Western PA Local News category, Page 1315
Former ‘American Idol’ winner Scotty McCreery put in the hard work to make it as a country singerVideo
Winning “American Idol” at 17 was a good thing for country singer Scotty McCreery, but it didn’t mean he had it made. “I think it also made you have to prove a little bit more to the doubters — like you weren’t just a karaoke singer, you’ve got something to...
Work on Latrobe parking garage underway
Latrobe’s parking garage will be getting improvements to its overhangs and ramps for people with disabilities over the next two weeks. Public works director Scott Wajdic described the rehab work as “cosmetic rather than structural.” The faces of the overhangs will be chipped off and repoured, and a protective layer...
Inside the pickleball boom: Here’s what you should know about the fast-growing sport
Pickleball courts are popping up all over the area. They’re the ones populated by people of all ages who have fallen under the spell of a sport played on a small court, 44 feet long by 20 feet wide, with paddles — not rackets — and a plastic ball with...
Highmark Foundation awards grants to schools to create healthier, safer environments
Highlands Middle School students will be working out in an updated fitness room thanks to a grant from the Highmark Foundation. The district is expected to receive $7,300 to help replace outdated equipment and modernize the facilities. “We encounter many challenges daily while conducting our PE and Lifetime Wellness classes...
Sheldon Park Community Garden thriving again
A community garden in Sheldon Park is thriving once again thanks to two women with green thumbs and big hearts. Whitney Washington, a resident of the public housing complex in Harrison, resurrected the decades-old plot three years ago after it fell into disrepair. Now, providing food for residents is among...
Rape case against Derry Township man to remain in adult court
A 21-year-old Derry Township man awaiting trial on more than 100 offenses including 30 charges of rape will be prosecuted as an adult, a judge ruled. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani rejected a defense request to transfer the case, filed last year against Tyler Alan Eisworth, to...
‘Never covid’: Some people have managed to avoid contracting covid-19, but their numbers are dwindling
Jordan Berkes is a member of a shrinking fraternity — he’s never contracted covid-19. For two and a half years, the Shaler resident has managed to dodge the virus, its numerous variants and the occasional surge of cases. As the latest wave of covid — the omicron subvariant known as...
Monessen councilman sues former mayor for libel, slander
A lawsuit alleging libel and slander was filed Tuesday by a Monessen councilman against the city’s former mayor. Councilman Anthony Orzechowski claims published comments and statements by Mayor Matt Shorraw in the months leading up to last year’s election and continuing into 2022 were intentionally false and erroneously suggested criminal...
Scaling Seven Summits: CEO’s climbs raise money toward providing free hearing aids
Scaling North America’s tallest peak is difficult enough without temporarily losing a vital means of communication. “You’re on this rope, and you can’t talk to anybody because you have to be separated on the rope,” Julie Beall-McKelvey said. “In case one of you falls, you can’t be right next to...
Actor Nick Pasqual brings indie movie premiere home to PittsburghVideo
Fans of the web series “Poor Paul” can catch up with more adventures of the hapless title character when a new indie movie of the same name makes its Pittsburgh debut on Saturday. The red carpet rolls out at 6 p.m. at the Hollywood Theater, 1449 Potomac Ave., Dormont. The...
Woman faces felony charge after neighbor said she entered home while young son napped
Lower Burrell police arrested a woman after a neighbor accused the woman of entering her house without permission while her underage son was napping on the sofa. Maren Leigh Burgess, 42, of the 200 block of Macbeth Drive was charged with a felony count of criminal trespass. She was being...
Penn-Trafford student aims to encourage interest in STEM through makerspace
Markers, scissors, cutting boards and desks line what was once an empty corner in Penn Area Library. Adorned with a decal reading “STEM,” the corner is home to the library’s newest addition — a makerspace created by a Penn-Trafford High School student. Natalie Goldsworthy of Harrison City is a rising...
