Western PA Local News category, Page 1165
McKeesport man faces homicide charge in connection with infant son’s death
A McKeesport man who police said shook his infant son to the point where the boy experienced brain bleeding and died now faces homicide charges. Michael Barber, 29, initially gave witnesses and police several explanations for how the five-month-old baby was injured on Aug. 31, including that his toddler dropped...
Shop with a Cop fundraisers in Unity, Latrobe sustain annual effort for children in need
State Trooper Steve Limani is braving Black Friday crowds at the Unity Walmart in an effort to raise money for children in need who will get to participate in Shop with a Cop next month. He’s planning to be outside the store along Route 30 from 10 a.m. to 2...
Plum planning to draw down reserves, not increase property tax in 2023
Plum is not increasing real estate taxes, but would draw down its reserves by about 42% under the proposed budget for 2023. The entire proposed budget for all borough funds is about $23 million, Finance Director Michael Whitico said. That’s an increase of $3.42 million — or about 17.5% —...
Letter to the editor: Herbst House sale has been discussed
I would like to take exception to a quote by Father Brian Noel in the Nov. 10 article on the Herbst House on Broad Street “Still in limbo” by Michael Divittorio. In the article, Fr. Noel states that “We’re not looking to sell that property. It was never our intent...
Hampton Community Library seeks board members
Hampton Community Library is seeking new members to serve on the board of trustees. No experience is necessary, just a desire to help shape the library for the future. Email a letter of interest to Erin Hasinger at hampton@hamptoncommunitylibrary.org by Dec. 18. Library programs include: • Brrrr! It’s Cold Outside...
Allegheny Valley Hospital to shift adult mental-health services to geriatric patients only
Adults in the Alle-Kiski Valley seeking mental health care no longer will be able to access in-patient services from Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. Beginning Monday, the facility along Carlisle Street will be shifted to provide expanded psychiatry services for geriatric patients only. “We are not closing the unit but...
Pittsburgh school board takes stance on race, gender identity teaching in classroom
Pittsburgh Public Schools board members this week took a stance on four state House and Senate bills, unanimously passing a resolution that called the measures regarding race and gender identity “inconsistent” with the needs of district students. Pennsylvania House Bills 1532 and 2813 restrict certain teachings about race and sex,...
Chestnut Ridge, ‘The Twilight Zone of Pennsylvania,’ is the setting for strangenessVideo
It’s known as “The Twilight Zone of Pennsylvania” or “The Disneyland of the Paranormal.” Sometimes it’s simply “The Mysterious Chestnut Ridge.” It’s the westernmost ridge of the Alleghenies, rising in southern Indiana County and continuing to the south-southwest for approximately 75 miles, stretching along Westmoreland and Fayette counties and on...
Christ the Divine students deliver holiday cheer to Sharpsburg’s St. Vincent dePaul food pantry
Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy students and staff have much to be thankful for, and they were busy spreading the good cheer ahead of Thanksgiving. Students made their traditional pre-holiday trek to St. Vincent dePaul food pantry in Sharpsburg to donate an abundance of food. Student council members delivered...
Man charged with macing couple in dispute over dog at Frazer pet shop
Frazer police arrested a man for allegedly pulling a knife on his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, then spraying them with mace to get a dog away from them at a pet shop. James William Dezort III, 35, of the 500 block of Clyde Street in New Kensington was charged...
Blue Knights expand effort to feed area families for Thanksgiving
Westmoreland County law enforcement officers were out in force last week to round up the usual suspects: turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, veggies and butter — the time-honored ingredients of a Thanksgiving dinner. For the second year in a row, local Chapter I of the Blue Knights motorcycle club for active...
Hampton Bands’ Holiday Extravaganza set for Dec. 3
While the Hampton Bands’ Holiday Extravaganza features a day full of students performing music, folks who attend can expect a whole lot more. “We really try to make sure that when a family decides to go to the event, everybody in the family has something that they’re interested in and...
