simmons heard about her science class’s trout project, she knew she wanted to get involved. “He said we were getting fish, and I was like, ‘When can I start?’ ” she said. “I just wanted to help.” Each morning during homeroom, and each afternoon...
PHRESH idea: Young entrepreneurs event at Penn Hills High School all about creativity, community
The Penn Hills community is invited to spend Friday evening at the very first Penn Hills Regifting and Entrepreneurial Spirit of Hope (PHRESH). According to Dion Dupree, the district’s school and community liaison and outreach coordinator, the event will celebrate the high school’s young entrepreneurs and network a mentorship program...
Take the TribLive weekly news quiz: May 3
The following is a new feature from TribLive: A weekly news quiz: 1. The month of April had an abundance of rain. According to the National Weather Service, the Pittsburgh area finished the month with an accumulation of 7.93 inches. This total was the second highest on record. What total...
Morning Roundup: 1 injured in crash in Baldwin Borough
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, May 3: 1 injured in crash in Baldwin Borough Several live power lines and at least five telephone poles were broken or knocked down Thursday night after a vehicle hit one of the poles in Baldwin Borough. Two...
