Western PA Local News category, Page 1474
Lawsuit settled against Fayette County, state police in wrongful conviction of man imprisoned for 26 years
David Munchinski spent nearly 26 years incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit. He then waited nearly a decade more to go to trial in the federal lawsuit he filed against the men he said wrongfully convicted him on two counts of first-degree murder. In December, Munchinski, who had long...
Lawyer: No plea deal offered before trial of Greensburg man convicted in Vandergrift woman’s murder
The lawyer for an Export man awaiting trial for his role in the 2017 murder of a Vandergrift woman whose remains were burned beyond recognition in a wooded area near Keystone State Park claims his client did not have a plea deal in place when he testified last summer in...
The Stroller, April 3, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your community events and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Kiski Area students to present ‘Shrek the Musical’ The drama department of Kiski Area High School will present, “Shrek the Musical,” at...
Region’s school districts leading the way in opportunities for female superintendents
Women long have played a central role in education, but they often are left out of central administration. Women make up up 3 in 4 public school teachers nationwide but account for only about 1 in 4 superintendents, both in Pennsylvania and nationwide. Still, there have been inroads over the...
Female superintendent salaries near parity with male counterparts
Male superintendents may outnumber their female counterparts 3-1, but the gender pay gap is nearly nonexistent. Female superintendents make about 96% of what male superintendents make, according to a study released recently by the AASA, the School Superintendents Association. That’s significantly higher than the average for all women in all...
How $10 million Pressley Ridge donation will benefit Westmoreland locations
Pressley Ridge’s Westmoreland County locations will feel the impact of a $10 million donation gifted to the social service. Last week, Pressley Ridge announced it received the gift from MacKenzie Scott, philanthropist and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos. The McCandless-based organization offers services related to mental health, foster care, crisis stabilization...
Deterioration under Pittsburgh’s Charles Anderson Bridge raises concerns; city says bridge already in rehab process
Squirrel Hill resident William Markley lives just a few blocks away from the site of the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse in Pittsburgh. He is understandably concerned about the state of the region’s bridges. During his daily commute to his case manager’s job at a recovery clinic in the North Side,...
Pandemic isolation helps shape Greensburg family band’s new albumVideo
On “Lonely Telephone,” an EP released by Greensburg band Essential Machine about a decade ago, acoustic-based tunes bubble and float, underpinned by quirky xylophone pings and an indie-folk-music aesthetic. As the band — husband and wife R.J. and Karen Dietrich and their son, 20-year-old Robert — prepares to release its...
Dyngus Day Dash comes to North Park on April 23
Anyone who likes pierogies, polkas and running will find the perfect opportunity in the Dyngus Day Dash 5K on April 23 in North Park, which will help aid the humanitarian effort in Ukraine. The Pittsburgh Chapter of the Kosciuszko Foundation is hosting the event. Proceeds will be split between supporting...
Fire levels barn in Upper Burrell, horse escapes unharmed to nearby pasture
A barn in Upper Burrell was destroyed by fire on Saturday morning but no animals were injured, according to authorities. Multiple fire companies responded to the fire reported at 6:16 a.m. along Horseshoe Lane, officials said. An assistant chief from the Lower Burrell No. 3 department was the first to...
Westmoreland tire cleanup targets West Nile virus; volunteers needed
Volunteers are needed to help with a special discount tire recycling event set for Saturday, April 9 at Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling. Conducted through a partnership with the Westmoreland Conservation District’s West Nile virus program, the event is intended to help clean up scrap tires that can collect standing water...
Documentary chronicles Lower Burrell veteran’s Vietnam War experiences
Hal Shaffer knows first-hand about the sacrifices and suffering war can bring. Now the 74-year-old Lower Burrell man is sharing his story about serving and being wounded during the Vietnam War as part of a documentary series being produced by John Bailey, “Duty, Courage, Honor: Southwestern Pennsylvania Goes to War.”...
