Western PA Local News category, Page 2240
State police investigating large lumber theft in Mt. Pleasant Township
State police are investigating the theft last month of a large amount of lumber from a Mt. Pleasant Township location. More than $6,600 worth of lumber was reported missing, according to troopers. The theft may have occurred between Sept. 18 and 25, police said. Reported missing were 76 pieces of...
Allegheny Township’s Great Pumpkin, Olga, goes to state weigh-offVideo
Olga the 1,174,5 pound pumpkin was severed from her stalk in an Allegheny Township patch Friday evening and loaded into a truck bound for the Pennsylvania Giant Pumpkin Growers Association weigh-off Saturday in Cambria County. Olga beat Justin Reiter’s personal pumpkin best of 1,136.5 pounds during Saturday’s weigh-off. This great...
Greensburg’s popular Turkey Trot going virtual; Latrobe race still on
It’s the tale of two turkey trots this Thanksgiving — one going virtual in Greensburg and the other forging ahead in Latrobe. The popular Greensburg Turkey Trot that typically attracts thousands of runners is going the way of so many races in the region in the time of covid-19 restrictions...
Here to help: Ward, Waltenbaugh vie to use 39th District Senate seat to better others
Tay Waltenbaugh knows if he wants to unseat Kim Ward in the race for the 39th District State Senate seat, he has to get Republicans on his side. Waltenbaugh, a Hempfield Democrat, is hopeful his years as CEO of Westmoreland Community Action will give him an edge with voters in...
The Stroller, Oct. 3, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Valley News Dispatch is compiling a list of autumn events and Halloween parades, parties and trick-or-treat nights. Send an email to cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Burtner House Restoration Society selling commemorative Christmas ornaments Burtner House Restoration Society is selling handcrafted Christmas tree ornaments to celebrate the 200th birthday of the homestead in...
Top stories from the Penn Hills area for the week of Sept. 28Video
Here’s a roundup of the news that happened in Penn Hills this week. • Bill Fralic was posthumously named as a distinguished alumni of Penn Hills High School. He won a WPIAL wrestling title and helped the football team win three PIAA championships before graduating in 1981. He died in...
Sunrise Elementary staffer tests positive for covid in Penn-Trafford School District
After announcing the weeklong closure of Level Green Elementary School on Wednesday, Penn-Trafford school officials notified Sunrise Elementary parents Friday that a staff member had tested positive for covid-19. Close contacts — defined by the state Health Department as a person who was within 6 feet of a person with...
Community garden proposed in Verona
Seeds of a community garden project have been planted in the minds of Verona residents. Borough parks and recreation board members hope to find a spot soon and break ground next year. “A shared garden can empower a community by increasing access to healthy, fresh produce and pollinator-friendly places while...
New overtime rules go into effect Saturday in Pennsylvania, more workers eligible
Workers making about $35,600 or less per year are eligible for overtime beginning Saturday in Pennsylvania. That’s when the state’s new overtime rule takes effect. “Tomorrow marks the first update to the commonwealth’s overtime regulations in more than four decades,” Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Jerry Oleksiak said in...
15 more covid cases reported at Westmoreland Manor; nearly a quarter of residents test positive
An additional 15 residents of Westmoreland Manor tested positive for covid-19 on Friday, according to county Commissioner Doug Chew, bringing the number of affected residents to 82. That’s nearly a quarter of the total resident population. Friday’s numbers come on top of 16 positive tests Thursday among the county-owned nursing...
Pittsburgh police: 6 people hurt in downtown crash
Six people were injured in a three-vehicle crash in Downtown Pittsburgh on Friday afternoon. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said the collision occurred shortly before 3:45 p.m. at the Wood Street and Fifth Avenue intersection. Three of the people were transported to hospitals by medics. Two children were taken to...
Police: 1 person injured in Pittsburgh shooting
Pittsburgh police are investigating a shooting in Spring Hill. Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews said officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert around 2:30 p.m. along the 100 block of Rhine Place. While officers investigated the scene, a gunshot wound victim walked into a hospital, Matthews reported. Matthews said the victim...
