Oakmont Council discusses possibility of scenic byway
Rick Duncan, president of the Allegheny River Boulevard Preservation Association, and Michael Dawida, chairman of Scenic Pittsburgh, attended Oakmont’s Sept. 5 work session to begin a discussion in support of naming the Allegheny River Boulevard a scenic byway. Duncan said that he has already received a resolution of support from...
Neuroscience Institute facility planned on Allegheny General Hospital campus
A five-story building at Allegheny General Hospital will be converted into a Neuroscience Institute for the acute treatment and long-term holistic management of neurological diseases. Construction at James and Hemlock streets on Pittsburgh’s North Side is underway and expected to be completed late next year. The project in the 80,000-square-foot...
Plum EMS to host car seat safety check at Holiday Park VFD
Safety is always top of mind for Plum first responders, which is why they have organized an event to make sure families are taking proper care of their most precious cargo. Plum EMS hosts its annual car seat safety check from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 16 at the...
Former Allegheny County Airport Authority vice president alleges race discrimination, retaliation
A former Allegheny County Airport Authority employee filed a federal lawsuit this week accusing the organization of racism. Charmaine Easie-Samuels, who worked in the agency’s marketing, communications and customer experience department, was hired as a vice president in December 2021. She was fired nearly a year ago. The lawsuit includes...
Separate Oktoberfests brewing in Saxonburg and Vandergrift
Say cheers to beer at two separate Oktoberfest festivals on back-to-back weekends in Saxonburg and Vandergrift. Sprankle’s annual Octoberfest celebrates its fifth anniversary with a three-day celebration Friday through Sunday at the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company fairgrounds in Saxonburg. Oktoberfest in Vandergrift is a one-day celebration Sept. 16 on Grant...
Dragon Boat Festival comes to North Park Sept. 30
The dragon awakens, and it then begins — The Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival, which celebrates the sport of dragon boat racing and breast cancer survivors in the greater Pittsburgh area. The festival on Sept. 30, at North Park Lake on Pearce Mill Road is in its fifth year and was...
Trial begins in 2019 North Side shooting that left 1 dead, 1 injured
Ashley Strong had just stopped her car at Kennedy and Norwood avenues on Pittsburgh’s North Side to drop off her friend. Cedrick L. Mack was supposed to be meeting someone named Reese on the afternoon of Dec. 18, 2019. Strong saw the person he was supposed to meet walking up...
Franco Harris, Mac Miller join Pittsburgh personalities in Monroeville Mall mural
One of the most recognizable individuals in Pittsburgh history would shake hands with folks he met and introduce himself, as if they didn’t know, by saying: “Hi, I’m Franco.” The friendly, unassuming side of football legend Franco Harris is what artist Kyle Holbrook knew. “When I would text him or...
Ligonier man pleads guilty to possessing child porn
A Ligonier Township man pleaded guilty Wednesday to disseminating and possessing child pornography. Mathew Louis Hoffer, 57, was charged last spring after state investigators linked his home computer to file-sharing programs that contained sexually explicit images of children. According to court records, police found at least 25 files on Hoffer’s...
Tarentum boaters say borough deadline to retrieve docks is ‘impossible’
People who have dock space along the Allegheny River in Tarentum are asking for added time to pull their items from the water and shoreline after council eliminated leases until further notice. Council in August said leases will not be approved until the borough has a finalized riverfront development plan,...
Angel wings: Young Ariel to be remembered at the Butterfly Ball in Ross
Ariel Silvaggio loved animals, including bugs, spiders and worms. When her mom would pick her up from daycare, she would see the little girl playing in the dirt. Teachers would often send her mother pictures of Ariel digging to see what living things she could find outside. “She would come...
Day of Peace commemorated Sept. 24 in McCandless
A festival to celebrate peace and what’s right with the world will take place Sept. 24 at North Park in McCandless. The 19th Annual North Hills International Day of Peace Festival is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start at Point Grove on North Park’s Lake Shore Drive. The finale, a...
