Local category, Page 695
Springdale mom heads to prison in methadone death of daughter, 5
The prosecutor handling the case of a 5-year-old who died from methadone poisoning told the court that there were two unanswered questions. Why was there methadone in Samantha McMunn’s Springdale house on the day her daughter died? And how did it get into her baby syringe? “I just think it’s...
CNX Resources to pay nearly $13K for each 1.5 million gallons drawn from Beaver Run for fracking
A week after water use restrictions were lifted for customers served by Beaver Run Reservoir, a Canonsburg company was given a contract that allows it to buy 51 million gallons of water to use in fracking at nearby gas wells, Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County officials said Wednesday. The authority...
Pittsburgh Technical College put on probation
Pittsburgh Technical College in Oakdale has been placed on probation by the Middle States Commission for Higher Education and warned that its accreditation “is in jeopardy.” In a post to its website, the accrediting body said it acted due to “insufficient evidence that the institution is currently in compliance with...
Maggots, heat, decomposition lead judge to find Munhall funeral director guilty of abusing corpse
The Pennsylvania statute defining abuse of a corpse is simple. All that’s required is for a person to treat a dead body “in a way that he knows would outrage ordinary family sensibilities.” For a funeral home director to let a body sit for several days in summer, decomposing without...
Allegheny County’s elections board OKs ballot drop-off sites with 3-0 vote
Allegheny County’s new ballot drop-off locations are finally official. The county Board of Elections voted unanimously Wednesday to add six locations where voters can drop off mail-in ballots for the upcoming primary election. Staffed drop-off locations will be placed in Squirrel Hill, Moon, McKeesport, North Park, South Park and Boyce...
Greater Latrobe School District to gain $2K through property tax appeal settlements
Greater Latrobe School District expects to see an upward bump of a little more than $2,200 in its tax revenue as a result of tax assessment settlements for two residential properties in Unity. The school board approved settlements of assessment appeals the district filed in Westmoreland County Court, as recommended...
Monroeville native doesn’t let brain tumor stop career in law enforcement
Luke Skledar isn’t one to back down from a challenge. He was a skilled hockey player in high school and achieved a second-degree black belt in martial arts. The Monroeville native, 22, took on another challenge after graduating from Gateway High School in 2020 — becoming the first member of...
Popular event benefits historic Gilfillan Farm in Upper St. Clair
Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. April 6 for an event that sold out in under 30 minutes last year. The annual Gilfillan Farm Barnyard Beer Benefit is scheduled for May 25 at the corner of Route 19 and Orr Road in Upper St. Clair, near South Hills Village...
Police charge man with stabbing wife 17 times in Sharpsburg apartment
A Sharpsburg man on Tuesday stabbed his wife 17 times in their apartment and then, out of breath, called 911, according to police. At 2:01 p.m., Victor Cute, 69, told 911 that he had stabbed his wife and she was lying on the floor bleeding, a criminal complaint said. He...
Tartan Day will celebrate all things Scottish at Bethel Presbyterian Church
When Pam Maniet greets visitors at Bethel Presbyterian Church on April 6, she will be emotional. It will be the first Tartan Day, a day to celebrate Scottish heritage, without her father, Angus MacDonald. He died Dec. 27. “I know I will have a knot in my stomach at the...
Trib Lunch Box: Fatal fire, love triangle, allergies, Mega Millions
Here are some noon headlines from TribLive, Wednesday, March 20, 2024: • Father, 4 children killed in Jeannette blaze Five bodies were recovered after two homes caught fire overnight on Guy Street in Jeannette. The body of a man, 27, and four children were recovered from the scene, according to...
Bethel Park mother, son continue to bring smiles through Easter basket project
Maria Rovers knows the feeling of caring for a child with health issues. There is intense worry and incredible fear, sleepless nights and unpredictable days. “I have been there,” the Bethel Park resident said. “It’s hard to understand unless you’ve lived it.” Rovers’ son Sean, 16, was diagnosed in 2017...
