Western PA Local News category, Page 85
At least 2 pets unaccounted for after house fire in Turtle Creek
Emergency crews battled a house fire in Turtle Creek late Wednesday. Firefighters were called to the 500 block of McMasters Avenue, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. Allegheny County dispatchers said there were no injured people taken from the scene. Turtle Creek Fire Department First Lt. Mike McAllister told WTAE...
Penn Township fires finance director after about 5 months on the job
The Penn Township commissioners unanimously voted Wednesday to fire Finance Director Jaime Peticca after about five months on the job. Peticca was hired by the township Aug. 20 to fill a vacancy left by Colleen Gain, who resigned in June. Township Secretary/Manager Mary Perez declined to comment on the reason...
Irwin OKs plans for Chipotle restaurant
Irwin officials gave the green light to a national Mexican food chain’s plan to build one of its 4,000 restaurants along Route 30 in the borough. Borough council on Wednesday unanimously approved the land development plan from Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. for its eatery at 9174 Route 30, the site...
Derry woman pleads guilty to forged death certificate scam
A Derry Township woman’s widowhood was only to last just long enough for her refund check to be cashed. Lori Shawley, 54, pleaded guilty Wednesday to two felony counts of forgery in connection to allegations she faked her husband’s death. Prosecutors said it was part of a scam designed to...
Reversal brings back 900 federal workers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Nearly 1,000 federal employees laid off by the Trump Administration last April from the agency meant to protect workplace safety will be able to return to the job. Terminations from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health were overturned Wednesday, meaning a return to the office for scientists, engineers...
O’Connor, top public safety officials vow to better Pittsburgh police relations with citizens
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor and his top public safety officials on Wednesday vowed to focus on building relationships between police and the communities they serve, improve officer wellness and address violent crime. “First and foremost, we always have to focus on violent crime and quality of life issues,” Acting Police...
Probation imposed on massage parlor worker charged in prostitution ring raids
A New York woman was ordered to serve two years on probation for offering to perform illegal sex acts last year at a Hempfield massage parlor. Zhang Peiyun, 61, following a brief court hearing Wednesday was admitted into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program for first-time nonviolent offenders. Peiyun was arrested...
Police say Bradenville taxidermist accepted animals, payment but never completed work
John Anthony hooked impressive fish on back-to-back days out of Sandy Lick Creek near Brookville in 2022. He was proud of the pair of catches and wanted to get the 21-inch rainbow trout and 15-inch brook trout mounted, so he sought help from Mike Chesla of Forever Ridge Taxidermy in...
Will Bearista cups return to Starbucks? Here’s the latest
After the “Bearista” cups sold out at Starbucks before the holidays last year, many people have been clamoring for another chance to snag one. The 20-ounce Bearista cold cup, made of glass, was initially sold as part of Starbucks’ holiday merchandise drop for $29.95. Shaped like a bear holding its...
Century III Mall demolition nears end as potential buyer voices interest
Demolition of Century III Mall, whose decades-long fall from grace saw the third-largest mall in the world collapse into “a monument to blight,” is expected to wrap up by spring, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said Wednesday. A potential buyer has voiced interest in developing the 100-acre...
Trib expands to fill Pittsburgh’s newspaper void
In Pittsburgh, we don’t just weather change; we lead it. Ours is a city forged in the heat of the mills and built on a foundation of grit and resilience that defines us to this day. While the era of a daily newspaper arriving at every doorstep every morning has...
Police: Shooter fired 3 times, beat up man dating his estranged wife outside East Huntingdon fitness center
A man accused in a shooting in an East Huntingdon plaza Tuesday afternoon fired a handgun three times, beat up his target and then walked to his pickup truck before driving 8 miles to Connellsville, according to Trooper Steve Limani. The wounded man has been dating 38-year-old Steven Heald’s estranged...
