Regional category, Page 267
Gas well impact fees drop in 2019; Westmoreland County gets $1.16 million, Allegheny County $1.8 million
Derry Township is sitting on a gold mine of natural gas trapped in the Marcellus shale, which drillers have tapped to the great benefit of the municipality — to the tune of $2.4 million in gas well impact fees since 2012. The township will get almost $232,000 from the 2019...
Pennsylvania to spread $157 million to help schools clean, get ready for classesVideo
Schools in the state — public and private — will get at least $120,000 to help pay for cleaning and sanitizing classrooms, cafeterias, gyms and offices in time for students to return for the resumption of in-person classes in August for the first time since mid-March. Gov. Tom Wolf announced...
Western Pa. police chiefs support some reforms in Trump executive order, question others
Police departments in parts of Southwestern Pennsylvania applauded some elements of President Trump’s executive order on police reform and expressed skepticism toward others, particularly those aimed at bringing social services into some police situations. Trump announced the executive order Tuesday in a Rose Garden press briefing after weeks of protests...
Pennsylvania offers $1,500 to help cover dairy farmers’ losses
Dairy farmers can get at least $1,500 from the state to recover some of their losses if they dumped milk or could not sell products after markets dried up when covid-19 shutdowns closed schools and limited restaurants. Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday announced a $40 million aid package for Pennsylvania...
Western Pa. high schools honored for voter registration efforts
Eight local schools are among 42 statewide honored with the Governor’s Civic Engagement Award for their efforts to register students to vote during the 2019-20 school year. Brentwood, City Charter School, Deer Lakes, Elizabeth Forward, Franklin Regional, Kiski Area, Leechburg Area and Mt. Pleasant Area were among nearly 160 Pennsylvania...
Butler woman accused of fatally stabbing boyfriend
Police said a Butler woman stabbed her boyfriend to death in their apartment on Sunday. Butler City Police on Monday charged Shaina Ann Helen Grush, 31, with criminal homicide in connection to the death of Robert Wagner, 43. The two lived together in an apartment on the city’s West Jefferson...
Former Washington Co. youth soccer coach pleads guilty to sending explicit photos to minor
A Washington County youth soccer coach pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to charges of transfer of obscene material to a minor, according to U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady. Timothy Cribbins, 46, of California used Snapchat twice to send explicit photos to a female under the age of 16 in...
Grand jury indicts 19 in Philadelphia-to-Indiana County drug trafficking operation
A federal grand jury in Johnstown indicted 19 people from Indiana County and Philadelphia for participating in a drug trafficking ring that distributed cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine for nearly two years, U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said. The suspects were arrested last week on three counts of violating federal narcotics...
Children’s Place to close 300 stores by end of 2021
The Children’s Place will close nearly a third of its stores by the end 2021, the specialty apparel retailer announced recently in revealing its first quarter 2020 results. The company said it plans to close 200 stores in 2020, and another 100 in 2021. The Children’s Place had 920 stores...
Fayette County Fair canceled
The Fayette County Fair is the latest in the region to be canceled amid concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. The fair board’s decision was announced in a post Monday night on the fair’s Facebook page. The event had been scheduled for July 30-Aug. 8 in Dunbar Township. “Our concern for...
Body of murdered New Castle teen found
New Castle police found the body of missing 19-year-old Amari Wise in a wooded area off of Pennsylvania Avenue, Tribune-Review news partner WPXI reported Monday evening. Both of the men wanted in Wise’s death, a father and his son, are now in custody, New Castle Police said. Todd Henry, 47,...
Penn State plans reopening to in-person classes during fall semesterVideo
Penn State joined a growing list of colleges and universities across the state planning to reopen in-person classes this fall. In-person classes will begin Aug. 24 as originally planned, according to information posted this week on the school’s website. When classes resume Nov. 30 following the Thanksgiving break, however, they...
Pittsburgh’s MSA Safety repurposing industrial masks to use against covid-19
Hospitals are struggling with a global shortage of personal protective equipment during the covid-19 pandemic, but one regional company received national acclaim for easing the burden. MSA Safety, founded in 1914 in Pittsburgh and now based in Cranberry, is a global manufacturer of safety equipment for mining, construction, energy and...
