Greensburg Night Market wraps up last of the year’s 11 events
The final Greensburg Night Market of the year was held Thursday on three blocks of South Pennsylvania Avenue. The popular event featured music by Chad Toland and The String Theory as well as ice carving, a Letters to Santa station and ornament-making station. The series began in 2019 and has...
No tax increase, other good news announced by Hampton Council
There was good news all around at the Hampton Council meeting on Dec. 13. Council approved a real estate tax rate for 2024 at 2.9241 mills, representing no increase. Additionally, community leaders awarded former council member Martha J. Hunkele with a plaque that will stand at her namesake playground at...
Man shot at Arby’s in Downtown Pittsburgh
A man was injured Thursday afternoon during a shooting in a fast-food restaurant Downtown. Pittsburgh police responded to an Arby’s in the 800 block of Liberty Avenue around 3 p.m. after shots were fired inside the restaurant, spokeswoman Cara Cruz said. A total of 15 rounds were fired. Two men...
For the first time, Pa. will provide counties with funding to help indigent defendants
For the first time in Pennsylvania’s history, the state next year will provide funding to counties for indigent legal defense. While the proposed $7.5 million in funding passed earlier this year with the budget, it wasn’t until Wednesday night that the funding mechanism to allow the money to be allocated...
Westmoreland commissioner criticizes 3.5% raises for elected county officials
Westmoreland County’s elected officials will receive bigger paychecks starting in January. Annual cost-of-living increases for 2024 will total nearly 3.5% for county commissioners and row officers, marking the third year in a row that elected leaders will see a significant bump in pay. Since the start of 2022, Westmoreland’s elected...
Chelsea Holding to expand operations to Westmoreland industrial park; 150 employees could be added
An Oakmont-based building products manufacturer will spend nearly $1.8 million to buy a 30-acre lot at Commerce Crossing industrial park in Sewickley Township, Westmoreland County commissioners said Thursday. Chelsea Holding Co. will buy one of five lots at the 206-acre industrial park. The company, which develops, manufactures and distributes exterior...
Jury begins deliberating in Western Pa. federal nursing home fraud case
Federal prosecutors said the criminal case against two nursing care facilities and five people who worked there is about lies and greed. “It’s not complicated,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Gal-Or. “It’s very simple. The defendants lied. They lied about patients … just to squeeze as much money as possible...
FBI responds to North Huntingdon bank robbery
The Key Bank in North Huntingdon was robbed Thursday morning. Catherine Coennen, public relations officer for the FBI’s Pittsburgh office, confirmed the agency is assisting North Huntingdon and state police with investigation of the robbery at 201 Ronda Court. Township police said in a news release the robbery was reported...
Pittsburgh synagogues and Jewish centers awarded nearly $1M in state security grants
A dozen Jewish centers and synagogues across Allegheny County have been awarded more than $953,000 in state funding to boost security, and additional money is going to other cultural centers in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. This includes $150,000 for the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill, site of the...
Ingomar Elementary students in the North Allegheny School District craft gingerbread look-alikes
Students at Ingomar Elementary School added some sparkle to the Ashton Commons Senior Living Center in McCandless by making cardboard gingerbread houses during art class to be displayed at the senior community’s Light Up Night on Dec. 8....
DA to prosecute crash that killed Serra Catholic student as ‘murder case’
An Irwin man accused of racing another motorist in Dravosburg in September was speeding at 107 mph seconds before he crashed into a Serra Catholic school van, killing a 15-year-old student and hospitalizing four other people, authorities said Thursday. The second driver also was speeding and fled the scene, authorities...
Police respond to domestic incident in Latrobe
Latrobe police officers responded to an incident in the 100 block of Washington Street on Thursday morning involving a man who was making threats to inflict injury upon himself and his domestic partner. Chief Richard Bosco said officers contacted the man’s partner — who said they feared for their life...
Murrysville area: Delmont park rentals, ‘Hot Chocolate Hikes’ and more
Email news briefs and event information to pvarine@triblive.com. Change in Star production schedule The Murrysville Star will not have a print edition during the week of final week of 2023 and the first week of 2024. The next issue after Dec. 21 will be delivered Jan. 11. Over the holidays,...
