Westmoreland Transit sees increased ridership as plans for revised service loom
Ridership on commuter and local bus service continues to rebound, according to the Westmoreland County Transit Authority The bus service saw the number of passengers increase by nearly 6% in January and over the last year its performance has been on an upward trajectory following declines caused by the coronavirus...
Winter storm dumps 6 or more inches of snow in parts of Southwestern Pennsylvania
Some areas of Southwestern Pennsylvania saw 6 or more inches of snow from Friday evening through Saturday morning, exceeding by a few inches what forecasters had predicted for the winter storm. The heaviest band of snow pushed through southern Allegheny County, after dumping up to 11 inches in areas of...
Uniontown house fire displaces pair, man suffers burns
A man and woman in Uniontown were displaced by an early morning house fire, and the man suffered burns while escaping the flames, according to firefighters. The man was treated at the scene by medics and declined transport for further treatment, according to Uniontown fire Chief Scott Conn. The man...
Project Lifesaver aims to protect cognitively impaired people who are prone to wandering
When Sophie Gass’ grandmother wandered off from a family outing at O’Hara Community Park, every minute was a nightmare. The search, conducted by family, friends and multiple police and fire departments, lasted five hours. When they finally located Alzheimer’s patient Kathy Gass, then 73, she was missing a shoe and...
Religion Digest – Feb. 17, 2024
Blacklight puppet show planned Friday A free blacklight puppet show will be presented at
7 p.m. Friday in First United Methodist Church, 134 Custer Ave., Vandergrift. The show will be performed by the Let It Shine puppet ministry of the youth of Bethel United Methodist Church, Lower Burrell. Refreshments will...
The Stroller, Feb. 17, 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. NK Arts Center to celebrate ninth anniversary The New Kensington Arts...
Stipends help improve fire protection in Rostraver, Southwest Greensburg
Two Westmoreland County volunteer fire departments are looking at how they can continue offering a stipend to firefighters who staff the respective stations after grant funding runs out. Officials at both stations — Rostraver Central and Southwest Greensburg — said their response time has improved by a minute or more...
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium to close Saturday after the deaths of 3 animals, will reopen Sunday
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium will be closed Saturday after the death of three animals this month. In a Facebook post, a zoo spokesperson said the one-day closure comes “out of respect for staff and recent animal losses” and offer the staff “time for grieving and healing.” The post said...
Pa. high court to weigh if life without parole for felony murder is constitutional
The state Supreme Court on Friday said it will take up a Pittsburgh case challenging the constitutionality of Pennsylvania’s mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole for second-degree, or felony, murder. It is the first time Pennsylvania’s highest court will consider the issue — looking at it through the...
Hostile reaction greets Biden during East Palestine visit a year after train derailment
Just over a year after a fiery derailment shocked East Palestine, Ohio and the surrounding area, President Joe Biden visited the area for the first time Friday. He received a mostly hostile reaction from the predominantly anti-Biden crowd. Some people in the small town near the Pennsylvania border expressed skepticism...
Prosecution alleges conspiracy to kill Murrysville businessman who was found dead at Clarion County camp
A Butler County man testified in court Friday that he fatally shot a Murrysville man at the urging of his uncle because the uncle promised to get him a work truck. Braden N. Elliott, 20, of Chicora testified that his uncle, Jeremy T. Fisher asked Elliott on Dec. 26 to...
Federal prosecutors: East Hills felon ‘repeatedly endangered the community’ by firing machine gun in several incidents
A former East Hills man and convicted felon was sentenced to a decade in federal prison on Friday, after he was found in possession of a machine gun that prosecutors said was fired during multiple shooting incidents in Pittsburgh and Penn Hills. Oronde Shelton, 51, was sentenced following conviction on...
‘It’s not black or white’ judge says of circumstances in case against Stanko
A Unity man claimed Friday he cannot be prosecuted for the homicide of a former girlfriend because there is no proof she is dead. The lawyer for Thomas G. Stanko said proposed evidence recently disclosed by prosecutors that his client targeted, stalked and harassed Cassandra Gross before she went missing...
