Here are 5 thing to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Dec. 12-14
Have you started your holiday shopping yet? If you have, reward yourself with a fun solo outing this weekend. If you still have presents to check off your list, take the chance to do something fun in between stops. Here are a few ideas for ways to treat yourself and...
Leetsdale hikes property taxes 5.5% next year
Leetsdale property owners will have to pay about 5.5% more in real estate taxes next year. Council voted 6-0 on Thursday to approve its 2026 budget. Councilman Roger Nanni was absent. A separate motion to set the millage rate at 9.5 mills, a 0.5-mill jump, passed 5-1. One mill equals...
Twin blazes near West Penn Hospital displace at least 20 residents
A pair of late-night residential fires broke out Thursday near West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, displacing at least 20 tenants and sending three people to the hospital. The injured — two city police officers and one resident — were being treated for smoke inhalation. There were no other injuries from...
Greater Latrobe students accused of sharing intimate image of girl
Police have accused five juveniles from Greater Latrobe High School and one from Indiana County of using cellphones to disseminate an intimate image of an underage girl over the summer. Pennsylvania State Police in Greensburg said Thursday they charged four girls from Latrobe — including one who was also described...
Penguins delay puck drop due to I-279 crash
The Pittsburgh Penguins have delayed the start of their game Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena by 30 minutes because of a crash that closed Interstate 279 southbound. Puck drop for the game against the Montreal Canadiens was scheduled at 7 p.m. That has been bumped to 7:30, the team...
Tenants confront property managers over unsafe living conditions in Pittsburgh, region
LaTonya Smith, 57, said there are days when she gets home from work and just sits in her car to avoid the stress and problems awaiting inside her Pittsburgh apartment. “For like two hours I am like ‘oh I do not want to go into this building. I can barely...
Man who shot Parkway West driver in the face pleads guilty, gets prison
The man who repeatedly shot at a fellow motorist last year while the two drove on the Parkway West — leading the victim to lose his left eye — is headed to prison for 4 to 8 years, according to a plea agreement. Rashawn Hall, 23, of McKeesport agreed to...
Firearms deer hunting season to wrap up in Pennsylvania
The window of opportunity to go hunting for deer in Pennsylvania is quickly shrinking, as firearms deer season closes this Saturday. The Pennsylvania Game Commission reminded hunters to make the most of the final days in the woods. After Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a bill in the summer lifting the...
Legal battle over Pittsburgh Zoo elephants continues
A Washington, D.C.–based animal-rights group has filed a lawsuit in Somerset County seeking to secure the liberty of two Pittsburgh Zoo elephants. The elephants were recently moved to an international conservation center in Fairhope, where the suit claims they are being forcibly bred. Wednesday’s lawsuit is the second in a...
Highmark announces affiliation with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City
Highmark is adding more than 1 million members through an affiliation with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City, the health insurers announced Thursday. The deal, which is expected to close next year pending regulatory approval, will make Highmark the third largest Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated organization in the country...
Aspinwall’s Presents from Police toy drive recipient of hefty donation from Blue Knights
Aspinwall police leadership is thrilled with the recent news of a $1,000 donation to their annual Presents from Police holiday charity outreach. Aspinwall Police Chief David Nemec and Deputy Chief Michael Vith received a donation check on Wednesday from representatives of the Blue Knights Pa VII Pittsburgh chapter to benefit...
Heating costs $6,000 per month during Irwin office construction
Irwin will be paying $12,000 to provide heat this month and in January for the workers converting a former storefront into administrative offices at the borough building on Main Street. Borough council this week agreed to pay Sunbelt Rental of North Huntingdon for a temporary heating furnace at a rate...
‘Women Drivers’ option available for Uber, Lyft rides in Pittsburgh
A “Women Drivers” option is now available when booking Uber rides in Pittsburgh. First piloted this summer with the goal of giving women more options in how they ride and drive, Uber said it has received feedback that the option gives riders and drivers “more comfort and confidence on every...
