Western PA Local News category, Page 1509
New Kensington woman killed in crash in Maine
NAPLES, Maine — A 22-year-old New Kensington woman was killed in a pickup truck crash, police said. The single-vehicle crash happened on Sunday night in Naples when the truck collided with a tree, police said. Police said two occupants had freed themselves from the vehicle and two others were trapped...
Franklin Regional ‘pauses’ teaching of novel about Iranian Revolution after complaints
Franklin Regional School District is “pausing” use of a novel in a freshman honors English course after school board members asked administrators to review its use amid concerns from some residents in the district. “Persepolis,” Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel about growing up as a 10-year-old girl amidst the Iranian Revolution...
Students from 8 school districts compete at Saint Vincent’s Pasta Bridge Engineering Competition
Nineteen teams of students from eight school districts in Western Pennsylvania were hoping to keep things “al dente” Monday night at the 15th annual Pasta Bridge Engineering Competition, held at Saint Vincent College. That wasn’t the case for one of three Norwin students teams. “We had some issues with the...
‘Jeopardy!’ run ends for Pittsburgh woman: ‘I got to live my dream’
After four consecutive wins on the “Jeopardy!” television game show, Pittsburgh resident Margaret Shelton was defeated on Monday, ending her nearly weeklong run. Shelton risked all of her $12,300 in Final Jeopardy! and was defeated by Maureen O’Neil of New Hampshire. Shelton amassed $79,700 in earnings over her four-game win...
Jury orders West Mifflin School District to pay $2.9M to former superintendent
A federal jury on Monday ordered West Mifflin School District to pay nearly $3 million to former Superintendent Daniel Castagna in connection with his 2019 firing. The jury late last week ruled in favor of Castagna, now acting superintendent at Woodland Hills, on all but one of the claims he...
Man dies after collapsing at Allegheny County Jail
A 26-year-old man died Sunday shortly after collapsing at Allegheny County Jail. A jail spokesman said the man, later identified by family members as Gerald Thomas, exited his cell shortly after noon and asked other inmates for assistance before collapsing. “A medical emergency was called, and life-saving measures were performed...
Dispatcher: Person hurt in Munhall building collapse
One person was transported to a hospital after being injured in a Monday building collapse in Munhall, authorities said. Allegheny County dispatch said the collapse was reported around 4:15 p.m. at 501 E Ninth Ave. It is the home of Steadfast Outreach. Firefighters were still on scene around 6 p.m....
Structural repairs to closing of Westmoreland Courthouse entrance, courtyard
Courthouse Square and the Main Street entrance to the Westmoreland County Courthouse will be closed for at least six months to repair structural issues on the lower two underground parking levels below the government complex in Greensburg. Commissioners on Tuesday are expected to award a $7 million emergency contract for...
Pittsburgh foundation donates $100K to Ukrainian relief
A Pittsburgh foundation has donated $100,000 to help transport desperately needed medical and other supplies to those who have fled war-torn Ukraine and those who remain under siege by the Russian army. Eden Hall Foundation has donated $100,000 to Brother’s Brother Foundation of Pittsburgh’s North Side to help pay to...
Trial begins for Washington Township couple sued by friend paralyzed in swimming pool accident
Lawyers for a Vandergrift man who suffered a broken neck and spinal cord injuries in a swimming pool accident at a friend’s Washington Township home in 2013 on Monday asked a Westmoreland County jury to award him more than $9 million in damages. Jurors will spend the next week hearing...
Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank announces Child Hunger Hero Awards winners
It’s often been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However, many children often go without it and show up to school hungry. In fact, nearly 100,000 area children go to bed worried about their next meal and one in five live with hunger, according to...
U.S. Steel slapped with $1.8M fine for alleged hydrogen sulfide emissions
U.S. Steel faces a $1.8 million fine from the Allegheny County Health Department because the department said the company emitted too much hydrogen sulfide, the colorless gas that smells like rotten eggs, into the air more than 150 times since 2020. The health department said the Clairton Coke Works plant...
