Regional category, Page 353
Philly man accused of stealing homes, empty plots from the dead
Authorities say a man forged deeds to steal six properties and homes, including some from the deceased, in a burgeoning Philadelphia neighborhood. Robert Stokes was charged Friday with theft, forgery and tampering with records. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office says the 50-year-old Stokes transferred bogus deeds that had forged signatures....
Recent snow boosts conditions, extends season at Seven Springs
Late season storms have boosted spring skiing conditions at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion. Friday, it boasted skiing across 33 slopes as well as seven natural trails not served by snowmaking, resort spokeswoman Katie Buchan said. She said the ski area is expecting good late winter skiing over an...
West Penn Hospital and ACHIEVA promote Early Intervention program
In a new twist on the importance of books, ACHIEVA’s Early Intervention is launching a new program at West Penn Hospital to promote literacy and the value of early help for children facing developmental challenges or disabilities. “Books at Birth” will provide families who give birth at West Penn’s NICU...
Allegheny Health Network’s new cancer center in Butler opens today
Allegheny Health Network’s new cancer center in Butler is opening today. The 34,00-square-foot facility in the Pullman Business Park is part of a $300 million investment the health system is making to expand access to cancer treatment in the region. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled from 12:30 to 2 p.m....
Cleveland suburb to pay $1M to estate of man fatally shot by police
CLEVELAND — A city outside Cleveland has agreed to pay $1 million to the estate of an unarmed man fatally shot by a police officer after a vehicle chase in 2017. Cleveland.com reports an attorney for the estate of Roy Evans Jr. confirmed Thursday that Strongsville has agreed to settle...
PennDOT to repair landslide along Route 422, work to take about a month
PennDOT is scheduled to begin a landslide repair project along Route 422 in Armstrong County just west of Elderton starting March 18. There will be temporary single-lane traffic during off-peak hours. Work should be completed by the end of April, according to PennDOT....
Pa. man jailed for choking wife now charged with plotting her murder
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania man already serving time for assaulting and choking his wife faces new charges of plotting to kill her from prison. WHP-TV reports Dauphin County officials say Leroy Newton Vencak Jr. has been charged with solicitation to commit murder. A criminal complaint says Vencak solicited another person...
Networking event at Pitt opens Pa. contracting opportunities to small businesses
Small businesses looking to promote their work and contract with the state will have the opportunity to network at the annual Job Order Contracting program at the University of Pittsburgh. The event, hosted by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, will connect small businesses with program contractors in general construction,...
Pa. Labor Relations Board rules for Pitt graduate researchers, teaching assistants
Some 2,000 University of Pittsburgh graduate student researchers, teaching assistants and teaching fellows are university employees and have the right to join a union, the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board ruled. The group began organizing under the auspices of the Pittsburgh-based United Steelworkers in January 2016 and filed for a union...
Fayette County man drove 117 mph seconds before fatal crash, troopers say
A Fayette County man was driving 117 mph seconds before his car slammed into another vehicle, killing a Smock couple and injuring two others the night of Sept. 20 along Route 51 in Franklin Township, state police allege. Tristian M. Lukehart, 21, of Fairchance was arraigned Wednesday on a number...
Cash 5 jackpot for Thursday’s drawing is $2 million
The Thursday night jackpot for Pennsylvania Lottery’s Cash 5 drawing is up to $2 million, tied for the largest top prize offered in the 27 years the lottery has offered the game. The previous $2 million jackpot was split by three people in January 2017. No one has won the...
Man speaking on cellphone fatally shot in Philly restaurant; 1 bullet goes through phone
Authorities say a man talking on a cellphone inside a Philadelphia restaurant was killed when someone fired several shots, including one that went through the phone and struck him in the face. But it’s not yet known what sparked the shooting, which occurred around 9:30 p.m. Thursday. The 26-year-old man...
Ohio governor delays 3 more executions while drugs reviewed
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has delayed three additional executions to give the state prison system time to develop a new lethal injection method. The Republican governor’s order Thursday follows a federal judge’s scathing critique in January of the first drug used in the current process, the sedative...
Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank adds 2 new board members
The Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood has two new members on its board of directors. Jill Standley, a community volunteer in Pittsburgh, and Anna Joyner, early head start family and community partnership specialist at Westmoreland Community Action in Greensburg, joined the board Wednesday. Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank,...
Butler woman who worked at UPMC pleads guilty to disclosing health information
A Butler woman who worked at UPMC pleaded guilty Wednesday to wrongfully disclosing health information, according to the U.S. Attorney in Pittsburgh. Linda Sue Kalina, 61, worked as a patient information coordinator with UPMC and its affiliate, Tri Rivers Musculoskeletal Centers in Mars, from March 7, 2016 to June 23,...
Pennsylvania imposes $1.5M fine on gas pipeline builder
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The builder of a natural gas gathering pipeline system in southwestern Pennsylvania is agreeing to a $1.5 million fine for failing to prevent sedimentation and erosion into streams during construction. The consent agreement between the state Department of Environmental Protection and Rice Midstream Holdings was released this...
Human services group seeks scholarship applicants
High-achieving, community-minded high school seniors seeking college aid might want to consider applying for the $10,000 Jamie Ellenberger Memorial Annual Community Service Scholarship. Officials at the Passavant Memorial Homes Foundation said the organization will accept scholarship applications from students in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Butler, Cambria, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Fayette,...
Victim identified in fatal Indiana County crash
An Armstrong County man was killed in a two-vehicle crash Wednesday morning in Indiana County, according to investigators. Douglas Chris Craig, 55, of South Bend Township, was driving east on Route 422 in Armstrong Township just before 4 a.m. when a Ford box truck crossed the center line and hit...
3 Western Pa. state prison employees accused in drug smuggling cases
Three prison staff members, including a guard at SCI Somerset, are charged in unrelated drug smuggling cases, the state Department of Corrections said Wednesday. “When we closed off the mail as a major avenue for drugs getting into prisons, we knew there would be pressure on other avenues for contraband...
Men need to step up to thwart violence against women, coalition says
“It’s none of my business.” “But he seems like a nice guy.” “Well, what was she wearing?” Those statements — referencing all-too-common reactions to reports of sexual abuse — are splashed across posters distributed around Western Pennsylvania alongside two words in large, bold lettering: “NO MORE.” Beneath the words appear...
Trump names 2 nominees to federal court in Western Pennsylvania
Allegheny County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert Colville is getting a second shot at a seat on the federal bench for the Western District of Pennsylvania — which covers 25 counties, including Allegheny and Westmoreland. President Donald Trump said he will nominate Colville, 54, to a seat on the U.S....
Sheetz adds beer caves to 5 more stores in Western Pennsylvania
You now have more options where you can stop and buy a cold six pack after work. Sheetz announced Tuesday it opened five more “beer caves” at stores in Western Pennsylvania. The stores are part a larger 30-store beer cave expansion. The new beer caves opened at: • 3611 4th...
Fayette County man accused of stealing Valentine’s Day bouquet of flowers
A Farmington man allegedly stole a $46 bouquet of flowers on Valentine’s Day from a Fayette County grocery store, according to state police. The 46-year-old man grabbed the bouquet at noon and walked out of the Giant Eagle in North Union, troopers said in a news release issued this week....
Volunteer firefighter, 17, dies in Fayette County car crash
A Lauren Highlands High School senior and volunteer firefighter died Sunday in a Fayette County car crash, officials said. The sudden death of Shawn Coleman, 17, was mourned Monday by his school community as well as local fire departments across the region. If you guys did not hear about the...
Operator of natural gas gathering pipeline in Greene County fined
The operator of a natural gas gathering pipeline in Greene County has been fined $1.5 million for environmental violations related to erosion and sediment control. The state Department of Environmental Protection said Monday it had assessed the civil penalty against Rice Midstream Holdings LLC for violations that occurred on the...