Westmoreland happenings: Christmas in July craft and vendor show, Steelers bingo party, spaghetti dinner
Submissions from nonprofit organizations for Briefly Speaking can be emailed to Carol Pinto-Smith at cpinto-smith@triblive.com or mailed to Briefly Speaking, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084. Include a complete address and daytime phone number. Submissions are due at least two weeks before the event. Each announcement is printed once; there...
Sewickley’s The Gilded Girl among Allegheny County businesses to receive Comcast grant
A Sewickley skincare and beauty emporium was among 100 Allegheny County businesses to receive a $10,000 grant through Comcast. Company officials announced July 25 that $1 million in grants would be doled out to small businesses owned by women and people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic and Asian American...
Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s Red Line reopens after emergency repairs
Pittsburgh Regional Transit reopened a section of the T’s Red Line on Wednesday morning after completing emergency repairs. The transit agency closed inbound tracks from Palm Garden to Castle Shannon around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday to allow crews to repair about 46 feet of rail and and expansion joints where two...
Letter to the editor: Biblical reason to keep the Herbst House
There are at least three good reasons for the Divine Redeemer Parish to withdraw its application for a demolition permit for the Herbst House. Historically, the house has stood for 140 years and was home to a Catholic school and later a convent. Architecturally, the house represents the Charles Adams...
Letter to the editor: Preserve the Herbst House
Sewickley Valley Historical Society respectfully requests that the Divine Redeemer Parish of Sewickley preserve the Herbst House located on the Broad Street frontage of the Saint James Church campus through adaptive reuse and restoration. One of the things that distinguishes Sewickley as special is its unique “sense of place.” This...
North Hills School District preps for new school year
For parents and students in the North Hills School District, the clock on summer vacation officially is ticking. The first day of school for students in grades 1-12 in the district is Aug. 24. Kindergartners will have orientation on either Aug. 24 or 25, and their first full day of...
The Stroller, July 27, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15068. Please include a daytime telephone number. Location changed for benefit bike run A bike run to benefit the...
Kiski Township part-time police officer takes another job; chief interviewing more officers
One of two new part-time Kiski Township police officers is leaving as the township tries to rebuild the department after an exodus of employees earlier in the month. Four police officers and a police secretary resigned July 7 and 8. Most of the employees said they quit because of harassment...
Police: Man stable after shooting in Pittsburgh’s Arlington Heights
Pittsburgh police are investigating a shooting that happened early Wednesday in the city’s Arlington Heights neighborhood. Officers responded to a Shotspotter alert at Cordell Place shortly before 12:10 a.m. and found shell casings and blood, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Amanda Mueller. A victim was not found in the...
Yough hires Mt. Pleasant Area assistant superintendent as new superintendent
Yough School District will have a new superintendent with a familiar face — the former middle school principal. Mt. Pleasant Area School District Assistant Superintendent Anthony DeMaro was hired by the Yough School Board last week as the district’s next superintendent under terms of a five-year contract. DeMaro, who will...
Fox Chapel Area High School hosts Aug. 11 blood drive
Fox Chapel Area High School is hosting a summer community blood drive Aug. 11 at the Vitalant Harmar/Fox Chapel Donor Center from 1-6:30 p.m. People 16 and older are encouraged to donate blood. Vitalant once again is offering scholarships to area high school students. To qualify, Fox Chapel Area High...
Remember When: Braeburn Alloy Steel launched 125-year-old community, which once had its own school, post office, beach
With the recent sale of Braeburn Alloy Steel to G.O. Carlson Inc. of Oil City, it’s a good time to take a look at the history of the 125-year-old company and community along the Allegheny River. Braeburn is part of Lower Burrell. On July 14, the small community turned 125...
Women’s dek hockey teams train in Murrysville for international competition
Michelle Cook hasn’t even been playing club ball hockey for two years, so the prospect of traveling to the Czech Republic for an international competition this fall is still a little surreal. “I’m so excited and I can’t wait to go,” said Cook, 38, of Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood. Cook...
