2 women face charges after police say 5 children left in unsanitary Vandergrift home
Two women are facing charges after Vandergrift police said five children were left alone for days without food or water in a home officers described in court papers as an “absolute disgrace.” Leslie Ann Keller, 69, of Parks Township and her daughter, Heidi Lynn Beer, 35, of Vandergrift were charged...
Morning Roundup: Pittsburgh police issue latest Downtown crime report; ‘Suspicious’ fire probed in McKeesport
Here are some of the latest news items happening this morning, Wednesday, Aug. 6: Pittsburgh police report latest Downtown crime numbers Over the past week, Police in Downtown Pittsburgh made 31 arrests and wrote 16 nontraffic tickets, according to statistics released from the agency. Five parking tickets were issued between...
Lack of fire hydrants in Harmar neighborhood concerns residents, fire chief
Residents of Harmar’s Werner Camp neighborhood, tucked along the Allegheny River, have great views of the water and little traffic. But it’s what they don’t have that should be of concern: fire hydrants. “It’s definitely not safe,” said Allegheny Valley fire Chief Jay Zangrille, following a weekend fire there. Harmar...
The Stroller, Aug. 6, 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. HS marching bands plan...
Convicted Greensburg cop is still collecting a pension, raising questions
More than two months after a former Greensburg police officer was sentenced in a federal drug case, she is still collecting a pension, and city officials continue to wait on documents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Attorney Lee Demosky, solicitor for Greensburg’s police pension committee, said Tuesday he’s requested documents...
Judge Bononi honored for creation of program that helps keep families together
In her Westmoreland County courtroom Tuesday morning, Judge Michele Bononi saw firsthand a positive result from a program she started to help reunite families. A person involved in a child custody case was allowed to progress from supervised to unsupervised visits, a direct benefit from the program that makes the...
Apartment-style classroom to teach North Allegheny students how to live on their own
A new apartment at the North Allegheny Senior High School will be an important educational tool for any student wanting to increase their independent living skills. The real-life living quarters will feature all of the elements of an actual apartment within the walls of the senior high school in McCandless....
Victim identified in fatal crash on Route 51 in Brentwood
A portion of Route 51 in Brentwood has reopened following a fatal crash Tuesday night. Borough police said the multi-vehicle crash happened on Route 51 between Marylea Avenue and Towne Square Way just after 7:15 p.m. The road was closed for about five hours late Tuesday as police reconstructed the...
Tarentum police find spiked ‘caltrops’ on Brackenridge streets
Tarentum police received reports — and later discovered — small spiked “caltrops” scattered in Brackenridge on Tuesday. Police said they confirmed reports that the caltrops — multi-spiked metal objects designed to puncture vehicle tires — were found in the area of First Avenue as well as Brackenridge Avenue. Police said...
2 transported from motorcycle crash in New Stanton
One person was flown by medical helicopter and another was transported by ambulance from a motorcycle crash Tuesday evening in New Stanton, according to emergency officials. First responders were called to South Center Avenue in New Stanton around 6 p.m., according to Westmoreland County 911 officials. Mutual Aid Ambulance spokesperson...
Westmoreland will install 2nd Liberty Bell replica in Murrysville as part of semisesquicentennial
When the United States marks its 250th anniversary in 2026, replicas of the iconic Liberty Bell will be installed all across Pennsylvania, each with a different theme created by local artists. And while the goal was to place at least one in each county, Westmoreland County already has two in...
Witnesses link New Kensington man to 2020 murder of Arnold drug dealer
A New Kensington woman testified Tuesday that her former boyfriend confessed to his role in a fatal shooting of an Arnold drug dealer nearly five years ago. Shawnti Lee told a Westmoreland County jury that Letresse Williams made a frantic call to her in the late afternoon of Jan. 15,...