Pitt Seed program invests in projects proposed by faculty, staff
Boosting the teacher pipeline in Pennsylvania and helping marginalized students succeed in college are among the five projects that have been selected for investment by the University of Pittsburgh. The program, called Pitt Seed, provides internal financial support for pilot projects that have growth potential and could have direct impact...
Truck gets stuck at railroad intersection in Springdale
A tanker truck got stuck Wednesday morning at the Colfax Street railroad crossing in Springdale. The truck became hung up on the Norfolk Southern tracks, causing railroad traffic to shut down while police and officials worked to remove the tractor-trailer from the tracks. It appeared the truck might have gone...
Latrobe Art Center to host 14th annual Mister Fred Rogers Fine Arts Juried Exhibition
Latrobe Art Center will host the opening reception for the 14th annual Mister Fred Rogers Fine Arts Juried Exhibition 5-7 p.m Friday. Nearly 50 of the participating artists who created the 75 pieces in the exhibition are expected at the reception. The exhibition will run through Sept. 30. Justin Gunther,...
Legislation would prohibit most development in Pittsburgh’s city parks
Legislation before Pittsburgh City Council would prohibit most development in the city’s parks and greenways. Sponsored by Councilwoman Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield, the measure would bar nonrecreational development — including most roads — in city-owned parks and greenways. “What this ordinance does is make it abundantly clear that our city parks...
Pittsburgh Regional Transit adds mobile ticketing for light-rail tripsVideo
Pittsburgh transit riders can now use their cellphones to pay fares on the region’s light-rail cars. Pittsburgh Regional Transit announced Wednesday that mobile ticketing validators have been installed on all of its T rail cars. This includes the red, blue and silver lines that travel between Pittsburgh’s North Shore and...
Canine ‘Cavalier’ Roo celebrates 1st birthday posing for yearbook picture at Kiski Area High School
A Kiski Area School District therapy dog was ready for her closeup Wednesday during picture day in the high school library. Roo, a 1-year-old deaf therapy dog, joined the Kiski Area staff in January after being adopted by Superintendent Misty Slavic. “She’s the sweetest thing when she roams the hall,”...
Oakmont Volunteer Fire Department swears in 8 members
Oakmont Mayor Sophia Facaros swore in eight volunteer firefighters Tuesday at the borough’s monthly work session. Facaros chose to call on each volunteer separately to recite the oath of office. “You all probably don’t get as much recognition as you should for the work that you do for the community,”...
Pittsburgh approves limited deer hunting program in city parks
Limited archery hunting will be permitted in two Pittsburgh parks this year. City Council on Wednesday approved legislation that will clear the way for limited deer hunting to address a deer population that officials have said has grown too large. Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration will host a pilot program in...
Pittsburgh food bank warns of scammers after phony solicitations at Rib Fest
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is warning people of potential scammers who have been posing as food bank representatives at several large events, including Rib Fest last weekend on the North Shore. The food bank said Pittsburgh police are investigating potential fraud following several reports of people posing as...
Tri-axle truck overturns on Claypike Road
A section of Claypike Road in Mt. Pleasant Township was shut down for a couple hours Wednesday morning after a tri-axle truck overturned, spilling its load. The one-vehicle crash was reported at 9:20 a.m. in the area of Sheriff’s Lane, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatch supervisor. A section of...
Westmoreland happenings: bingos, rummage sale, community festival, more
Submissions from nonprofit organizations for Briefly Speaking should be emailed to cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Include a complete address and daytime phone number. Submissions are due at least two weeks prior to the event. Each announcement is printed once; there is no fee. Church News • Greensburg Church of the Brethren will host...
DA: State police justified in fatally shooting Fawn man last October
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said Wednesday that state police were justified in fatally shooting a Fawn man who brandished a gun last fall after troopers responded to a domestic disturbance report. Zachary John Cervice, 50, was killed on Shamrock Lane as he got out of a...
Residents invited to discuss social, economic and other issues with officials in Leechburg
“Let’s talk.” That’s the message from Leechburg-area clergy and officials as they prepare to host an inaugural town hall meeting Sept. 27 at the Marconi Club in Leechburg. The meeting is presented by the Leechburg Ministerial Association, which comprises several Leechburg and Gilpin churches. Participants will include government officials, school...
