Students return to Twin Lakes Park for annual Envirothon competition
The annual Westmoreland County Envirothon on Thursday saw 110 students from 11 Westmoreland County high schools compete at Twin Lakes Park. Winners of the event that tests knowledge of forestry, soil and land use, aquatic ecology and wildlife will represent the county in a state competition to be held next...
Proposed EcoVillage hosts informational session in McCandless
Those interested in learning more about the Rachel Carson EcoVillage at Providence Heights in McCandless can attend an onsite informational session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 4. The event will be held at the Kearns Conference Center, 9600 Babcock Blvd., at the Sisters of Divine Providence campus, according...
Pittsburgh company accused of illegally inflating tow costs, charging $300K
A Pittsburgh-based towing company owner is charged with inflating tow costs and billing more than $300,000 in fraudulent fees, officials said Thursday. Vincent G. Fannick, 56, of Vince’s Towing was charged Thursday with 27 counts each of insurance fraud, theft by deception, theft by unlawful taking and securing execution of...
McCandless Square development continues
Planning continues for McCandless Square, an approximately 23-acre mixed-use development featuring senior living, commercial and multi-family residential uses. McCandless Square has an assemblage of three developers, according to McCandless planning director RJ Susko. The site once was home to Bally’s Fitness and Trader Horn’s, the latter closing about 10 years...
Murrysville area: History talk, plant sale and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Please send events more than a week in advance if possible; the Star goes to deadline Thursday for the issue which will be mailed out the following Thursday. History, art expert at ESAL The East Suburban Artists League will welcome local history...
Norwin students to compete in PennDOT statewide contest
Two Norwin students created a winning plan to connect a community separated by a highway as part of PennDOT’s Innovations Challenge contest for students to develop creative and strategic solutions to real transportation challenges. Troy Horvath and Noah Wilson were regional winners in PennDOT District 12 that includes Westmoreland County...
Riders react to Kennywood’s Steel Curtain closure
Nathan Hough loves going with his two children to Kennywood, but, with the Steel Curtain coaster out of commission this season, he fears the lines for other rides will be even longer. “It was very disappointing to see the Steel Curtain closed for the majority of last season,” Hough said....
Norwin students win poster contest
Three Norwin seniors earned top honors in a national poster competition by the Industrial Scrap Metal and Recycling Industry. Emily Arendas, Megan Potthoff, and Heather Smarick were winners with their poster that focused on on redesigning paper plates for increased recyclability. They proposed innovative changes such as alterations to the...
North Park expansion: Hampton poised to help Allegheny Land Trust with acquisitions
To continue working toward an expansion of North Park, Allegheny Land Trust is seeking help from Hampton. “They’ve been working the past few years to acquire parcels for an uncompleted phase of the Hemlocks plan, off Big Rock Road,” municipal manager Ryan Jeroski said about land adjoining a townhouse development...
Latrobe man accused of threatening 7 students
A Latrobe man is accused by city police of threatening seven students who were waiting for a school bus outside his apartment earlier this month, according to court papers. Stanley Edward Brosnick, 51, was arrested this week on several counts each of terroristic threats, simple assault and harassment. Officers said...
High winds, storms cause only moderate damage in Western Pa.; power largely restored
Emergency responders reported minimal damage from high winds and storms that swept through the region Wednesday night, though some communities fared worse than others. Mary Queen of Apostles School in New Kensington lost a portion of its roof around 8 p.m. That forced the elementary school to switch to a...
Plum hires Ashley DeVito as middle school assistant principal
The Plum School Board hired a new assistant principal for the district’s middle school. Ashley DeVito is coming to Plum from Propel Braddock Hills High School, where she was an assistant principal. DeVito, 31, of Penn Hills will start at Plum upon release from her position there. Her salary was...
Food forest taking shape at Penn Hills charter school
The food forest at Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship is taking shape. Workers carved a path near the front of the campus and planted several trees in April. Throughout the rest of the school year and over the summer, PHCSE families and staff members will be planting the food...
412 Gives Back on ‘412 Day’: Pine-based nonprofit helps feed people in need
Since the advent of area codes, “412” has a special meaning for Pittsburgh. As such, April 12 does, too. Given the name of the Pine-based philanthropic group 412 Gives Back, planning an event for 4/12 was a natural. So on “412 Day,” 60 or so volunteers gathered to mark the...
UPMC pharmacy employee arrested in theft of $425K in hospital funds
A pharmacy employee at UPMC Presbyterian was charged Thursday in connection with the theft of more than $425,000 from the health care giant. Chante Cantave, 28, of Penn Hills is accused of using more than $410,000 of UPMC’s funds for her own benefit and submitting about $15,000 in fraudulent reimbursement...
Irwin to hold hearing on Manor Grille liquor license
The owners of Manor Grille want to transfer their liquor license from their former restaurant in Manor to their new location in downtown Irwin. Derek and Megan Gutkowski are seeking to transfer their liquor license to their new location at 200 Main St., which formerly was the site of Brandy’s...
Roundup: Lawrenceville Shop n’ Save to close in May
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, April 18. Lawrenceville Shop n’ Save set to close next month The Shop n’ Save grocery store located in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood will close mid-May, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. The store reached an agreement with its...
Man dead after crashing car into tree in Washington County
An Avella man died after crashing his car into a tree in Washington County Wednesday night. Cody Hukill, 29, lost control of his car while driving east on Avella Road (Route 50) around 7:15 p.m., said Washington County Coroner Tim Warco. The vehicle struck a tree in the 2000 block...
Washington & Jefferson freshman Grace Vensel provides personal hygiene stations at Highlands
Highlands parent Liz Myers was beside herself when she learned that the efforts of an out-of-town teen will help protect the privacy of her teenage daughter at the middle school. Washington & Jefferson freshman Grace Vensel will provide Menstruation Stations at the district’s middle and high schools through her nonprofit...
The Stroller, April 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. Recycling event to celebrate Earth Day An Earth Day celebration will...
Westmoreland County OKs $244K for demolition projects in Arnold, Jeannette, Derry, Monessen
Westmoreland County is taking bites out of blight in five communities. The county commissioners this month approved spending up to $244,000 from Westmoreland’s Act 152 Demolition Fund to raze rundown buildings on four properties in Arnold, three in Jeannette, two in Derry Township and one each in Derry Borough and...
Plum School Board advances budget, tax hike with board member absent
The Plum School District’s proposed $74.3 million budget for next school year carrying a 6.2% property tax increase is a step closer to approval. The school board voted 8-0 Tuesday to approve the district’s proposed budget for 2024-25. Board member Ronald Sakolsky was present at the start of the meeting,...
Armstrong County group plans lobbying trip to push for Allegheny River lock funding
As the Allegheny River Development Corp. prepares to head to the nation’s capital to lobby lawmakers for money to keep locks open along the river, they’re looking for as much support as they can get. The ARDC, a grassroots organization based in Armstrong County, works with the Army Corps of...
Monroeville Rotary honors 2 longtime members
Monroeville Rotary members meet every week, but their meeting on April 4 marked two exceptional milestones. Two Rotarians – Ron Lombard and John “Jack” Finnegan – were honored for 50 years of service. President John Keating noted April 4 was Lombard’s exact 50-year anniversary, as he joined on April 4,...
Small fire reported at Kennywood
A fire at Kennywood was quickly put out Wednesday evening. Allegheny County dispatchers said the call for the fire at the West Mifflin area amusement park came in around 9:20 p.m. Emergency responders began clearing the scene around 9:45 p.m. Lynsey Winters, a spokesperson for Kennywood, told news partners WTAE...
