New details emerge about Maryland investigation of Jason Lando, O’Connor’s pick for Pittsburgh police chief
Jason Lando, the police veteran tapped to become Pittsburgh’s next chief, was linked by criminal investigators to an account that sent expletive-laced text messages from anonymous “burner” numbers earlier this year, according to a law enforcement report obtained by TribLive. Lando, a Squirrel Hill native who served as a Pittsburgh...
Volunteers place wreaths to honor generations of Jeannette veterans
David Holtz and his 7-year-old daughter, Nyla, saluted Saturday as they laid a wreath before the headstone of World War II Army veteran Richard H. Irwin at Jeannette Memorial Park. It was the Jeannette girl’s first year as a Cub Scout and her first time taking part in an annual...
PennDOT adds more highways where speed limit reduced to 45 mph due to winter storm
Due to the severity of Saturday’s winter storm, PennDOT has temporarily reduced the speed limit to 45 mph on a number of major highways in the region. The latest highways to have the speed limit reduced are the Parkways East and West, and Interstate 79, 376 and I-279 (Parkway North)...
Macy’s helps children with Big Brothers Big Sisters experience joy of holiday shopping for loved ones
Instead of taking their own wish lists to Santa, 50 children got to shop at five Macy’s locations across the Pittsburgh region Saturday to play Santa themselves. The children are part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh’s mentoring program. Helped by their “bigs,” the “littles” got to...
Snow brings Christmas feel to New Kensington church’s live nativity
The snow didn’t keep The United Presbyterian Church of New Kensington from staging its second annual live nativity early Saturday afternoon. Rather than a possible impediment, the Rev. Becca Siddle saw it as a feature. “For people in the neighborhood, it’s perfect because snow means Christmas,” she said. But the...
State trooper shoots suspect in Pittsburgh following pursuit of stolen car
State police said one of their troopers shot a man Saturday morning in Pittsburgh after he fled from them in a stolen car. According to the state police, troopers on patrol spotted the stolen Infiniti shortly before 9:40 a.m. heading east on Interstate 376. Police said the driver failed to...
Jeannette Council will have 8 days between their agenda-setting and voting meeting in 2026
Jeannette’s public meeting schedule for 2026 is set to change to allow for more time in between monthly agenda-setting sessions and voting meetings. Council has approved the dates for its meetings next year that separates the two monthly sessions by eight days. Councilwoman Michelle Langdon suggested the change from the...
Frigid temperatures below 20 degrees to trigger opening of Pittsburgh warming centers
Pittsburgh’s CitiParks is set to open five warming centers on Sunday, with the expected arrival of bitter cold temperatures well below freezing. Warming stations will be open to all from noon to 6 p.m. at the following five Pittsburgh Healthy Active Living Community Centers: • Beechview, 1555 Broadway Ave. •...
Shooting in Pittsburgh’s Middle Hill neighborhood sends man to hospital
A man was in critical condition following a shooting early Saturday in Pittsburgh’s Middle Hill neighborhood. City police responded to the 600 block of Chauncey Street to investigate three ShotSpotter alerts shortly before 1:45 a.m. totaling 17 rounds of gunfire. Officers found a vehicle with bullet damage and multiple shell...
The Stroller, Dec. 13, 2025: 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. Free Christmas dinner planned...
Faces of the Valley: Harrison’s Bill Porter revels in connections made through Salvation Army kettle campaign
Bill Porter likes to talk. It’s a good thing, since he spends about seven hours a day chatting with strangers as a bell-ringer for the Brackenridge Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign. He sets up outside Giant Eagle at The Waterworks five days a week and says he revels in making...
Penn-Trafford aims to hit $500K fundraising goal since inception of annual telethon
Juliet Mastrioanni was in fourth grade when Penn-Trafford High School’s video production class hosted its first telethon benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Eight years later, Mastrioanni is one of the video production students organizing the broadcast, which runs more than four hours. “I just remember thinking ‘It’s just a fun day...