Weather service confirms tornado with gusts of 120 mph hit Armstrong County
A tornado with peak wind gusts reaching up to 120 mph traveled a 9-mile path in Armstrong County on Thursday, the National Weather Service confirmed. The EF2 tornado — a strong system with winds between 111 mph and 135 mph — traveled for almost 10 minutes, damaging several trees and...
World War II veteran from Hempfield honored for his service as he turns 100
Joseph Folino, a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, never expected the community to rally around him as he celebrated his 100th birthday. Saturday afternoon, however, Folino found himself draped in a red, white and blue knit blanket as members of the Army, those...
Schramm Farms in Harrison City holds auction after closing popular market
Some of the first pieces of farm equipment from Schramm Farms & Orchards in Harrison City were auctioned off Saturday morning, marking an end to the Schramm family’s four generations of plowing fields and planting crops in Western Pennsylvania. Despite being a chilly spring morning, more than 300 bidders registered...
Police say man in critical condition after South Side Flats shooting
A man is in critical condition after an overnight shooting in Pittsburgh’s South Side Flats neighborhood, police said. Officers with the Zone 3 station were flagged down shortly before 1:30 a.m. Saturday for a shooting in the 2000 block of Sarah Street, said Pittsburgh Public Safety Spokeswoman Cara Cruz. Responding...
Carnegie Mellon to build Moonshot command center to monitor space missions
Anyone old enough to remember those static shots of the men in button-down shirts and ties sitting in front of computer screens during NASA’s Mercury and Apollo endeavors likely understands the importance of having a mission control for space flights. Carnegie Mellon University certainly does. That’s why the school is...
Franklin Regional Fly Fishing Club works with Trout Unlimited to promote conservation
Eleven students from the Franklin Regional School District found themselves wading into Loyalhanna Creek last week, learning about fly fishing courtesy of the Forbes Trail chapter of Trout Unlimited. “It’s our opportunity to recruit our replacements,” said chapter member Larry Myers. “We need someone in the future to continue with...
$4.3M federal grant helped 60 Westmoreland County fire departments recruit, train volunteers
More than 470 new volunteer firefighters were recruited across Westmoreland County over the past four years thanks to a $4.3 million federal grant that came to an end this month. The 23% increase in recruits drastically surpassed the original goal of 300 new volunteer firefighters laid out in the SAFER...
Arnold building demolitions could create room for new development
The demolition of 10 buildings this spring could lead to new developments in Arnold. The city is seeking bids to tear down the buildings. Most are located on Third and Fourth avenues, with one on Leishman Avenue and another on Victoria Avenue. All are vacant residential buildings except for 1905...
The Stroller, April 2, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your community events and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Prom gown give-away planned in Harmar Free prom gowns will be available from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 9...
Excela Health receives $1.5 million donation toward Latrobe Surgical Institute
Excela Health Latrobe Hospital has received a $1.5 million donation toward its recently established Surgical Institute, the health system said Friday. The Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation made the donation, the foundation’s largest single grant to Excela. The donation will help Excela relocate its lung, breast, prostate and colorectal cancer programs...
In brief: News from Sharpsburg, Aspinwall, O’Hara and Blawnox
Blawnox Easter Egg hunt The Best of Blawnox hosts its annual Easter egg hunt April 10 from 1-3 p.m. at Blawnox Community Park on Center Avenue. The free, family-friendly event will feature games, refreshments, balloon art, refreshments and cookie decorating. The Easter egg hunt is sponsored in conjunction with Howard...
Retail incubator in Pittsburgh’s Hill District showcases minority-, women-owned businesses
A retail incubator is allowing local entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. Gallery on Centre, part of the Avenues of Hope initiative, was launched with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday. “The Gallery on Centre is something we should all be proud of and will serve as a model...
Building assessment to be made of two North Allegheny schools
A comprehensive facilities assessment beginning in April will help determine whether North Allegheny’s intermediate and senior high schools need upgrades or should be replaced. On March 23, the North Allegheny School Board selected the firm of Weber Murphy Fox, which provides architecture, interior design, land development and construction management services,...
