Unused metal detectors from Acrisure Stadium to be donated to Leechburg schools
Leechburg Area School District plans to boost security thanks to a sharp-eyed school security officer and the generosity of officials at Acrisure Stadium. Mike Kapustik, a security guard at Leechburg schools, recently noticed unused metal detectors inside a storage area during a visit to Acrisure Stadium. “One of our security...
Arnold rejects offers for abandoned properties from 2 out-of-area buyers
Arnold Council rejected offers to purchase abandoned properties from two buyers who do not live in Western Pennsylvania. In one case, a person from Philadelphia offered $800 for two vacant lots at 1711 and 1713 Third Ave. The other offer was from a person in Los Angeles, who bid $1,507...
Penn State New Kensington to host conference on artificial intelligence
Penn State New Kensington will be hosting a conference focused on how faculty at higher-education institutions can adapt to the fast-changing technology of artificial intelligence and implement it in their classrooms. The campus in Upper Burrell will host the “Future Readiness Conference” for higher-education faculty
Jan. 26. People interested in...
Police: Pittsburgh man dies in crash along Freeport Road in O’Hara
A Pittsburgh man has died after being involved in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday evening along Freeport Road in O’Hara, Allegheny County Police reported. Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased as Michael Vernon, 74. An Allegheny County emergency dispatcher said the wreck occurred around 6:30 p.m. near the intersection...
Former Jefferson Hills mayor, council woman remembered as dedicated public servant
Janice Cmar believed preserving opportunities for families and getting things done for her community made life worth living. So much so that she spent about 35 years teaching in the Peters Township School District, and 24 more recent years as a Jefferson Hills elected official with stints on council and...
24th annual Unity Breakfast in McCandless celebrates Dr. King
Beyond his three adult children and 11 grandchildren, Judge Dwayne Woodruff sometimes is greeted by younger folks introducing themselves as “one of your kids.” When his wife, Joy, heard such a statement for the first time, the judge had to explain that the person was someone he met through juvenile...
Water conservation to continue as Beaver Run Reservoir level rebounds
Despite recent rains and snowfall that helped boost water levels at Beaver Run Reservoir, mandatory conservation remains in place for about 56,000 Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers. Authority officials said water levels have rebounded at the reservoir that straddles Bell and Washington townships. The reservoir serves the northern half...
Bitter weather prompts Allegheny County, Pittsburgh to extend ‘Code Blue’ action
The Allegheny County Department of Human Services and the city of Pittsburgh have extended the current “Code Blue” action until 8 a.m. Monday. “Code Blue” is declared when the National Weather Service forecasts the air temperature to fall below 26 degrees between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. The plan can...
South Side businesses laud police crackdown on East Carson Street corridor
An ongoing police crackdown on the South Side is making the bustling East Carson Street entertainment district safer, police officials, business owners and local community members said Tuesday. “It’s had a monumental effect on the (South Side) Flats since its inception,” John DeMauro, owner of Urban Tap gastropub on East...
New Kensington chimney fire prompts warning to ensure chimneys are clean
New Kensington’s fire chief urged homeowners Tuesday to have chimneys professionally cleaned after firefighters responded to a chimney fire in the city. Fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. said firefighters found a thick buildup of creosote — a flammable, tar-like byproduct of any burning wood — in the chimney of a...
Snow causes headaches, similar storm could return by week’s end
Western Pennsylvania is in for another round of snow by the end of the week, meteorologists warned. Tuesday morning’s snowfall dropped about 2 to 4 inches across the region. It caused about 200 school cancellations and more than a few headaches for commuters. Across Allegheny County, the average snowfall was...
Former Westmoreland jail guard pleads guilty to conspiring in assault of inmate
A former jail guard pleaded guilty Tuesday for his role in the assault of an inmate at Westmoreland County Prison. Prosecutors said Brian J. Prinkey, 26, of Connellsville, was working as a corrections officer on Aug. 20, 2022, when he conspired with two inmates who were accused of beating a...
