Police: Hempfield woman stole money while working at Citizens Bank
A Hempfield woman was arrested Friday on police accusations that she stole $3,300 from a bank where she worked, according to court papers. Rachel A. Bates, 25, is free on $10,000 unsecured bail on felony charges of theft and receiving stolen property. An investigator from Citizens Bank contacted Westmoreland County...
New Kensington police say Penn Hills man reached for loaded stolen gun during traffic stop
New Kensington police accused a man of reaching for a stolen pistol in his vehicle when he was pulled over for running a stop sign. Tory Windel Jones, 29, of the 1100 block of Hulton Road in Penn Hills was charged with a felony count of receiving stolen property along...
New library director hits the ground running, continues popular free food pantry program in Apollo
The Apollo Memorial Library has started a new chapter in its leadership. After the sudden departure of former library director Jennifer Ramsey on May 9, members of the library’s board of trustees began their search for a replacement. They found it in Spring Church resident Beth Moore. Moore, 56, said...
Police say New Kensington man punched the EMT who took him to the hospital
A New Kensington man is accused of punching an emergency medical technician while being highly intoxicated as the EMT transported him to Allegheny Valley Hospital. James Howard Mott, 57, of the 1700 block of Ridge Road was charged by Highmark Health Police with a felony count of aggravated assault along...
Salem barn destroyed by fire following lightning strikeVideo
Ed Immel was getting ready for bed on Thursday night when a loud clap nearly shook him out from under the covers. “I thought it was just thunder,” he said. A few minutes later, he saw a dull orange glow out the window and knew that his barn was on...
‘Changed man’ gets probation for police standoff and parking lot attack
On Thursday, nearly two years after he barricaded himself in his Hempfield home and tried to kill himself, George Gardner claimed he was a new man. Gardner pleaded guilty Thursday to charges that stemmed from two separate incidents in 2021 in which authorities said he shot at his wife and...
Sara Innamorato’s state House exit triggers Allegheny County special election
Allegheny County will see another special election this September, the fourth time in 2023 that voters in the county will pick a replacement for state representative. With State Rep. Sara Innamorato, D-Lawrenceville, resigning to focus on her run for Allegheny County Executive, the 21st state House District is vacant and...
Officers begin added South Side patrols
Pittsburgh police has deployed a dedicated unit patrolling the entertainment district in the city’s South Side neighborhood on weekends. The unit includes seven Pittsburgh police officers Thursdays through Sundays, Police Chief Larry Scirotto told the Tribune-Review last week. That effort has started this week, public safety spokesperson Cara Cruz said...
Pa. antlerless deer license sales double last year’s pace as 2nd round nears
The second round of 2023-24 antlerless deer license sales begins at 8 a.m. Monday as the Pennsylvania Game Commission tries to catch up with a huge increase in the number of permits sold during the first round. The agency is allowing antlerless deer licenses to be purchased anywhere hunting licenses...
South Greensburg man pleads guilty to recording sex with teen
A South Greensburg man pleaded guilty Thursday to charges that he recorded video of sexual encounters with a teenage girl. Police said Nicholas James Rossi, 27, had a seven month sexual relationship with a then 17-year-old girl in 2021 and 2022 in which he recorded their sex acts. Rossi pleaded...
Morning Roundup: 3 injured in 2-vehicle crash on North Side
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, July 21. 3 injured in 2-vehicle crash on North Side A two-vehicle crash on the North Side of Pittsburgh has left three people injured, one in critical condition. A report from Pittsburgh Public Safety said the crash occurred...
Pittsburgh looks to dedicate $3.5 million to major Homewood Park renovations
Pittsburgh officials are looking to dedicate $3.5 million to a major renovation effort at Homewood Park. The park will be updated with a football field and other amenities. Homewood Community Sports — in partnership with The Heinz Endowments, Operation Better Block, Neighborhood Allies, Bridging the Gap Development and The Mission...
Severe thunderstorms move through Western Pa.; thousands left without power
Severe thunderstorms and damaging winds moved through Western Pennsylvania late Thursday, leaving thousands in the region without power. As of 11:30 a.m., just under 2,000 customers remained without electricity, including about 1,600 West Penn Power customers. While the number of outages has dropped as the day wears on, the bulk...
North Allegheny begins celebrating 75th birthday
In 1948, a loaf of bread was 15 cents, a movie ticket was 60 cents, the average cost of new house was $7,700, historical archives say, and the North Allegheny School District was born. The district officially turned 75 on June 10. There’s been much growth since its inception in...
Divine Grace in Cranberry hosts summer festival
Divine Grace Parish in Cranberry Townsip is hosting a three-day parish festival Aug. 11-13 at its St. Ferdinand Church location, a community event open to the public that has historically drawn from 15,000 to 20,000 people. St. Ferdinand Church is located at 2535 Rochester Road. The festival will offer carnival...
The Stroller, July 21, 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. Fun and Freedom Youth Sports to host golf fundraiser A golf...
$25 million in upgrades underway at Highlands schools
With the start of school just over a month away, Highlands is readying its buildings with safety upgrades such as lighting and new sidewalks in time for the first class bell. Projects are underway at all four campuses as well as the community center. The cost is about $25 million....
Tarentum targets 3 abandoned properties with holes, mold and rodents
Three abandoned Tarentum homes that officials say double as raccoon and rat refuges could come down as early as next month. “All three are in severe disrepair. They have holes, mold and are a nuisance to their neighborhoods,” code enforcement officer Anthony Bruni said. Work could start by late August...
St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Arnold helps children orphaned by war
With help from the Catholic community in Arnold and beyond, Ukrainian children orphaned by war now have day camps and new friends to look forward to. A campaign by the Rev. Yaroslav Koval at St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church sought donations to assist a youth group in his native country....
Zoning update to bring significant changes in West Deer
West Deer residents can expect significant changes as a new zoning ordinance progresses, completely overhauling the zoning map. The new ordinance draft is not yet accessible to the public. “This is a very comprehensive zoning update. Many new definitions have arrived, and an entirely new zoning district was created,” township...
Hempfield closes on former state prison property, bulks up security
Hempfield officially received a full box of keys to the former SCI Greensburg state prison facility after closing on the property last week. “There are a lot of keys to a prison, I found out,” township manager Aaron Siko joked at a meeting this week. The township supervisors announced the...
North Huntingdon moves step closer to residential rental registry
Landlords renting homes and apartments in North Huntingdon will have to register their buildings and tenants and pay a fee, if township commissioners approve a proposed ordinance. Commissioners on Wednesday authorized the township solicitor to write an ordinance requiring the registration of residential rental properties, despite concerns by some landlords...
Greensburg police officer pleads guilty in 2022 assault case, resigned from force
Editor’s note: Former Greensburg Kenneth Burke pleaded guilty Friday to an amended misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and summary harassment. The charges to which he pleaded guilty were incorrect in the original version of this story. A suspended Greensburg police officer has been forced to resign after pleading guilty Friday...
Johnstown couple charged in death of man whose body was found in Indiana County
A Johnstown couple has been charged in connection with the shooting death of a man whose body was discovered July 14 along an Indiana County road. State police have charged Justin Allen Green, 41, with homicide and robbery in the death of Daryl Vincent Lee Jr., 44, of Johnstown. Green...
Independence Health announces 4 members of leadership team
Independence Health System officially has a new leadership team, composed of four longtime department heads from the system’s component parts of Butler Health System and Excela Health. On Thursday, Independence introduced Dr. Carol Fox as chief medical officer; Dr. David Rottinghaus as president of Physician and Provider Network; Karen Allen...
