Western PA Local News category, Page 1922
2 Bethel Park homes burglarized, police say
Bethel Park police are investigating overnight burglaries at two homes in the municipality. Chief Timothy O’Connor said residences along Old Ox and Cambridge roads were burglarized sometime between 3 a.m and 5 a.m. Friday. Several items were stolen from at least one of them. The chief said people were home...
Man found shot in Harrison Township
A 30-year-old man was reported in critical condition Monday night after being found shot in the lower torso in Harrison Township, Allegheny County Police said. Police were notified of the shooting in the 400 block of Park Avenue at 7:15 p.m. The department’s homicide unit was called to assist in...
Slight tax increase likely for Fox Chapel Area residents
Fox Chapel Area School District residents might pay slightly more in school taxes in 2021-2022 if a proposed $104 million budget is approved in June. The school board on Monday night voted to move ahead with the tentative budget which calls for a tax rate of 20.12 mills, a 1.3%...
Pittsburgh man charged in overdose death of Lower Burrell woman
After about a year of waiting for lab results, police charged a Pittsburgh man this week with drug delivery resulting in death in connection with the fatal overdose of a Lower Burrell woman. Otis L. Henley, 44, was in the Westmoreland County Prison on charges related to the death of...
Westmoreland officials seek answers for Mt. Pleasant Township ballot error
Westmoreland County elections officials on Monday continued to piece together how the race for a district judge’s seat was excluded from mail-in ballots sent to voters last week in four Mt. Pleasant Township precincts. “It’s my responsibility,” Elections Bureau Director JoAnn Sebastiani said of the oversight that led to 189...
‘Adopt a Senior’ program brings joy to Springdale 12th-gradersVideo
An ordinary Monday turned into a day of special recognition for Springdale High School seniors who were taken by surprise when they received gift packages as part of a first-year program called “Adopt a Senior.” The warm-hearted trinkets in the gift packages reflected what teachers, staff and coaches had learned...
Rate of new covid cases in North Huntingdon, Irwin areas falls below 1%, as of May 10
The weekly rate of new covid cases fell below 1% for residents in the four ZIP codes covering the North Huntingdon-North Irwin-Irwin area, the smallest increase since October, according to state Department of Health data released Monday. There were 28 new covid cases in the area reported from May 3...
Vandergrift historical museum reopens from pandemic closure
A historical treasure in Vandergrift has reopened. Vandergrift Mayor Barbara Turiak said she welcomed the news of the Victorian Vandergrift Museum and Historical Society opening again, after being closed for more than a year because of the pandemic. “It’s a must-visit in Vandergrift,” she said. “The volunteers gave me a...
24 new covid cases reported in Penn-Trafford area between May 3-10
New covid-19 cases reported in the Penn-Trafford-Jeannette area have continued to decline over the past several weeks, according to data from the state Department of Health. In all, 24 new covid cases were reported between May 3-10 for the six ZIP codes covering most of the three communities. That’s compared...
2 decades after being sentenced to death, Richard Baumhammers remains in prison
Twenty years ago this month, a jury in Western Pennsylvania had an important question to answer: should Richard Baumhammers be put to death for what he did? “Sentencing someone to death, that’s not an easy decision,” said Ron Frew on a recent rainy day in May. Frew, 67, lives in...
Former Mt. Pleasant police officer sentenced to prison for sexual assaults
A Westmoreland County prosecutor argued in court Monday that a former part-time Mt. Pleasant Borough police officer who used an escalating level of violence in sexual attacks against three women should spend up to 50 years in prison. “Law enforcement officials carry badges. If you look at it, it’s a...
Pittsburgh and Wilkinsburg school boards to discuss renewing partnership agreement
The school boards for Pittsburgh Public Schools and Wilkinsburg School District will hold a joint board meeting Tuesday to discuss possible renewal of a 5-year-old partnership that allows Wilkinsburg students to take advantage of several PPS programs. Officials from both districts gathered for a virtual news conference last week, touting...
