Western PA Local News category, Page 2121
Police: McKeesport man accused of robbing, shooting motorist on Pittsburgh’s South Side
Pittsburgh police have arrested a man on charges that include attempted homicide stemming from a Dec. 15 vehicle crash and shooting on East Carson Street. Ralph Omar Williams, 36, of McKeesport, also is charged with aggravated assault, robbery, reckless endangerment and gun violations. He’s awaiting a preliminary hearing. According to...
Man escapes fire at Fifth Street home in New Kensington
A state police fire marshal will investigate the cause of a fire Wednesday night that displaced the sole occupant of a home on Fifth Street in New Kensington. Firefighters from New Kensington and Arnold responded to the fire about 7:30 p.m. It appears to have started in the basement of...
Rewards for suspect in McKeesport police shooting total $15K
A combined $15,000 in reward money has been offered for information leading to the apprehension of Koby Lee Francis, the man wanted in the Sunday afternoon shooting of a McKeesport police officer. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced Wednesday it is offering a $10,000 reward for...
Christmas display vandals make difficult year even worse for Harrison woman, neighborVideo
The holiday season is a little less bright for two neighbors in Harrison. “I was vandalized,” said Maryann Farr, 65, of Burtner Road. “They ruined everything that I worked so hard for.” Farr’s illuminated front lawn decorations were destroyed on Monday. Her backyard bird feeders and other items were damaged,...
‘Reimagined’ Bigelow Boulevard to open on Pitt campus
Commuters forced to deal with construction on a portion of Bigelow Boulevard that runs through the University of Pittsburgh campus will receive a Christmas Eve gift. Pitt and the City of Pittsburgh are reopening a “reimagined” Bigelow Boulevard between Fifth and Forbes avenues on Thursday. Pitt partnered with the city...
As elderly Greensburg couple battles covid in hospital, family asks public to ‘be smart’
Jim Kuhns had 30 cupcakes for his 91st birthday on Monday. He had balloons, gifts, cards and his favorite: scratch-off lottery tickets. But something was missing — his family. That’s because the Greensburg man celebrated in Westmoreland Hospital while battling covid. Betty Kuhns, his wife of 66 years, wasn’t by...
No tax hike in Harrison Township; budget delayed as township officials quarantined for covid-19
Harrison Commissioners plan to adopt a 2021 budget later than usual this year because several township officials have been sidelined by covid-19 quarantines over the past month. The commissioners will vote on the proposed budget, which does not include a tax increase, during their Dec. 30 meeting via the Zoom...
Allegheny County Health Department receives vaccine, finalizing distribution planVideo
About 4,000 Allegheny County residents have received their first dose of covid-19 vaccine so far, Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen said Wednesday – the same day the health department received its first allocation of the vaccines. “Thousands more will receive it in the coming weeks or months,” Bogen said. Bogen...
Southmoreland grad killed in crash ‘brought a different kind of energy to the room’
No matter who is talking about him, one thing is clear about Brandon Peterson — he knew how to brighten anyone’s day. “As soon as he’d walk into a room, he put a smile on everyone’s face,” said Mason Neiderhiser, 16, of Mt. Pleasant. “He was such a good guy.”...
Wagging tails join ringing bells for Salvation Army kettle drive in HempfieldVideo
Area owners let the dogs out Wednesday to help attract attention to the Greensburg Salvation Army’s annual red kettle donation drive. Members of the Youngwood Dog Club, accompanied by their public-friendly therapy dogs, volunteered to augment the efforts of kettle bell-ringers at several Hempfield retail locations including Walmart and Macy’s...
Bed Bath & Beyond store at The Waterworks mall to close by early next year
The Waterworks mall near Aspinwall is losing a big-box tenant. The Bed Bath & Beyond store began liquidation sales this week and will close by the end of February, according to a store manager who declined to comment further. Messages left with the company’s corporate office were not returned. In...
Covid numbers tallied for Penn-Trafford area
The state Department of Health reports there have been 1,242 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Penn-Trafford area since the start of the pandemic in March. The department on Monday released data on confirmed cases of the virus in the six Penn-Trafford area ZIP codes, showing an increase of 175...
