Former St. Alphonsus Church in Springdale supplies Pittsburgh’s official Christmas tree — again
Pittsburgh’s 108th Christmas tree once again will hail from Springdale. While the approximately 40-foot blue spruce won’t be cut down until Saturday, crews from the city’s public works department were at the former St. Alphonsus Church on Thursday to cut down another tree on the property. Officials intend to use...
Remains of Pittsburgh native, shot down over Sicily in 1943, positively identifiedVideo
On July 10, 1943, Pittsburgh native and Army Air Force 2nd Lt. Gilbert Myers was flying a bombing mission over Sicily with crewmates from the 310th Bombardment Group, part of the 381st Bombardment Squadron during World War II. Myers’ B-25 Mitchell was struck by anti-aircraft fire and went down near...
For every goal the Penguins score at home, the Pittsburgh area gets a new tree
Fourth-grader K.K. Cunningham had never planted a tree before Thursday. But the 9-year-old Hazelwood boy was a natural, grabbing a shovel, pivoting and plunging it into soil outside Pittsburgh Mifflin Elementary on what was a gray November morning in the city’s Lincoln Place neighborhood. By the time K.K.’s in eighth...
Council members reelected in Verona
Races for Verona Borough Council included an incumbent winning both a two- and four-year seat, according to unofficial Allegheny County election results. Running as a Democrat and Republican for a four-year term, Nancy A. Carpenter received 288 votes to finish third, with three seats up for election Nov. 7. She...
Pittsburgh office market stabilized in 3rd quarter after being pummeled by pandemic
Office vacancies in Pittsburgh stabilized in the third quarter after the market was pummeled by a pandemic that forced many workers out of offices and into their homes, according to reports from two real estate firms. “One of the reasons why you haven’t seen much adjustment to the overall vacancy...
Unity man pleads guilty to theft of $380,000 from mother
Christopher Treasure told a Westmoreland County judge on Thursday he stole $380,000 from his 75-year-old mother to dull the pain of personal loss. Those losses — the deaths of his father and son — caused him to spiral, Treasure said before pleading guilty to one felony theft charge. Prosecutors said...
Knights of Columbus donates coats to Plum, Riverview students
Holy Family Knights of Columbus Council 4242 donated 48 new winter coats for elementary students in Plum and Riverview school districts. Coats are being distributed to students through the assistance of the elementary guidance counselors at both school districts. Coats for Kids is one of the many charitable programs that...
Monessen man sentenced on federal drug charges
A Monessen man will serve more than five years in federal prison after his conviction on drug charges, U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan announced Thursday. Daniel Smith, 41, was part of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine between June 2020 and July 2021, which involved residents of Brownsville as well as Chicago,...
Former Pittsburgh cop facing wiretapping allegations to receive $6,500 monthly pension
A former Pittsburgh police zone commander who retired amid investigations into whether he wiretapped fellow officers will receive a monthly pension of nearly $6,500 unless he’s convicted on criminal charges, police officials said Thursday. The board of managers of Pittsburgh Policemen’s Relief and Pension Fund voted unanimously Thursday to pay...
Jeannette projects $75K more in wage tax collections in 2024 budget
Jeannette plans to hold the line on its property tax rate for 2024. City manager Ethan Keedy said the $6.15 million budget is balanced without a tax increase. Council was expected to tentatively approve the spending plan Thursday in advance of a final OK next month. Work on the budget...
Harvest Moon Coffee & Chocolates soon to be serving Harrison
A Tarentum coffee shop is all the buzz with news of its expansion to Harrison. Harvest Moon Coffee & Chocolates is set to open a second location in the Heights Plaza, near the post office along Union Avenue. Owner Desiree Singleton expects to be brewing beans at the new site...
Murrysville area: ‘Christmas Carol’ senior breakfast, woman’s club meeting, Delmont wellness checks and more
Senior citizen holiday breakfast The Franklin Regional School District will host a senior citizen holiday breakfast featuring a performance the classic “A Christmas Carol” on Nov. 30. It will be at the senior high school cafeteria, 3200 School Road in Murrysville, and is open to senior citizens 65 and older...
