Take the TribLive weekly news quiz: April 12
Here’s a new feature from TribLive: A weekly news quiz: 1. This week, an estimated 33 million people in North America came together to experience the solar eclipse. To view the celestial event, gazers needed essential accessories: eclipse glasses. On Oct. 2, an annular eclipse is expected to occur and...
Plum graduate makes 2nd donation of cleats to varsity baseball team
Plum’s varsity baseball team is on firm footing thanks to the continued generosity of a former player. When Nick Frazetta first donated cleats to the team last year, it was something the 2017 Plum graduate said he would be doing every year. He made good on that promise March 30,...
Chartiers Valley Primary students put science skills to test at annual Olympiad
Chartiers Valley first grader Ivy Woods carefully lined up her small, wooden catapult and placed a gummy bear in its bucket. And with a quick fling of the catapult, the gummy bear launched in the target’s bull’s-eye. The gummy bear launch was one of 14 stations at Chartiers Valley Primary...
Plan for new homes in Hampton receives mixed reaction
A proposal for a residential development featuring mostly duplexes received mixed reactions from two Hampton advisory boards. The planning commission recommended April 8 that township council vote to grant preliminary approval with the meeting of conditions that include removing and replacing a section of private storm sewer that would serve...
Biden to visit Pittsburgh area next week
President Joe Biden is returning to Southwestern Pennsylvania next week, his first visit to the Pittsburgh region since 2022. Biden will visit Wednesday, according to the White House. No specific location or agenda was announced, but the White House said more details will follow. His Pittsburgh-area visit is part of...
Penn Hills entrepreneur seizes opportunity to launch subscription trash-to-curb service
If all goes well, one person’s trash will be Mike Prosky’s livelihood. In March, he started Curbside Appeal LLC, a service for those without the time, energy or ability to take their cans to and from the curb. So far, he’s only landed three customers and hired one employee, but...
‘The water was already so high’: New round of flooding hits Western Pa.
Mary Williams has dealt with a flood or two. With the backyard of her South Buffalo home next to Buffalo Creek, she and her husband have gotten pretty good at judging whether or not their property will be flooded. Still, Williams was surprised at how quickly the water rose Thursday...
Westmoreland Redevelopment Authority considers infrastructure for vacant Derry site
More than halfway into a six-month contingent agreement to sell a former Derry Borough industrial site, the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority may install internal roads and utilities to help lay the groundwork for attracting new occupants. “If we were able to sell the property and the developer was going to...
Chartiers Valley increases substitute rates in effort to draw more interest
In the hope of filling more positions, Chartiers Valley School District increased its pay rates for substitutes. School directors set the increased rates during their March 26 meeting. “The pay is going to help,” said Pat Connolly, Chartiers Valley’s director of finance and operation. “Every school district in Allegheny County...
The Stroller, April 12, 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. Electronic waste collection set in at Cook Medical Cook Medical will...
Seton Hill ships puppets to Florida middle school drama program left without props one week before showtime
When Seton Hill University professor Lisa Leibering’s theater design students created puppets for a local middle school production of “Finding Nemo Jr.,” they never expected their work would travel more than 1,000 miles away from Greensburg. But, when a middle school drama program director from Broward County, Fla., called about...
Irwin gets police body cameras, OKs prosecutorial review of footage
Irwin has joined six other municipalities in the county that have an agreement to let prosecutors review police body camera recordings before publicly releasing the footage. Irwin council this week unanimously approved the memorandum of understanding from Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli. Prosecutors who will review the footage are...
Much of Western Pa. remains under flood warning
Much of the region is under a flood warning, with the latest set to expire at 12:30 p.m. Friday, as the National Weather Service warned flooding caused by Thursday night’s heavy rain. Early Friday morning, the weather service issued a flood warning for Allegheny, southern Armstrong, Beaver, southern Butler, Fayette,...