Covid numbers for Murrysville-Export-Delmont area jump 20%
The most recent data from the state Department of Health shows 829 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Murrysville area since the pandemic started in March. Of those, 141 cases were reported in the past seven days, a jump of more than 20%. The health department on Monday released the...
Officials: 41K Pa. health care workers vaccinated; long-term care facilities up next week
About 41,400 health care workers have received covid-19 vaccinations since last week, Heath Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said Wednesday. Levine said hospitals are vaccinating their own workers, and are also responsible for administering doses to health care workers in their communities that are not affiliated with hospitals – including emergency...
Postal Service struggles with record demands as Christmas draws near
First it was the election and questions about whether the Post Office could be relied upon to deliver millions of mail-in ballots. Now, barely six weeks later, an unprecedented uptick in packages from online shoppers and staff shortages exacerbated by a rash of covid-19 outbreaks are combining to strain the...
Church services move to nontraditional measures for Christmas
Pastor Dan Borchert of the New Stanton Alliance Church knew he had to get creative if he wanted to include everybody in this year’s Christmas Eve service. Before Thursday’s traditional service, Borchert is hosting a drive-in service where people can pull up to the church, sing Christmas carols and discuss...
4 Allegheny County restaurants defy orders to close for violating covid restrictions
Four Allegheny County restaurants were ordered to close Tuesday for violating Gov. Tom Wolf’s latest covid-19 pandemic restrictions. As of Wednesday morning, none of them had shut their doors. David’s Diner in Springdale Township, Al’s Café in Bethel Park, Gianna Via’s in Whitehall and Il Pizzaiolo in Mt. Lebanon were...
Westmoreland County adds 327 new coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County added 327 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, the 44th straight day of triple-digit new cases. The new cases bring the county’s total to 17,406, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Of those new cases, 270 are confirmed and 57 are probable. The PCR test positivity rate of the...
Allegheny County adds 830 coronavirus cases, could hit 50K later this week
Allegheny County’s coronavirus case total grew by 830 on Wednesday, putting the county on pace to reach 50,000 later this week. At its current pace — after averaging 819 cases per day over the past week — the county’s total will hit 50,000 on Christmas Day. Only Philadelphia has reached...
Belt-tightening measures help McCandless avoid tax hike for 16th consecutive year
McCandless has approved a budget for 2021 that will avoid a property tax increase for the 16th consecutive year by reducing spending to make up for an expected dip in revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic. The nearly $16.3 million general fund budget approved unanimously by council on Dec. 21...
Don’t kick it to the curb: Pittsburgh offers Christmas tree recycling
Go green and recycle that Christmas tree. The City of Pittsburgh has five drop-off locations for live trees starting Saturday and running through Jan. 26. The program was started to invite residents to recycle rather than send trees to a landfill, which happens when they are placed at the curb...
Shaler holds line on taxes, moves forward with $700,000 in trail work and stream restoration
Shaler residents will pay the same in property taxes to the township in 2021 after commissioners approved its $14.5 million budget. The plan maintains a real estate tax rate of 3.49 mills. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000 will again pay $349 to the township. Residents also pay...
Dad creates adventures in a box without leaving Beaver County home
Elliott Cramer was helping move a neighbor’s water heater when he had a revelation. Some might say it was out of the box — or, rather, inside a large cardboard box. “I thought, the cardboard box would make for a perfect rocket ship,” said Cramer, who was assisting a neighbor...
Settlement with former Jeannette official includes repayment to city
Jeannette’s former community development director repaid nearly $7,000 to the city that she was mistakenly given after her retirement last year, according to a settlement agreement. The issue was caused by an incorrect calculation in the city’s payroll department, giving Diana Reitz more money than she was entitled to for...
Scottdale man killed after getting out of disabled pickup on Route 119
A Scottdale man was killed Tuesday when state police said he got out of his disabled pickup truck on Route 119 and was hit by a tractor-trailer in East Huntingdon. Brandon C. Peterson, 18, was driving a Dodge Ram 2500 that became disabled on the southbound side of the highway...