Some defendants in Plum fatal explosion case ask judge to dismiss negligence claims
Several defendants being sued over a 2023 fatal house explosion in Plum asked a judge Friday to dismiss negligence counts against them during a two-hour hearing heavy on legal citations. Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Philip A. Ignelzi did not rule from the bench. The families of six people killed...
Pittsburgh looks into worst-case budget scenario of missing New Year’s Eve deadline
Pittsburgh officials expect the city will have a 2026 spending plan by their New Year’s Eve deadline. But Jake Pawlak, the architect of outgoing Mayor Ed Gainey’s budgets, is already exploring what would happen if they don’t. “That has not happened in the modern era of the city,” Pawlak told...
Use of food delivery apps remains strong despite rising costs
James Duty used food delivery apps pretty regularly until about a year ago, when the costs began hitting his wallet a little too hard. “Food delivery was always a very luxury item,” said Duty, 24, of East Liberty. “As prices everywhere rise, this is a natural first cut for a...
Plum Council passes budget with no tax increase
Plum property owners are looking at a level tax rate next year after council passed its budget Monday. The budget keeps the tax rate for residents at 6.63 mills for the second year in a row. That means the annual borough property tax bill on a home at Plum’s median...
House that was home to East Deer family for 3 generations destroyed by fire
No injuries were reported when a fire tore through the home of an East Deer firefighter Friday afternoon. The blaze at the Bertolini home in the 200 block of Baileys Run Road was reported shortly after 1 p.m., according to Allegheny County 911. Firefighters at the scene said their efforts...
Verona police warn of gift card scams at Giant Eagle
Gift cards are a fast, convenient go-to for holiday gifting — but local police are warning Pittsburgh shoppers that they could also be a gateway to scams. On Tuesday, the Verona Police Department said it was alerted by the Giant Eagle in the River Town Shopping Center that several customers...
Springdale police quietly ink deal with ICE without public vote
Springdale police discreetly signed a deal last month to partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the borough. The public, however, should have had the opportunity to comment on the agreement first, and it should have been the subject of a public vote, according to Melissa Melewsky, media law...
Heirloom holiday decorations hold special memories, family history
Every time Nancy Trabucco looks at Santa and his reindeer decorating her Delmont front yard, she’s reminded of a half-century of holiday goofiness with her family. When Melanie Litz of Export looks at the Merry Glow ’Round spinning topper on her Christmas tree, she thinks about her mother, who purchased...
Maryland authorities close probe of Pittsburgh police chief nominee as O’Connor stands by his pick
An investigation by Maryland authorities into Jason Lando, the nominee for Pittsburgh police chief, wrapped up earlier this month after finding “no violations of criminal law,” according to a letter by Maryland’s Office of the State Prosecutor. Lando, a former veteran Pittsburgh police officer, served as police chief in Frederick,...
Rare cancer diagnosis didn’t stop Pitt student from graduating early
Sarah Pine’s college experience at the University of Pittsburgh was typical, until it wasn’t. From Savannah, Ga., Pine came to Oakland in fall 2022 to pursue writing, seeking a different atmosphere than the south. “I went in with all these positive thoughts and ideas, ready to conquer the college experience,”...
Popular Penn State New Kensington programs to open elsewhere as college prepares to close in 2 years
A trio of Penn State New Kensington’s most popular academic programs has found new homes as the university plans to close the Upper Burrell campus at the end of the Spring 2027 semester. Penn State announced this week that three programs — biomedical engineering technology, electro-mechanical engineering technology and radiological...
Winter storm to hit Western Pennsylvania this weekend
Western Pennsylvania is gearing up for a snowy weekend. Shannon Hefferan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon, said 3 to 6 inches could start falling around 3 p.m. Saturday. Depending on geographical location, though, some areas will see more snow than others, she said. In the Pittsburgh...
Indiana Township property taxes hold steady
Indiana Township will hold the line on taxes in 2026. Supervisors on Wednesday approved an $8.7 million budget that keeps the property tax rate at 3.47 mills: 2.99 mills for the township and 0.48 mills for the fire departments. The owner of a home assessed at the township’s median value...
