Pittsburgh police: Customer confronted armed robber
Pittsburgh police are investigating an armed robbery at a business in the city’s Allentown neighborhood in which the armed suspect was confronted by a customer. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said officers were dispatched shortly after 2:30 p.m. Friday to Beer Bros. along the 800 block of East Warrington Avenue....
He killed his wife, she killed her father. Now they want to live together.
On Feb. 15, Christina Nicassio met with her attorney, a prosecutor and a judge for a status conference like they had dozens of times before to discuss her ongoing case in the killing of her father seven years ago while in the grips of mental illness. The plan was for...
Westmoreland prison warden gets $11,000 raise as county boosts salaries of some employees
Westmoreland County’s new warden, on the job for less than a month, has been given an $11,000 raise. Commissioners and Controller Jeffrey Balzer, acting as the county’s salary board this week, approved raises for a series of department heads and supervisors in what they said was an effort to retain...
‘This is my dream come true,’ says Pitt med student, a Fox Chapel native, on Match Day
Medical student Rachel Kann said she couldn’t be happier to find out she’ll be staying in Pittsburgh. “This is my dream come true. … I’m just so grateful to have gotten the chance to stay in this amazing city for seven more years and practice here,” Kann said. A Fox...
Police arrest 3rd suspect in connection with 2023 shootout with undercover officers in Stowe
Allegheny County police have arrested a third suspect in connection with a 2023 shootout in Stowe that involved undercover officers. Jarrell Saunders, 39, of Pittsburgh was taken into custody following a traffic stop Thursday in McKeesport, county police said. Evidence links Saunders to a gray Jeep SUV matching one used...
Two ex-Pittsburghers plead guilty to ‘Rent-A-Vet’ fraud scheme
Two former Pittsburgh men have pleaded guilty in federal court for claiming their companies were owned by disabled veterans so they could obtain special government contracts for their construction businesses. Edward Kessler, 68, of Myrtle Beach, entered his plea Wednesday before U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman IV. Edward DiGorio...
Maryland men suspected of Unity vehicle break-ins
An off-duty Westmoreland County detective who noticed suspicious activity in his Unity neighborhood this week helped state police identify two men they believe stole a handgun, a Louis Vuitton wallet and $340 from four vehicles, according to court documents. Arrest warrants have been issued for the suspects: Dominyck S. Sims,...
Local, international dance companies offer differing takes on ‘Alice in Wonderland’
When Alice makes her journey to the fictional Wonderland in Lewis Carroll’s 1865 children’s novel, the world is a wild reflection of what she has known up to that point as reality. The story’s underlying theme of a journey of self-discovery makes it ripe for interpretation. Two of those interpretations...
Stewart Elementary students get a look at the sky through portable planetarium experience
Students at Stewart Elementary School in Lower Burrell got a closer look at Stonehenge and Pittsburgh’s night sky — all from the “comfort” of the school’s gymnasium floor. On Thursday and Friday, members of the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh visited the school...
Girl recovering after being hit by vehicle in New Kensington
A 9-year-old girl hit by a car Thursday evening in New Kensington is expected to be OK, city police said Friday. The incident on Seventh Street at Meade Avenue was reported at 5:40 p.m., a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said. Dan Hockenberry, who lives on one corner of the four-way...
Book vending machine doles out reading excitement at Riverview’s Verner ElementaryVideo
A new addition to Verner Elementary School has young students turning the page on how they think about vending machines. For two weeks, the mystery surrounding what was inside a large, covered box in the school’s hallway had K-6 students guessing what the surprise might be. The young Riverview School...
Xylazine’s role in Westmoreland overdoses continues to surge, coroner’s report shows
A veterinary sedative that can’t be counteracted with anti-opioid medication contributed to 42% more deaths in 2023 than the year before, continuing a troubling trend even as Westmoreland County’s overall overdose figures decline. Accidental drug overdose deaths continued to drop in 2023, but the number of deaths caused by xylazine...