Westmoreland County OKs $1M increase to contract for rebuilt courthouse garage
The Westmoreland County Commissioners on Thursday agreed to pay a $1 million increase, making the new price $8 million, for the recent demolition and reconstruction of the county courthouse plaza and the parking garage underneath it. The increase resulted from several unanticipated work items and costs that exceeded the original...
Higher-ed experts discuss impact of banning books at Greensburg panel
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg professor Liz Jones can still remember the first time she picked up a copy of Elie Wiesel’s memoir “Night,” at 12 years old. The book’s frank descriptions of the horrors of the Holocaust would stick with her for life. “It blew me away. I was...
Jeannette police officers, neighbor honored for rescues made at fatal house fire
Miranda John wiped away tears as the six men who rescued her and two of her children from their burning home in Jeannette were honored Thursday night. “I am grateful for them because, honestly, if it wasn’t for them, I probably wouldn’t be here,” she said afterward. “Yes, they couldn’t...
Bricks fall from Uniontown building, triggering street closure, detour
A section of Morgantown Street in Uniontown was closed to traffic on Thursday, April 11 after bricks fell from a vacant building. No injuries were reported when the bricks fell shortly before 1:45 p.m. at Nos. 12 and 14 Morgantown St., according to a Fayette County 911 supervisor. The bricks...
URA taps last of $9M federal fund to boost Downtown Pittsburgh affordable housing
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority board on Thursday approved millions of dollars to help developers convert empty Downtown buildings into affordable housing. The move came amid persistent concerns about how Downtown has rebounded since the covid-19 pandemic and widespread shifts to remote work that left many offices empty. By authorizing $4.8...
New Vandergrift ATI line secures jobs, future for company
The son of a steelworker, Vandergrift Mayor Lenny Collini grew up in a house overlooking ATI’s Vandergrift plant. Back then, it was owned by U.S. Steel and was a major employer for the borough and surrounding area. Now, it continues to be a big piece of the borough’s economy and...
Students’ signature moves, styles highlight prom for life skills students from Valley, Burrell, Mt. Pleasant, Kiski Area
Valley High School junior Antoine Wilkerson doesn’t consider himself to be a big dancer. But as DJ Matt Roberts played more and more songs Thursday morning at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 92 in Lower Burrell, Wilkerson’s friends eventually got him onto the dance floor. Wilkerson and about 50...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: April 12-14
Indoor or outdoor, artsy or active — there are plenty of activities to pick from this weekend in Westmoreland County. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes On Saturday, Blackburn Center hosts its annual event Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. For the past 13 years, the walk has gathered community...
Penn State Extension hosts Garden and Landscape Symposium in Hampton
This April, not just showers will bring May flowers. The annual Garden and Landscape Symposium and Marketplace, from Penn State Extension, will be held April 27 at the Hampton Community Center. The event will feature lectures from a pair of renowned landscaping experts, along with a plant and garden marketplace....
2-month road closure coming to East Deer near New Kensington Bridge
Another round of road closures is scheduled to begin Monday in East Deer near the New Kensington Bridge. The northbound lane of Freeport Road will be shut down at 9 a.m. so crews can continue painting and replacing fences. The road is expected to be closed through late June. The...
Norwin area: Irwin Clean Up Day; mulch sale; pirohi sale and more
Irwin Community Clean Up Day slated Irwin Borough will hold its free Community Clean Up Day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 20 at Irwin Park parking lot off Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Waste Management will provide the dumpsters and Westmoreland Cleanways will handle the disposal of electronics,...
Monroeville area: Long rifle presentation, Pitcairn Night Market, blood drives, more
Email news briefs to pvarine@triblive.com or bpoole@triblive.com. Speaker will discuss Pa. long rifle’s history The Monroeville Public Library and Historical Society will co-host a presentation on the Pennsylvania long rifle from 7 to 8:30 p.m. April 22 at the Elaine Biondi Gallery Space. Presenter Doug Plance will discuss the importance...