Cross-country team will collect new, used shoes in Murrysville
The Franklin Regional Cross Country team will collect donations of new and gently used shoes Saturday in Murrysville. The team is working with fundraising company Funds2Orgs, which will sell the shoes at a discount to those in need in other countries. Funds2Orgs will also make a donation to the team’s...
West Deer residents introduce objectives for recently formed nonprofit
Some residents of West Deer have big dreams for the township and surrounding communities. The members of Deer Lakes Regional Revitalization Corp. say those dreams can now be followed. An idea born in 2024, the nonprofit was officially founded in March 2025 by Leonard Verdetto, a West Deer resident and...
Valley Jr.-Sr. High School teacher accused of provoking fight between students faces charges
New Kensington police say a Valley Jr.-Sr. High School math teacher prodded students to fight during a geometry class in October. Bradley Reiher, 45, of Tarentum is charged with misdemeanor corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children. The charges stem from an incident Oct. 27 during which, police...
Arnold man accused of killing brother in New Kensington turns himself in
Steffon Ballard, the Arnold man accused of shooting his brother outside the Elks Lodge in New Kensington last weekend, turned himself in to authorities Thursday morning. Ballard, 38, is charged with homicide, attempted homicide, illegal possession of a firearm and aggravated assault in the death of Jeffrey Ballard, 46, who...
West View approves 24% property tax increase, borrowing for new municipal complex
Property taxes in West View will increase 24% after council approved the new tax rate along with the borough’s budget for 2026 on Wednesday, Dec. 10. Council approved increasing the tax rate by 1.5 mills, from 6.3 mills to 7.8 mills. It is the first increase in the borough’s tax...
Black-owned businesses host market in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District
The Black Market: Holiday Edition will showcase Black-owned businesses in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District during the holiday shopping season. The indoor pop-up will be open Thursday, running through Sunday and again December 18-21 on the ground floor of the Encore Building at 100 7th St. in Downtown Pittsburgh. Shoppers will find...
Sewage, garbage rates in Bridgeville to increase; property tax remains the same
Bridgeville property owners will see no real estate tax increase in 2026, but they will pay more for their garbage and sewage services. The budget totals about $7.53 million and maintains a tax rate of 6.5 mills on buildings and 10 mills on land. Owners of a property assessed at...
Outgoing Bridgeville councilmen recognized
Bridgeville officials recognized three outgoing councilmen with a combined 54 years of service on the borough council. Bruce Ghelarducci, Bill Henderson and Joseph Verduci were awarded with plaques from Mayor Betty Copeland, recognizing their time on council. Ghelarducci and Henderson were on council for 22 years. Verduci was a councilman...
Pittsburgh police to halt moonlighting program for dozens of businesses
Pittsburgh police plan to bar dozens of local groups and businesses that owe the city money from being able to hire off-duty officers for moonlighting work, according to an internal memo obtained by TribLive. A TribLive investigation published Sunday turned up city records showing hundreds of businesses and organizations —...
Greensburg store sells items made by Hempfield Area students
Wreaths, bracelets, ornaments and other gifts made by Hempfield Area students are on sale at a downtown Greensburg store in time for holiday shopping. Artisans of Hands and Heart, a co-op store located at 106 S. Pennsylvania Ave., is hosting Hempfield Area’s Perfectly Imperfect Boutique — featuring items made by...
Poppin’ Tags Free Store owner extends mission with funds, new business
Sonya Dembowski remembers the moment she decided to begin her Poppin’ Tags Free Store in West Deer. She was driving through Coraopolis in the height of the pandemic shutdown. She remembers seeing piles of donations left outside a closed store. Dembowski later saw on the news that, because the donations...
Pittsburgh International Airport to offer nonstop flights to Ireland
Pittsburgh International Airport soon will offer direct flights to Ireland for the first time. Irish national airline Aer Lingus will begin nonstop service between Pittsburgh and Dublin in May, local airport officials announced Thursday, further integrating the culturally and economically intertwined cities. Dublin also serves as a connector for flights...
