Community bands prepare to bring holiday cheer at annual concerts
“These wonderful things are the things we remember all through our lives.” Those are lyrics from the classic Christmas song “Sleigh Ride.” And they hold just as true for holiday memories as they do for musical ones, at least to the members of local community bands. “A lot of us...
Morning Roundup: Pittsburgh police investigate synagogue threat; Orthodox priest accused of stealing $117K from parish
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Dec. 1: Pittsburgh police investigate reported threat against synagogue Pittsburgh police said they are investigating a reported online threat made against a synagogue. Officers checked and secured all of the city’s synagogues and will maintain a presence there,...
Murrysville consumer advocate: Don’t get scammed during your holiday shopping
Last year, during the open enrollment period for Medicare, Mary Bach of Murrysville began receiving calls morning, noon and night about how she and her husband weren’t getting all of the benefits to which they were entitled. Bach, who is a nationally recognized consumer advocate and member of the AARP...
Man accused of repeatedly raping child in Lower Burrell for 5 years ordered to stand trial
A Moon Township man accused of repeatedly raping a child over a five-year period while he was living in Lower Burrell has been ordered to stand trial in Westmoreland County Court. Stevan Joseph Mracna, 43, of Bonnie Brae Drive was charged Nov. 16 with felony counts of rape of a...
Specialty whiskey, rum on sale at Fort Ligonier Museum Store
Looking for holiday gifts? Specialty whiskey and rum will be available for purchase at Fort Ligonier’s Museum Store during December. St. Clair’s Spirits, a white rye whiskey made exclusively for the fort, and Queen Charlotte’s Courage Rum, the second in a series of three new distilled beverages, will be sold...
The Stroller, Dec. 1, 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. Festival of Trees raffle supports hospital projects Allegheny Valley Hospital Auxiliary...
Christmas tree vendors hit with inflation; some see price increases
It’s probably going to cost a bit more to deck the halls this year for those who prefer to set up a live Christmas tree. The seasonal staple has fallen victim to inflation. Christmas tree growers and vendors have noted price hikes of various levels for this season. At Habes...
Plum residents gather for Christmas at Plum Creek
Plum residents gathered for the annual Christmas at Plum Creek on Thursday evening. This marks the second year the event was held at the borough’s new municipal center on Old Mine Road. A recently completed outdoor amphitheater was used for the first time, with the Plum High School Jazz Band...
Madison Council to reconvene after voters fill vacancies that left borough at standstill
Madison Borough once again will have a functioning government. Two write-in candidates were elected last month and are expected to be seated at the start of the year to allow Madison’s council to meet and conduct business. Three resignations in July left the borough’s five-member council at a standstill and...
New Florence man charged with aggravated assault of infant
A New Florence man was charged Thursday with aggravated assault of an infant earlier this month. Christopher M. McClellan Timko, 30, was charged by state police Wednesday with two counts of aggravated assault of a child and one count of endangering the welfare of a child, according to court documents....
Remembering Wright’s: Members of same family owned Heidelberg business for 106 years
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part story. Read the first part. During its 106-year run as a Heidelberg family business, Wright’s Seafood Inn doubled as home for its owners, starting with W.C. and Mary Wright with the opening of the Valley Hotel in 1898. Great-grandson Dave Davis...
Officials: North Allegheny 2019 bond fund may be used up after 2025-26 school year
The North Allegheny School District continues to use proceeds of a 2019 bond to finance capital projects, but that money may be exhausted after the year 2025-2026. The bond fund contained almost $8 million as of Oct. 31, said Kermit Houser, NA director of finance and treasurer, during a Nov....
Pittsburgh fuzz-rockers Melt to host live set Friday to celebrate vinyl debut
Ask 10 people for the best way to describe fuzz-rock band Melt and nine of them likely will talk about the Pittsburgh trio’s thunderous volume. Just ask Jacob Gardner. Earlier this summer, the South Side resident and part-time punk bassist discovered Melt while scrolling through websites, searching for concerts to...
