Western PA Local News category, Page 68
The Stroller, Feb. 2, 2026: 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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Lower Burrell Citizen Police...
Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow — predicting no early springVideo
PUNXSUTAWNEY — Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of wintry weather Monday, a forecast sure to disappoint many after what’s already been a long, cold season across large parts of the United States. His annual prediction and announcement that he had seen his shadow was translated by his handlers in...
In brief: Block party, soup swap, meetings, art show and more in Sewickley area
Community invited to join in soup swap Feb. 9 Sewickley Public Library will host a soup swap from 7 to 8 p.m. Feb. 9 at 500 Thorn St. Bring a crockpot or large container full of your favorite homemade soup then swap with fellow participants. Bowls and spoons, breads and...
Blawnox launches ‘soft dig’ to test water lines throughout borough
Blawnox officials are taking steps to ensure that borough infrastructure is built to last. A “soft dig” project will kick off this spring to test water line composition throughout the borough. “The project will allow the borough to dig down to certain water lines and identify exactly what material the...
In brief: Happenings from throughout the Fox Chapel area
To have your news or event listed in our briefs section, email editor Marje Horvath at mhorvath@triblive.com. O’Hara collecting valentines for seniors O’Hara Township and its Human Services Department is hosting a Valentine’s Day card collection through Feb. 12. Cards are available in the lobby of the municipal building, 325...
Opponents of Homer City power plant and data center air concerns at community gathering
At a community meeting Sunday about the natural gas-powered data center project near Homer City, activists and residents expressed concerns ranging from environmental to economic and health impacts. The afternoon event was organized by Concerned Residents of Western PA, a group formed to oppose the planned 4.5-gigawatt power plant and...
‘A little scary’ and a lot dangerous: People reminded to stay off frozen rivers
It is highly dangerous and widely discouraged to walk on frozen rivers. But that hasn’t stopped some people from doing it anyway. Videos and news footage from this weekend have shown people walking and sliding across the frozen Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers, near Point State Park and the North...
Inmate who died at Allegheny County Jail identified as Hampton man
A 55-year-old man died Sunday morning at the Allegheny County Jail, Warden Trevor Wingard announced. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the man as Mark Schwartz, of Hampton. Schwartz was booked into the jail on Aug. 2 on charges of a misdemeanor charge of simple assault and a summary offense...
Making the grade: School districts vary when configuring grade levels in buildings
A realignment of grade levels in Burrell School District buildings has offered more opportunities for students this school year. Students had more clubs, career exploratory classes and leadership prospects because of a district realignment that followed the closure of Stewart Elementary in August 2025. Effective this school year, Bon Air...
Driver accused in Hempfield fatal hit-and-run arraigned, jailed
A Jeannette man accused of killing a man riding an e-bike in a hit-and-run in Hempfield last year is now in the Westmoreland County Jail. William Edward Sever, 37, of Jeannette, was denied bail as a flight risk when he was arraigned Friday, according to court records. Sever is charged...
Jury selection set to begin for Thomas Stanko, charged in Unity woman’s deathVideo
Jury selection in the criminal homicide trial of a Unity man charged with killing his former girlfriend is scheduled to begin Monday morning in a Westmoreland County courtroom. Thomas G. Stanko, 55, was charged in 2022 with criminal homicide in connection with the disappearance of Cassandra Gross five years earlier....
The Stroller, Feb. 1, 2026: 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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Library collecting handmade Valentines...
Go Laurel Highlands’ annual photo contest captures the region’s beauty
From brightly colored birds to foggy vistas, the nine photographs recognized as winners of Go Laurel Highlands’ annual photography contest reveal the beauty of the region. The winners are all local, from veteran photographers to hobbyists just starting out. Alex Byers, the lead photographer and videographer for Go Laurel Highlands,...
Recovery group marks 70th anniversary of ditching of B-25 bomber in Mon River
It’s been 70 years since a B-25 bomber ran out of fuel, splashed down on the Monongahela River near today’s Homestead Grays Bridge and was never seen again. A group fascinated by the story, and not giving up hope that the plane or parts of it may yet be found,...
Health care workers gather in Pittsburgh to honor Alex Pretti, call for end to ICE brutality
As evening fell on Pittsburgh Saturday, nurses and health care workers gathered beside the Fred Rogers Memorial on the North Shore to honor Alex Pretti, the nurse killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, and call for an end to ICE brutality and violations of freedom. The location was chosen, organizers...
Police: Wilkinsburg man assaulted woman, stole her vehicle
Pittsburgh police arrested a Wilkinsburg man accused of assaulting a woman and using her vehicle to get away. Charges against Jermaine Turner, 34, include aggravated assault, unlawful restraint, robbery, robbery of a motor vehicle, simple assault and terroristic threats. The victim in the case told officers that Turner, whom she...
Pittsburgh garbage, recycling collection to resume Monday
Trash and garbage collection in Pittsburgh will resume Monday after the services were suspended last week because of the intense snowstorm. All households will have garbage collection on their regular day, according to Pittsburgh officials. The collection schedule is available online. Residents can check their next collection of garbage and...
Another record low: Temps dip to minus 11 degrees overnight
Western Pennsylvania set another record low Saturday. Temperatures were recorded at minus 11 degrees at 5:29 a.m. at the National Weather Service’s offices in Moon Township, said meteorologist David Shallenberger. The previous record for Jan. 31 was minus 5 degrees, set in 2019, Shallenberger said. “This is most likely a...
New Kensington couple homeless after house fire; crews fight flames in sub-zero temps
A New Kensington home is destroyed following a fire early Saturday morning. Crews were dispatched at 12:47 a.m. to the 500 block of Oates Boulevard, New Kensington Fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. said. “In my lifetime — I’ve been on the books as a firefighter for 40 years — this...
Bocce builds bridges for people of all ages and abilities
Abigail Gerthoffer wasn’t sure what she was getting into when she joined Burrell High School’s unified bocce team during her sophomore year. She just knew the team aligned with her values and personal mission to have a positive effect in the world. With no prior experience playing bocce, Gerthoffer jumped...
Alle-Kiski Senior Citizen News: Jan. 31, 2026
Armstrong County Senior Centers Apollo Wednesday: noon, Site Council meeting. Wednesday and Thursday: 10 a.m., bingo. Hours: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays. Details: Charlotte at 800-368-1066 or Amy at 724-478-1410. The center is at 707A N. Fifth St., Apollo. Freeport Tuesday: health program about COPD. The center is at...
The Stroller, Jan. 31, 2026: 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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Bowling fundraiser planned Feb....
Springdale’s agreement with ICE brings fear closer to home for some local immigrants
When Judah Marroquin learned police in Springdale Borough signed an agreement to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in November, she was sick to her stomach. “It’s finally at our doorsteps,” she thought. Born and raised in Shaler, she has lived in neighboring Springdale Township with her husband, Carlos,...
Ben Franklin-signed land grant in Upper Burrell ‘quite the conversation piece’
Alle-Kiski Valley historian Ray Rieser knew time was ticking. With Penn State New Kensington closing next spring, Rieser had something on his mind not too many others knew about — a 1787, Benjamin Franklin-signed land grant Rieser believed was being stored at the Upper Burrell campus. Over the years, Rieser...
Flashback foods: The hunger for favorite foods from the past
You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone (as Joni Mitchell sang). Many beloved foods once enjoyed throughout the Pittsburgh region are no longer available. They’re missed and still talked about. But some live on in new iterations — or DIY versions. We spoke to some Southwestern Pennsylvanians about...
