Regional category, Page 303
Western Pa. native burned in New Zealand volcano eruption
A Western Pennsylvania native and his wife were among the 18 people who were hurt when a volcano erupted Monday in New Zealand. At least five people were killed and dozens of others were missing after the eruption on White Island, New Zealand’s most active cone volcano. Matthew Urey, 36,...
VP Mike Pence asks for 4 more years in White House during Beaver County visit
Vice President Mike Pence promised during a visit Tuesday to a Beaver County Veterans of Foreign Wars post that he and President Trump would make Pennsylvania “more prosperous than you could possibly imagine” if reelected in 2020. Pence called the impeachment inquiry a “disgrace,” vowed continued support for military veterans...
Gas prices fall in Pittsburgh area, most states, analyst says
Gasoline prices fell in most states over the past week as a large increase in gasoline inventories may have offset a surprise oil production cut announced by OPEC, said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for price-tracking service GasBuddy. “While OPEC’s announcement was certainly not expected, it lasts just three...
Police: Beaver County man charged in fatal shooting of Aliquippa man last month
An Aliquippa man Friday was charged with shooting and killing another man last month in Beaver County, authorities said. Javonte Eric Simmons, 24, remained in the Beaver County Prison on Sunday after being denied bond. He faces charges of homicide, tampering with evidence and a firearms violation in connection with...
30 years in: Pennsylvania’s heritage areas boost tourism, local economiesVideo
Over the past three decades, the Pennsylvania Heritage Area Program has grown to cover every corner of the state — and nearly all of the middle, too. It has also matured to pump billions of tourist dollars into local economies each year. Launched in 1989 after a decade of planning,...
VP Mike Pence to meet with veterans at Beaver County VFW Post
Vice President Mike Pence will visit Rochester, Beaver County next week to meet with veterans supporting President Trump’s campaign, according to a release from the Trump campaign. The visit is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Pence will be at the Rochester Veterans of Foreign War Post 128,...
Indiana County bridges named for 14th Quartermaster reservist, astronaut candidate
A bridge that connects Westmoreland and Indiana counties has been renamed in honor of a local Army reservist who was killed in an Iraqi missile attack during Operation Desert Storm. Gov. Tom Wolf last week signed legislation designating the Route 56 bridge over the Conemaugh River as the Specialist Beverly...
Show goes on at some Western Pa. drive-in theaters during the holidays
Flip-flops and lawn chairs might be replaced with Christmas lights and mittens, but one thing holds true at the drive-in theater — tradition. At Starlight Drive-In in Butler, Beth Chiesa-Manson and her husband John Manson are gearing up for their annual Christmas at the Drive-In, an event scheduled this week...
Washington County man dies in apparent ATV crash
A 50-year-old Eighty Four man was discovered dead Thursday, pinned under his all-terrain vehicle on his Washington County farm, according to the county Coroner S. Timothy Warco. Warco’s office reported that Scott Manko had left his home off Route 519 on the ATV about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, but did not...
Canonsburg’s ‘Old Fashioned Christmas’ gets boost from Hallmark ChannelVideo
The streets are adorned with holiday lights. The windows are decorated with red-and-white candy canes and pink-and-green gum drops. The trees are trimmed with sparkling ornaments and silver garland. It’s reminiscent of a scene out of a vintage Hallmark movie. So it’s fitting that Canonsburg’s Old Fashioned Christmas has all...
Several fire departments in Westmoreland, Allegheny counties receive grants
Several Westmoreland County volunteer fire departments will soon be able to add training sessions and purchase new equipment thanks to a grant from the Chevron energy corporation. These volunteer fire departments will receive grants up to $5,000: Sewickley Township stations 1, 2, 3 and 4; Smithton; Sutersville; Turkeytown; and Yukon;...
Pirates legend Bill Mazeroski putting personal memorabilia up for auction
When Bill Mazeroski smashed a walk-off home run over Forbes Field’s left field wall, he not only secured the 1960 World Series crown for the Pirates but claimed a top spot in Pittsburgh sports history. His hit and jubilant celebration as he rounded the bases still stand as one of...
