Allegheny County Airport Authority pays CEO nearly $255K bonus
The Allegheny County Airport Authority board on Friday authorized a massive bonus for CEO Christina Cassotis. Cassotis received a $254,718 bonus, equal to about 45% of her 2023 salary, airport authority spokesman Matt Neistein said. She also received a 6% pay raise, bringing her 2024 salary to just over $600,000....
Washington Township approves new gas well
CNX Gas Company officials hope residents of Washington Township won’t even notice their latest gas well. The shale gas drilling site, approved by township supervisors, is to be on previously strip-mined property east of Route 66 and north of Beaver Run Road. “Our feeling and hope are that no one...
Pine recognizes volunteer efforts
Pine supervisors recognized resident John Lombardo for his many years of volunteer service to the township at their meeting on Jan. 16. He is president of the Wexford Volunteer Fire Company and has been serving for 11 years. “John’s been a key member of the Pine community for many years....
Valley High School principal uses TikTok to share new student arrival procedure
Valley High School Principal Jon Banko is a TikTok influencer — at least in the New Kensington-Arnold School District. Many educators have made quite the name for themselves on the social media platform, racking up millions of “likes,” but Banko isn’t after fame. He’s simply looking for another way to...
Judge demands that Allegheny Health Network turn over records related to Jeannette killing
A Westmoreland County judge is demanding that Allegheny Health Network hand over medical records for a man who was killed in September 2022 in Jeannette. Judge Timothy Krieger on Friday issued a rule to show cause for why the records custodian at the health system should not be held in...
Trib Lunch Box: School delays/closings, weekend fun, Pittsburgh bridge revamps
Here are some noon headlines from the TribLive, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024: School or no school? When the heavy snow hits or temperatures reach single digits, school superintendents in Western Pennsylvania face a judgment call: To close or not to close. Court issues narrow win for gun advocates...
‘Good neighbor’ agreement helps with New Kensington oil change development
An agreement for access with a neighboring gas station gave New Kensington officials comfort in granting one of several needed approvals for an oil change facility to be built along Tarentum Bridge Road. The agreement between Valvoline Instant Oil Change and Shamey’s gas station allows for vehicles to get into...
Pittsburgh police charge 2 teens in South Side vape shop armed robbery
Police have charged two Pittsburgh teens with the armed robbery of a South Side vape shop last month. Jermaine Strong, 18, and Llaila Ahkunke, 17, wielded a shotgun and pistol when they stole cash and vape cartridges from Keystone Vapes on East Carson Street on Dec. 13, according to a...
Lunar lander from Pittsburgh’s North Side burns up in atmosphere after failed moon mission
After traveling for 10 days and hundreds of thousands of miles in space, a Pittsburgh company’s lunar lander appears to have burned up in the atmosphere Thursday afternoon after returning to Earth. The spacecraft, the first American effort to attempt a moon landing in decades, closed the book on its...
3 major Pittsburgh bridges set to get $132M in renovations
Millions of dollars in federal funds will go to help repair and upgrade three major Pittsburgh bridges, federal and state officials announced Thursday. A total of $132 million will help repair steel components, joints and bearings on the McKees Rocks, West End and Fort Duquesne bridges, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey,...
Morning Roundup: Police recover 60 animals — 10 dead — at Butler County home
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Jan. 19: Police find 60 animals — 10 dead — at Butler County home A total of 60 animals were recovered — and several found dead — when Pennsylvania State Police executed a search warrant for animal cruelty...
Westmoreland County looks to data to improve human service efforts
The concept behind the movie “Moneyball” is coming to Westmoreland County government. Data and analytics will become a central component of how and where the county Human Services Department spends its money and crafts future programs. Human Services Director Rob Hamilton said officials will spend the next year integrating data...
More snow expected in Pittsburgh area over the weekend
With more than a few inches of snow already on the ground early Friday, forecasters with the National Weather Service in Moon expect 2 to 4 inches more during the day in the Pittsburgh region. A winter weather advisory remained in effect early Friday in much of the area and...
Leechburg Area School Board’s vice president pushes to implement policy against nepotism, encounters resistance
The youngest Leechburg Area School Board member is spearheading discussions in favor of implementing a nepotism policy. Vice President Andrew Pallus again brought up the topic under a review of policy during the board’s meeting last week. Pallus previously discussed nepotism in October. “I think it’s a way to be...
New Kensington record store owner buys out Allentown shop, opening 2nd location
As more big retailers stop carrying physical media, and more people find limitations to streaming, New Kensington record store owner A.J. Rassau believes there will be more demand for what he offers. That’s his hope, at least. And after investing a half-million dollars to take in more than 100,000 vinyl...
Greensburg Salem seeks committee to navigate potential construction upgrades
A refresh of building interiors, plumbing and HVAC repairs, landscaping and ADA compliance are only a few out of the many items on Greensburg Salem School District’s laundry list of potential construction projects. The list, divided up by school building and urgency, was presented to the public at a facilities...
The Stroller, Jan. 19, 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. Free shuttle service available for NK, Arnold residents The New Ken...
How do superintendents make the call to cancel school in bad weather?
When the weather gets bad, Mike Porembka hops in his truck and hits the road at 4 a.m. The Greater Latrobe School District superintendent drives around the district — from downtown Latrobe to Unity — gathering information and assessing road conditions and temperatures. Ultimately, he must decide whether to cancel...
Aspiring Educators program draws interest of high schoolers looking to become teachers
A dozen Westmoreland County high school students are getting a head start on becoming educators as the state looks for ways to contend with a teacher shortage. Adi Belanger has been interested in pursuing teaching as a career, so the Central Westmoreland Career & Technology Center’s new Aspiring Educators program...
Greater Latrobe board to tour schools after pausing pricey plan to revitalize facilities
Greater Latrobe School Board members who last month halted plans for at least $182 million in proposed construction and renovations are scheduled to tour the district’s five schools Saturday to look at building needs. “I feel some of the board members just need to have the opportunity to walk through...
Plum EMS to offer annual subscription plans with several benefits
Plum EMS will begin soliciting for annual subscriptions in February. Subscriptions cost $15 for an individual, $25 for a household and $40 for a business. They run from March 1 until the end of February 2025. Subscribers receive two free CPR/AED classes valued at $80; up to 50% discount on...
Westmoreland County workers reject contract offer, intend to strike
After months of failed contract negotiations, members of a union representing more than 500 Westmoreland County employees plan to notify the county Monday of their intent to go on strike in 10 days. Union members rejected the county’s latest proposal on Thursday, according to a news release from Service Employees...
Deer Lakes recognized for academic achievement in AP courses
Work to increase Advanced Placement courses at Deer Lakes High School is paying off. The high school recently earned the AP School Honor Roll bronze award, district spokesman Shawn Annarelli said. Only 30% of the more than 15,000 eligible schools in the United States and Canada earned the recognition. “We...
Snowballs fly at Brackenridge Memorial Park as part of inaugural community eventVideo
When Brackenridge mother Angel Matthews heard Friday’s weather report of freezing temperatures and several inches of snow, she didn’t think about staying inside. Instead, she saw it as an opportunity to fulfill a dream her children had of something big. Something that could bring the community together on just such...
Monroeville library gallery space showcases Hampton artist
Shelia Hawthorne Klotz’s artwork will be on display through Jan. 24 at the Elaine Biondo Gallery Space inside the Monroeville Public Library. Hawthorne Klotz, who resides in the Hampton area, creates artwork including watercolors, acrylics and collages, which she displays in the form of wall art, note cards and jewelry....
