Western PA Local News category, Page 1044
Police: Beechview man charged with homicide after shooting
A 23-year-old Beechview man remained in jail Tuesday in connection with a fatal shooting along Banksville Road, Pittsburgh police said. Connor Cusick Makstutis, 23, is charged with homicide and is in the Allegheny County Jail, according to police. The man who was killed was identified as Richard William Derkach, 34,...
Monroeville church’s fish fry tradition continues
There are just a few weeks left for folks to tell their priest, deacon or fire chief their fish sandwich could use some extra tartar sauce. The last Lenten fish fry at St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church in Monroeville is on Good Friday. Dozens of volunteers put in countless hours...
Former Pirates closer convicted of sex assault loses appeal in Superior Court
The state Superior Court on Monday affirmed the conviction of former Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez, who was found guilty nearly two years ago of sexually assaulting a minor. Vazquez, 31, is serving a 2- to 4-year prison term at the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill after a jury...
Homewood crash overturns ambulance; 2 in stable condition
A female ambulance driver was taken to the hospital with hand and pelvic injuries after a crash Monday afternoon flipped the ambulance she was driving onto its side in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood, according to police. Pittsburgh police, ambulance and fire units were called to the intersection of Oakwood and Bennett...
Urban Redevelopment Authority looks to redevelop Carrick property
An abandoned property in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood is slated to be redeveloped for either affordable or mixed-income housing. The city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority is accepting proposals from redevelopers through the end of the month. The URA said it wants to transform the Brownsville Road property known as Berg Place into...
First-year Chartiers Valley unified bocce team advances to state tournament
A first-year Chartiers Valley High School activity is providing a way for senior Marko Orbovich to honor an uncle who died of cancer. “He used to play bocce a lot, so I decided to play for him,” Marko said. Uncle B.J. no doubt would be enjoying the results. Marko and...
PNC says it is not in talks to acquire Silicon Valley Bank
PNC Financial Services has surfaced in reports to be among the potential suitors in talks to acquire SVB Financial Group. However, the Pittsburgh-based bank on Monday said that talks are not taking place. “PNC is not in talks to acquire SVB Financial or Silicon Valley Bank,” the bank said in...
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announces PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh season
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” is the first show coming to the Benedum Center in Downtown Pittsburgh for Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh lineup for the 2023-24 season. The shows were announced on Monday. “Securing the finest Tony Award-winning shows from the Broadway stage to the Benedum Center as...
Jeannette city council rejects appeals to stop property demolition
Three Jeannette properties are once again slated for demolition after city council last week rejected appeals to halt removal of the blight. Council members unanimously denied the appeals of: Charles Schade for 313 S. Fifth St., Sherran N. Herring for 420 Division St. and Lyle Milner for 12 S. 12th...
Police say Unity couple threatened by man wielding shotgun
A Unity man was denied bail over the weekend after state police said he pointed a shotgun at his ex-girlfriend and her new beau, according to court papers. Skylar B. Musnug, 18, is charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats and related offenses. The woman told troopers that she and her...
Gasoline prices edge higher as change to summer blends underway coast to coast
With the change to more expensive summer gasoline underway across the country, the national average has increased for the second straight week, an industry analyst said. Wholesale gasoline prices are increasing at a rate typical for this time of year, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy....
Hempfield man jailed after police find child pornography on computer
A Hempfield man arrested last month in connection with a social media sex sting is facing new charges after state police said they found more than 1,100 images and videos of child pornography on his computer. Thomas J. Hibbard, 60, is now being held without bail on 900 child pornography...
Minn. man arrested after incident at Hempfield Walmart
A Minnesota man was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison after state police said he used portable speakers and a microphone to talk about covid, the internet, the Black Lives Matter movement and his spiritual awakening inside the Hempfield Walmart. Spencer Tomasek, 25, was arrested Saturday on charges of...
Pittsburgh airport getting daily flights to Austin
Two emerging tech cities are improving connections with the announcement of increased flight service between Pittsburgh and Austin, Texas. Southwest Airlines announced last week it will be increasing service between Pittsburgh International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport starting this fall. The Texas-based carrier will expand flights from weekend-only to daily...
1 man shot and killed in Clairton
A man was shot and killed Monday morning in Clairton. Allegheny County Police responded just before 7:30 a.m. to a reported shooting inside a residence in the 400 block of Miller Avenue. First responders found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim...
Murrysville woman’s book sales will benefit cat rescue organization
When Nina Damato was searching for a way to raise money for local animal rescue efforts, she didn’t have to look much further than the two cats in her living room. The feline siblings are both blind. Damato, 71, of Murrysville, cheekily named them Louis Braille and Andrea Bocelli. Her...
New Kensington-Arnold adopts new calendar with earlier start, ‘catch-up’ days built in
The 2023-24 school year will start earlier for students and teachers in the New Kensington-Arnold School District under a new calendar that includes other significant changes. Superintendent Chris Sefcheck said students were at the “very center” of the calendar’s development. “The only thing budgets and grant money cannot buy is...
What does Pittsburgh’s mild winter mean for spring bugs?
On the calendar, it might technically be winter. In real life, Penn State assistant research professor Michael Skvarla just pulled a black-legged tick off his daughter about a week ago. That’s typically a spring and summer problem. But the Pittsburgh region is on pace for one of its mildest winters...
Westmoreland GOP head seeks to remove 2 commissioner challengers from ballot
Attempts to remove two Republican challengers for Westmoreland Commissioner from the May ballot will be heard this week. Two lawsuits were filed late last week by the chairman of Westmoreland County’s Republican Committee alleging John Ventre and Paul Kosko, both making their second attempt to run for commissioner, did not...
Police say dog shot with pellet gun in Fayette County
Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the shooting of a dog in Fayette County. Between 12:30 and 2 p.m. March 7, a dog escaped a fenced yard in South Union, police said. When it returned, the owner noticed it had been shot multiple times by a pellet gun. The dog is...
Western Pa. could see 1-2 inches of snow
Looks like snow’s not done with us just yet. Monday’s weather forecast in Western Pennsylvania is calling for considerable cloudiness and a chance of snow, according to the National Weather Service in Moon. Highs Monday are expected in the upper 30s, with a 50% chance of precipitation — and that...
Beaver County man assaulted ex-girlfriend, threatened to kill another person at Rivers Casino, police say
A Beaver County man was arrested late Friday after state police said he assaulted an ex-girlfriend at Rivers Casino and threatened to kill another person. Police said Edward Thomas Smorey, 53, of Hookstown, approached the 57-year-old woman around 10:40 p.m. Friday at the casino’s Drum Bar. Police said he pulled...
Valley High School pool, auditorium focus of $1.3M in spending
The New Kensington-Arnold School District will spend nearly $1.3 million on projects at the high school and two of the district’s three elementary schools. The lion’s share — a little more than $1 million — will pay for renovations at the pool and auditorium at Valley High School. About $671,000 is...
Hampton area happenings, week of March 13, 2023
Wildwood Road closed until November PennDOT has closed Wildwood Road between West Hardies and Hardt roads in Hampton for a project to replace the Wildwood Road Bridge superstructure. The closure is expected to take approximately 247 days, with the bridge projected to reopen early November. The designated detour is Hardt...
Plum, Oakmont area happenings, week of March 13, 2023
Plum GOP hosts Senate leader The Plum Borough Republican Committee is hosting a spring dinner at 6:30 p.m. March 30 at Palmieri’s Restaurant, 951 Old Frankstown Road, Plum. Keynote speaker is Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman. A buffet dinner plus coffee, drinks and dessert is $40. The event will...