Scott commissioners’ town hall attempts to answer residents’ concerns
A Scott commissioners’ town hall meeting earlier this month saw questions ranging from an update on the township’s pool and splash pad project to money management and transparency. Residents could submit questions online prior to the March 4 meeting and also ask questions during it. The meeting came on the...
Lunch Box: Ballot dropbox lawsuit, Jagr bobblehead heist, Wordle milestone, weekend fun
Here are some noon headlines from TribLive on Friday, March 15: DeMarco sues Innamorato over ballot drop-off locations Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato’s plan to add five locations to drop off mail-in ballots throughout the county is facing a legal challenge — but one that might be short-lived. County Councilman...
Take the TribLive weekly news quiz: March 15, 2024
Here’s a new feature from TribLive: A weekly news quiz: 1. Russell Wilson and the Steelers broke huge news at the beginning of the week. The nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback has agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Steelers worth $1.21 million while his old team, the Denver Broncos...
Arnold Council sets the framework to agree to a new police contract next month
Arnold Council will vote at its April 9 meeting on several measures involving the police department, including contract revisions. Five actions were listed on council’s March agenda when it met this week, but all were tabled. Those items included: • A four-year contract for newly hired police Chief Josh Stanga;...
Nonprofit acting troupe will hold auditions in Unity
Storyz Studios, a nonprofit theater company, will host auditions for its upcoming production of a murder mystery, “Whispers in a Dark Manor: A Whodunnit.” Auditions will take place March 21 from 7-8:30 p.m. and March 23 from 2-4 p.m. at the SpringHill Suites, 115 Arnold Palmer Drive in Unity. Auditions...
Open house set at Westmoreland game commission office
An open house at the Westmoreland County office of the Pennsylvania Game Commission is set for April 30. The public will be able to interact with staff members and ask questions at the Fairfield office at 4820 Route 711, north of Ligonier, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. There are no formal presentations...
Wordle fans celebrate 1,000th puzzle
As a speech pathologist, Jessica Valko is a fan of word games. But there’s one in particular that she’s been playing every day — Wordle. The online word game that’s run by the New York Times is celebrating its 1,000th puzzle on Friday. Valko, 51, of Murrysville said she loves...
Morning Roundup: Child recovering after near-drowning in Ross
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, March 15: Child recovering after near-drowning in Ross A 7-year-old boy is recovering at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh after a near-drowning Thursday in Ross. Neighbors and a landlord are credited with rescuing the child after he jumped...
The Stroller, March 15, 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. Apollo Meals on Wheels seeking volunteers Apollo Area Meals on Wheels...
It’s ‘lights on’ for Southern Armstrong police cars at night
Motorists traveling in Freeport, Gilpin and Ford City can’t say they didn’t notice the police car anymore. All seven police cruisers in the Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department’s fleet now travel at night with steady red and blue lights illuminated, a move that officials hope will make police more visible...
5 things to do this weekend in Westmoreland County: March 15-17
Luck is in the air. With a certain Irish-centered holiday being the talk of the town, community groups will be hosting celebrations all over town this weekend in Westmoreland. ‘Rhythm of the Dance’ Marking the 20th anniversary of the dance company, “Rhythm of the Dance: The National Dance Company of...
Kennametal CEO to retire; replacement named
Kennametal Inc.’s top officer will retire and the president of its metal cutting segment will take charge of the global corporation that generated almost $2.1 billion in sales in its 2023 fiscal year, the Pittsburgh-based company said. Sanjay Chowbey, a Kennametal vice president, will succeed Christopher Rossi, who decided to...
Woman hospitalized after being struck by vehicle in Oakland
A woman was hospitalized in stable condition Thursday morning after being struck by a vehicle in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said first responders were dispatched to the intersection of Craft and Forbes avenues shortly before 9:30 a.m. for a report of a vehicle that struck two...
