Western PA Local News category, Page 2028
Pittsburgh to invest $800,000 in public art projects for city’s parks
The City of Pittsburgh is investing $800,000 to commission new public artwork for the city’s parks and neighborhoods. The Department of City Planning Public Art and Civic Design announced Wednesday that there will be a series of calls for artists throughout the year. This citywide initiative encompasses 18 neighborhoods and...
Student News: middle school STEM winners, academic achievements, scholarships and more in the Pine, Richland
MySTEM Academy team places in top spot The middle school robotics team NextGen Robotics, hosted by MySTEM Academy, won the first place Director’s Award at the 2021 FIRST LEGO League Western Pennsylvania Championship. In addition to coming in first place overall among the 16 participating teams, NextGen Robotics also took...
Pittsburgh nonprofit helps student athletes improve academics, interpersonal skills
A Pittsburgh nonprofit is preparing local student athletes for successful college careers by offering academic and social support. Von Madden is the president and founder of Shadow Student Athlete Development Services, which helps students achieve academic success. He works with Dewayne Brown, whose Evolve Two Tenths program emphasizes the athletic...
Light of Life Rescue Mission moves to new, more spacious location on the North Side
The Light of Life Rescue Mission known for lending a hand to the homeless, is also extending its reach. It unveiled a new location on Wednesday that is much larger than the original one and can help it serve more people. “This has been 25 years in the making,” said...
‘Shark Tank’ circles back to highlight Murrysville company’s success story
The home page for Murrysville-based company FlexScreen has a concise message: “The world’s first and only flexible window screen.” It seems like such a simple concept, even company founder Joe Altieri couldn’t believe no one had done it. And his execution of it was so effective that he had multiple...
Plum creates online proclamation application to help honor more residents
Plum Mayor Harry Schlegel believes the best part about his job as an elected official is honoring residents. “Our community is really great. People step up and do things. I try to get as much out as I can,” the mayor said. Trouble is, it can be difficult to recognize...
Several officials and business owners rally against a proposed PennDOT I-79 bridge tollVideo
A proposed toll to pay for a bridge widening project along I-79 in the South Fayette area is unnecessary and would cause undo hardship to motorists, as well as residents and business owners of several nearby communities, according to state and local officials. “This toll is a tax,” state Sen....
Murrysville woman finds author’s voice during pandemic with message of inclusion
One evening during the pandemic, Vivian O’Hara of Murrysville went to sleep with a lot weighing on her mind. “On the news they’d showed a story about a little boy, seven years old, who rescued his younger sister from a vicious dog attack,” said O’Hara. “He suffered a lot of...
Despite pandemic, UPMC rakes in record-high $23.1 billion in 2020 revenue
The coronavirus pandemic did not thwart UPMC from raking in a record-high $23.1 billion in 2020 operating revenue — nearly $2.5 billion more than the nonprofit health system generated in 2019 and $10 billion more than it did five years ago, data released Friday show. UPMC Chief Financial Officer Ed...
Delmont resident turns hunting passion into podcast for new sportsmen
George Konetes was looking for a hobby and tradition he could pass down to his kids, as well as a reason to go outside. “I never hunted, but I’d hear people talk about it and it was like this mystical thing I could never get close to,” said Konetes, 35,...
Kiski police seek woman accused of passing fake $100 bill
Kiski Township Police are looking for a woman they said passed counterfeit money at a grocery store on Thursday. In a post made on Friday to the Kiski Township Police Department Facebook page, police said the woman passed the counterfeit money on Feb. 25 at Held’s Shop & Save, 307...
Regent Square Theater bought by Concept Art Gallery
The lights in the Regent Square Theater are back on. The movies are not. Concept Art Gallery, a next-door neighbor on South Braddock Avenue, has purchased the former theater. The gallery plans to use the additional space to expand operations, including two project spaces for emerging and established artists. The...
Greensburg businesses have 2nd shot at covid relief grants
Greensburg’s small businesses have a second shot at grant funding to help them recover from the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The Greensburg Community Development Corporation soon will open applications for the second round of its Covid-19 Relief Main Street Jump-Start Program. City businesses that employ 10 or fewer...
