Government officials join fight against ‘designer Xanax’ that’s killed dozens in Western Pa.
Pennsylvania’s attorney general has joined a growing call for emergency action against bromazolam, a dangerous drug often dubbed “designer Xanax” that has killed hundreds — including dozens in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. In a letter sent last week to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, Attorney General Dave Sunday and others...
Girl Scouts educate others about composting as part of project to earn Silver Award
Composting is a great way to eliminate food waste and clean the air, according to two Girl Scouts at Northland Public Library in McCandless on Aug. 7, who were there hosting a hands-on activity to learn more about the effort. Amelia Shaffer, 13, and Salem Elewononi, 14, set up tables...
Tree-climbing school goes out on a limb to teach safety to pros and homeowners alike
Saying that a recent tree-climbing school was hands-on is a bit of an understatement. As an arboreal activity that requires a whole-body commitment, the course held Aug. 12-15 by Penn State Extension drew 11 participants, from professionals looking to brush up on their skills to homeowners interested in doing their...
Washington High School teacher and coach Ron Todd remembered for dedication to community
William Ronald Todd was more than a football coach and teacher in the Washington, Pa. School District. “Ron Todd was a great guy. He’s going to be dearly missed,” said one of his colleagues, Mike Bosnic Sr. The elder Bosnic, like Todd, is on the Prexies coaching staff led by...
Here are some upcoming programs at Penn Hills Library
Penn Hills Library, 1037
Stotler Road, offers a variety
of programs for all ages. For a complete list of offerings and to register for programs, visit pennhillslibrary.org. Regular operating hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The library...
Man admits stealing car with Lucky the dog inside, but provides no leads
Willard Martz and his dog, Lucky, were nearly inseparable. Martz, a retired Marine from Donegal Township, had cared for his late son’s dog since 2020, and they were rarely apart until last fall, his daughter told a Westmoreland County judge Monday. She addressed the court during a guilty plea hearing...
Allegheny Valley plans for parking, seating at new turf field
As crews place the finishing touches on Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School’s new artificial turf field, district officials say they’re preparing to manage crowds during the Dynamos’ inaugural football season at the site. According to Allegheny Valley School District spokeswoman Jan Zastawniak, the district will set aside several parking lots around...
Last chance: Penn State New Kensington, Fayette welcome final 2-year class before impending closure
Bailey Maschok always knew she wanted to spend two years studying at Penn State New Kensington and finish her degree at the university’s main campus in State College. “I’m really grateful I made the cutoff to do two years here before going up to main campus,” said Maschok, 18, of...
Washington County DA Jason Walsh defends use of death penalty
Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh told the state Supreme Court that prosecutors have broad discretion to seek the death penalty and urged the justices to reject a bid to limit his authority. “This court should decline petitioners’ invitation to fundamentally reorder the criminal justice system to suit their goals,”...
Woman stabbed at Greensburg apartment, man charged
A woman was stabbed at a Greensburg apartment Sunday morning, and police said they seized about 450 stamp bags of drugs during the investigation. Officers were called to Independence Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg after 9 a.m. and learned the woman had been stabbed in the leg, according to court...
Trial date set for man charged in Unity woman’s murder
A Westmoreland County judge has set a February trial for a Unity man accused in the suspected murder of his girlfriend more than seven years ago. Cassandra Gross was last seen in April 2018, and authorities almost immediately named her boyfriend, Thomas Stanko, as a person of interest in her...
Entrepreneur accused of defrauding PNC Bank ordered to pay $26M
A federal judge Monday ordered a New York businessman to pay back more than $26 million to PNC after the bank caught what it described as large-scale check fraud. The order, crafted by attorneys on both sides and approved by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Hornak, comes less than two...
Allegheny County prepares to dispatch mail-in ballots for election
Allegheny County officials are expecting to send mail-in ballots for the upcoming general election in the beginning of October, officials said. David Voye, manager of the county’s Division of Elections, said there are no major changes expected for mail-in ballots. Officials are beginning ballot preparations this week, he told the...
