St. Alexis in McCandless holds 30th-anniversary festival
Nothing says midsummer in Pittsburgh like hazy, humid days followed by church festivals in the evening. On just about any July or August night if the wind is right, you can smell fresh burgers grilling and hear children screaming as they ride the rides, as what occurred July 12-15 at...
Allegheny County names new head of public defender office
Allegheny County has named a replacement for former Chief Public Defender Matt Dugan, who stepped down on July 7 as he runs for district attorney. The county said Thursday that Laura McWilliams is taking over as leader of the Office of Public Defender effective immediately. McWilliams will lead the office...
Pittsburgh man awaiting sentencing on burglary, assault convictions now faces child rape charges
A Pittsburgh man awaiting sentencing on burglary and assault convictions has been ordered to stand trial on allegations that he raped a 9-year-old girl. Brandon West, 30, was ordered Thursday to stand trial on charges of rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child, indecent assault of a...
From veggies to slushies, Hampton farmer’s market offers something for everyone
The weekly farmer’s market at Hampton Community Park offers more than just an opportunity for local businesses to sell fresh produce and handmade commodities. One family has used the farmer’s market business to help an autistic member. Stacey Gray of Indiana Township needed to find something for her 21-year-old son...
Blind Norwin High School student portrays Rafiki in ‘The Lion King Jr.’
An avid “Lion King” fan, Angelina Angelcyk was thrilled when she was selected to play Rafiki the baboon in the Geyer Performing Arts Center’s production of “The Lion King Jr.” Angelcyk, a rising senior at Norwin High School, has listened to the movie countless times on VHS tape and attended...
Snakes still loose in Ross spark interest, but not much fear
It’s been an anxious week for Ross residents since a 3-foot albino python was first seen slithering through the outfield grass near the baseball diamond at Ross Community Park on the Fourth of July. Though pythons are nonvenomous, the U.S. Geological Survey says the snakes can be dangerous because they...
51 apartments planned in Pittsburgh’s Uptown
A proposed development in Pittsburgh’s Uptown would bring 51 new apartments to the neighborhood. The Standard on Fifth would be situated on what is now vacant land at Fifth Avenue and Moultrie Street. The four-story building would include a mix of market-rate and affordable apartments, according to information presented to...
Jeopardy! winner donates $15,000 for North Allegheny boathouse to honor late brother
Six-hundred-dollars in the hole, Beaver oral and facial surgeon Chris Ban felt like he was “blowing” his appearance in the June 27 episode of “Jeopardy!”. During an intermission, he looked to his late younger brother, Michael, for a little help. “After that, things started to turn,” Chris said. He’d go...
Veterans Memorial Stadium cleared for use by Springdale football team in fall
The Allegheny Valley School District will have a home field after all for the upcoming football season. Concerns about using Veterans Memorial Stadium in Springdale arose after a damaged portion of the field’s exterior wall was assessed in May. The wall, which was built in 1938, leans toward the stadium...
Aspinwall Presbyterian Church schedules pet blesssing
Aspinwall Presbyterian Church will conduct a blessing of pets at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 22 on the Third Street side of the church grounds. The church is located at 299 Center Avenue in Aspinwall. Though pet blessings traditionally occur in October in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron...
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh gets approval to expand Heart Institute
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh has received approval from the city’s Planning Commission to build an addition at its Lawrenceville site to expand its Heart Institute. Plans call for a 50,000-square-foot addition atop an existing parking structure. The addition will accommodate the growing Heart Institute and create space for new...
Plans for 234 apartments in Pittsburgh’s Strip District receive Planning Commission approval
Plans for 234 new apartments in Pittsburgh’s Strip District received approval this week from the city’s Planning Commission. The proposed development includes two six-story apartment buildings — one on Smallman Street and the other at an adjacent property on 30th Street. The plans from Hermitage-based Hudson Companies call for one-...
Franklin Regional Middle School students compete at National History Day finals
Two Franklin Regional Middle School students took their knowledge of history all the way to the National History Day competition’s national level last month. Humna Anzaar and Symal Bukhari took first and third place, respectively, at the National History Day state-level competition, earning spots at the nationals, held June 12...
