Updated greenhouses will be dream come true for Derry Area agriculture teacher
After a decade leading Derry Area High School’s agriculture/horticulture program, Carly Rippole’s looking forward to summer. The school’s two greenhouses are slated to get an update that includes new panels and technology that will allow Rippole and her students to monitor and control the greenhouse environment remotely. “I’m excited to...
Assault, harassment charges against suspended Pa. trooper held for court
Simple assault and harassment charges against a suspended state trooper were held for court Tuesday. Senior District Judge Charles R. Conway made the decision at the end of a preliminary hearing during which the accuser testified Nicholas E. Hood, 31, of Derry Township assaulted her during an argument Aug. 26...
Southern Armstrong Regional police add e-bikes for trail patrols, events
New trails in the Alle-Kiski Valley mean new areas for police to patrol. The Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department added two electric bikes to its vehicle fleet in mid-April, weeks after the opening of a 10-mile trail section that runs through Ford City and Gilpin. The department purchased them from...
Birds of prey: Audubon Society presentation highlights Earth Day event in Bradford Woods
Be careful with those apple cores. “If I just throw it out my window, sure, it’s going to degrade. It’s going to decompose,” wildlife habitat educator Nick Stahlman said. “But what’s most likely to happen before that happens is some sort of animal is going to come investigate it and...
Pa. auditor general visits Westmoreland County Community College to tout new hiring practicesVideo
Pennsylvania Auditor General Timothy DeFoor knows the value of a community college education. It’s where he got his start on the road to becoming a state official. “We’re here to support you,” DeFoor told a group of Westmoreland County Community College students and staff Tuesday morning at the college’s Youngwood...
Encampment is gone from Schenley Plaza in Oakland
Protest signs and tents that had punctuated Schenley Plaza were gone by Tuesday, as pro-Palestinian demonstrators ended a weeklong encampment there and briefly on the University of Pittsburgh campus. Since last Tuesday, Pitt students and others had occupied the city-owned Plaza located in the shadow of the Cathedral of Learning,...
Upper Burrell teen developing Holocaust education patch for Girl Scouts
Lily Sassani learned about the Holocaust through her studies in the Burrell School District. But the 17-year-old Girl Scout from Upper Burrell never knew about the role of Girl Guides in World War II until her mother, Rachel, gave her a book on the topic. Now, she is expanding on...
2 arrested in drug buy from confidential informant in North Huntingdon
Two men were arrested Monday in connection with a drug bust in North Huntingdon. An undercover police officer set up a drug buy with Larnell D. Jones III, 30, of Rankin, for $3,300 worth of heroin/fentanyl and crack cocaine, according to court papers. Jones met up with the officer and...
Leechburg Area welcomes new middle and high school principal, a district graduate
Students in the Leechburg Area middle and high schools might be meeting their new principal for the first time, but, for Tyler Vargo, he’s coming home. The Leechburg Area alum not only graduated from the high school but taught social studies there for nine years before heading to Knoch School...
Missing dog may have motivated man to shoot at car in Hecla, police say
A man escaped injury Sunday after state police said his vehicle was shot at five times on Hecla Road. Troopers arrested William K. Dodrill, 44, of Mt. Pleasant Township, on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and related offenses in connection with the shooting. Police reported in court papers that...
Morning Roundup: Police say Homewood man robbed same Family Dollar store 3 times
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, April 30. Police say Homewood man robbed same Family Dollar store 3 times Pittsburgh police said they jailed a Homewood man who they say robbed a Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar dollar store three times in eight days, making his get-away each...
3 A-K Valley communities seek joint trash-hauling contract
Refuse-hauling contractors got an extra week to submit proposals for a joint contract covering Cheswick, Springdale and Springdale Township. Contractors have until 3 p.m. Thursday to submit bids, according to Springdale Township Solicitor Craig Alexander. Bids will be opened Monday. The communities have contracts that expire at the end of...
