Western PA Local News category, Page 1431
New Kensington-Arnold approves new contract with teachers union
A new five-year contract between the New Kensington-Arnold School District and its teachers union is formally in place following the school board’s approval Tuesday. The board voted 8-0 in favor of the agreement, which increases teachers’ pay while also having them pay more toward health care. Board member Eric Doutt...
Pittsburgh City Council approves $1.2 million in funding for Urban Redevelopment Authority
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved a measure to allocate $1.2 million to the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority to fund several programs throughout the city. Council President Theresa Kail-Smith said she would advocate for ensuring the money was used throughout the city, including neighborhoods in the southern end of the...
Helltown Brewing Debuts Special ‘412 Food Rescue Brew’
It’s beer to the rescue. Helltown Brewing of Western Pennsylvania has created a new brew designed to bring attention to 412 Food Rescue of Pittsburgh’s cause of preventing fresh, leftover food from being thrown away by stores and restaurants. The new limited edition, low-ABV (alcohol by volume) IPA called “412...
1 dead after tree falls onto car in Upper St. Clair during storm; power remains out for thousands
A Bethel Park man died Tuesday when strong winds toppled a tree onto the man’s vehicle in Upper St. Clair. Officials with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette identified the man as longtime employee Stephen A. Stasenko Jr. “Steve was a well known presence at the (Pittsburgh) Press and the Post-Gazette for almost...
Latin music, Mexican treats await during downtown Latrobe’s Fiesta Fourth
If you can’t wait until Cinco de Mayo, the merchants of downtown Latrobe are offering a Fiesta Fourth from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. It’s a South of the Border twist to the business district’s monthly Shop Hop events, when participating retailers stay open later than usual with special offers...
Alcosan looks to build new chemical storage building along Ohio River
The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority is looking to construct a 2,700-square-foot chemical storage building at their treatment plant along the Ohio River. In a presentation before Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission Tuesday, Rulison Evans, the project engineer, said the plan is to tear down two existing storage buildings at the site and...
Plum students call for more attention to mental health issues
Several Plum Senior High School students attended the school board’s April 26 meeting to call for more resources to address mental health. “After spending two-and-a-half years of modified education — a hybrid schedule, not being able to see each other’s smiling faces, not having a normal high school experience and...
‘It’s an absolutely seismic event’: Western Pa. legal experts shocked by Supreme Court leak
Legal experts in the Pittsburgh region view the leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion that could overturn Roe v. Wade as unprecedented — in its substance, in the potential impact it could have on other privacy rights and in the very leaking itself. While there have been leaks of information...
Planning Commission recommends Troy Hill Fire House for historic designation
Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission on Tuesday formally recommended the Troy Hill Fire House for historic designation. The nomination has also earned the recommendation of the Historic Review Board, though City Council will ultimately make the final decision. The building, which dates to the 1890s, is a centerpiece of the Troy Hill...
Penn Hills School Board recognizes middle school volleyball team
Members of the Penn Hills girls’ middle school volleyball team were recognized at the Penn Hills School Board meeting on April 26. The team made news with a March 2 incident at a match against Kiski, in which Penn Hills alleges that the athletes were the targets of racial attacks....
Teen charged with homicide in connection with deadly Wilkinsburg shooting
County police arrested a teen Tuesday in connection with the killing of a man in Wilkinsburg two days prior, according to Allegheny County homicide detectives. Devin Lee Martin, 16, of Pittsburgh, is charged with homicide in the death of 37-year-old Cornell Lee. Police initially responded to a call for shots...
Text message, jail phone calls lead Pittsburgh police to suspect in Carrick killing
Text messages and coded calls made from the Allegheny County Jail helped lead Pittsburgh police to a man they allege shot and killed another man in Carrick last month, according to the criminal complaint in the case. Elijah Terry-Smith, 23, is charged with one count of homicide in connection with...
