5 tips for enjoying Light Up Night
One of Pittsburgh’s most popular events is upon us again. Light Up Night is Saturday in Downtown Pittsburgh, running from early afternoon and culminating with a fireworks show at night’s end. The festival has been a Pittsburgh tradition for decades and an unofficial start to the holiday season. While many...
‘Not science fiction:’ Robotics Network’s Discovery Day showcases tech in Pittsburgh
The humanoid robot waved at the crowd, folded its arms toward its chest, and bowed in greeting. Then it stepped sideways to show some motor skills. It’s a prototype of Agility Robotics’ bipedal robot, Digit, which is meant to work in warehouses alongside humans to handle the more tedious and...
Implosion brings down last of Hatfield’s Ferry Power StationVideo
The boiler house at at the deactivated Hatfield’s Ferry Power Station near Masontown in Monongahela Township, Greene County, was imploded at about 11 a.m. Friday morning. The FirstEnergy plant was built in the late 1960s and closed in 2013. The boiler house contained the three power-generating turbines and was the...
Apollo man convicted of first-degree murder in wife’s killing
Emily and Ean Steele said a Westmoreland County jury found justice for their mother. The jury, after more than four hours of deliberations, convicted their father of first-degree murder Thursday for the May 14, 2022, execution-style slaying of 41-year-old Kelly Steele inside a U-Haul storage facility in Lower Burrell. “It’s...
Trial begins in Comprehensive Healthcare’s nursing home fraud case
One by one, defense attorneys for five nursing home administrators accused of health care fraud told a federal jury Thursday in Pittsburgh that their clients were innocent. That there was actually no fraud at all, but sloppy record keeping. That their clients did not receive any financial benefits for their...
Hampton welcomes back barnstorming basketballers
Deciding not to mess with success, the Hampton Boys Basketball Boosters Club is bringing back what turned out to be a fan favorite. The trick-shooting, slam-dunking showmanship of the Harlem Wizards returns to the township after an initial visit for a 2022 fundraiser. “We didn’t know what to expect the...
Write-in candidates win 2 seats on Greater Latrobe school board
Two write-in candidates won seats on the Greater Latrobe School Board, according to unofficial results released Thursday by the Westmoreland County Election Bureau. Write-in John Petrarca finished third in the race for five, four-year terms on the board, and write-in Tom Gockel finished fifth. Out of the five winners, only...
Proposed 2024 Hampton budget would keep property tax rate unchanged for a 7th year
Hampton council is expected to vote Dec. 13 on a 2024 preliminary budget that will keep the property tax rate at its current level while increasing spending in several key areas. At about $16.23 million, the proposed budget unveiled at the council meeting on Nov. 15 includes about $10.2 million...
Police seek man for questioning in connection with abandoned dog at Pittsburgh airport
Allegheny County Police are sharing surveillance video in an attempt to identify and track down the man who abandoned a dog this week at Pittsburgh International Airport. At about 1:15 p.m. Thursday, a traveler at the airport told an Allegheny County Police officer that they saw a dog tied to...
Monroeville church’s events address holiday stress
Monroeville United Methodist Church is hosting two events during the holiday season for people who are not feeling particularly merry amid all the festiveness surrounding them. A “Holiday Survival Guide” event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 6, hosted by the church’s health and wellness team for those who are...
Monroeville students to receive honor at Medallion Ball
Two Monroeville students will be presented with the St. Lucy’s Auxiliary to the Blind Junior Medallion Award at the Medallion Ball this month. The auxiliary, whose mission is to “encourage and inspire a lifetime commitment of volunteer service in young women,” has been sponsoring the ball since 1964. The auxiliary,...
Divine Mercy Academy honors veterans
The students of Divine Mercy Academy in Monroeville honored veterans with a special program on Nov. 13. The program began with the pledge of allegiance and the singing of the national anthem. There was a special prayer of gratitude and blessing for veterans. “We are here to honor true heroes,...
Monroeville Senior Citizen Center ramps up activities
The Monroeville Senior Citizens Center has many new and exciting programs for adults ages 50 and older to enjoy as 2024 approaches. “We’re always trying to expand our programming to be able to provide the most that we can for our community,” department head Tara Gresock said. “One of the...