Franklin Regional 10U travel team wins ‘Summer Slam’ tournament championship
The Franklin Regional 10U travel baseball team went undefeated over the weekend of July 7-9 and brought home a championship from the Seneca Valley 10U Summer Slam Baseball Tournament. The team beat Peters Township and Beaver to lock up the tournament’s first seed and won three games on July 9...
Murrysville area: Local live music, book sale donations, summer festivals and more
Email news briefs and local event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Summer festivals • Export’s annual Ethnic Food and Music Festival will be from 12-9 p.m. Aug. 19 on Washington Avenue. Main stage entertainment will be DeStella Dance Studio (12:15 p.m.), Jack Tady (1 p.m.), The Licks (3:30 p.m.), Americana (5:30 p.m.)...
Allegheny Township officials ponder next steps regarding manager’s replacement
Allegheny Township supervisors voted to accept Manager Greg Primm’s resignation Monday amid praise for him and a question about the need for the position. Primm, who has been the township manager since 2009, submitted his resignation last week. On the very night the township supervisors accepted his resignation, he was...
Cute ‘snuggling’ baby sea lion born at Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
Wide-eyed California sea lion, Kai, celebrated his public debut at Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium on Thursday. Born on June 16, the new pup enjoys spending time with his mother, Keliah, and exploring the Kids Kingdom sea lion habitat. “Kai has a wonderful bond with his mom,” said Alex Cauley, the...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: July 14-16
Double the fun There are two places for music lovers to party on Friday in Greensburg. A 21-and-older Art on Tap is set for 5 to 7 p.m. at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main St. The event promises outdoor music by The Belladonnas, tailgate-inspired games, light...
Dismissal of cruelty charges against former Pittsburgh animal control officer draws criticism
A Pittsburgh police officer and an animal rights activist say they are disturbed by a district judge’s decision to throw out animal cruelty charges against a former city animal control officer. District Judge James A. Motznik dismissed all four charges against James Genco III, 48, during a July 6 preliminary...
Police: Blairsville carjacking suspect arrested in Georgia
A man accused of cutting a woman in the face and neck during a Blairsville carjacking was arrested Thursday in Georgia, according to state Trooper Tristan Tappe. Authorities had been searching for Michael A. Whitfield, 35, since the violent attack Wednesday morning outside a personal care home. He also is...
Police say 900 packets of fentanyl seized during raid at New Kensington woman’s home; 2nd suspect sought
State and county narcotics agents accused a New Kensington woman of being a drug dealer after, they say, 900 packets of fentanyl were confiscated during a raid at her home. Ieesha Franshawn Rajab, 41, of the 1100 block of Fifth Avenue was charged with two felony counts of possession of...
Trooper: Stolen car pulled over speeding through Turnpike construction zone in Richland
State police accused a man of having pot in the car while he was speeding through a Turnpike construction zone in Richland in a stolen vehicle. Alexander David Rocco, 22, of Dover Drive in Cranberry was charged with a felony count of receiving stolen property along a count of prohibited...
Library StoryWalk planned for Verona
Books don’t have to be, well, books. Along a fence in an Oakmont Carnegie Library garden is a StoryWalk, a series of laminated poster-sized pages from a selected children’s volume set up sequentially so youngsters can enjoy an educational stroll. And the concept looks to be coming to Verona. During...
Police: Man who stole 3-wheel bike from Iron City brewery returned days later on different stolen bike
A homeless man from Colorado accused of breaking into the Pittsburgh Brewing plant in East Deer and stealing a three-wheeled pedal bike told police he stole another bicycle three days later to ride back to the facility, according to authorities. David Austin Jay, 45, was charged by Allegheny Valley Regional...
Jury: Pittsburgh synagogue attacker eligible for death penalty
Robert Bowers is eligible for the death penalty. Whether a jury will impose it will be determined over the next few weeks. On Thursday, after deliberating for less than two hours, a jury of seven women and five men found that the man who killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh...
