New Kensington man charged after inmate fight at Westmoreland prison
A New Kensington man awaiting trial in a shooting was charged by police Wednesday with beating a man at the Westmoreland County Prison. The injured inmate had to get multiple staples in the back of his head at a hospital, according to court papers. Amarion M. Michaux, 19, is charged...
Tarentum residents can report nonemergency issues online
Tarentum residents have a new way to report nonemergency issues to the borough. Officials are rolling out an online reporting form at tarentumboro.com. People can report things like potholes, broken streetlights, graffiti and downed trees. Property maintenance concerns also can be submitted. The reports will be read directly by borough...
Registration open for Pittsburgh airport terminal tour
Registration to attend Pittsburgh International Airport’s open house of the new terminal opened to the public Friday. The $1.7 billion modernization project began in 2019 and is offering 10,000 people a first look at the terminal’s updated features on Oct. 11 from noon to 7 p.m. “We’ve said from the...
Lower Burrell adds streets to paving plans
Three streets are being added to Lower Burrell’s paving program this year. Council approved the paving of Clarendon Avenue, Tioga Street and Prospect Circle, which were not among the streets council approved in July as part of the paving program. The original streets, located primarily in the city’s Kinloch section,...
The Olive Branch, a fair-trade store in Pine, marking 50 years with special celebration
The roots of The Olive Branch reach back 50 years, when the fair-trade store, now located in Pine, began with just $250 in seed money and a motivation to help others. To celebrate, the store is hosting a 50th anniversary event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 6 at...
Morning Roundup: Penn Hills police seek info on armed robber; it’s college move-in time again
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025: Penn Hills police seek pizza shop robber Penn Hills police are seeking information on a suspect who committed an armed robbery Aug. 9 at Pasquale’s Pizzeria along Saltsburg Road. Restaurant staff turned over surveillance video...
Hempfield Area looks to bolster curriculum oversight at elementary schools
Hempfield Area School District is looking to add another layer of oversight to the curriculum at its five elementary schools. The school board will vote next week on assigning one chairperson per K-5 grade level. Each chairperson would help ensure continuity in learning at the district’s Fort Allen, West Point,...
The Stroller, Aug. 14, 2025: 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. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Community block party planned...
North Huntingdon couple celebrating 50th anniversary; among the few who have reached that milestone
A North Huntingdon couple will be celebrating 50 years of wedded bless on Aug. 16, making them among the few couples that celebrate their golden wedding anniversary. Kenneth and Vickie Vargo Tickerhoof will be joining family and friends during the evening of Aug. 16 at the Greenhouse Winery on Gracin...
Police charge East Deer man with sexual assault of a minor
Allegheny County Police have charged an East Deer man with sexually assaulting a minor along a walking trail. Brian Ball, 40, is charged with two felony counts of aggravated indecent assault of a child, sexual abuse of a minor, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old, indecent...
Jeannette’s Smarto remembered for strong community ties, commitment to family
Janice Smarto made a name for herself in real estate and community service, but it was dedication to her family where she stood tall, her daughter said Wednesday. Smarto, 82, died Aug. 10 from injuries sustained in a fall two weeks earlier in her Jeannette home. “She was a spitfire...
Debate over marijuana intensifies as medical anxiety certifications soar
As the medical marijuana industry in Pennsylvania continues to grow, one entrepreneur says the state is missing out on a major revenue boost by not legalizing recreational use. Ari Raptis, founder and CEO of Talaria Transportation LLC and National Secure Transport, anticipates his businesses in Pennsylvania would grow fivefold if...
Website upgrade, visitor center proposed for Unity-based Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor
The Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor is looking to roll out an improved website and is considering setting aside a visitor information center at its museum headquarters in Unity. Those are two ways the nonprofit organization hopes to better promote sites farther east along its six-county corridor while partnering with other...
Westmoreland happenings: Dog Days of summer, Ancestry Day, more
Fundraisers • St. John United Church of Christ, 1230 Brownstown Road, Larimer, will have a Dog Days of Summer hot dog sale from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 16 at the church. Combo meals and drinks will be available. Proceeds will be donated to Chad Warhold and Laurie Kiss,...
Police: Man in critical condition after being shot in McKeesport
A man has been hospitalized in critical condition after being shot late Wednesday in McKeesport. Allegheny County Police said officers were notified of a shooting around 9:30 p.m. along the 700 block of Sixth Street. First responders found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to local hospital...
PitCare’s Meals on Wheels still going strong after 54 years
Dan Casey describes the food he prepares at PitCare’s Meals on Wheels program as “homestyle, with a restaurant quality.” And it’s no wonder, since Casey has worked in the food industry since graduating high school — he was a chef at the Wooden Nickel and Houlihan’s in Monroeville, and many...
Families work together on production of ‘Annie Kids’
For the third annual summer theater camp collaboration between Gateway Musical and Monroeville Recreation and Parks, campers put on a production of “Annie Kids” at the high school’s Robert A. Read Performing Arts Center. The collaboration has become something of a family affair. Gateway senior Ethan Settlemire acted as stage...
Buffalo Township supervisors OK controversial solar farms despite resident resistance
In the face of fierce community opposition, the Buffalo Township supervisors gave developers the green light Wednesday for two controversial solar farms. After a summerlong discussion and two delayed votes, supervisors opted 4-1 to allow Atlanta-based SolAmerica to install solar arrays on an 81-acre spot off Bear Creek Road and...
Opponents of controversial hiring accuse Leechburg Area School Board of political bias
Leechburg Area School Board members were presented with formal complaints and questions Wednesday night following a controversial hiring decision. Neill Brady, a Leechburg resident and school board candidate, voiced his dismay and requested answers after his son-in-law, Sean Hess, was passed over for a position with the district despite receiving...
Norwin High School Band struts its stuff at a preview of its halftime show
The Norwin High School Band held its annual preview show Wednesday evening at the high school stadium. In addition to the performance, food trucks were on site as part of a fundraiser for the band. High school bands across the region are preparing for the start of the 2025-26 school...
Westmoreland Transit: State budget stalemate not hurting yet
With state funding for mass transit held hostage in the seven-week budget battle between Senate Republicans, House Democrats and the governor’s office, Westmoreland County’s bus system does not face the financial cliff looming for other transportation systems, a county transit official said. “It has not impacted us. We have sufficient...
Rustic Ridge neighbors file additional lawsuits ahead of house explosion anniversary
Neighbors have filed three new lawsuits against several companies just ahead of the two-year anniversary of a house explosion in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood that killed six and caused damage throughout the housing plan. The suits, filed throughout early August, come after family members of those killed in the blast...
Greensburg’s City Hall’s former life as trolley station will be commemorated
Greensburg City Hall’s previous life as a trolley station will be commemorated in a sign along South Main Street. Planning director Alec Italiano said he applied for, and received, a $2,500 grant to buy the marker after learning about the opportunity through the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. “It just sort...
A dream destroyed: Paralyzed shooting victim tells court he has no future
Four years ago, Kwaku Botwe-Asamoah was in the prime of his life. He worked as a software developer, played basketball and enjoyed traveling. But that all changed on July 31, 2021, while he was out celebrating his 30th birthday on Pittsburgh’s South Side. As he headed home that night, Botwe-Asamoah...
Driver faces DUI, but not homicide charges in Natrona girl’s death; family attorney reacts
Police said a Harrison man drank 12 beers before getting behind the wheel of a Jeep that struck and killed an 11-year-old girl in Natrona last summer. Allegheny County Police on Wednesday charged Jeffrey Glowatski, 65, with three counts of DUI and two counts of careless driving in connection with...
