Western PA Local News category, Page 2115
Stories of the Year: After George Floyd’s death, a movement for racial justice
Eight minutes changed the course of 2020. It was Memorial Day. May 25. George Floyd was being arrested by Minneapolis police outside of a grocery store after authorities received a 911 call that someone paid with a counterfeit bill. The caller told authorities the man was acting erratically. Floyd, who...
Crews quickly extinguish garage fire in Hempfield
Crews quickly extinguished a garage fire that broke out at a Hempfield home early Wednesday morning. Firefighters responded to the incident on Blue Sky Lane shortly before 5 a.m., according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. The fire was knocked down around 5:30 a.m. It was not immediately clear if the...
The Stroller, Dec. 30, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s fundraiser or community event in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Christmas tree recycling locations announced Several locations in the area will offer Christmas tree recycling. They include: • Allegheny Township: maintenance building, 1169 School...
‘A force for good’: How Black voices say they will carry momentum from 2020
One man was Black, the other was white. One gasped for air as the other man, a uniformed police officer, kneeled down on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The deadly Memorial Day weekend encounter between George Floyd, a Black man, and white Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin became the...
New Kensington-Arnold teachers want your help to buy students ChromebooksVideo
Remote learning can be hard on students, especially those who don’t have access to computers at home. Teachers in the New Kensington-Arnold School District have watched their students struggle with that firsthand. In response, they have started a GoFundMe asking people to donate money to buy laptops — Google Chromebooks...
Nemacolin resort closes for holidays, plans to reopen next week when covid restrictions lift
If you hoped to usher out 2020 at the posh Nemacolin resort in Fayette County, you are out of luck. Nemacolin closed Dec. 22 in an effort to do its part to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The luxury retreat does not plan to reopen until Monday. The...
Police arrest 3 people for alleged involvement in Green Tree shooting
Allegheny County Police have arrested three people in connection with a Monday night shooting in Green Tree. Scottie Harris, 21, Jamere Blackwell, 20, and Sequawon Harris, 22, have all been charged with criminal attempt homicide and related charges for allegedly attempting to rob a man around 8:15 p.m. along the...
Penn Hills JROTC students to continue program at Plum High School
Plum Air Force JROTC students from Penn Hills will be able to continue their journey this school year after a new agreement was approved by officials from both districts. Penn Hills’ Navy Junior ROTC program was eliminated in 2019 due to a lack of cadets and money. Both districts had...
Pittsburgh residents encouraged to put garbage, recycling out for collection Wednesday
Pittsburgh officials are encouraging residents whose garbage and recycling has not yet been collected to leave their materials at the curb for collection Wednesday. Mayor Bill Peduto vented his frustration on the collection service delay Tuesday. “I am beyond disappointed that homes still have not had their garbage and recycling...
Verona officials pass 2021 budget with no tax increase, discuss manager position
Verona property owners will not be paying more in real estate taxes as a result of the borough’s 2021 budget. Council unanimously approved next year’s spending plan and tax ordinance Tuesday night. “I feel confident in this budget,” Borough Manager Jerry Kenna said. “Everything that was requested by the department...
Penn-Trafford-Jeannette area covid cases rise slightly
The Penn-Trafford-Jeannette area saw a 5% jump in confirmed covid cases over the past week, with the addition of 68 cases, based on data from the state Department of Health. The health department counted 1,310 confirmed covid cases in the three communities as of Dec. 29, up from 1,242 as...
Latrobe looks to update police fleet with new SUV
Latrobe council is considering an update of the city’s police fleet with a new SUV modified to meet the needs of law enforcement. Purchase and financing of a 2021 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor are on the agenda for council’s Jan. 4 reorganization and voting meeting. According to City Manager Michael...
Man accused of shooting McKeesport police officer arrested in West Virginia
The man accused of shooting a McKeesport police officer was nabbed Tuesday evening by U.S. Marshals, bringing a nine-day manhunt to an end at a West Virginia apartment complex. Koby Lee Francis, 22, of McKeesport was found at a Clarksburg apartment and arrested shortly after 6 p.m. in connection to...
