Westmoreland prosecutors appeal judge’s evidence rulings in alleged rape case
Westmoreland County prosecutors have appealed a judge’s ruling that limited the evidence they can present in the trial of a Hempfield man accused of raping a woman who has since recanted the allegations. Assistant District Attorney Barbara Jollie contends Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger made five errors that substantially...
Pa. candy company exec who mass-produced Peeps gets his own day
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — With prime Peeps season about to get underway, the Pennsylvania city where they’re “born” is honoring the man who brought marshallow chicks to the masses. The (Allentown) Morning Call reports that Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez proclaimed Friday as “Bob Born Day” in a ceremony at company offices....
Slippery Rock president responds to racial incident on campus
Slippery Rock University’s president on Monday plans to join other university officials and student leaders to discuss how to make the university more welcoming and a safer place for all after a racial incident in which a Black History Month poster was defaced with hateful and racist comments last weekend....
Somerset County still struggling to expand broadband service
Somerset County officials are nearly two years into a project to expand broadband internet service at four industrial parks and still have little to show for it. County commissioners, who have been unable to reach an agreement with a qualified firm, referred questions to Jason Roblin of MCM Consulting Group....
9/11 fund running out of money for those with illnesses
NEW YORK — The compensation fund for victims of 9/11 is running out of money and will cut future payments by 50 to 70 percent, officials announced Friday. September 11th Victim Compensation Fund special master Rupa Bhattacharyya said she was “painfully aware of the inequity of the situation” but stressed...
Stained glass windows stolen from historic Braddock church
Police are investigating the theft of more than a dozen stained-glass window panes from a 126-year-old church in Braddock. A passerby noticed the theft Thursday morning at the former First United Presbyterian Church on Parker Avenue, according to a spokesman for the Mon-Valley Initiative. The church, built in 1893, shut...
Power outage planned in Lower Burrell next week
There will be a planned power outage in Lower Burrell next week. According to the city, First Energy-West Penn Power will interrupt service in the area of Michigan Avenue between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 21 to upgrade facilities. In case of inclement weather, the outage will...
Gunman kills 5 people, wounds 5 police at Illinois business
AURORA, Ill. — An employee of a manufacturing company opened fire at its suburban Chicago plant Friday, killing five people and wounding five police officers before he was fatally shot, police said. Aurora, Illinois, Police Chief Kristen Ziman told a news conference that the gunman was 45-year-old Gary Martin and...
Report of ‘suspicious bicyclist’ in Hempfield leads to arrest by troopers
A man riding a bicycle through a Hempfield neighborhood before dawn Friday allegedly entered unlocked vehicles and took items, including a handgun, state police at Greensburg reported. Troopers arrested Douglas A. Bartrug, 32, of Pittsburgh, at 3:50 a.m. in the Farmbrook Drive area of Fort Allen after he was discovered...
Percussion, auxiliary band units to compete in Penn-Trafford indoor shows
The Penn-Trafford High School Music Department will sponsor two competitive band shows Feb. 23 in the high school gym that will feature color guard, baton, dance and percussion units from area high schools, universities and independent groups. A Tournament of Bands Indoor Association show will begin at 10 a.m., with...
McArdle Roadway to be closed Saturday
People looking to visit Mt. Washington on Saturday who planned to use the McArdle Roadway to get there will have to use an alternative route. The road will be closed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. to allow a contractor to remove debris along the road, according to the city’s...
Raccoon in Green Tree is 3rd animal to test positive for rabies in Allegheny County in 2019
The Allegheny County Health Department confirmed Friday that a raccoon brought to one of its facilities earlier this week tested positive for rabies. The raccoon is the third animal this year to test positive for rabies. The raccoon was discovered near the 1500 block of Glencoe Avenue in Green Tree....
Tarentum considering regulations governing solar panels
Tarentum is considering regulations that would govern the installation and use of solar panels in the borough. The proposed ordinance includes proposed fees and technical requirements for what are broadly referred to as “customer-owned generation of electricity,” which could include things besides solar panels, such as windmills. Tarentum operates its...
