Harrison mom accused of nearly killing daughter with drug-contaminated cotton balls
An 11-month-old Harrison girl nearly died this summer after chewing on cotton balls soaked with remnants of the opioids her mother had used intravenously at a Union Avenue home, police said. Now, the girl’s mother is facing charges. Lenae Elizabeth Mills, 29, noticed her daughter, whom police did not name,...
Tarentum Council approves plan change at Holy Martyrs, soon to be a fitness center
A slight change of plans by the new owners of Holy Martyrs Church in Tarentum will see the building used for indoor soccer, rather than to house weights and treadmills. Legends of Pittsburgh fitness center is expected to move from the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer to the 51-year-old church...
2 arrested in theft of $3K worth of assorted merchandise from Hempfield Lowe’s
Two people were arrested by state police after tips from the public helped troopers identify the suspects in a theft of approximately $3,200 worth of merchandise from a Westmoreland County Lowe’s. Trooper Cliff Greenfield said the suspects were identified as Matthew John Murphy, 38, of Greensburg, and Heather Lynn Kunkle,...
Washington Township business accused of starting work on parking lot addition without approval
The Washington Township supervisors postponed the approval of a parking lot addition to a business which, a neighbor says, started construction without it. Tarp America and its owner, Michael Gazzo, requested the supervisors’ approval for an unlighted 60-foot-by-60-foot parking lot expansion and signs at its location, 920 Route 380. Tarp...
$500K in improvements planned at Hazelwood’s Lewis Playground
Lewis Playground in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood is slated to see more than $500,000 in improvements. Pittsburgh City Council voted Monday to reallocate money that had been budgeted for the now-scrapped Mon-Oakland Connector project to use at the park instead. Councilwoman Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield, said the playground is in poor condition and...
Ring camera video, photo lineup help police ID Vandergrift man charged with attempted homicide
Editor’s note: Through a negotiated plea deal in November 2024, Karaffa pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. The two counts of aggravated assault and the recklessly endangering another person charge were dismissed. The attempted homicide and illegal possession of a firearm charges were withdrawn. He was ordered to pay court costs,...
Republicans win in Collier commissioner race
Collier residents elected a new commissioner on Nov. 7, according to unofficial Allegheny County results. Gabriel Benvenuti, with 1,613 votes, joined incumbent and fellow Republican Dawnlee Vaughn, 1,505 votes, in winning seats on the board. Democratic Ethan Styche was unsuccessful, receiving 1,484 votes. “I want to thank the voters of...
Brewing Success: Student-run coffee shop in business at Chartiers Valley High School
Pay a morning visit to a coffee shop and watch the baristas be bombarded by beverage orders That would be right up Kendal Astor’s alley. “I love the stress and the pressure, like when there’s a whole line of things,” the Chartiers Valley High School senior said. “I work really...
Morning Roundup: PNC Bank customers report overcharging at gas stations; Seneca Valley adds resource officers
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Nov. 14: PNC Bank customers complain of overcharges Some PNC Bank customers are reporting overcharges from transactions at gas stations. According to TribLIVE news partner WTAE, several Pittsburgh area customers contacted the station to report their bank accounts were...
Freeport Area could raise taxes next year based on higher state inflation index
Freeport Area school directors will have more leeway to raise real estate taxes for 2024-25 than in the past 11 years. Brad Walker, Freeport Area’s director of finance and operations, said the district’s real estate tax inflation index calculated by the state will be 7.1% for the next school year....
The Stroller, Nov. 14, 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. Monthly Breaking Bread dinner planned at Knead Community Cafe Knead Community...
‘I beg you to ask for help’: Penn Middle School speaker talks bullying, mental health support
Standing on the Penn Middle School auditorium stage, John Halligan looked out at more than 500 students, many of whom reflected the same youthful innocence as his 13-year-old son, Ryan, who died by suicide in 2003. Just as Halligan has done for the past 18 years — for about
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Casey proposes anti-bullying bill
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, introduced a bill last month that could help protect K-12 students from bullying and harassment. The Safe Schools Improvement Act would require school districts to include a line in their code of conduct prohibiting bullying and harassment surrounding race, color, national origin, sex, disability and...