Fox Chapel traffic signal upgrade replaces obsolete equipment
Traffic is expected to be flowing more safely near a major Fox Chapel traffic intersection. A $300,000 project to modernize the traffic signals at Fox Chapel and Field Club roads wrapped up in December, following several months of work. The equipment replaces original signals that were obsolete, borough Manager Julie...
New Carnegie mayor is youngest in borough’s history
Carnegie’s newest mayor is also its youngest. Sam Bigham was 23 when he was sworn in by District Judge Jack Kobistek on Jan. 5 in council chambers. “I want to be able to inspire people and get more people involved,” he said. “I believe in Carnegie.” Despite his young age,...
Plum man identified as pedestrian killed by vehicle in Lower Burrell
Police are investigating the death of a pedestrian who was struck and killed by a vehicle on Greensburg Road in Lower Burrell. Harry J. Thomas, 62, of Plum was walking west on Greensburg Road when he was hit by a vehicle, according to Westmoreland County Coroner John Ackerman. The incident...
PNC mandates 5-day office work week for all employees
PNC said today that all employees will return to the office five days a week starting May 4. In a memo sent Wednesday morning, Chairman and CEO Bill Demchak said PNC has “always been an in-office company. “It’s not just how we operate — it’s part of our culture,” he...
Plans for $500M Bakery Square expansion retooled by Walnut Capital
Dwindling demand for office space has forced a developer to rethink a major expansion of its sprawling Bakery Square development in Pittsburgh’s East End and focus on retail and housing instead of office space. Pittsburgh-based developer Walnut Capital for years has been eyeing a 14-acre, $500 million extension of its...
Millvale man accused of firing shotgun, threatening to kill woman with school bus nearby
An incident in Millvale where a man pointed a shotgun at a woman and fired a round into the air in the middle of a weekday afternoon could have turned out much worse if not for a rapid police response, borough police Chief Tim Komoroski said. Komoroski said the accused...
New Kensington-Arnold reaches early-bird contract agreement with teachers
New Kensington-Arnold School District and its teachers union have agreed on a new contract that will increase teachers’ pay by an average of 3.5% and have them paying more gradually for healthcare. School directors voted 8-0 to approve the collective bargaining agreement between the district and the New Kensington-Arnold Education...
North Hills School District announces key dates for students, job fair to fill 15 teaching positions
At its Jan. 8 meeting, the North Hills School Board announced high school Vice Principal Kevin Sheridan was named one of 15 local winners of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ annual Most Valuable Principal program, which recognizes school principals who go above and beyond. “Sheridan will be recognized at an upcoming game...
Pennsylvania health care professionals react to NYC nurses strike
Nearly 15,000 nurses from New York City’s top hospitals entered their second day striking on Tuesday, in what could be one of the largest labor clashes in the city’s health care industry in decades – and Pittsburgh’s health care workers are showing their support. The New York State Nursing Association,...
Harrison Hills to spruce up park, playgrounds
Playgrounds are getting an upgrade at Harrison Hills Park. The Allegheny County-owned facility in Harrison will see several projects this year, including new walkways, play equipment with safety surfaces, landscaping, signs and items to help with accessibility. Harrison Hills encompasses more than 500 acres of woods, streams, waterfalls and ponds....
Portion of walking trail closed at O’Hara Community Park
Walkers who use the trail at O’Hara Township Community Park will be forced to detour for a couple of months. A portion of the trail is closed through at least early March. It is necessary for work to be done on a Sycamore Run retaining wall, which supports the upper...
Blawnox man sentenced for child sexual assault
A Blawnox man was sentenced to 20 years in prison in connection with the sexual exploitation of a minor. James W. Muir, 60, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Pennsylvania. Judge...
EMS authority meeting postponed for Harrison, Tarentum, Brackenridge
A special meeting scheduled tonight to form a paid ambulance authority in Harrison, Tarentum and Brackenridge is postponed. Eureka Fire-Rescue personnel posted to Facebook, apologizing for the short notice....