Pittsburgh to get 5 new electric garbage trucks
The city of Pittsburgh is set to purchase five new electric garbage trucks — and related electric charging infrastructure — using grant funds. The city will receive $2.8 million from the Allegheny County Health Department for the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s 2021 Targeted Airshed Grant. Pittsburgh City Council on...
CMU researchers create system enabling virtual kiss, sip of water
Is there a lovesick person among us who hasn’t imagined kissing someone they’re pining for? Or how about a thirsty individual imagining a cool sip of water? While not necessarily a good substitute for the real thing, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have figured out a way to exploit sensitivity...
North Hills School District removing Indian mascot from band uniforms
An incident involving a Texas drill team and Walt Disney World is causing the North Hills High School marching band to get new uniforms sooner rather than later. During the April 21 voting meeting, the North Hills School Board unanimously voted to replace the home uniforms of the band. “While...
Local big names headline summer concerts at Allegheny RiverTrail Park in Aspinwall
From funk to rock to all-out-dance pop, performers headlining the Rock the River concert series in Aspinwall are better than ever, organizers said. Allegheny RiverTrail Park founder Susan Crookston revealed the summer lineup, saying summer at the shoreline is sure to be hot. Concerts are free and are scheduled one...
Westmoreland Symphony names Natalie Ann Kasievich as new executive director
Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra has named Natalie Ann Kasievich as its new executive director. Kasievich comes to the Greensburg-based symphony from a position as an engagement leader for Thrivent Financial. She lives in the Gibsonia neighborhood that straddles Pine and Richland townships in Allegheny County. She also is the former board...
By Acclamation: Verona brewery provides plenty of variety
What eventually became Acclamation Brewing in Verona traces its origins to an appropriate place. “The story I always tell is that we were at a brewery, and it was packed,” Jason Yahnke said. “And the beer was very average.” His wife, Danni Piccolo, asked his thoughts. Drawing from his background...
West Newton Avenue of Flags seeks volunteers to honor veterans
Volunteers are needed beginning at 9 a.m. May 14 to raise the West Newton Avenue of Flags at West Newton Cemetery, 210 Vernon Drive, for the Memorial Day holiday. In its 28th year, the Avenue of Flags features more than 350 full-sized flags, each given by a family member in...
Pittsburgh region could gain $14.5M a year through payments from nonprofits, report says
A program designed to receive payments from the area’s largest nonprofit entities could raise a “baseline” of $14.5 million per year, according to a report released Tuesday by Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb and Allegheny County Acting Controller Tracy Royston. As of 2021, almost 10% of all property in Allegheny...
New Kensington woman accused of breaking into former home, strangling woman there
A New Kensington woman is charged with breaking into the house where she previously lived and strangling a woman who now lives there. Nazhae Vicki Nico Banks, 25, of the 1900 block of Victoria Avenue, is charged with felony counts of burglary, strangulation and criminal trespass as well as one...
O’Hara to get flag disposal bin
An Old Glory American flag disposal bin is coming to O’Hara. Not everyone knows how to properly and respectfully retire an unserviceable American flag, but scouts from Cub Pack 678 at Christ the Divine Teacher in Aspinwall are here to help. The Etna American Legion Post 597 has partnered with...
On the move: Band festival participants, pizza making, more
Five students each from Franklin Regional Intermediate School and Franklin Regional Middle School were chosen to participate in the fifth- and sixth-grade Westmoreland County Band Festival on March 25 at Wendover Middle School. FR performers joined students from 12 other school districts to perform a concert for families. Participants included...
Tanker truck crashes off road, down hillside near Rankin Bridge
A section of River Road near the Rankin Bridge was temporarily closed this morning while emergency crews worked to remove a tanker truck that went over a hillside. The crash was reported at about 9:50 a.m. along Route 837, or River Road, in Whitaker, according to an Allegheny County 911...
Retired pastor charged with stealing more than $350K from North Side church
The retired pastor from a North Side Presbyterian church is accused of stealing more than $357,000 from it. The Rev. Wayne Peck, 70, of Highland Park, is charged with theft and receiving stolen property. He turned himself in to detectives from the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office on Tuesday. His...
