Back-to-School Bash spaghetti dinner offers ‘great meal, greater cause’
A plate of pasta will go a long way at the first annual Back-to-School Bash spaghetti fundraiser in Brackenridge. Hosted by Highlands School Board member Elijah Majocha, the festival-themed event will serve up food, music, baked goods and more than 60 raffle baskets — all to benefit students and teachers...
‘It’s hard not to break’: Daughter of Plum house explosion victims continues to grieve without closureVideo
Wherever Taylor Oravitz goes, her childhood home goes with her. The Plum native had her Rustic Ridge Drive home’s GPS coordinates tattooed on her forearm, though not for nostalgia’s sake. Rather, it’s a kind of memorial in ink and flesh. On Aug. 12, 2023, a massive explosion at her family’s...
‘Series of failures’: Lawsuit blames fatal Plum house explosion on pipeline leak, water heaterVideo
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published on July 23. It’s being reposted on the two-year anniversary of the tragedy in Plum. Families of the six people killed in a 2023 house explosion in Plum’s Rustic Ridge subdivision have sued multiple companies for negligence and wrongful death, blaming them for...
Pine-Richland directors approve personnel moves ahead of coming school year
The Pine-Richland School Board has approved bringing on and letting go teachers and other employees ahead of the coming school year. Seven new hires and one reassignment are all effective Aug. 15. Pine-Richland students return to classes on Aug. 20. Lynzee Gladziszewski was hired as a health and physical education...
Councilman voted new chief of Springdale Volunteer Fire Department
After the resignation of longtime Chief Kevin Wilhelm this month, the Springdale Volunteer Fire Department selected borough Councilman Dan Copeland as its new man in charge. Copeland, who also serves as Springdale’s water committee chair, has been an officer at the department for 17 years, including 13 years as captain....
Mine-related sinkhole opens in Monessen
The 3-by-3-foot steel plate on State Road in Monessen may not look like much, but what it covers underground is much larger. Monessen officials have issued an emergency declaration in order to address a 12-by-15 hole caused by mine subsidence. “It almost looks like one of the old mine ‘portal’...
Baby’s death spurs homicide charge against Pittsburgh teen already accused of child abuse
Police have charged a Pittsburgh teenager with homicide in the death of the 10-month-old son of the person he was dating. Dominick Pinnick, 18, of Homewood had been under arrest since Sunday on attempted homicide and other charges after police said he abused and critically injured the baby when he...
Oakmont parish looks to expand child care offerings
The Holy Family Parish-St Irenaeus is hoping to expand its day care services by transforming four classrooms. Quintin Kittle, an architect for Q K Architecture and representative for Holy Family presented proposed plans for the site during the Oakmont Council meeting last week while seeking conditional use for the property....
Taco Tuesday goes next-level at these Western Pa. eateries
Western Pennsylvania has no shortage of dining destinations for tacos — and non-traditional tacos are having a moment. If you are looking to take #TacoTuesday to the next level, these local restaurants are just a few that offer specialty tacos all the time. You may find yourself with crunchy cravings...
Well, Well (Market): Downtown Pittsburgh to get new grocery store
A new grocery store is coming to Downtown Pittsburgh, the Downtown Neighbors Alliance announced Tuesday. The new store, Well Well Market, is expected to open at 817 Liberty Ave. In a statement, the Downtown Neighbors Alliance, a community-based nonprofit, said it has been looking to attract a grocery store as...
Lawyers ask Pa. Supreme Court to clamp down on Washington County DA’s use of death penalty
A team of defense attorneys on Tuesday asked the state Supreme Court to restrict Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh from pursuing the death penalty — accusing him of using capital punishment to coerce plea agreements and cooperation from defendants, and to earn political capital among supporters. The petition for...
Teen victim identified in head-on crash in Washington County
One person died in a head-on collision Tuesday morning in Washington County, authorities say. The Washington County Coroner was called around 5:30 a.m. to Route 40, near the road’s intersection with Valley View Road, in North Bethlehem on a report of the crash, a 911 dispatcher told TribLive. The corner’s...
