Deputy had cocaine in system when responding to Garfield standoff, sheriff says
Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin M. Kraus said Tuesday that he fired a deputy who tested positive for cocaine just after responding to the six-hour standoff in Garfield that ended with the gunman’s death. The deputy, a seven-year veteran who Kraus declined to name, was one of 13 officers tested by...
Suspect fatally shot by a law-enforcement officer near Route 30 in North Huntingdon, investigation continues
A law enforcement officer fatally shot a suspect in North Huntingdon on Tuesday afternoon while agents with the state Attorney General’s Office were conducting a narcotics investigation, according to officials. The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office released a joint statement on behalf of the state police that said that, after...
Westmoreland City man forced off road after chase through neighborhoods
A Westmoreland City man is accused of leading state police on a chase Monday that reached 110 mph, at one point going the wrong way on Route 30, according to court papers. Ricardo S. Monteparte, 57, did not have a valid drivers license, police said. Troopers reported seeing a Jeep...
Altoona woman chases fame after Pittsburgh porta-potty fight video goes viral
Don’t call her Dalanie. Call her Romper Stomper. An Altoona-bred college student is cashing in on her 15 minutes of fame after a viral video from country star Morgan Wallen’s Aug. 31 performance at PNC Park showed her violently defending her mother at the concert’s porta-potties. Dozens of clips of...
Defense attorneys consent to gag order proposed by Zappala following video briefing
An Allegheny County judge on Tuesday granted a request for a gag order by District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. stemming from a video he made in which he commented on pending cases. The gag order covers a homicide case from August 2022, as well as the attempted homicide of...
Languages, woodworking, history and opera all topics in fall semester at Fox Chapel Area Adult Education
Exercise enthusiasts, language lovers and people with a passion for plants have a bevy of programs to choose from during the new semester of Fox Chapel Area Adult Education. Classes have varying start dates but registration is open now. “It’s back to school time for adults too,” Executive Director Sue...
Same Lower Burrell utility pole, power lines down twice in 3 days
The power lines and a utility pole near the Dunkin’ in Lower Burrell can’t seem to catch a break. Crews responded to the intersection of Wildlife Lodge and Leechburg roads, where people can turn into the Burrell Plaza parking lot from Wildlife Lodge, for downed power lines Tuesday morning —...
Penn Township man jailed after attempting to run from police officers
A Penn Township man was jailed without bail Friday after police said he led them on a chase when he didn’t have a valid drivers license. The driving record for Gregg L. Snyder, 59, is so voluminous that township police said they had to request a copy of it from...
Deadline nears to order T-shirts in support of Greensburg VFD cancer research benefit
Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department is looking to step up participation in its annual T-shirt sale so it can help “knock down” breast cancer. As in each of the past six years, the department’s goal is to sell more than 200 of the shirts, allowing it to donate $2,000 to the...
Police say New Stanton Manor fire was intentionally set during argument
A Hempfield man is accused by state police of setting a fire in his apartment Sunday morning, prompting the evacuation of the building, according to court papers. Frank M. Starr, 45, is being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $50,000 bail. Troopers were called to New Stanton Manor at...
Monroeville softballers raise money for Plum families
The Monroeville Sting Fast Pitch Tournament Team recently held a car wash to raise money for the families of the Rustic Ridge neighborhood in Plum. Head Coach Pete Griffith reported that the team raised almost $650. “It’s important to all of our coaches that we teach our team the importance...
Jennifer Kaniecki MacNeil appointed president of St. Joseph High School
Jennifer Kaniecki MacNeil attended St. Joseph High School in the 1980s, when Steve Jobs first introduced the desktop computer to the masses. “We had an Apple IIe at school and that actually launched my passion for technology,” MacNeil said. “It was while at St. Joe’s that I found an enthusiasm...
Drew’s Family Restaurant, a fixture in Forest Hills, is on the market for $1.5M
A restaurant that’s been a longtime staple in the Forest Hills community is up for sale. Drew’s Family Restaurant has been listed by Century 21 Fairways for an asking price of $1.5 million. The listing describes it as a turnkey restaurant. The Ardmore Boulevard eatery was opened by Spiro Countouris...
