Western PA Local News category, Page 2152
Burglary, DUI cases handled in Judge Hromyak’s Sharpsburg court
The following cases were heard by District Judge Leonard Hromyak in Sharpsburg court: • Chanele Iandiorio, 31, of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty to a summary offense after being charged with providing a false identification to police. Blawnox filed the charges Nov. 20. • Richard DeSabetino, 66, of O’Hara waived to court...
Virus cases found at 5 Westmoreland County public housing properties
Coronavirus cases among residents in five public housing properties throughout Westmoreland County were reported over the past week. Residents in communities in Greensburg, Hempfield, Latrobe and Monessen have reported contracting the virus, confirmed Michael Washowich, executive director of the Westmoreland County Housing Authority. “It’s a trend that mirrors what has...
Allegheny County awarded $1.2M for homeless programs
Without $1.2 million in federal coronavirus funding announced Wednesday by Allegheny County officials, providing shelter and services to the county’s homeless population would be tougher. “We would not be in the best situation,” Cynthia Shields, assistant director of the county Department of Human Services Office of Community Services, said. “If...
Pittsburgh council tweaking covid-related sick leave legislation before final voteVideo
People who work in Pittsburgh and need to take time off because they test positive for covid-19 or are asked to quarantine would be given paid sick leave under legislation Pittsburgh City Council will consider for adoption next week. Mayor Bill Peduto spearheaded the proposal, which was introduced last week...
Derry church is target of repeated vandalismVideo
Two break-ins and vandalism this week at a Derry Borough church have left the Rev. Sam Lamendola and his parishioners questioning why the house of worship seems to be a target. “It’s been traumatic particularly to the parish staff who love and take care of the church day by day,”...
Trump supporters plan rally from Unity to Greensburg Saturday
President Trump’s supporters are gathering again Saturday outside the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg to protest the results of the election. The rally, which will feature speakers, starts at 2 p.m., said co-organizer Tony Naples. But the day will begin at the Trump House in Unity at 1 p.m. with...
Westmoreland jury trials halted as virus cases mount in county
All trials scheduled for December in Westmoreland County will be postponed amid the rising number of coronavirus cases already diagnosed and the potential for a continued surge in the coming weeks. Common Pleas Court President Judge Rita Hathaway said Wednesday that criminal trials slated to start next week will be...
Covid-friendly menorah lighting event to be held in Monroeville Community Park
The Chabad Jewish Center of Monroeville will host its fourth-annual menorah-lighting event in a covid-friendly fashion on Dec. 13. Typically, the synagogue’s “Light Up the Night” event draws several dozen people to the Miracle Mile Shopping Center along Route 22 for singing, dancing and hot latke eating. This year, the...
Townhouse development proposed for former Bell Harbor Yacht Club site in O’Hara
Development at the former Bell Harbor Yacht Club site in O’Hara might move forward, more than 10 years after an original proposal to township council. Don Housley from River Road Development on Dec. 1 presented the Miramar Landing plan for 38 single-family townhouse units that would include parking, patios or...
Rep. Mike Kelly, Sean Parnell continue to pursue legal challenge to Pa. election results
A congressman and the challenger to Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb on Wednesday asked Pennsylvania’s highest court to stay its own order from last week as they wait to hear if the U.S. Supreme Court will take their case challenging the state’s mail-in voting law. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court,...
Mt. Pleasant Area children get free books through Imagination Library
Children who live in the Mt. Pleasant Area School District can get free books mailed to them monthly through a new partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The Mt. Pleasant Public Library is working with the singer’s book gifting organization to provide books for children through age five who live...
Sweet, salty treats give shape to Latrobe gingerbread housesVideo
You could try to eat it when the holiday season is over, but it’s really intended solely as eye candy. Making a gingerbread house with all the trimmings has been a decades-long, year-end tradition for Lori Vaglia and her two daughters. This year, the Derry Township resident brushed up her...
Baby girl overdoses on heroin in East Deer while woman caring for her slept, police say
A 9-month-old girl overdosed on heroin Tuesday after police said she ingested the drug while the East Deer woman who was supposed to be caring for her slept. Paramedics who responded to the incident injected the baby with 2 milligrams of Narcan before rushing her to UPMC Children’s Hospital in...
