Western PA Local News category, Page 661
Engine trouble in Greensburg interrupts cross-country Model T tour; crew vows to return
Engine trouble sidelined a 1924 Model T on Monday night in Greensburg, two days into a planned 19-day trip from New York to San Francisco. A crew of three volunteer drivers and mechanics affiliated with Nebraska’s Museum of American Speed realized they’d have to haul the antique car by trailer...
U.S. Senate calls on Russia to release Oakmont teacher Marc Fogel
The U.S. Senate is officially calling for the release of Marc Fogel, an Oakmont teacher arrested nearly three years ago by Russian authorities for possessing medical marijuana. The Senate unanimously passed a resolution June 4 calling for Fogel’s release and declaring that the Russian government gave him a disproportionate criminal...
Delmont man convicted of attempted sexual assault
A Delmont man was convicted Wednesday of the attempted sexual assault of a woman whom investigators claimed he later threatened in a failed effort to prevent her from testifying against him. A Westmoreland County jury deliberated about an hour before it returned guilty verdicts against Brandon Pyle, 28, in connection...
Think ahead on twisters: Emergency responders advise on tornado preparedness
New Kensington fire Chief Ed Saliba remembers the sound of the wind late at night April 8, 2020, when a tornado touched down in New Kensington. He was sleeping in a reclining chair in his basement and was alerted to the oncoming danger by his family. “I had no idea...
Penn Hills mayor links hookah bar killings to love triangle
A weekend shooting at a Penn Hills hookah bar that killed two people and wounded seven others is believed to be a case of targeted violence that might have stemmed from a love triangle, its mayor told TribLive Wednesday. Police have disclosed little about their ongoing investigation. But Penn Hills...
Pittsburgh leaders unveil Downtown revitalization plan ahead of NFL Draft
Pittsburgh leaders Wednesday proposed transformations at Point State Park and Market Square as part of a revitalization plan ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. The plan, which also includes upgrades of a block of Eighth Street in the Cultural District, was released by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Allegheny...
Youngstown explosion victim remembered as driven, community oriented
No one ever accused Akil Drake of slacking off, from his days as a Penn Hills football player to his burgeoning career in banking. Drake relied on a work ethic instilled by his mother to graduate from Youngstown State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance and start climbing the...
Police defend investigation into stabbing at former Rialto in Greensburg
A Jeannette man told police he had a knife and was prepared to defend himself from a former high school friend as the two fought outside the former Rialto Cafe in downtown Greensburg. Jurors, during the third day in the attempted homicide trial of Anthony Sharp, 23, watched video of...
Pine-Richland students earn A.W. Beattie honors
A.W. Beattie Career Center named four Pine-Richland students seniors of the year in their respective programs: Mintas Ivaska, network engineering and cyber security; Alexis Nickl, advertising design; Logan Trembulak, HVAC; and Adam Zwastetzky, automotive collision technology. Adam also was awarded a $15,000 Continuing the Drive Scholarship from #1 Cochran to...
Pittsburgh Pride weekend sets attendance record
Pride weekend in Pittsburgh set a new attendance record — over 260,000 people, officials said. The parade itself saw over 103,000 of those attendees, said Jim Sheppard, co-chair of the Pittsburgh Pride Parade and co-creator of QBurgh, Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ news source. “We worked with a crowd control and security consulting...
U.S. Senate calls on Russia to release Oakmont teacher Marc Fogel
The U.S. Senate is officially calling for the release of Marc Fogel, an Oakmont teacher arrested nearly three years ago by Russian authorities for possessing medical marijuana. The Senate unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday calling for Fogel’s release and declaring that the Russian government gave him a disproportionate criminal sentence....
Student commencement speakers instill optimism in Hampton Class of ’24
Inspiration for commencement speeches can come from just about anywhere. For Hampton High School seniors who gave addresses on behalf of the Class of 2024, sources included the title of a English-Albanian singer’s latest album and a bird that decided to settle in a family garage. Shane Noone, Tiffany Habib...