Pittsburgh police to launch new street crime team, hire community aides next year
Pittsburgh police plan next year to launch a new street crime team and hire a dozen people to respond to calls that don’t require an armed officer. The new street crime unit will be comprised of 18 officers, including two sergeants and a lieutenant. It will focus on reducing violent...
Hampton schools present Winter Concert Series
If the recent cold snap isn’t enough to usher in the holiday season, there will be no shortage of festive concerts at Hampton schools. The Hampton Township School District Music Department proudly presents its 2023 Winter Concert Series, showcasing the talents of nearly 1,000 students in fourth through 12th grades....
Assistant to Bell Acres businessman gets probation in multimillion fraud case
The long-time administrative assistant to a wealthy Bell Acres businessman convicted of concealing more than $60 million in income from the federal government will serve two years of probation for her role in the crime. Ann E. Harris, 62, of Washington County, appeared before Senior U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers...
Hempfield man, 76, to serve prison sentence for child sexual assaults
A Hempfield man was sentenced Thursday to serve up to 10 years in prison for sexual assaults against two young girls. Dale Edward Kuhn, 76, pleaded guilty in September to counts of aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, corruption of minors and other offenses in connection with allegations made in October...
Clairton man receives prison sentence for sale of fentanyl
A Clairton man convicted in September for possession and sale of fentanyl told a Westmoreland County judge on Thursday he was ready to turn his life around. Anthony Jamison, 34, has been free after he paid $100,000 bail in October 2021, more than five months after his arrest on drug...
Contractor accused of fraud by Allegheny Township police faces trial for 4 similar cases
A home remodeling contractor from Pitcairn accused five times in as many years of taking money for work he didn’t do has been ordered to stand trial for charges filed by four Westmoreland County police departments. Daniel Ronald Amodeo, 54, of the 600 block of Wall Avenue was charged Jan....
State Supreme Court reverses ruling on objectors paying Mike Doyle’s legal fees over nominating petitions
The state Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled last week that objectors to former congressional candidate Mike Doyle, R-Plum, do not need to pay tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees accrued by Doyle over a process of challenging the candidate’s nominating petitions. The ruling overturned a previous decision by...
‘Don’t Stop’: No-Shave November philanthropy continues for Hampton police
No-Shave November is extending into “Don’t Stop December, January and February” for Hampton police officers. Members of the department are participating in the annual effort to raise awareness about cancer while raising money for charity by letting facial hair take its natural course. “Our department policy, when it comes to...
Murrysville area: Monticello Lights, presentation on Putin, local live music and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. ‘Monticello Lights’ set for Dec. 9-10 Residents in Delmont’s Monticello neighborhood will host their annual “Monticello Lights” fundraiser Dec 9 and 10 to benefit the Salvation Army & WTAE’s Project Bundle Up and the Delmont Recreation Committee. It will take place from...
Angels step in when donation to Aspinwall food drive doesn’t come through
When a sizable donation to a Thanksgiving food drive organized by Aspinwall resident Nancy Heil failed to materialize, angels stepped in. Many angels. Sheri Rice, owner of Luke & Mike’s Frontporch Grille, in Aspinwall was one of them. She posted a request on Facebook for donations of canned vegetables, boxed...
Record 200.4 million people shopped between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday
With many retailers closed on Thanksgiving, Black Friday sales events have been repeating how they started — with caffeine-fueled customers lining up in the early hours to snag doorbuster deals, rather than leaving the turkey and stuffing early to start their holiday shopping. At Westmoreland Mall in Greensburg, not opening...
Slice it up: Italian Village Pizza near Aspinwall serves pieces of the pie
It all started in 1980 with one slice of homemade dough with fresh tomato sauce and melted cheese cut into a triangle. Now, 43 years later, the 16 Italian Village Pizza shops in Western Pennsylvania have hit the 100 million mark — a 100 million slices of pizza sold. “That’s...