Latrobe police hand out gift cards, not tickets, for ChristmasVideo
Some motorists in Latrobe who were pulled over for minor violations last week got a warning — and a gift card, instead of a ticket. In the spirit of Christmas, the city police department used community donations to buy 50 Shop ‘n Save supermarket gift cards and handed them out...
Unity restaurant’s holiday meal distribution continues for 2nd week
Sharky’s Cafe is making sure Latrobe-area families that are in need start out 2021 with a full portion at dinnertime. With the help of donations received from loyal customers, friends and generous community members, the Unity restaurant distributed several hundred free Christmas meals last week to area families. On Wednesday,...
Harmar’s proposed $2.7M budget includes half-mill tax cut
The Harmar Supervisors will hold a special meeting Wednesday to consider adopting a $2.7 million budget for next year that would cut the township’s property tax rate by nearly a half-mill and reduce property owners’ tax bills by 13%. The township’s preliminary budget, passed unanimously in November, called for the...
Despite slow vaccine rollout, nursing homes optimistic about distributionVideo
Much is still unknown about how vaccines are being distributed in Pennsylvania’s nursing homes, but operators and advocates are optimistic and excited for the milestone. Skilled nursing facilities across the state began receiving their first doses of covid-19 vaccine Monday, through a partnership between the federal government and two national...
Shaler Area schools extend remote learning for one more week
Shaler Area School District has extended its remote learning model for an additional week. Students will return to a hybrid learning model beginning Jan. 11, according to a letter posted to the district’s website on Dec. 17. “This additional week will provide a natural 10-day quarantine for any coronavirus exposures...
Longtime Black activist feels ‘sense of hope’ regarding police reform in Pittsburgh
The founding leader of a Black activist organization that has lobbied for minorities in Pittsburgh for more than three decades says, as 2020 comes to a close, there is hope for substantive police reform in the city. “As we end the year, there is some positivity in the air with...
Bradford Woods residents could face fines if caught feeding deer
The dense trees that grace Bradford Woods are part of the charm that attracts residents to the tiny borough. But the lush forested areas also are home to a growing deer population with human allies who set out tasty snacks for them. Borough officials say the deer would be better...
What happened to the flu? Mild season in Pittsburgh area could see an uptick, experts say
Flu cases both locally and across Pennsylvania have remained low compared to the record-breaking case counts seen in the 2019-20 flu season. But doctors cautioned Tuesday it’s still early in the season, and the usual January uptick could coincide with a holiday-driven surge in covid-19 cases. As of Dec. 19,...
UPMC begins vaccinations in Pittsburgh area senior communities
When Nancy Fadgen was offered the covid-19 vaccine, she said yes “without reservations.” “If we want this to go far, somebody has to take the step forward and try it,” the 79-year-old resident at UPMC Heritage Place said. UPMC began vaccinating residents and staff in its senior communities Tuesday –...
Irwin man accused of stabbing someone outside bar
A 26-year-old Irwin man is in the county jail on $75,000 bond after police say he fought with two brothers late Monday outside a Main Street restaurant-bar and stabbed one man in the neck. Joshua James Robison was arraigned Tuesday on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, harassment, possessing...
Troy Hill man accused of stabbing man in face arrested after SWAT standoff
Police arrested a man accused of stabbing another man in the face during a street fight Tuesday afternoon in Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill neighborhood. Edward Terle, 32, of Troy Hill was detained and charged with aggravated assault after a nearly 45-minute SWAT standoff. Authorities received a report at about 1:15 p.m....
Marshall Township budget for 2021 keeps tax rate, level of service intact
Despite projections that revenue from some taxes are likely to dip next year, Marshall Township’s 2021 budget avoids a tax increase and focuses spending on projects that would cost more in the long run if delayed. The more than $8.6 million general fund budget unanimously approved this month is about...