Giant Eagle partners with billionaire Mark Cuban to slash some drug prices
Billionaire Mark Cuban’s drug company has partnered with Giant Eagle pharmacies to make certain medications more affordable. As of Friday, customers across Giant Eagle’s five-state pharmacy network may be able to fill their prescriptions for less money through Cost Plus Drug’s Team Cuban Card. The company buys drugs directly from...
Eastbound Parkway East reopens, westbound remains closed
A closure of the Parkway East was beginning to end early Sunday evening. PennDOT announced around 6:30 p.m. that a single lane of eastbound Interstate 376 had reopened. The westbound interstate remained closed. The westbound lanes should reopen before 5 a.m. Monday, a spokeswoman said. A reopening by midnight was...
2 arrested on charges of child endangerment in Monessen
Two people are behind bars after police said a 5-year-old boy was emaciated and had bruises all over his body, according to court papers. Charles W. Smitley V, 39, and Colleen Cassidy, 36, both of Monessen, were arrested this week on charges of child endangerment, unlawful restraint and simple assault....
Stowe carjacking arrest leads police to suspect in Pittsburgh shooting
One of the two men arrested Monday in connection with a carjacking and high-speed chase that shut down a Pittsburgh bridge was wanted for shooting someone last week. The man police identified as the passenger in the stolen vehicle — Vaughn Hall, 34, of Pittsburgh — was charged with an...
Happy tail: Rare hawk rehabilitated, released in Laurel HighlandsVideo
The red-tailed hawk didn’t hesitate at all — with a “one, two, three,” the bird spread its wings Tuesday morning in Cook, showing no sign of the trauma it sustained 11 days ago after apparently being hit by a vehicle. And while it acted like a typical hawk and took...
Concern about tiny houses has Ross considering setting minimum home size
Concern about tiny houses lowering the value of neighboring homes has Ross commissioners considering setting a minimum size for single-family homes in the township. As proposed, all single-family dwellings, whether constructed or altered, would have to be at least 1,500 square feet. But when introduced at a commissioners meeting Monday,...
Drawn to a ‘great cause’: 500 participants of 8th Killian 5K fundraiser start in rain, end in sunshine
About 500 runners and walkers braved the dark clouds and rain to participate in the eighth annual Killian 5K Run/Walk on July 26 at the North Park Boathouse in McCandless. By the time the race was over, the rain had let up and everyone celebrated under the bright sunshine. The...
Fire crews fish truck out of Allegheny River in Harmar
When firefighters arrived at the Deer Creek Boat Ramp in Harmar on Monday, it wasn’t a boat they found in the Allegheny River. The crews instead found a white Chevy Colorado pickup mostly submerged in the water, according to Allegheny Valley Fire Chief Jay Zangrille. The driver, who escaped without...
1 injured in McKees Rocks shooting
Allegheny County Police said they are investigating a shooting Monday night in McKees Rocks that left one man wounded. Around 10 p.m., first responders located a man on the 900 block of Gray Street who had sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. He was transported to an area hospital...
Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board opens summer whiskey lottery
Nine whiskey lotteries are now open for Pennsylvania liquor connoisseurs. The lottery, run by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, allows consumers to enter into a drawing for the opportunity to purchase special liquor with limited quantity but high demand. Among the bottles up for grabs are two varieties of Blanton’s...
Victim identified in fatal Coraopolis hit-and-run
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office on Tuesday identified the pedestrian killed in a hit-and-run crash in Coraopolis as Ulises Montalvo. Paramedics pronounced Montalvo, 61, of Coraopolis dead at the scene at 8:41 p.m. Sunday, the medical examiner said. Montalvo was hit by the vehicle at the intersection of Main...
The Stroller, Aug. 5, 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. Tarentum Summer Concert series...
Nicely Elementary fire alarm should be up and running for 1st day of school, superintendent says
Greensburg Salem aims to have a working fire alarm system at its Nicely Elementary School before students return to its halls Aug. 26. The school’s fire alarm stopped working in mid-April when a power surge — prompted by nearby line replacement work by West Penn Power — damaged the alarm...