Scene75 in Edgewood Towne Center closing permanently
Scene75, a large indoor entertainment center, appears to be the latest victim of the covid-19 pandemic, as its Edgewood Towne Center location is closing permanently. The Ohio-based company opened the Edgewood location at the site of a former Kmart in 2018. Scene75 offered an array of entertainment, ranging from an...
Friends of Flight 93 announces heroism award to mark 20th anniversary of 9/11Video
To promote the legacy of the crew and passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in Somerset County fighting terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001, the national memorial support organization Monday announced a heroism award to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Donna Gibson, president of the Friends...
15-year-old charged as an adult in connection with Hill District homicide
One teen is charged with killing another as a group of friends were hanging out last month in Pittsburgh’s Bedford Dwellings, according to court paperwork. Deron Darby, 15, is charged as an adult in connection with the April 24 death of 17-year-old Isaiah Freeman. Witnesses told police a group of...
Work starts on paver pathway for Delmont Library’s Outdoor Learning CenterVideo
Delmont Public Library officials were hoping members of the public would buy 250 pavers to help them pay for a pathway connecting the elements in their Outdoor Learning Center. Instead, the public bought nearly 400, and on Monday morning, work was already underway. “We’ll have about 4,000 pavers,” Grassel said....
EZPZ Gatherings keeps food simple, memorable
Ever wonder how to create those trendy charcuterie boards bursting with meats, cheese, fruits and veggies? Now you don’t have to. A new prep kitchen is scheduled to open May 16 in Aspinwall, where owner of EZPZ Gatherings, Sarah Tuthill, will create the elaborate spreads for you. “I’m not a...
Man jailed in fatal overdose case accused of new drug charges following New Stanton arrest
A 48-year-old man being held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond in connection with a fatal overdose of a North Huntingdon woman was charged with additional drug-related complaints stemming from his arrest in New Stanton,according to court documents. Jason A. Lewis, 48, of Boston, was arrested May 3 by...
Murrysville-Export-Delmont covid figures tallied for the week of May 10, 2021
The most recent data from the state Department of Health shows 1,477 coronavirus cases in the Murrysville area since the pandemic started in March 2020. In the past week, 15 new cases were reported. The health department this week released updated figures for the three ZIP codes that comprise the...
Uniontown man raises over $57K for new liver thanks to Facebook group that mocks baby boomers
Gary Rider of Uniontown needed a liver transplant. But he couldn’t afford the medical bills. So he did what many people in similar situations do and started a GoFundMe page. He also started selling his possessions, one of which was an air compressor. He put an ad up for the...
‘Chalk the Walk’ art activities planned in Latrobe, Murrysville
Colorful drawings and uplifting messages will cover the Lincoln Avenue Trail in Latrobe on Saturday, as Latrobe-GLSD Parks & Recreation and Latrobe Art Center host a free art activity. “Chalk the Walk” is scheduled for 9 a.m.-7 p.m. all along the trail that runs the length of Lincoln Avenue, from...
State posts lowest number of new covid cases in 7 months
Not since early October has the daily covid case report for Pennsylvania been so low. New case numbers were down across the state, with Allegheny and Westmoreland counties posting their lowest numbers of the year — marks not seen for seven months. On Monday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health posted...
2 accused of boarding Jeannette school bus; driver hurt during attack
Two people are accused by police of boarding a Jeannette school bus, with one of them attacking the driver, according to court papers. Aaron Blocker Jr., 40, of Jeannette, is wanted on an arrest warrant. He is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, unauthorized school bus entry and harassment. Lacy...
2nd winning ‘Strike It Rich’ lottery ticket, worth $360K, sold in Westmoreland County
Someone will be able to finance quite the summer vacation after purchasing a prize-winning lottery ticket worth more than $360,000 in Murrysville. A progressive top-prize ticket worth $360,832 for the Pennsylvania Lottery’s “Strike It Rich” game was sold at the Sunoco fuel station and Choice Cigarette Discount Outlet at the...
Wendy Bell out of WJAS lineup
Wendy Bell is no longer in the weekday lineup on talk radio station WJAS. “All I can tell you is it’s a personnel matter and it’s currently being handled by the company,” said Michele Bradac, a spokeswoman for St. Barnabas, which owns the radio station. The radio station posted a...