Indiana County whooping cough cases prompt vaccination clinic
A whooping cough outbreak in Indiana County prompted the state Department of Health to host a walk-in vaccination clinic. The clinic will be open from 2-6 p.m. Thursday at the Indiana County State Health Center, 75 N. Main St., Indiana. It is in response to an ongoing outbreak in which...
Abused farm animals get care at Kindred Spirits Rescue Ranch in Beaver County
When Lisa Marie Sopko walks around her 20-acre property in South Beaver Township, she unwittingly becomes the grand marshal of a barnyard parade. Goats, sheep and donkeys follow in her footsteps. Ducks and chickens waddle behind her, and a cow named Daisy pulls up the rear. “She’s a real Dr....
Police: Pittsburgh man found hiding in hollow log after chase in stolen car
A Pittsburgh man accused fleeing a traffic stop in a stolen car Saturday afternoon on Route 22 in Indiana County was found two hours later hiding in a hollow log in the woods, state police said. Andrew Lamont McCrommon, 28, was driving the 2016 Audi A4 on Route 22 in...
Winter weather advisory: Parts of Western Pa. could get 7 inches of snow
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory that includes parts of Westmoreland County. The advisory, which runs from noon Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday, is forecasting between 3 and 7 inches of snow in an area that stretches from Franklin County southwest to Tucker County, W.Va. The...
Aliquippa football coach Mike Warfield tapped as feds’ new law enforcement coordinator
The leader of Aliquippa High’s storied football program has a new day job. Mike Warfield recently completed his second year as the Quips head coach. On Monday, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady tapped Warfield, 50, of Center, to be the law enforcement coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the...
Police apprehend Indiana County man charged in alleged Black Friday crime spree
State police Tuesday apprehended an Indiana County man accused of stealing a pickup truck from one home and a rifle from a second before allegedly attempting a break-in and armed robbery at two other homes. David P. Dilts Jr., 36, of Penn Run, wanted on more than 30 charges related...
Police: Man used bed sheet to strangle cellmate at state prison in Mercer
A man serving time at the state prison in Mercer County is accused of strangling his cellmate with pieces of a torn bed sheet, according to state police. Investigators say Darl Heverly, 35, will be charged with criminal homicide and other crimes in connection with the Dec. 2 murder of...
Man dead in Peters fire; woman escapes home
A man died after suffering injuries in a house fire Monday evening in Peters, officials said. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the man as Robert Gries, 84. The fire was reported at about 5:20 p.m. at a home along Clara Lane, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. Gries was...
Average gas prices drop in Pittsburgh, U.S.
Gas prices moved lower in the Pittsburgh area and across the nation in the past week, according to the price-tracking website GasBuddy.com. In the Pittsburgh area, the average price dropped 1.2 cents per gallon to an average of $2.85, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 731 stations. That’s 2.3 cents per...
Indiana County man faces dozen of charges in alleged crime spree
State police are searching for an Indiana County man who they said stole a pickup from one home, a rifle from another and then threatened people at a third home on Friday. Police filed more than 30 charges against David P. Dilts Jr., 36, of Penn Run, including felony counts...
State court rules Indiana County man serving life for murder not entitled to forfeited property
A Saltsburg man serving a life sentence for the brutal 2013 slaying of an Indiana County gun shop owner lost his bid to have $18,733 and other seized assets returned to his family. Jack O. Edmundson Jr., 49, who pleaded guilty to killing Frank S. Petro, 62, of Conemaugh Township...
Look-alike Oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl worries officials
Reducing the number of legitimate painkiller pills being sold illegally on the street is having an unintended consequence: Mexican drug cartels are now shipping potentially lethal look-alikes that mimic oxy but contain fentanyl. Oxycodone can come in the form of a blue 30-milligram pill that is among the most popular...
Light snowfall expected Monday in Western Pa., up to 3 inches near Latrobe
Western Pennsylvania’s commuters could be confronted with slippery, icy roads Monday amid a spate of snow flurries expected to continue through Tuesday morning, meteorologists said. Sunday night’s severe thunderstorms that brought rain and hail to parts of Allegheny, Butler and Beaver counties will transition into snow showers after 3 a.m....