Hampton High School graduates 246 students
Congratulations to the 246 graduates in Hampton High School’s Class of 2024: • A-B — Hope Allen, Paige Allen, Carter Anderson, Owen Anderson, Brady Andrews, Jason Andrews, McKenna Andrews, Alaina Appel, Gustavo Arias-González, Andrew Bagnato, Lydia Bailey, Jacob Baker, Keegan Baker, Nathan Baldwin, Braeden Ballintine, Jachelle Barnett, Kendra Bastin, Reagan...
New Kensington Council rejects liquor license for Valero gas station
New Kensington Council, citing concerns about crime, denied a liquor license transfer to a city gas station and convenience store. Council unanimously denied a license for the Valero at Seventh Street and Constitution Boulevard. It would have been transferred there from Guy’s Tavern in Avonmore. Council began a public hearing...
It’s golden: Fox Chapel senior earns highest honor in Girl Scouts
Eliza Davis got the gold. The soon-to-be Fox Chapel graduate earned the highest honor with the Girl Scouts — the Gold Award. In her project to earn the recognition she focused on harm reduction, a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use....
$47.6M New Kensington-Arnold School District budget approved with 1.5% tax increase
Property owners in the New Kensington-Arnold School District will see a 1.5% property tax increase in their school tax bill. The school board Tuesday approved the district’s $47.6 million budget for the 2024-25 school year that includes the tax hike. The district’s property tax rate will increase from 97.64 mills...
Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont to host Washington County crime novelist
As a fourth-generation resident of Washington County’s Smith Township, author Annette Dashofy has spent her whole life in Southwestern Pennsylvania. It should come as no surprise, then, that the region’s rolling hills and bucolic countryside have served as the setting for many of her books. The latest, “What Comes Around,”...
Arson suspected in 2 blazes at historic Beltzhoover school building, Pittsburgh councilman says
Two recent fires that damaged the former Beltzhoover Elementary School were likely arson, according to Pittsburgh City Councilman Bob Charland. Fires broke out Tuesday night and Saturday morning at the historic school on Cedarhurst Street in Pittsburgh’s Beltzhoover neighborhood. The building is currently vacant, but a project is underway to...
New Kensington Council declares 6 houses unsafe, orders demolitions
Four dilapidated houses in one New Kensington neighborhood are among the latest six the city is working to tear down. Three of the four houses are on Ross Avenue at 717, 1100 and 1150. The fourth is nearby at 1330 Forest Ave. All four are in the area above the...
Export officials on board with $5M-$10M Turtle Creek remediation project
Export officials voted unanimously Tuesday to grant a conservation easement to their neighbors in Murrysville, for the use of borough-owned property as part of a large-scale acid mine remediation project in the Turtle Creek watershed. Murrysville and Export are home to two of the largest mine-water sources in the Turtle...
Norwin OKs study for stadium project
The proposed Norwin Knights Stadium project to demolish home side grandstands and construct auxiliary facilities at the field took another step forward this week when the Norwin School Board awarded a contract to an engineering firm to conduct a project study. The school board awarded a $112,300 contract to Civil...
Pen, ink, pointillism featured in Monroeville library gallery
The Friends of the Monroeville Public Library are hosting a free public reception from 6 to 8 p.m. June 15 at the library titled “Dots: The pointillist art of Jack Puglisi.” Puglisi’s work is on display through June 25 in the library’s Elaine Biondi Gallery Space, 4000 Gateway Campus Blvd....
Morning Roundup: Fire breaks out at former Pittsburgh school
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, June 5: Fire breaks out at former historic Pittsburgh school The former Beltzhoover Elementary School was hit with a blaze Tuesday night, the second fire to hit the old school building in just a matter of days. TribLive...
Severe storms, tornadoes possible in Pittsburgh region
Gusty winds and heavy thunderstorms could strike the Pittsburgh region beginning Wednesday afternoon, according to forecasts. Meteorologists are even warning of the chance of isolated tornadoes. TribLive news partner WTAE has designated Wednesday as a Severe Weather Alert Day in Southwest Pennsylvania, with strong storms likely to start as early...
Westmoreland happenings: turkey dinner, art exhibit, strawberry festivals, more
Art • Greensburg Art Center will host an exhibition, “From Hands and Hearts,” by featuring the works of Debbie King and Jeanne Siecinski beginning June 8 at the center, 230 Todd School Road, Hempfield. An opening reception will be from 2 to 4 p.m. June 8. Details: 724-837-6791. Church News...