Pittsburgh LGBTQ groups applaud Supreme Court ruling
Western Pennsylvania’s LGBTQ community praised Monday’s Supreme Court decision to protect gay and transgender worker rights. “We are beyond proud to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling protecting LGBTQ people from workplace discrimination in America. It is long overdue, and it is the result of years of activism and sacrifice...
Somerset man, 80, accused of fatally shooting grandson who came to aid of grandmother
An 80-year-old Somerset County man is being held without bond for allegedly shooting and killing his grandson who was attempting to break up a domestic argument between his grandparents late Sunday. Ray Edward Supanick of Jenner Township was arraigned on charges of criminal homicide, aggravated assault, harassment, possessing instruments of...
What you can expect as gyms reopen in Western Pa.Video
Plexiglass between treadmills. New cleaning machines. Limited occupancy and hours. These are some of the new safety protocols people can expect as gyms reopen during the pandemic. Josh Eller owns Leap Fitness Center in Lower Burrell. When his gym reopened, he had several new safety measures in place. He installed...
Virus outbreak grows to 28 cases at West Virginia church
A coronavirus outbreak at a West Virginia church has grown to 28 cases, Gov. Jim Justice said Monday. The outbreak that occurred last week at the Graystone Baptist Church in Lewisburg has led to additional available testing for the public in Greenbrier County. Justice said during his daily news conference...
Western Pennsylvania’s housing market roars back to life with easing of pandemic restrictionsVideo
A red-hot housing market can be attributed to pent-up demand from people who’ve been pent up. Homes in Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler and Westmoreland counties sold for a combined $135.5 million in May — up 13% from May 2019 — and the 551 homes sold last month represented a 10% increase...
Gas prices expected to continue to rise ahead of Fourth of July holiday, analyst says
Gasoline prices in the Pittsburgh area and across the nation continue to rise as demand has risen to its highest level in three months, according to the price-tracking service GasBuddy. The national average has now risen for seven straight weeks, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy....
Suspect in New Castle teen’s homicide arrested in Maryland
A man wanted for homicide in a missing person’s case in New Castle was arrested in Maryland, New Castle police announced late Sunday. Connor Farris Henry, 20, who police charged with killing Amari J. Wise, 19, was arrested in Ocean City, Md., police said. Wise’s family reported him missing on...
Markleton man pronounced dead at Somerset County crash scene
A 26-year-old man died in a one-car crash in Somerset County on Sunday, according to state police. State police identified the man as Bryan Lee Phillippi of Markleton. The crash happened around 4 a.m. on Glades Pike in Jefferson Township. State police said Phillippi was heading east on Glades Pike...
Concerts to benefit Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank rescheduled to Butler drive-in
A benefit concert for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank has been rescheduled. Rockers Gene the Werewolf, the Hawkeyes and the Clarks will now perform June 27 at the Starlight Drive-In along North Main Street Extension in Butler. It was originally booked as a two-night performance with Gene the Werewolf...
Girl rescued after falling from cliff at Buttermilk Falls Park in Beaver County
A girl was rescued Sunday after falling over a cliff in Beaver County. County dispatchers said a rescue call came in around 5:10 p.m. from Buttermilk Falls Park along First Avenue in Homewood Borough. State police and Beaver County Sheriff deputies were on scene, and emergency responders were able to...
Police: Man stabbed to death in Butler
A man was stabbed to death Sunday in Butler, according to authorities. Butler City Police identified him as Robert Wagner, 43, of West Jefferson Street. Police said they were called to Wagner’s address shortly after 2 a.m. for a report of an injured person. When they arrived, they found Wagner...
Western Pa. store owners say high beef prices should drop soon
Taco Tuesdays are a big draw at Meetheads Bar and Grill in Vandergrift. But for the time being, Meetheads isn’t selling the popular $1 beef tacos on Tuesdays. Owners Jeff and Amy Frazer say they just can’t afford it. “The beef prices are crazy right now,” Amy Frazer said. “Within...