Eastbound I-70 reopens between Arnold, Smithton following multi-vehicle crash
The eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 reopened to traffic around 5 p.m. following a multi-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon, state police said. The eastbound lanes between Exit 44 (Arnold City) and Exit 49 (Smithton) were closed because of the accident, which was reported at 3:43 p.m around mile marker 46, according...
Washington County controller accused of starving dog to death waives preliminary hearing
April Sloane will have her day in court at another time. The Washington County Controller accused of starving her dog to death waived her preliminary before District Judge James Saieva Jr. Tuesday afternoon. North Strabane police charged her with two felony counts of aggravated cruelty — one for causing serious...
Federal lawsuit challenges Pine-Richland transgender policy
A Pine-Richland parent is suing the school district over its transgender nondiscrimination policy, alleging it violates parents’ rights to raise their children as they see fit. The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court by conservative group America First Legal, is causing concern among parents of transgender children in the district...
U.S. judge grounds JetBlue-Spirit merger; local airport official optimistic
The planned $3.8 billion merger of JetBlue Airways with Spirit Airlines was struck down Tuesday by a federal judge who feared it would hurt competition among low-cost airlines. Spirit Airlines, based in Miramar, Fla., is the lone scheduled carrier serving Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity. “We are going to...
In brief: Penn Hills and Verona area happenings, week of Jan. 15, 2024
Trib Total Media scholarship
applications sought Trib Total Media’s Scholarship for Diversity in Media, created in 2020, is open to minorities as defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Program. Eligible applicants must be current high school seniors planning to attend an accredited four-year college or university with a major in...
County health inspectors shut down Whitehall’s Noble Asian Grocery Store
Allegheny County health officials ordered an Asian market in Whitehall to close after it racked up 14 food safety and sanitation violations during an inspection last week. A health department inspector found Noble Asian Grocery Store was selling expired kimchi, a fermented vegetable dish, with “severe black mold-like growth” on it;...
3 New Jersey men accused of taking metal from Penn Township business
Penn Township police said three New Jersey men nabbed with metal items valued at $120,000 are suspected of being part of a large theft ring. Police said they responded to an alarm at Hamill Manufacturing Co. around 3:20 a.m. Saturday and spotted the three men leaving in a pickup loaded...
Rare Spider-Man comic book on sale for $35K in Western Pa.
A local comic book owner made an amazing find: Amazing Fantasy 15, the first appearance of Spider-Man and a rare gem in the comic world. Now, he’s selling it for $35,000. That price might be a bargain given the fair condition of the comic book. A pristine copy once sold...
Primanti Bros. to open restaurant in Baltimore
Come this spring, there will be one more out-of-town location to grab a Primanti’s sandwich as Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar is set to open in Baltimore. Most of its restaurants are in Western Pennsylvania and there are locations in West Virginia, Ohio and the eastern side of Pennsylvania. The...
8 Fox Chapel Area students selected for 2024 PMEA District 1 East Band
Eight Fox Chapel Area High School students were selected by audition to perform with the 2024 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 1 East Band. They are seniors Elijah Herzer (bass clarinet) and Chloe Kim (clarinet); juniors Marina Dunham (bassoon), Lindsay Gould (baritone saxophone) and Patton Johnson (percussion); and sophomores Elliott...
Pittsburgh Pride celebration moving to Point State Park
Pittsburgh Pride is moving to Point State Park this year. The annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, which previously was held on Pittsburgh’s North Side, is slated for May 31 and June 1 at Point State Park, with an extra day of celebration slated for June 2 in the city’s...
Police discover deplorable conditions, 77 animals; Penn Township officials condemn home
Two people were charged Friday with animal cruelty offenses after investigators removed 77 dogs, cats and other animals from a Penn Township home that later was condemned. Police said a teenage boy was living there and the home didn’t have running water. Humane officers and township police served a search...
Baldwin Township cop charged with strangling woman
A Baldwin Township police officer has been arrested on charges that he held a woman against a wall by her throat after she refused to have sex with him. The officer, Christopher Fry, 44, of South Fayette, was drinking with the woman at his Station Street home around 10:45 p.m....