Freeport appoints Buffalo Township resident as new manager
Freeport has a new manager — its second in borough history. Tina Ferringer, 56, is set to take on the role Sept. 2. A Buffalo Township resident, Ferringer has spent the last several years working as an administrative assistant at Armstrong School District. Originally from Indiana County, Ferringer is an...
Accounting books closed on Jeannette EMS bankruptcy; more than $400K left unpaid
The Jeannette EMS bankruptcy case was closed this month and about $416,000 in unsecured claims were not paid, according to a final report. Those unsecured claims included $46,594 the agency said it owed to cash advance lender Cloudfund LLC, $32,087 to Spartan Business Solutions and $10,428 to WEX, Inc., a...
Former ATI plant in West Leechburg looked at for new uses
The owners of a defunct steel mill in West Leechburg are hoping to move forward with reusing the property. Though West Leechburg Holdings LLC purchased the former ATI plant on Mill Bridge Road last year, it only got access to the property this summer. Matt Songer, manager of Surplus Asset...
Cash 5 lottery ticket worth $400K sold at Pittsburgh doughnut shop
A patron at a Pittsburgh doughnut shop walked away with more than some sweet pastries last week. According to Pennsylvania Lottery officials, a Cash 5 with Quick Cash ticket sold at the Donut Connection on Brownsville Road in Carrick matched all five numbers in Friday’s drawing. The holder of the...
Fentanyl-laced pills kill Pittsburgh man and lead to court date for suspected dealer
A Homestead woman is headed to court on charges she sold fentanyl-laced pills that killed an area man with double the lethal levels of the drug. Police say Sharon Holt, 52, didn’t directly sell Jason Switzer the three blue pills that the 41-year-old man thought were Oxycodone, a potent opiate....
Bishop blesses Freeport church steeple as parish bicentennial celebrations begin
Climbing more than 100 feet in a crane on Sunday, Bishop Larry Kulick offered his blessings on the newly repainted steeple of St. Mary, Mother of God church in Freeport ahead of the parish’s 200th anniversary. Joined by St. Mary’s pastor Rev. Rick Kosisko and painter Dan Thimons, the bishop...
Apollo-Ridge student dies after falling in Kiski River Saturday; community rallying to help family
Colton Bureau, the 14-year-old Apollo-Ridge High School student who fell into the Kiski River on Saturday, died Monday morning at UPMC Children’s Hospital, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office announced Monday evening. Colton suffered an unspecified medical emergency before falling into the river. First responders were called about 2:45 p.m....
Fatal stabbing on Montour Trail leads to guilty but mentally ill plea
The person who killed a Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement agent last year on the Montour Trail pleaded guilty but mentally ill on Monday to third-degree murder. Antonia Quesen, 26, will be sentenced Nov. 18 by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski. In Pennsylvania, a person who...
Allegheny County celebrates 300 lead-safe homes
Raychal Collins-Struck has lived in her Monroeville home since 2018, but now — six years later — it is a safe and lead-free environment for her son and daughter to play in. On Monday, county officials and community partners gathered at the residence to announce the completion of Allegheny County’s...
Art component aims to highlight Pittsburgh’s annual Garbage Olympics
A new art contest is looking to draw additional interest in Pittsburgh’s Garbage Olympics. The Garbage Olympics — an annual litter pickup event that pits neighborhoods against one another to compete to see which community can clean up the most trash — takes place Sept. 13, a Saturday. The inaugural...
North Allegheny School District welcomes return of 8,500 students, 1,200-plus staff members
The North Allegheny School District welcomed the return of about 8,500 students Aug. 21 — the first of 182 days of the 2025-26 school year. The district has seven elementary, three middle and two high schools, the last of which are beginning five minutes later this year to help pull...
Market Square on schedule to be finished before NFL Draft in Pittsburgh
An ongoing effort to revitalize Pittsburgh’s Market Square is on track to be finished before the city hosts the NFL Draft next year. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership on Monday said the project — which will limit vehicle traffic and add greenery, lighting, seating and a canopy where people can gather...
