Allegheny category, Page 305
Mon Valley residents, advocacy groups call for more action on air qualityVideo
A month after a Dec. 24 fire at the Clairton Coke Works knocked out equipment used to clean coke oven gas, Mon Valley residents and environmental groups are calling for a “hot idle” at the facility. “We don’t want to damage the plant, we want the damage to stop,” said...
‘Stronger than Hate’ shirt maker helping furloughed federal employees, too
Some Pittsburgh area furloughed federal workers are getting their first pay in about a month from a Robinson company that continues to produce Stronger than Hate shirts. The 123shirt.com company, a small family-owned and operated custom clothing venture, is employing some of the workers, said Larry Barasch, who co-owns it...
Missing autistic Forest Hills boy found unharmed in Pitcairn
Allegheny County officials said a 13-year-old boy missing from Forest Hills has been found safe and sound in Pitcairn. Police said Austin Kocher, who is autistic, was last seen around 4 p.m. Wednesday at his Forest Hills home. Authorities found him a little more than two hours later. Michael DiVittorio...
Western Pennsylvania municipalities will vie for landslide, flood relief
Matt Brown, emergency services chief for Allegheny County, Wednesday urged municipalities battered by landslides and recurring flooding to compete for a new pot of federal funding. Up to $10 million in hazard-mitigation grants has been made available statewide, despite the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s denying Western Pennsylvania’s request to declare...
Ramp from 40th Street Bridge to Millvale to be closed Thursday into Friday morning
The ramp from the 40th Street Bridge to northbound Route 28 in Millvale will be closed for at least 20 hours starting Thursday morning. The closure is happening so a Pennsylvania Water and Sewer Authority contractor can install an inlet to divert water away from the off-ramp. Work is scheduled...
Pittsburgh moving hearing on gun ban to first floor of City-County Building, Downtown
Citing public safety concerns, Pittsburgh officials Wednesday announced a change of location for Thursday’s highly anticipated public hearing on a proposed gun ban. The hearing will be held on the first floor of the City-County Building on Grant Street, Downtown, but the city will provide seating only for disabled people,...
Allegheny County Sheriff dog tracks down suspect in Munhall shooting
A Pittsburgh man suspected in a recent Munhall shooting was arrested Wednesday morning by Allegheny County Sheriff’s deputies. Santonyo Lewis, 44, of the city’s North Side, tried to elude deputies but was tracked down by the sheriff’s police dog, Woody. Lewis was wanted on charges stemming from an incident Jan....
Guy Costa to retire from public service for 2nd time, this time for good
Guy Costa parlayed a part-time job during college in the 1970s sweeping out the old Civic Arena into a public service career that spanned 40 years. Costa, 63, of Squirrel Hill announced Wednesday that he will retire at the end of March. It is the second time Costa has retired...
Pittsburgh police save baby who wasn’t breathing
A baby who wasn’t breathing prompted quick action by two Pittsburgh police officers and is recovering, according to a post on Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Zone 5 Facebook page. The officers, Jena Bednarowicz and Bryce Valencic, were on patrol Sunday in the city’s Larimer neighborhood when they were dispatched to...
Downtown Pittsburgh’s Bea Taco Town allowed to reopen
Bea Taco Town in Pittsburgh’s Downtown has been allowed to reopen, according to Allegheny County Department of Health records. The Smithfield Street restaurant was ordered to close earlier this month after failing to have a valid health permit and issues with wastewater draining in to the basement, according to a...
Allegheny County Executive Fitzgerald nominates his economic development director to airport authority
Allegheny County Economic Development Director Lance Chimka has been nominated to fill a vacancy on the county Airport Authority board of directors. County Executive Rich Fitzgerald’s nomination was presented at a county council meeting Tuesday. The nomination will now be reviewed by the council’s committee on appointment review before a...
Threat at Chartiers Valley High School not credible, say police, district officials
A threat made against the Chartiers Valley High School on Wednesday was not credible, according police and officials at the district. Evening activities at the school will happened as planned, but Superintendent Johannah Vanatta urged parents to check with coaches. The school will be open Thursday. “As always, the security...