Penn-Trafford to bring Shakespeare ‘play within a play’ to stage this weekend
The Penn-Trafford High School Drama Guild will bring a twist on a Shakespeare classic to the stage this weekend for the first time in about two decades. The drama guild will perform “Romeo and Juliet: Together and Alive At Last,” a story about two middle school students, Anabell and Pete,...
Pittsburgh police look to open new Downtown substation on Wood Street
Pittsburgh police are looking to open a new substation in Downtown next year. The new site at 439 Wood St. would replace the existing Zone 2 substation at 604 Liberty Ave., according to public safety officials. Legislation introduced to City Council this week would authorize a $590,150, five-year agreement with...
Former Bethel Park police lieutenant pleads guilty to smuggling Venezuelan woman into U.S.
A former Bethel Park police lieutenant pleaded guilty Wednesday to helping a woman illegally enter the United States from Mexico because he said he “loved her” and she could “keep his house.” Blake Babin, 59, will be sentenced March 13 in federal court on a single count of transporting an...
Be my neighbor: Monroeville Interfaith Ministerium’s Thanksgiving gathering to highlight a Mister Rogers philosophy
The theme is “Giving Thanks for our Neighbors.” It’s an appropriate title for the annual Monroeville Interfaith Ministerium Community Network’s Thanksgiving gathering on Nov. 20 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Eastmont in Penn Hills. Caring about everyone in the community is the mission of the group, a partnership of the...
Medical examiner identifies pedestrian killed Nov. 9 in North Braddock crash
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office on Saturday identified a pedestrian struck and killed by a car Nov. 9 in North Braddock. Harry King, 75, of Braddock, was killed when a motorist driving north on Braddock Avenue went off the roadway around 8:15 a.m. and struck him, police and the...
Commission: Jeannette City school board member, former president fined for violating Ethics Act
A Jeannette City school board member was fined $500 for violating the state Ethics Act, the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission said. Mark Gogolsky violated the state’s Ethics Act when he filed deficient statements of financial interests between 2016 and 2020 by failing to disclose all reportable sources of income, according...
2 antisemitic incidents in Pittsburgh bring annual tally to nearly twice 2022’s figure
Two antisemitic incidents — a “threatening” Instagram meme and graffiti scrawled at the University of Pittsburgh’s campus — were reported this week to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, bringing 2023’s number of incidents to 242, nearly twice the total reported last year. Security officials released the information Thursday morning,...
More questions than answers in search for man seen jumping from Hulton Bridge
More questions than answers remain as authorities continue to search the Allegheny River for a man witnesses say jumped from the Hulton Bridge between Harmar and Oakmont after crashing his car Tuesday evening. The man remains missing and unidentified publicly, Harmar police Chief Jason Domaratz said Thursday while providing an...
Shadyside Gap employee accused of secretly taking photos of customer in changing room
A employee of the Gap clothing store in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside was accused of secretly taking photos of a woman in a changing room in September. Police responded to the Walnut Street store after a caller reported trying on clothes in a dressing room when she saw a phone camera appear...
Lawsuit: Man removed from transplant list after UPMC officer assaulted him, falsified charges
A UPMC police officer assaulted a Uniontown man during a medical transport and then lied about the incident to file criminal charges and have him involuntarily committed, a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday claims. The allegations led to the man’s removal from a liver transplant list, although the charges were ultimately...
Democrats sweep Riverview School Board races
Democrats swept the races for Riverview School Board, earning five seats for four-year terms and another for a two-year term in the Nov. 7 election, according to unofficial Allegheny County results. Jennifer K. Chaparro, board president, won reelection with a leading total of 1,875 votes. “I am grateful to the...
Penn Hills School Board appoints new superintendent
The Penn Hills School Board hired a new superintendent Nov. 8. John Mozzocio was appointed, 8-1, at a special voting meeting. Board member Devon Goetze was the lone no vote. “I have thought about this pretty well,” Goetze said. “I intend to 100% support Mr. Mozzocio, but my vote is...
Morning Roundup: Man stabbed in Wilkins Township Shop ‘n Save; police investigating purchase made with stolen credit card in Hempfield
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Nov. 9: Man stabbed in fight in Wilkins Township Shop ‘n Save A 42-year-old man was stabbed multiple times during a fight in the Shop ‘n Save in the 3000 block of William Penn Highway in Wilkins Township...