MAWC opts out of ‘forever chemical’ settlement
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County will not participate in a proposed $11 billion settlement of class-action lawsuits against major chemical companies who are alleged to have contaminated local water supplies. The authority last year filed its own legal action against six companies that claimed they were responsible for toxic...
Christmas in Guyasuta at Sharpsburg campground offers winter wonderland to kick off holiday season
The 175-acre Boy Scout-owned campground tucked behind Sharpsburg’s business district was busy transforming into a winter wonderland, even though temperatures were climbing into the high 60s. That didn’t stop Camp Guyasuta Ranger Mike Daniher from prepping the fire pits and readying the horse-drawn carriage for a Nov. 25 seasonal extravaganza....
Blawnox food pantry hours noted
Blawnox’s food pantry will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 24, Dec. 18 and Dec. 29. No proof of residency or income required to receive items at the borough office, 376 Freeport Road. People can donate nonperishable foods and personal hygiene products for the food pantry from...
Police trying to ID man accused of stealing wallet, making ATM withdrawalVideo
State police are seeking help to identify a man who they believe stole a wallet in Sewickley Township and then withdrew money at an ATM. Troopers said the wallet was stolen from a Highland Avenue driveway. A debit card in the wallet was used at a New Stanton ATM. It...
Wild turkey population ‘unbelievable’ this year, with wooded areas of Allegheny County popular spots for birds
No doubt about it. It’s tough to be a turkey this Thanksgiving. The farm-bred birds end up in the supermarket. And in parts of Allegheny County and Southwest Pennsylvania, there’s a Thanksgiving wild turkey hunting season from Nov. 22 to 24, said Travis Lau, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Game Commission....
McCandless proposes 1st-time contribution to McCandless Franklin Park Ambulance Authority
The proposed 2024 budget for McCandless contains the township’s first-ever cash contribution to the McCandless Franklin Park Ambulance Authority, according to Assistant Town Manager and Finance Director Trisha Greathouse. The authority had requested $161,680 from McCandless, whose population is the largest of the five communities the authority serves. The town...
Murrysville area: Santa at Sardis, Dr. Zoot at Symphony East, ‘Advent Adventure’ and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Please email events at least two weeks in advance if possible, for the best chance of timely publication. ‘Santa at Sardis’ The Murrysville Recreation Department will host its annual “Santa at Sardis” event from 1-4 p.m. Dec. 2. It will take place...
Man critically injured after being shot multiple times in Wilkinsburg
A man was hospitalized after being shot multiple times Thursday morning in Wilkinsburg. The shooting happened in the 200 block of Penn Avenue around 11:15 a.m., said Allegheny County Police spokeswoman Jim Madalinsky. The wounded man, who police did not name, was taken to an area hospital in critical condition,...
Norwin area: Holiday house tour, holiday celebration and more
House tour slated in Norwin Seven houses in Irwin and North Huntingdon will be featured on the Norwin Historical Society’s Homes for the Holidays Tour from 3:30 to 8 p.m. Dec. 2. Tickets can be purchased for $25 by credit card at www.norwinhistoricalsociety.org, at the Norwin Public Library, 100 Caruthers...
Kraft Heinz announces new leadership
Packaged food giant Kraft Heinz announced changes to its leadership team in the coming year, months after naming a new chief executive. The maker of Heinz Ketchup and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese appointed Carlos Abrams-Rivera as CEO and a member of the board, effective Jan. 1. Until then, Abrams-Rivera will...
Springdale power plant implosion ruling could come next month
A ruling on whether the former Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale can be demolished via implosion could come as early as the first week of December. Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge John T. McVay Jr., who is presiding over a court case seeking an injunction to stop the implosion, gave...
5 things to do this weekend in Westmoreland County: Nov. 17-19
The last of the season’s farmers markets, along with an unusual poultry bingo, are on tap for this weekend in Westmoreland County. Greensburg YMCA Family Fun Night The Greensburg YMCA is hosting its first in a series of monthly Family Fun Nights from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday in the...