Northern Regional Police Department recognized by AAA
One of the nicest things about living in northern Allegheny County is the ability to easily travel between serene neighborhoods scattered along winding, tree-lined roads to vibrant shopping districts that connect to major interstate roadways. But getting to and from just about anywhere in Pine, Richland, Marshall and Bradford Woods...
Letter to the editor: Sewickley council president responds to budget story
As president of Sewickley Borough Council, I am writing about the article published online Nov. 10 (and in print Nov. 17) “Sewickley officials pass preliminary budget without public input.” Contrary to the eye-popping headline, Sewickley’s budget was developed, discussed and passed just as it always is — in a series...
Police: Pittsburgh man facing 90 charges after hiding cameras in restrooms
Police have arrested a Pittsburgh man they say planted cameras inside restrooms — including one at The Frick Pittsburgh in Point Breeze — and videotaped “several hundred” men, women and children. Todd Bueschen, 35, faces 90 charges that include invasion of privacy, sexual abuse of children and possession of child...
Kiski Area to explore $22 million intermediate school renovation
Kiski Area School District officials are moving toward financing a projected $22 million renovation of the intermediate school. The board Monday approved a resolution appointing Janney Montgomery Scott LLC as the district’s bond underwriter and the law firm of Dinsmore and Shohl LLP as its bond counsel. Superintendent Misty Slavic...
Police say trio admit to using stolen credit card to buy nearly $2,000 in gift cards at Hempfield Walmart
Three people walking quickly across the parking lot into the Hempfield Walmart store earlier this month caught the eye of Katrina Jaquay, who was outside taking a break from her duties in loss prevention. One of the people glanced over at her. “It gave me a red flag,” she said...
Penn Hills School District receives boosted grant through state Department of Education
Penn Hills School District officials are working on a plan to use an estimated $1.1 million grant through the state Department of Education. The district was awarded a little more than $850,000 in a Ready to Learn Block Grant earlier this year. Officials announced in November they were able to...
McCandless church imagines a night in Bethlehem
A local church makes visiting Bethlehem a whole lot easier. St. John’s Lutheran Church of Highland on Cumberland Road in McCandless is hosting a realistic re-imagining of the first Christmas in “Take a Visit to Bethlehem,” on Dec. 3-4 and Dec. 10-11. The event is free. Folks can drop in...
The Stroller, Nov. 23, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Santa needs help: You can ‘adopt’ a senior for Christmas Concordia...
Mon Valley air quality on Wednesday ‘unsafe’ for sensitive residents
Poor air quality descended on the Mon Valley on Wednesday, as levels of particulate matter and hydrogen sulfide surged and Air Quality Index indicators hit levels that were unsafe for sensitive residents. The rolling 24-hour Air Quality Index, or AQI, at the Liberty monitor continued to increase throughout the day...
Leetsdale’s 2023 preliminary budget contains no tax hike
Leetsdale property owners should not expect to pay more in real estate taxes next year. Council voted 4-1 Nov. 10 to pass and advertise the preliminary 2023 budget. The final budget is expected to pass Dec. 8. President Patricia Lee, vice president Maria Napolitano, Osman Awad and Jeffery Weatherby in...
Steel City Con returns to the Monroeville Convention Center
While it might be true that “dead men tell no tales,” pro wrestling legend The Undertaker should have some great stories to tell. And Pittsburghers might be able to hear a few as the pop culture icon will soon make his way to the Monroeville Convention Center for Steel City...
Surveillance video captures Westmoreland Prison guard’s involvement in assault, detectives say
A man being held at the Westmoreland County Prison testified that he started locking his cell door on C Unit after two other prisoners began picking on him. That’s what he did Aug. 20 when he took a nap on the top bunk of his cell in the Hempfield facility....
Salem teen, her terrier earn honors at National Dog Show
Natalia Backos and her dog, Boozer, have much in common. That includes matching pajamas and major wins at this year’s National Dog Show in Philadelphia. The 15-year-old Salem girl captured $5,500 in scholarships when she was judged as the top junior handler at last weekend’s two-day show. Under her guidance,...