Johnstown man killed in motorcycle crash in Derry Township
A 39-year-old man was killed in a motorcycle crash in Derry Township, Westmoreland County, on Monday afternoon, the county coroner announced. Shawn Michael Pynos of Johnstown was driving alone on his Yamaha motorcycle west on Route 30 when he left the road and was ejected from his vehicle, Coroner Tim...
New location for 9th annual Spin Your Wheels fundraiser nets more participants, opportunities
Fox Chapel resident Gina Johnson knew when she walked through the doors of the Lauri Ann West Community Center the last Saturday in April that it was going to be for more than a routine workout. The fitness enthusiast took part in a circuit class and wellness activities that day...
Pittsburgh teen killed in Troy Hill shooting
A Pittsburgh teen was killed late Monday in a shooting in Troy Hill, authorities said Tuesday morning. David Rivera, 18, was shot by an assailant at about 11:30 p.m. in the neighborhood on Pittsburgh’s North Side, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. He died at the scene near 10...
The Stroller, April 30, 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. Vendor spaces available for Flea-tique season The Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society’s...
Diocese of Greensburg bishop outlines 3-year plan aimed at supporting children, young families
When parishioners said they wanted increased support for children and young families in the Diocese of Greensburg, Bishop Larry Kulick took notice. Kulick, who was ordained as bishop in 2021, shared his three-year vision for the diocese recently in a pastoral letter. The plan was formed through 18 listening sessions...
4 suspects in burglary at Mercer County gun shop nabbed by police on Mt. Washington
Three of five people suspected of being involved in a pre-dawn burglary at a gun shop in Mercer County were arrested Monday night in Pittsburgh, police said. The juveniles, whose names were not released, were spotted and stopped by Pittsburgh police at West Warrington Avenue and Saw Mill Run Boulevard...
Ligonier area museums to offer free admission for living history, art, cricket, kids’ activities
French foes never succeeded in capturing Fort Ligonier from the British during the mid-18th century armed conflict between the two nations. But reenactors portraying French Marines will have the run of the recreated version of the fort Saturday and Sunday in Ligonier Borough. They’ll show visitors how troops would have...
2 children critically hurt after fall from 3rd story window in White Oak
Two children were critically injured after they fell from a third story window within moments of each other Monday afternoon in White Oak, authorities said. A six-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl fell out of the window of a house in the 1700 block of Ohio Avenue at about 3:15...
Aldi adds to Allegheny Township’s business growth
Shoppers in Allegheny Township soon will have another option for groceries. Aldi has committed to opening a store later this year in Hyde Park Plaza, along with three other locations in Western Pennsylvania. Hyde Park Plaza owner Jeff Paul expects the opening to take place the last three months of...
Youngwood man pleads guilty to drug sales in 2 fatal overdoses
A Youngwood man pleaded guilty Monday to selling drugs to two people who died of overdoses in 2020. Frank Bogley, 71, was charged following the Feb. 1, 2020, death of 39-year-old Tina Johnson in West Newton and again after the Oct. 24, 2020, death of John W. Wiltrout Jr., 58,...
Vandergrift woman to serve probation for theft from roommate
A Vandergrift woman was ordered to serve five years on probation for her role in the theft of more than $30,000 from a roommate over a two-year period that ended in April 2022. Rebecca Lynn Hubert, 56, pleaded guilty to charges of theft and receiving stolen property as part of...
Latrobe musician will open for his guitar hero at Jergel’s
Brendan Callahan was 12 years old when he sat down as his father and a friend were reminiscing and watching old 1980s rock music videos. “He locked onto ‘Fantasy’ by Aldo Nova, where he uses his guitar at the beginning to shoot a laser and open the door to his...
Judge moves Pittsburgh teen’s homicide trial to juvenile court, angering victim’s family
A boy who was 14 when police said he fatally shot a 17-year-old will have his criminal charges handled in juvenile court, a judge announced Monday. As a result, if Nigel Thompson is found to have killed Damonte Hardrick, he could remain in custody only up to age 21. Hardrick’s...
