Woman dies in Greensburg apartment fire; 18 residents displaced
A woman died in an apartment fire early Friday in Greensburg, according to Fire Chief Tom Bell and Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. An automatic fire alarm went off around 1:30 a.m. at an apartment building on Dornin Street, not far from the intersection of Highland Avenue and Mt. Pleasant...
Film screening next in 75th anniversary observance of deadly Donora smog disaster
It was 75 years ago when a deadly smog settled over the Washington County mill town of Donora. Over five days — Oct. 27-31, 1948 — the heavy smog killed 20 people in Donora and in nearby Webster, across the Monongahela River. In the weeks that followed, the death toll...
Hilltop Hose ‘sounding the alarm,’ doling out free smoke detectors to Natrona residents
A 2008 blaze in Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood started in a century-old vacant apartment and, within minutes, tore through five buildings along Chestnut Street, including the township tax collector’s office. “Oh, I remember that one,” said Pat Walters, who has lived in the community for 60 years. “There was another bad...
Supporters of Murrysville ‘tree sign’ updates estimate $100,000 in costs
Valerie Mittereder and her husband, Ed, own the “ysville” section of the Murrysville tree sign, a group of several hundred evergreens which spell out the name of the municipality, on a hillside overlooking Route 22. The “Murr” section of land is owned by Michael Hillebrand. But after nearly a century,...
Morning Roundup: Teen stabbed in Downtown Pittsburgh; woman shot in Crafton Heights
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Oct. 27: Teen stabbed in Downtown Pittsburgh A teenager was found stabbed in the 800 block of Liberty Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh just before 6 p.m. Thursday, Pittsburgh police said. The 17-year-old had stab wounds to his upper...
Fox Chapel area school news
Dorseyville Middle to stage musical Dorseyville Middle School will present “Frozen Jr.,” an adaptation of Walt Disney’s “Frozen”, one of the top-grossing animated films of all time. The musical will be performed Nov. 16 and 17, at 7 p.m. and Nov. 18 at 10 a.m. in the middle school auditorium....
McCandless cultural center hosting presentation about Pittsburgh musicians
The McCandless/Northern Allegheny Heritage and Cultural Center is hosting a free presentation about “Famous Pittsburgh Musicians,” Nov. 16, with two sessions at 5 and 7 p.m. Speaker and musician Gail Griffith will discuss famous musicians who came from Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh-area, including Bobby Vinton, Perry Como, Gene Kelly, George...
The Stroller, Oct. 27, 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. Used paper-back books needed for troops, veterans Last Word Bookstore, Lower...
Feliciani, Bilik-DeFazio seek return to bench for new 10-year terms
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judges Christopher Feliciani and Meagan Bilik-DeFazio have done more than sentence criminals to prison. Since 2015, the judges have presided over Westmoreland County’s fledgling drug court program that has seen dozens of participants charged with crimes find a path toward recovery. “Being a judge is more...
Proposed Lower Burrell budget has no tax increase, more money for firefighters
Lower Burrell’s proposed budget for 2024 includes no property tax increase for city residents and landowners. And, thanks to royalties from gas drilling at Burrell Lake Park, the city intends to provide additional funding to its volunteer fire departments. “What I’m going to propose today is that we got some...
Kovach retiring as district executive after 37 years with PennDOT District 12
Area highway and bridge projects were tracked primarily with paper documents when Bill Kovach signed on in 1986 as a civil engineer and construction inspector with PennDOT District 12. Now, as he prepares to retire Friday as the district executive, the staff he has led is beginning to shift to...
Casino Night in Aspinwall raises money for CDTCA
Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy is hosting a Casino Night fundraiser on Nov. 11 at the school gym. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the tables will be open from 7-10 p.m. The event will feature poker, blackjack, craps and roulette tables. The ticket price is $60 per person...
Bids rejected for Hampton tennis courts
As details emerge about the future of the tennis courts in Hampton Community Park, it’s becoming more evident how difficult it is to find affordable labor post-covid. At the Oct. 25 township council meeting, officials voted to reject all current bids and create a plan of action for moving forward....