Officials ID motorcyclist killed on West End Bridge
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified a man killed in a weekend motorcycle crash. Robert Timothy Agurs III, 28, died when his motorcycle collided with at least one other vehicle on the West End Bridge on Saturday night, according to the medical examiner. The crash happened about 7:30...
Police investigate fatal shooting in Pittsburgh’s Hill District
A 25-year-old man was shot and killed Monday afternoon in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, according to police. The shooting happened around 4 p.m. on Bedford Avenue, police said. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim as Cha Ron Guyton of Pittsburgh. One person was detained for questioning, police said....
Family asks community for support after Harrison motorcycle crash
A local family is seeking support from the community after a serious accident in Natrona Heights left a member of their family in critical condition. A GoFundMe page launched by Katie Stivers is raising money to support the family after her father, Jim, was injured in a crash on March...
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey comes to terms with developers on proposed Oakland Crossings project
After putting the proposed Oakland Crossings project on hold for a couple of months, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said Monday that his office has reached a deal with developer Walnut Capital on proposed zoning for the large-scale development in central Oakland. The proposed 17-acre project initially included denser housing development,...
Sewickley Academy assistant head resigns; 4 other faculty, staff members gone
Sewickley Academy assistant Head of Schools Ken Goleski and four other faculty members are no longer working at the private Edgeworth school, academy officials confirmed Monday. The personnel changes are part of the response to a chaotic day in which students and parents attempted to deliver a petition to academy...
Hundreds pray for peace in Ukraine at Pittsburgh interfaith service
Hundreds of people gathered Sunday in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood for an interfaith prayer for peace in Ukraine as the Russian invasion wore into its second week. Co-hosted by the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and dozens of religious and relief organizations, the service opened with remarks from Bishop David Zubik, who...
Oakmont businesses rattled by pizza shop robbery attempt that left employee critically injured
Business owners and store clerks in Oakmont are feeling jittery in the wake of Sunday’s attempted armed robbery of a pizza shop during which an employee was critically wounded by gunfire. The shooting happened shortly before 4 p.m. at the Fox’s Pizza in the 300 block of Allegheny River Boulevard,...
Westmoreland Performing Arts troupe shoulders weighty Sam Shepard drama
The Westmoreland Performing Arts professional company will make its debut with Sam Shepard’s Pulitzer Prize finalist drama, “True West,” playing March 17-19 at the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center. “True West” examines the fraught relationship between screenwriter Austin and his older brother Lee, with the action unfolding in the kitchen...
Recycle glass at Village Square Mall in Bethel Park
Residents of Allegheny County can drop off glass bottles, jars and jugs at permanent recycling dumpsters thanks to a grant provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Blue recycling dumpsters have been installed permanently at Village Square Mall, 5000 Oxford Drive, Bethel Park, where dropoff is available seven days...
Madison woman killed in crash on Arona Road in Hempfield
A 57-year-old Madison woman was killed in a head-on collision Monday on Arona Road in Hempfield, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office. Two others were hurt in the crash, according to township firefighters. Dawn E. Coyne was pronounced dead at 12:32 p.m. at Excela Health Westmoreland hospital in Greensburg,...
Bushy Run Battlefield to celebrate state charter day in Penn Township on Sunday
Pennsylvania’s birthday, 341 years and counting, will be celebrated this weekend at the Bushy Run Battlefield, site of a crucial 1763 battle during Pontiac’s War along what is now Route 993 near Harrison City. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, complimentary guided tours of the museum and battlefield will...
North Hills Middle School’s Joseph Welch finalist for National Teacher of the Year
North Hills Middle School teacher Joseph Welch has been named one of four finalists for 2022 National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers. If chosen, the eighth-grade American History teacher will spend a year serving as “an ambassador for education and an advocate for...
Irwin man accused in stabbing
An Irwin man was arraigned Monday on police accusations that he used a steak knife to stab a man multiple times, according to court papers. Eric A. Perez, 39, is charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats and simple assault. Borough police were called to Maple Street and Mulberry Lane at...