O’Hara author wins prestigous book award for ‘Blackout Trail’
Linda Naughton, an O’Hara author, is the winner of a Readers’ Favorite International Book Award for her latest novel, “Blackout Trail”. “Blackout Trail” received a Gold Medal for Dystopian Fiction and was also recognized as a finalist for an Eric Hoffer Book Award. “Blackout Trail” is a post-apocalyptic disaster thriller....
Steelers to build community field, youth recreation complex at Hazelwood Green
The Pittsburgh Steelers announced plans Thursday to build a new community field and youth recreation complex at the Hazelwood Green site in Pittsburgh. The Steelers Charities will operate the complex, which will be branded with the NFL team’s logo. Kids will participate in youth football, clinics with current and former...
Plum approves Dollar General development, housing subdivision on Saltsburg Road
Plum Council has given its final approval for the construction of a new Dollar General store and approved a subdivision that could lead to the construction of three new houses, all along Saltsburg Road. At its meeting Wednesday , council unanimously approved without further discussion the land development plan for...
Proposed apartment building in Pittsburgh’s Bluff would feature local art on facade
A proposed six-story apartment building in Pittsburgh’s Bluff neighborhood would prominently feature 10 large panels of artwork on the building’s façade. Pittsburgh-based GSX Ventures has proposed the 211-unit apartment building on a 1.4-acre site that occupies nearly an entire city block bounded by Forbes Avenue and Watson, Marion and Van...
UPMC to reinstate medical mask policy
Pittsburgh health care giant UPMC is requiring masks at its facilities as it sees an increase in cases of covid, flu and other illnesses. “UPMC is seeing an increase in cases of respiratory viruses, including covid, influenza and RSV,” according to a statement from UPMC. “To protect the health and...
Delmont Police awarded federal hiring grant
The Delmont Police Department got a holiday gift in the form of a $125,000 federal hiring grant. Now borough officials just need to decide if they want to put it to use. “We’re not in need of hiring another officer, but I also didn’t think we would get this grant,”...
Nativity scene heralds presence of Nativity Lutheran Church in Hampton
Nativity Lutheran Church in Hampton is recognized by its 8-foot-tall figures of Mary and Joseph behind a manger, surrounded by three wise men and shepherds. There is an ox, a camel, some sheep and a manger as part of the display on the grass in front. The Nativity, which portrays...
Norwin area: Irwin council member resigns; police candidates sought and more
Irwin Borough council member resigns For the second time this year, Irwin Borough Council will be looking for someone to replace a council member who is resigning. Councilwoman Leslie Savage resigned from borough council, effective Dec. 14. Savage said she was resigning for personal reasons. Savage was in the midst...
Springdale planners hold off on renewing demolition permit for power plant site
Springdale planners on Wednesday pressed pause before making a recommendation on renewing a demolition permit at the borough’s former Cheswick Generating Station. Cheswick Plant Environmental Redevelopment Group, a subsidiary of property owner Charah Solutions, and Grant Mackay Co. requested renewal of the demolition permit, which expires Jan. 17. “The next...
Skip the turnpike: Frontier offers flights from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia
Western Pennsylvanians are finally getting some cost relief to travel across the Keystone State. Frontier Airlines announced Thursday it was adding service to four U.S. cities from Pittsburgh International Airport starting in May 2024, including new twice daily service to Philadelphia. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said residents have been...
Leechburg inmate, 19, accused of asking girl to expose herself during video call from jail
A man being held at the Westmoreland County jail was arraigned Thursday on child pornography charges after authorities said a 16-year-old girl exposed herself to him during video calls. Dylan Walmsley, 19, of Leechburg has been at the jail since his April arrest on weapons violations stemming from a fatal...
North Huntingdon man pleads guilty to smuggling Hondurans, cocaine into U.S.
A North Huntingdon businessman’s scheme to smuggle Hondurans and cocaine into the country came undone when the U.S. Coast Guard found his yacht floundering in the Gulf of Mexico, the Justice Department said in court documents. Carl “Car” Allison, 47, pleaded guilty in federal court in New Orleans this month...