UPMC names new chief financial officer
UPMC has tapped Frederick Hargett as its executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Oct. 1, succeeding Edward Karlovich. Hargett comes to UPMC from Novant Health, Inc., a Winston-Salem, N.C.-based health system that encompasses 16 medical centers, more than 1,900 physicians and outpatient surgery centers, rehabilitation programs, diagnostic imaging...
‘Truly honored and very humbled’: Penn-Trafford nurse selected as grand marshal for township fall festival
Lisa Popovich was selected as a grand marshal for the Penn Township Fall Festival in 2008 for her efforts to bring a new, inclusive playground to McCullough Elementary. But when her mother-in-law died unexpectedly the night before the parade, she had to step down. Now, 15 years later, Popovich will...
Blackthorne clubhouse owner attempts to resolve dispute with golf course, lawsuit states
The owner of the clubhouse in Penn Township’s Blackthorne Estates community made an effort to resolve a dispute with the golf course owner, according to amended court documents. An update to a lawsuit filed by the township in May indicates that the clubhouse owner, Jeannine Schemm, was “willing to allow...
Duquesne Light to move transmission towers in Pittsburgh’s Hays Woods to more stable ground
Construction crews working in Pittsburgh’s Hays Woods are moving Duquesne Light’s transmission towers to a more stable area within the park, according to the utility company. “There’s a bunch of Duquesne Light transmission towers, and one of them is on unstable ground and is starting to move,” said City Councilwoman...
Dozens of Pittsburgh Public Schools move to remote learning because of heat wave
Pittsburgh Public Schools said Tuesday it is moving 38 of its schools to remote learning for the next two days because of the heat wave hitting the city. Spokeswoman Ebony Pugh said the district’s extreme heat protocols call for schools without air conditioning to move to remote learning when the...
Spotlight PA, Color & Culture hosting event to promote equity, democracy in Pennsylvania
An October event in Harrisburg aims to promote equity and democracy in Pennsylvania. “The Path to Equity: Empowering Pennsylvanians through Democracy Initiatives” will be co-hosted by Spotlight PA and Color & Culture. Spotlight PA is an independent non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh...
Heat wave arrives in Pittsburgh region, cooler temperatures come later in week
The Pittsburgh region will see at least two more days with temperatures breaking into the 90s as a heat wave continues to hover over Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh office of the National Weather Service said many parts of the region will see temperatures above 90 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday....
Latrobe man killed in vehicle crash
A Latrobe man was killed late Monday when state police said the vehicle in which he was a passenger hit an embankment in Wilkinsburg. Troopers said Michael N. Zappone, 47, was a passenger in a Jeep Cherokee being driven by David A. Whitlatch, 32, of Waynesburg. The SUV was seen...
Morning Roundup: Pittsburgh looking for archers for its deer-culling pilot
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Sept. 3: City officials seeking 30 archers for deer culling in Pittsburgh parks The city of Pittsburgh is looking for 30 qualified archers to help cull deer in two city parks as part of a recently created pilot...
Franklin Regional students will create, sell 3D-printed products through foundation grant
Generally speaking, math class is math class. Students learn math. In English class, students read and write. But teachers at Franklin Regional School District’s intermediate school will blend elements from across the educational spectrum as they work with a group of students to stock and run a student store. “Leadership...
Shooting suspect in custody after 7-hour standoff in McKeesport
A man is in police custody following an overnight standoff in McKeesport that lasted more than seven hours. Allegheny County Police on Tuesday charged Michael Paul Plopi, 42, of McKeesport, with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and a firearms violation in connection with the standoff, court records show. He had not...
The Depot Wi-Fi cafe and laundromat in Tarentum still in the works
A community resource center in Tarentum that was expected to open in 2021 is slowly rebounding from what organizers say was a covid-induced stall. The Depot, in the 300 block of Fifth Avenue, was hailed as a first-of-its-kind co-working space with a Wi-Fi cafe and laundromat. Backed by nonprofit Faith...