Crash with injuries reported in same spot as fatal vehicle crash in Hazelwood
At least one person was injured in a multi-vehicle crash Wednesday morning around the border of Hazelwood and Greenfield, Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV reported. The crash was reported shortly before 7:30 a.m. at Irvine Street and Greenfield Avenue, Allegheny County 911 dispatchers said. It is the some spot where a...
Ascend rock climbing gym expands to Bridgeville location
America’s climbing craze continues to catch on in the Pittsburgh area. Ascend, a rock climbing gym on the city’s South Side, announced on Facebook that they are opening a second location in Bridgeville. The new facility will be part of Newberry Market, a mixed use development in South Fayette Township....
Traffic blocked on I-79 north after tractor trailer overturns
Traffic was blocked along I-79 north early Wednesday after a tractor-trailer hauling soft drinks overturned between the Crafton and Coraopolis exits, officials said. The crash was reported at 5 a.m. at mile marker 63.5. At 9:15 a.m., traffic cameras showed traffic getting past the rolled over tractor-trailer in one lane....
Bethel Park School District cancels classes for Wednesday
Bethel Park High School will be closed Wednesday due to a sprinkler malfunction, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. The malfunction occurred on Tuesday and resulted in an evacuation, WPXI-TV reported. A phone call went out to parents, notifying them that the needed cleanup was extensive enough that the school...
Pittsburgh looking to borrow $62M for capital projects in 2019
Pittsburgh is poised to borrow $62 million for capital improvements in 2019. City Council on Wednesday gave preliminary authorization for the issuance of bonds to pay for such things as street paving, facility improvements and equipment. Members also approved the hiring of Clark Hill, a Downtown law firm, to serve...
Upper St. Clair dog attacked by rabid raccoon
The Allegheny County Health Department said Wednesday a raccoon found in Upper St. Clair tested positive for rabies. In a news release, ACHD said the raccoon was “involved in an altercation” with a dog on Shenandoah Drive in Upper St. Clair. The dog was up-to-date on its rabies vaccinations. The...
Penn Hills School District, facing $10.9M budget shortfall, accepts state oversight
The state-tapped chief recovery officer set to begin work at Penn Hills School District next month will confront an anticipated 2018-19 budget shortfall of $10.9 million, looming spikes in debt payments and a proposed property tax rate hike that would make residents in Penn Hills among the highest-taxed in Allegheny...
Pittsburgh police promote longtime sergeant to command staff
Pittsburgh police promoted a longtime sergeant to the rank of commander Tuesday in a small ceremony in Mayor Bill Peduto’s office. John Fisher, a Pittsburgh police officer for more than three decades, is now a commander in the administrative branch, where he will oversee the training academy, the Office of...
Jury for Michael Rosfeld, charged in killing of Antwon Rose, to come from Dauphin County
A jury will be chosen from Dauphin County in the homicide case against former East Pittsburgh police officer Michael Rosfeld, charged in the 2018 killing of Antwon Rose II, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday. The DA’s office tweeted Tuesday that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered that Dauphin...
Defense attorney pleads guilty to covering up overdose death
A Pittsburgh defense attorney pleaded guilty Tuesday to covering up the overdose death of a friend and abandoning the body in a Squirrel Hill alley. Kevin Abramovitz, 38, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence, obstruction of the law and hindering apprehension. Judge Jeffrey A. Manning...
‘Cool Down for Warmth’ returns to Market Square for 5th yearVideo
With temperatures hovering in the teens Tuesday morning, the construction of a 1,000 square-foot ice house in the middle of Market Square seemed only appropriate. For the fifth year, Dollar Energy Fund will host the “Cool Down for Warmth” on Thursday and Friday. The event aims to raise awareness and...
Police looking for person who fled Turtle Creek shooting scene
A 17-year-old boy was treated and released from a local hospital after being shot Tuesday morning in Turtle Creek, Allegheny County police said. Turtle Creek police and paramedics went to the 900 block of Oak Avenue around 8 a.m. in response to 911 calls about a shooting. The boy had...
Botched SWAT raid would cost Pittsburgh $80,000 under proposed legal settlement
Pittsburgh would pay a Brighton Heights woman $80,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging city SWAT officers five years ago wrongly broke down her front door and terrorized her children after mistaking her apartment for a drug dealer’s. City Council on Tuesday introduced a resolution that would end the lawsuit filed...