Rye revolution: Craft distillers in Pittsburgh, elsewhere bring back pre-Prohibition whiskey favorite
The revival of centuries-old rye whiskeys — including Monongahela and Maryland styles — is helping foster a renewed interest in historic spirits. “Rye whiskey in general is swinging upward in the market,” said Teresa DeFlitch, director of people and education at Pittsburgh-based Wigle Whiskey. The volume of rye whiskey produced...
Disabilities awareness event at Westmoreland Mall to focus on wellness
Health and wellness will be the focus of Westmoreland County’s annual Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness event March 2 at Westmoreland Mall. Part of IDD Awareness Month, the free event will bring together more than 20 organizations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the mall’s center court — to...
Clay target shooting club proposed at Norwin
Norwin High School students who want to shoot clay targets could get the chance to compete against other schools this spring. About 20 students are interested in competing for Norwin in the Pennsylvania Clay Target League, said Lt. Col. David Sandala, high school senior aerospace science instructor. The co-curricular club...
Black bear hitches a ride on dump truck
Hitchhiking is illegal on highways in North Carolina. So, clearly a black bear that hopped a ride on the back of a dump truck along Route 17 in Windsor, N.C., was in violation of said law. But who’s gonna bust him? The truck was taking garbage to a landfill in...
Police: 3 people found dead near railroad tracks in Columbus
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Police say the bodies of three people have been found near railroad tracks in Ohio’s capital city of Columbus. The Columbus Dispatch reports someone called 911 around 7:30 a.m. Friday to report finding the bodies. A dispatcher told the newspaper that officers found one person on the...
Allegheny County Council to consider tearing down Deer Lakes Park building
The Deer Lakes Park Administration Building could soon be slated for demolition. Allegheny County Council at its meeting Tuesday will consider a bill submitted by county Executive Rich Fitzgerald to authorize demolition of the building. The building functions as an office facility. The bill states that the county Department of...
Pittsburgh data company Niche plans to double workforce
A Pittsburgh-based startup that helps people choose schools, neighborhoods and companies is set to double its workforce by year’s end with a $2 million investment from a former AOL executive. Niche, an online platform for informed decision-making, announced the $2 million investment from Tim Armstrong, CEO and founder of dtx...
Smithton man accused of assaulting Westmoreland prison guard
An 18-year-old Smithton man was charged Thursday for allegedly assaulting a Westmoreland County Prison guard as he was being strip-searched following his arrest Oct. 7. Timothy D. Ingram was arraigned on charges of aggravated assault and simple assault filed by county detectives. He was remanded to the county prison after...
Thousands raised for Ross man who lost uninsured home in fire
Fundraising for a Ross Township man whose uninsured home was destroyed by fire last week has exceeded half its goal, so far. A GoFundMe page was set up to collect contributions for Chris Fromme, who lost all of his posessions in a fire that destroyed his home along Pittview Road...
Westmoreland Transit cancels more bus routes due to driver shortage
More route cancellations and changes to Westmoreland County Transit Authority bus service were instituted Friday as the driver shortages continued to plague the public transportation system. The authority announced the 4:15 p.m. bus — one of eight outbound trips from Pittsburgh on the 1F Route that operates through North Huntingdon...
Harrison commissioner: Garbage-bill scofflaws at root of illegal dumping problem
A Harrison commissioner wants to publicize the names of residents who are behind on their garbage bills, hoping it spurs at least some of the residents to pay up and alleviates a problem with illegal dumping. More than 500 residential garbage accounts are delinquent in Harrison, and Commissioner Charles Dizard...
This bald eagle rescue story will melt your heart
An eagle was grounded but flies again thanks to volunteers at a northern Michigan wildlife rescue organization. A volunteer for the Empire, Mich.-based Wings of Wonder rescued a bald eagle Feb. 1 that was grounded on Lake Michigan with a nearly 8-inch ice ball frozen to its tail, according to...