Week-in-review: Covid-19 dominates news, meteor lights up Pittsburgh skyVideo
The covid-19 pandemic continued to dominate much of the news in the past week, culminating with President Donald Trump confirming Friday that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the virus. Despite the virus impacting everything from nursing home residents in Westmoreland County to the Pittsburgh Steelers...
Excavator crashes into Mt. Oliver home injuring 1
One person was injured after an excavator crashed onto a home in Mt. Oliver on Friday afternoon. An Allegheny County 911 dispatcher said the incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. along the 100 block of Ormsby Avenue. The person was taken via ambulance to a hospital. Officials told news partners...
‘Ms. Mary’ retires from New Kensington Eat ‘n Park after 35 years with company
Servers at Eat ‘n Park in New Kensington never had to worry about the food they took to diners when Mary Burke was in the kitchen. “When she was doing prep and cooking, her food was always amazing, perfect,” server Kristy Reid said. “She cared about how she sent food...
Free trees, shrubs, native plants to Buffalo Creek watershed residents
The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is offering free trees, shrubs and native plants to residents of the Buffalo Creek watershed, particularly those who live along a creek or stream. Considered to be one of the wildest, untouched natural areas in the Pittsburgh region, the Buffalo Creek watershed covers about...
Pitt researchers begin new drug trial to test covid-19 treatments
Emily Evans was looking for a clinical trial to enroll in. The 28-year-old internal medicine resident at UPMC contracted covid-19 in early September after visiting family. She began experiencing headaches, dehydration, body aches and a lingering cough – as well as the loss of taste and smell that’s come to...
Lower Burrell police to be among 1st to undergo ‘legitimacy’ training at IUP
The Lower Burrell Police Department will be among the first in the region to take a new seminar at Indiana University of Pennsylvania Police Academy focusing on the concept of police legitimacy. The concept deals with the degree to which the public is willing to support and cooperate with police...
Seton Hill gets $1.7 million federal grant for students in need
Seton Hill University got a $1.7 million federal grant to benefit students who need a helping hand. The money will fund the university’s TRIO Student Support Services program for the next five years. Many universities have federally funded TRIO programs. Seton Hill’s was established in 1979. The program helps students...
Plea bargain for yawning defendant nixed by Westmoreland County judge
A Pittsburgh man’s yawns during a court hearing Friday prompted a Westmoreland County judge to reject a proposed plea bargain in which the man would plead guilty to charges related to an armed robbery last year in Jeannette. Jamar Miles, 19, of Pittsburgh, was expected to receive a sentence of...
Here is what happens if President Trump becomes too ill to serve
If President Donald Trump becomes too ill to serve as he battles covid-19 — either in his own opinion or that of Vice President Mike Pence and the cabinet — the Constitution would come into play. Brian Kalt, a law professor at Michigan State University, is the author of a...
Pittsburgh road rage incident ends in gunfire on Banksville Road
A road rage incident in Pittsburgh’s Banksville neighborhood ended in gunfire Friday, sending two people to the hospital, police said. The incident happened about 12:15 p.m. on Banksville Road near the Eat n’ Park and Days Inn. Police said they believe the driver of a silver pickup truck ran the...
Duquesne University reports 13 new covid cases in a day
Duquesne University has confirmed 30 cases of covid-19 on campus this semester – nearly half of which occurred Thursday in what officials called a “focused increase.” The university recorded 13 new cases among students in one day this week, marking the highest daily total for campus cases this semester. An...
Greensburg Salem moves ahead with homecoming after last-minute legal decision
Greensburg Salem officials were forced to make quick decisions after a last-minute legal ruling made it uncertain whether the school district could have spectators at Friday’s homecoming game. The district decided to carry on as planned, but separate spectators into three “pods” of no more than 250 people each. “We...
Student tests positive for covid-19 at St. Bede School in Pittsburgh
A first-grade student at St. Bede School in Point Breeze has tested positive for the coronavirus, the school said Friday in an email message, and Director of Catholic Schools Michelle Peduto said. All first-graders at the school will learn virtually for the next 14 days, Peduto said. The school has...