Point Park University union speaks against layoffs of 17 faculty
Point Park University’s faculty union spoke up in opposition of the school’s move to eliminate 17 full-time, non-tenured faculty members this week. Point Park officials announced the contracts of 17 full-time, non-tenured faculty members would not be renewed at the end of this academic year, citing financial difficulties related to...
Westmoreland Head Start programs expand scope during pandemic
Westmoreland Community Action’s Head Start and Early Head Start are geared to prepare young children for kindergarten. That involves a lot more than education — and the coronavirus pandemic has made it more complicated than ever. “The overall goal is to support families for self-sufficiency and help eliminate barriers like...
Police: Springdale man fought neighbor during parking spot dispute
After clearing two parking spaces in front of his house free from snow, a Springdale man assaulted his neighbor for parking his truck in one of them, according to police. David Mann, 38, is facing charges including simple assault, strangulation and disorderly conduct. As of yesterday, he was arrested and...
Westmoreland County gets fewer covid vaccine doses than smaller counties; talks begin about regional health department
Pennsylvania Department of Health officials confirmed that Westmoreland County was shortchanged in the number of covid-19 vaccine doses allocated since December as local and regional leaders continue to highlight mounting issues with the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. County Commissioner Doug Chew said analysis of state data found that...
Philips Respironics to cut jobs at East Huntingdon repair, service center
Officials at Philips Respironics, a medical equipment manufacturer that produces ventilators and sleeping equipment, confirmed Friday that the company plans to close the sleep and respiratory care services at its East Huntingdon facility. A spokeswoman for the international manufacturer said the shutdown is part of an ongoing effort to “enhance...
New Kensington family plans to build home for contracting business in Arnold
After nearly 40 years in business, a New Kensington family is ready to move its contracting business out of the basement of its founder’s home and into its first offices with a new facility in Arnold. In addition to a headquarters for the business, Shawn Whalen, the second generation owner...
Pittsburgh-area health experts praise Johnson & Johnson covid vaccine
The likely addition of a third covid vaccine option next month will be a “blessing,” health professionals in the Pittsburgh region said. “It means vaccine will be available to people faster,” said Graham Snyder, medical director of Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology at UPMC. “It means that for whatever reason,...
Tarentum man charged with pointing loaded gun at woman during argument
Tarentum police ordered a man and woman out of a house in the 300 block of West Seventh Avenue at gunpoint after responding to a domestic disturbance early Friday morning. Police said they were told shortly before 12:30 a.m. that Walter Clayton Jordan II, 41, had pulled a gun and...
Passenger suspected in slaying of pregnant Lawrenceville driver
The same man Katara Bray told a friend she hoped wasn’t the father of her child now stands accused of killing her early this month, according to police and court paperwork. Jason Brown, 24, is charged with homicide in connection with the Feb. 8 shooting death of Bray in Pittsburgh’s...
Westmoreland County Prison inmate accused of making threats against female guard
An inmate at the Westmoreland County Prison awaiting a hearing on assault and strangulation charges was arrested Friday on charges of threatening to sexually assault a female guard at the prison, according to court documents. Nicholas J. Grindle, 33, of Jeannette, was arraigned on charges of aggravated assault, harassment and...
West Newton man charged with arson, insurance fraud after reporting car theft
A West Newton man who reported his car was stolen earlier this month in Mt. Pleasant now is charged with arson, insurance fraud and making false reports, according to court records. Donald E. Cassidy, 54, reported about 8 a.m. Feb. 15 that his vehicle was stolen from Rumbaugh Avenue in...
Derry Township woman, former police officer, running for district judge
A Derry Township woman who served as a police officer and deputy coroner in neighboring Indiana County hopes to succeed retiring District Judge Mark Bilik for the Derry area. Republican Janelle L. Hood, 51, is seeking both party nominations in her bid for the District Court 10-3-08 seat. “I would...
