Tree-cycling of holiday evergreens offered at 15 Westmoreland sites
Christmas trees can become part of landscaping instead of a landfill when they’re disposed of through the annual tree-cycling program in Westmoreland County. Cosponsored by the nonprofit Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling, 15 locations will be available to accept drop-offs of discarded holiday trees. The drop-off sites remain unchanged from the...
Cheswick’s sewage, garbage rates will increase in 2024
Cheswick property owners will see an increase in their garbage and sewer rates next year. Cheswick Council approved the borough’s 2024 budget, which holds the line on taxes but increases sewage and refuse rates. The budget totals nearly $2.77 million. About $1.55 million is allotted for the borough’s general fund,...
Wreaths Across America chapters decorate Westmoreland veterans’ graves
Barbara Keough and her daughter, Denise Keough-Samuels, placed a wreath Saturday at the grave of Barbara’s son, Frank Keough, where he’s buried in a section of Penn Lincoln Memorial Park in North Huntingdon that is dedicated to veterans. “Frankie’s never forgotten. He was just the heart of the family, upbeat...
‘You get to see the best in people’: TribLive reporter volunteers at Salvation Army kettle
I should have switched my bell-ringing hand at least once. If there is one lesson I learned from taking a shift ringing the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle bell on a crisp, clear Thursday morning, that was it: Don’t just ring the bell for 90 minutes with the same arm. It...
Here’s a gift guide with a Westmoreland County connection
There are potential holiday presents in every spot you look around Westmoreland County. That restaurant or coffee shop down the street probably stock gift cards that would be perfect for a friend or relative. The winery, distillery, meadery or craft brewery you’ve noticed in the neighborhood could provide a liquid...
Artisans share handmade works at Westmoreland museum Holiday Mart
Visitors to the Westmoreland Museum of American Art found themselves surrounded by handmade handiwork at the annual Holiday Mart. The event, Dec. 7-9, , brought together more than 20 local artisans from around Western Pennsylvania to sell their crafts on the first floor of the museum. The first day coincided...
Tom’s Turkeys donates gift cards to Norwin families in need
Families of Norwin School District students have help putting food on their tables this holiday season thanks to a North Huntingdon nonprofit that donated $5,600 worth of gift cards to a supermarket. Tom’s Turkeys, which raises money to address food insecurity among families in the Norwin area, donated 224 gift...
Local potters build sense of community with mug exchange
More than 30 potters from Westmoreland, Allegheny and Somerset counties gathered in Clair Witkowski’s Ligonier home this month, each holding a unique ceramic mug that would be exchanged with another. The mug exchange was organized by Witkowski and Marine Ruth, volunteers at the Greensburg Art Center in Hempfield, to build...
‘Pilgrimage Jr.’ debuts kid-centered version of the Nativity storyVideo
Delmont Christmas Pilgrimage organizers debuted the “Pilgrimage Junior” on Dec. 2, a child-friendly, interactive way to tell the Nativity story. Participants could ask questions of the Nativity characters and get up close with animals that are part of the story. The event, new this year, was geared toward preschool and...
Experts tell firsthand stories of children harmed by addicted parents
...
‘Frightening rate’ of children dying due to parents’ drug abuse
...
Ex-congressman: Lawmakers must do more to protect children of addicted parents
...
As substance abuse rises, need for additional programs comes into focus, experts say
...
As substance abuse rises, need for additional programs comes into focus, experts say
Jillian Hauser spent more than a decade addicted to drugs, went through six rounds of rehab, did time in jail and lost custody of her two daughters. She hit bottom when Westmoreland County Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio offered her one last chance to regain control of her life through the county’s...
Ex-congressman: Lawmakers must do more to protect children of addicted parents
When Jim Greenwood was a Bucks County child welfare caseworker, he was haunted by the images of babies born addicted to drugs. When he became U.S. Rep. Jim Greenwood, he did something about it. As a six-term Republican congressman from eastern Pennsylvania, the now-retired Greenwood penned a federal law requiring...
Experts tell firsthand stories of children harmed by addicted parents
Dr. Bill Jenkins thought he had seen most of what life could throw at people during his years as an emergency room physician and medical director of Greensburg-based Mutual Aid, one of the state’s largest ambulance services. In the past three decades, he has tended to patients with drug overdoses,...
‘Frightening rate’ of children dying due to parents’ drug abuse
Four days after Christmas 2020, Hannah Moore felt horror like no other when she awoke to find her 2-month-old daughter’s cold, lifeless body nestled next to her in bed, inches away from her other two children. Traces of blood trickled from Avery Davis’ mouth and nose as Moore frantically dialed...
Traffic stop on South Side yields, drugs, money and stolen gun
Allegheny County sheriff’s deputies confiscated drugs, money and a stolen gun during a traffic stop Saturday afternoon on Pittsburgh’s South Side. They arrested Glen Cleveland, 22, of Carrick after witnessing a suspected drug deal shortly before 1 p.m. at a gas station at East Carson and 10th streets. Cleveland drove...
‘My husband just shot me,’ wounded Springdale woman tells 911
The 911 call Friday from a Springdale Township home was chilling: A woman named Judy described how her husband had shot her in the stomach then put the gun under his chin and pulled the trigger, according to court papers. “My husband just shot me,” Judy told the operator. “He’s...
Tenants move out as Latrobe apartment building inspections ongoing
The owner of the Latrobe apartment building cited with more than 100 code violations is working to correct the “most serious issues,” a city official said, but two tenants have left, claiming the nightmare of living there still haunts them. The three-story building at 333 Main St. has been inspected...
Christmas-delivery shipping deadlines are fast approaching
People are running out of time to have gifts shipped in time for Christmas, with at least one deadline arriving as early as this weekend. Saturday is the last day you can have something shipped by the U.S. Postal Service in time for the holiday. The Postal Service’s first-class or...
Coroner, local business donor partner to purchase cribs for families in need
As part of the Westmoreland County Coroner’s partnership with the Cribs for Kids National Safety Initiative, 15 cribs will be purchased for families thanks to a donation from a regional business. Uniontown-based Black Diamond Equipment Rental donated $1,000 which will be used to buy cribs for Westmoreland families in need....
Student news from the Fox Chapel area
Matthew Fiedler, a graduate of Fox Chapel Area High School, has received a partial scholarship to Rochester Institute of Technology to pursue performing arts in instrumental music. Fiedler is a first-year student in the Computing Exploration program. Britta Lagerquist, was recently initiated into the Grove City College Circle of Omicron...
The Stroller, Dec. 16, 2023: 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. Food bank accepting donations for prepared baskets Allegheny Valley Association of...
Retailers, shoppers gear up for final holiday rush
Shoppers had their pick of products and parking Friday ahead of what retailers hope will be a chaotic and profitable weekend — the last full weekend before Christmas celebrations get underway. “It’s not very crowded. I was thinking it would’ve been busier on a nice Friday,” said Karen Belin of...