Coroner identifies 2nd person who died in Washington County house fire
The second victim in a Washington County structure fire Tuesday has been identified. Coroner S. Timothy Warco identified the second victim as Kimberly Montes DeOca, 39. Warco said the coroner’s office has “exhausted all attempts to locate and notify” DeOca’s family. Warco is asking anyone who may have information about...
1 man dead, another in custody after North Versailles shooting
A man is in custody after a fatal shooting Thursday afternoon in North Versailles, authorities said. North Versailles police and EMS responded to the 600 block of Della Drive at about 1:15 p.m. In an apartment, they found a man, who they did not name, suffering from gunshot wounds, Allegheny...
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee votes against pro-Israel resolution on Hamas attack
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, voted against a pro-Israel resolution that passed the House on Wednesday in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks on the Middle Eastern country. Lee, who has condemned Hamas’ recent attack on Israel, said she voted against Wednesday’s Meeks-McCaul resolution because it fell short of acknowledging...
Police say North Side man confessed to killing former neighbor
It took three tries this week for Joshua James Short to kill his former neighbor, Pittsburgh police said. The 21-year-old North Side man tried breaking into Joseph Sees Jr.’s Manchester home at about 1 a.m. Saturday, Short told police in what they called a full confession to the murder. When...
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Oct. 27-29
The last hurrahs of the fall festival and Halloween seasons welcome visitors this weekend. Bushy Run Battlefield in Penn Township tries out a new programming approach to replace its traditional hayrides, and local vendors gather for the Irwin Farm Market. Bushy Run Duncan Campbell Haunting As a replacement for the...
Incumbent Democrats, Republican challenger vie for 2 Greensburg council seats
Greensburg residents voting Nov. 7 to fill two seats on city council will have a choice among incumbents in Democratic nominees Sheila Brumley and Randal Finfrock and Republican challenger Carrie Hamley. Brumley, a 2020 appointee seeking her first elected term, and Finfrock, who is completing his fourth term, are jointly...
On, Comet! Astrobotic sets Christmas Eve launch date for lunar lander
Pittsburgh has officially set its date to travel to the moon, and it will come as a Christmas present. Pittsburgh-based space company Astrobotic will launch its Peregrine lunar lander on Dec. 24 from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, said Astrobotic CEO John Thorton. “It has been 16...
Oakmont to host 2nd annual gourd drive for goats
Oakmont is preparing for its second annual gourd drive, a collection that will help settle a debt to some hard workers from earlier in the year. Over the summer, the borough partnered with Butler-based Capricious LLC, a goat rental company that specializes in clearing out or managing overgrown land. Eight...
Jeannette man to serve prison sentence for gun offenses
A Jeannette man was sentenced Thursday to a 5-to-10 year prison term for two gun-related incidents in 2021. John R. Horne, 32, pleaded guilty in August to his role in repeated weapons fire at a Jeannette home and allegations that he brought an old gun into a district judge’s office...
Local leaders recognize North Allegheny’s 75 years
State elected leaders presented citations during the Oct. 25 school board meeting that celebrate the 75th anniversary of the North Allegheny School District. State Rep. Dr. Arvind Venkat, D-McCandless; Rep. Rob Mercuri, R-Pine and Sen. Devlin Robinson, R-Bridgeville, presented the citations. Grace Muller, a representative of State Sen. Lindsey Williams,...
Hempfield unveils decade-long vision for township park
Hempfield Park is set to undergo a series of improvements over the next decade under an updated master plan presented at the township supervisors meeting this week. The plan focuses on enhancing the park environment, expanding recreation opportunities, fine-tuning operations, increasing accessibility, improving facilities and increasing staff, said Chris Sarson,...
Pittsburgh’s Sister Bridges star in light demonstration
Lights. Camera. Bridges. Allegheny County on Wednesday demonstrated an enhanced lighting system being installed on the Roberto Clemente (Sixth Street), Andy Warhol (Seventh Street), and Rachel Carson (Ninth Street) Bridges. They’re commonly referred to as the Sister Bridges. The installation of 601,440 color LED lights across the three bridges that...