Food Podcast: Amen to Action provides about 1 million meals to Pittsburgh food bank amid pandemic
Since 2017, Lee Kricher, Reid Carpenter, Bishop David Zubik and other community leaders have hosted an annual event the day after Thanksgiving that brought thousands of people together literally to pack millions of meals. This year, covid-19 forced them to change their strategy but not their goal. Amen to Action,...
10% of City of Pittsburgh’s employees are in covid quarantine, officials say
About 10% of the City of Pittsburgh’s workforce is off work because they are quarantining for possible covid-19 exposure, the city announced Wednesday. That amounts to about 330 of the city’s 3,300-person workforce. A smaller but unspecified number of workers are off because they’ve tested positive for covid. The workers...
Lawsuit: Allegheny County Jail staff beat, restrained women inmates
Three women formerly incarcerated at the Allegheny County Jail filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the facility and several officers alleging that they were “brutally assaulted” by a sergeant, who beat them, and improperly used a restraint chair and pepper spray on them. The purpose of the lawsuit, filed by...
Freeport to celebrate holidays with Small Town Christmas festivities
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Freeport. The Freeport Renaissance Association — a community organization dedicated to promoting and beautifying Freeport — is hosting a Small Town Christmas celebration to spread holiday cheer around the town. It’s an annual tradition that began in 2005 and has grown...
Police investigating suspected meth dump site in Indiana County
Pennsylvania State Police launched an investigation Tuesday after a hunter reported finding materials associated with methamphetamine production in Green Township, Indiana County. Troopers discovered several plastic bags near a wooded area along Barr Road. After discovering the items, the State Police Clandestine Laboratory Response Team was called in. They said...
Westmoreland County sets record for new covid-19 deaths
A day after Westmoreland County reached 200 covid-19 deaths, a new daily record was set. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Wednesday the county has 15 new coronavirus-related deaths, a single-day record. It brings the total deaths to 219. The seven-day death total (Nov. 26 through Wednesday) reached 47 deaths,...
Penn Township man shares love of adventure with son in trip to Wyoming
Robert Szypulski, a computer programmer with Windstream Communications, lives in Penn Township. His son, Scott Szypulski, is a financial research administrator for the University of Pittsburgh who lives in Oakland. This is the story of their recent adventure to Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks in Wyoming. The past three...
Ace Hardware in Greensburg closes for good, citing pandemic
The Ace Hardware in Greensburg has closed after a decade on East Pittsburgh Street. Sales plummeted when the coronavirus pandemic hit and lockdowns were put in place, said owner John McCullough, owner of New Kensington-based Thrift Supply. “We’ve just seen our customer base drop, and our business drop, and we...
London calling: Hempfield band submits video for U.K. New Year’s Day ParadeVideo
The Hempfield Area Marching Band has once again answered the call from across the pond. Last week, band members donned their uniforms and set out to the high school football field where they performed their rendition of “The Horse” by Cliff Nobles & Co. A video of the performance will...
Allegheny County nears another covid-19 milestone with new cases
Allegheny County reported 508 new covid-19 cases Wednesday, according to the county Health Department. Ages of new cases range from 3 months to 100 years old, with a median age of 47 years old. Dates of positive tests are from Nov. 14 through Tuesday, with only 14 positive tests being...
New Kensington shot-and-a-beer bar transformed into foodie havenVideo
Three self-described foodies have created a new dining and drinking experience in New Kensington. Friends and business partners Dante Cicconi, Corey Pistininzi and Sean Watson have opened botL, which Watson describes as “a restaurant with a bar.” The menu features 19 wines and 14 beers. Pistininzi makes a signature Old-Fashioned...
Administrator of new Shaler Area parish urging members to ‘focus on the whole’
Recent parish mergers by the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh can be likened to Jesus’ death and resurrection, according to the Rev. James Gretz, administrator of a new grouping in the Shaler area. “In this corner of the Kingdom, we travel that same path,” Gretz said. “There are things through which...