Hempfield Area mulls changes to program that allows some seniors flexible schedules
Future Hempfield Area High School seniors may see restrictions on an existing flexible schedule arrangement, which allows them to come in late or leave early if they have enough credits to meet graduation requirements. School board members are considering changes to the program, dubbed early release/late entry, that would be...
Giant Eagle to merge fuel discounts with newer myPerks loyalty program
Giant Eagle customers who have been earning GetGo gasoline discounts through the supermarket’s fuelperks+ loyalty program will be switched to the store’s newer myPerks program next year. Giant Eagle announced on its website that it will retire the fuelperks+ program effective Jan. 25 and will automatically move customers with accounts...
Outgoing Greensburg planning director worked to make office more ‘approachable and welcoming’
Greensburg is looking to beef up its planning and development office next year by adding a code enforcement supervisor. It also will be searching for a new planning director, as Jeff Raykes resigned from that role effective Friday. Raykes, who joined the city staff in 2019, is leaving to focus...
Award-winning Hunker artist explores ‘Woman and Variations’ in WCCC exhibit
The creative works of Hunker artist Stephanie Oplinger are featured in the exhibit “Woman and Variations,” running through Dec. 1 in the Science & Innovation Center Gallery on the main campus of Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood. In her LinkedIn profile, Oplinger notes she works in a surrealistic style,...
‘It’s not just everyday house dust’: Expert testifies as effort continues to halt implosion of boiler house in Springdale
A toxicologist and a safety consultant were the latest two individuals to testify in the injunction case where 16 Springdale residents are seeking to block an implosion of the boiler house at the former Cheswick Generating Station. S. Thomas Dydek, a Texas-based toxicologist, and Jon Pina, a consultant with Evergreen...
Judge sentences former East Huntingdon man for ‘unfathomable’ crime against child
A former East Huntingdon man was ordered to serve up to seven years in prison on Monday for a crime that a Westmoreland County judge called “unfathomable.” Scott Rys, 49, pleaded guilty to felony counts of indecent assault, corruption of a minor and child endangerment in connection with allegations that...
Drug death charge dismissed against Southwest Greensburg woman
A Westmoreland County judge on Monday dismissed criminal charges against a Southwest Greensburg woman who prosecutors said was responsible for the fatal overdose of her live-in boyfriend in 2021. Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger found there was insufficient evidence to establish that Jennifer Lynn Gartland delivered the fentanyl-laced drugs that...
Proposed $10M budget for Pittsburgh’s affordable housing trust fund moves closer to being finalized
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority has approved a $10 million spending plan for the city’s trust fund supporting affordable housing. The Housing Opportunity Fund budget for next year, which now awaits City Council approval, includes $2 million for the URA’s Rental Gap Program. The program provides loans to nonprofit developers to...
Allegheny General Hospital receives approval for long-range development plan
Pittsburgh City Council on Monday approved an institutional master plan that lays out Allegheny General Hospital’s development goals over the next decade. Under the 10-year plan, all patient rooms at the North Side hospital will be converted to private rooms. The plan indicates the hospital also is considering constructing new...
Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill in Rostraver fined more than $62K for violations
The Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill in Rostraver will need to make changes and report progress to the public after being fined $62,475 by the state Department of Environmental Protection for breaking state rules. The DEP fined the landfill for violating the state Solid Waste Management Act and Clean Streams Law. Violations...
Murder trial begins for Apollo man charged with wife’s killing
Prosecutors told a Westmoreland County jury Monday there was no mystery as to who killed an Apollo woman last year at a Lower Burrell storage facility. Assistant District Attorney Katie Ranker said Alfred Keith Steele shot his estranged wife in the head with a 9 mm pistol as she leaned...
Gainey says his budget proposal would improve Pittsburgh’s core services, make city safer
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said in his annual budget address Monday that his administration is focused on trying to improve core city services and making the city safer and more welcoming for residents. The mayor’s proposed budget for 2024 includes no tax increase and no cuts for staffing or “critical...