3 sentenced for roles in slaying outside New Ken apartment; Judge: ‘maybe the saddest case I’ve ever dealt with’
A Westmoreland County judge said he struggled with how to strike a balance between the rough upbringings that impacted three young defendants and their convictions last year related to their roles in July 3, 2022, fatal shooting in front of a New Kensington apartment building. Amir Kennedy, 16, DaMontae Brooks,...
New Kensington raid turns up 4 grams of crack cocaine, 78-year-old charged
A raid of a New Kensington home Thursday morning turned up just 4 grams of crack cocaine, but city police said they suspect other illegal drugs were flushed down a toilet before authorities discovered them. One of three people found inside the home, 78-year-old Leon Cash, faces drug charges in...
Eureka Hose volunteer Susan Clark appointed to fill Tarentum Council vacancy
The newest member of Tarentum Council is a familiar face in the borough. Susan Clark, who serves as rescue captain of Eureka Fire-Rescue-EMS, was appointed this week to fill a vacancy left after council President Scott Dadowski won two seats in the November election. Dadowski chose to keep his position...
Pittsburgh braces for snow with aging but ample fleet of plows
Pittsburgh has enough snowplows and drivers ready to clear the city’s streets as the area braces for up to 4 inches of snow this weekend, Public Works Director Chris Hornstein said Friday. The city had about 20 vehicles in its snow-clearing fleet of 75 out of commission during the last...
Murrysville area: SportZone seeks naming rights proposals, and more
SportZone seeking proposals for naming rights The Murrysville SportZone is accepting bids for arena naming rights at the athletic complex on School Road South. The 30,000-square-foot sports and event complex hosts dek and inline hockey, volleyball, wrestling, soccer and in recent years, mixed-martial arts and boxing matches. For more, email...
Beaver County man sues Shell, claims cracker plant spews pollution
A Beaver County man is suing Shell Chemical over pollution he says its ethylene cracker plant is spewing onto his property. The complaint, filed by John Flynn, who lives in Beaver, was filed Thursday in federal court and seeks class-action status. The suit follows another brought in May against Shell...
East Deer water rates likely to increase
East Deer residents could be facing a water rate increase but to what extent has not been determined. The township commissioners are expected to discuss the issue March 7, saying they’re up against a wall after Tarentum implemented a 29% increase that is set to start in coming weeks. East...
Armstrong County golf resort sells for $2.5M, leaving weddings, other events in limbo
A public golf resort in Armstrong County has sold for $2.5 million, leaving many customers who had events booked at the venue scrambling to find alternate accommodations. The Inn at Lenape Heights Event Center & Golf Resort in Manor Township sold Jan. 31 to 950 Golf Course Road LLC. The...
6 Fox Chapel Area seniors named finalists in 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program
Six Fox Chapel Area High School seniors recently were named finalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. Lucas Gravina, Chloe Kim, Shriya Krishnamurthy, Adhitya Thirumala, Abraham White and Dylan Work were selected as finalists based on their Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) scores and other...
Riverview High School set to present ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’
Riverview High School drama students are in full rehearsals prepping to showcase an all-ages spring musical production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” “This show will be a spectacle of emotions and energy,” said producer Laurie Sliben. “It’s full of meaningful themes like family, acceptance and forgiveness — all...
Irwin group gets money for blight fight efforts
An Irwin nonprofit that mounts programs and initiatives to help homeowners unable to maintain their properties and deal with hoarding will get money from the borough to help it land a larger grant for its joint projects. Fight the Blight Inc. won unanimous approval from Irwin Borough Council on Wednesday...
Marathon gas station in Harmar robbed at knifepoint
Harmar police are investigating after the Marathon gas station along Freeport Road was robbed late Tuesday. Officers were called about 10:30 p.m. after a suspect approached the clerk, brandished a knife and demanded money from the register. No one was injured, police said. The suspect is described as a white...