The Stroller, July 22, 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. Summer concert series to...
Elimination of a $200 tax could transform nation’s gun regulations
A seemingly small change to a federal law that has regulated some firearms for more than 80 years could be an open door for lawsuits with the potential to transform gun regulations. Part of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” rolls back to zero a federal excise tax on certain...
Gun owners welcome elimination of tax on gun suppressors, expect increased demand
Willis Paul recently bought his 27th gun suppressor. He said he has collected the accessories for the past five years and, in that time, has shelled out $5,400 in excise taxes. But after changes to the National Firearms Act in the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act take effect...
Pittsburgh woman accused of working as nurse without license at area nursing homes
A Pittsburgh woman is accused of working as a nurse although she lacked professional licensing when she was employed at nine Western Pennsylvania nursing homes between Oct. 1, 2024, and April 2 — including one facility in Westmoreland County and three in Allegheny County. State police said Shannon Nicole Womack,...
Jeannette man seeks to withdraw guilty plea in 2019 fatal shooting outside McKee Stadium
A Jeannette man accused in a fatal shooting outside the city high school’s football stadium told a Westmoreland County judge Monday that he was misled when he pleaded guilty to third-degree murder. Greg Harper, 46, is seeking to withdraw the guilty plea he entered in 2022, claiming his then-defense attorney...
Overdoses lead to Pa. crackdown on nitazenes, a powerful class of opioids
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has criminalized nitazenes, a class of synthetic opioids that can be even stronger than fentanyl, as overdose deaths in the state mount. Nitazenes are temporarily labeled a Class I controlled substance as of Saturday, meaning it’s illegal to possess, distribute or manufacture them in the...
2 years after fire, Chili’s celebrates opening of new eatery in Ross
A Ross restaurant damaged by fire more than two years ago celebrated its reopening on Monday, July 21. Chili’s on McKnight Road was the scene of a roof fire in April 2023. The fire was caused through an issue with a hot water tank, and it was accidental, a spokeswoman...
Here are some upcoming programs at Penn Hills Library
Penn Hills Library, 1037 Stotler Road, offers a variety of programs for all ages. For a complete list of offerings, visit pennhillslibrary.org. Regular operating hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The library is closed on Sundays. The...
West Nile virus detected in Allegheny County, 7 neighborhoods to get sprayed
After mosquito samples tested positive for West Nile Virus, the Allegheny County Health Department announced today that seven neighborhoods will be treated this week. On Thursday from 8 to 11 p.m., residents in the Hazelwood, South Side Slopes, Arlington, Mt. Oliver, Carrick, Knoxville and Beltzhoover areas should expect to see...
Fatal barrage of gunfire on North Side ends with last of 6 defendants pleading guilty
The last of six defendants charged with killing a man on Pittsburgh’s North Side in a barrage of gunfire in 2022 pleaded guilty on Monday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Rayvon Poellnitz, 23, will serve 15 to 40 years in state prison after pleading guilty to third-degree murder before...
Teen tells judge Derry Township couple’s abuse ‘ruined my life’
A teen told a Westmoreland County judge that years of physical abuse suffered at the hands of a Derry Township couple will have a lasting impact and left a permanent disfigurement. “It hurt so bad every day. It ruined my life pretty much, what they did,” the teen, now 16,...
Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese releases photos of church vandalism
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh on Monday released photos showing recent vandalism at Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Baldwin Borough in hopes that it will encourage anyone with information to come forward. The diocese said the vandalism, which officials described as anti-Catholic and antisemitic, was discovered at the church...
Unions rallying in Pittsburgh pitch Trump ‘chaos’ as chance to grow ranks
Union heavyweights pitched their organizations Monday at a Downtown Pittsburgh rally as not just detractors of the second Trump administration, but vehicles for a unified opposition. “We’re saying: ‘Look to the labor movement,’ ” Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, told TribLive after the event. “We are the ones that...