New Kensington’s House of 1,000 Beers remaining open despite closure of 2nd location
Fans of New Kensington’s House of 1,000 Beers don’t have to worry, the longstanding bar and restaurant will remain open despite the closing of its other location in the North Hills. Arthur and Janice Barbus took over House of 1,000 Beers on Freeport Street in 2014. They bought it from...
Early-morning blaze sends Leechburg woman to hospital
A Leechburg woman remained hospitalized Wednesday after an early morning fire tore through her home. Leechburg fire Chief John Foster identified the woman as Mandy Yakovich, who lived alone at the home on Kiski Avenue. Although Foster said she remained hospitalized, he did not have an update on her condition....
‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ coming to Geyer Performing Arts Center
The Geyer Performing Arts Center will bring a macabre favorite to the stage this week with “Arsenic and Old Lace.” The play showcases the tale of two elderly sisters who are famous for their acts of charity, but secretly poison old men who come to their home for lodging. Directed...
Morning roundup: Fire hits North Huntingdon care home; Blue Flame Restaurant closes
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, March 20: Assisted living facility fire in North Huntingdon Emergency services were called to an assisted living facility Wednesday morning. Westmoreland County 911 said a fire had started in a bathroom of Walden’s View Personal Care Home on...
Coroner identifies father, 4 children killed in Jeannette blaze
Twin brothers Tyler and Kenneth King did everything together. Their families would go on vacations together and, until a few months ago, they worked at the same place. “Even growing up, we’d sleep together on the floor,” Kenneth King said. “We had beds. We’d just sleep downstairs on the floor...
The Stroller, March 20, 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. Tickets available for annual St. Patrick’s Day dance party The ninth...
Springdale looks for another football venue for this fall, but hopes to return to Vets Field in future
Springdale High School’s football team hopes to return to the borough’s Veterans Memorial Field in 2025, but it will be forced to play elsewhere for at least the upcoming season. Allegheny Valley School District’s lease to use the field expires at the end of the school year. District officials have...
Westmoreland housing authority plots path to solar power
The Westmoreland County Housing Authority wants more power. Officials on Tuesday said a proposed solar farm built on property behind the authority-owned Hempfield Towers could benefit the low-income senior high-rise apartment building and nearby county facilities such as the jail, juvenile detention center and nursing home. “We’re looking for funding...
Spring sniffles: Tree pollen season is a little early this year, allergists say
When Dr. Bob Gorby of Westmoreland Allergy and Asthma Associates in Greensburg notices the tree in his home’s backyard starting to bud, he knows it’s tree pollen season. “It’s early this year a little bit,” he said. “Tree pollen can come out as early as late February, but it’s very...
Players of varied abilities combine skills to take Ligonier Valley to state bocce championships
The Rolling Rams, in just their second year as a Ligonier Valley High School varsity program, are sending an eight-member team to the state bocce championships in Hershey. One of two Ligonier Valley squads competing in the sport, the second-seeded Rams Team One, is scheduled to face off Thursday morning...
2-car crash disrupts traffic in Harrison
Traffic along Route 908 in Harrison was disrupted Tuesday evening as a result of a two-vehicle crash near the BP gas station at the intersection of Alter Road. The crash occurred around 6:30 p.m., and traffic was restored to normal by 7. Police at the scene did not release any...
Some Leechburg Area School District residents complain of unfair tax burden
Property owners in the Westmoreland County portion of Leechburg Area School District are demanding a new tax structure that doesn’t dip as deeply into their pockets as the current one does. “You’re picking the pockets of the 1,300 residents of West Leechburg,” Jake Heasley told Leechburg Area School Board members...
Appeals court allows whistleblower lawsuit against Pa. GOP caucus
A whistleblower lawsuit filed by the former chief of staff for state Rep. Eric Davanzo can proceed, Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court has ruled. A three-judge panel this month rejected an effort from the Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus to dismiss the lawsuit filed in 2022 by Marcel Nicole Ingram, who claimed she...
