Murrysville area: East End Kids’ breakfast, Symphony East, ‘Santa at Sardis’ and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Holiday-themed events Here is a list of holiday-themed concerts and events taking place in December: Dec. 5: Light Up Export. Borough officials will host the annual event from 6-9 p.m. along Washington Avenue. As in years past, the evening will include a...
Chipotle eyes Irwin site for new restaurant
Mexican restaurant chain Chipotle plans to open a new eatery in Irwin. The Irwin Planning Commission is scheduled to review a land development plan at 6 p.m. Dec. 15 that Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has filed with the borough for a restaurant at 9174 Route 30 where Denny’s is currently...
Pittsburgh investment manager charged with wire fraud, accused of diverting $3.7M
A Pittsburgh investment manager was charged in federal court on Tuesday with wire fraud, accused of diverting more than $3 million from a family’s investment fund. Thomas R. Pipich Jr. faces one count of wire fraud. He was charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office via criminal information, which typically means...
Slippery Rock to grow program that gives college, work experience to students with intellectual disabilities
Slippery Rock University is expanding its “Rock Life” program, a four-year, non-degree program for students with intellectual disabilities. The federal government awarded Slippery Rock $300,000 over the next five years for the program. The money will be used to hire more staff and grow vocational and other campus school and...
Man charged in Latrobe slaying has history of violence against womenVideo
A man with a history of violence toward women was arrested Wednesday on police accusations that he killed a Latrobe woman in her apartment. Latrobe police and Westmoreland County detectives believe Glenn James Whittier, 54, stabbed Pamela Puskar in her Loyalhanna Apartments home and left her to bleed to death...
Leechburg Area among 4 districts suing state’s largest cyber school for tuition costs
Leechburg Area is among four school districts that have filed a lawsuit against the state’s largest cyber charter school asking that tuition be dropped for local students. The suit claims Commonwealth Charter Academy, as well as the state Department of Education through lack of sufficient oversight, fails to provide students...
Westmoreland County Housing Authority plans to lease former state prison property for solar power project
The Westmoreland County Housing Authority is hoping to save millions of dollars in energy costs over the next 25 years with two solar power projects that would benefit Hempfield Towers and a warehouse, officials said. The housing authority plans to have a $2.28 million solar power array on as many...
Paving project bumps New Kensington budget to $12.4M; taxes hold steady
Property taxes will not change under New Kensington’s $12.4 million budget for next year. Council this week approved the city’s budget in a 4-0 vote, with Todd Mentecki absent, said City Clerk John Zavadak. The property tax remains at 32.02 mills. A property assessed at the city’s median value of...
13 employees furloughed from PennWest University
Thirteen union employees at Pennsylvania Western University’s California and Clarion campuses were furloughed last week, a university spokeswoman confirmed. “Thirteen AFSCME employees were furloughed,” said Wendy Mackall, a spokeswoman for PennWest. “PennWest is proud to support 1,571 employees across our campuses and to serve as a significant economic driver for...
Morning Roundup: Shooting in Mt. Oliver; tractor-trailer overturns on I-70; patrol stats released
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Nov. 26: Police investigate Mt. Oliver shooting Allegheny County Police have opened an investigation after being called to the scene of a shooting early Wednesday morning. Police said the were called to the 300 block of Onyx Avenue...
The Stroller, Nov. 26, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Opportunities available to help...
Grassroots efforts grow to help families in need
Amy Bocceri is no stranger to helping others. During the covid-19 pandemic, she helped deliver meals to local students who couldn’t attend school in-person. Now, she’s part of a growing trend of grassroots efforts that emerged across the region this year — not only for help with the holidays, but...
Eco-conscious resident finds ‘off-the-grid’ solar success in Aspinwall
Aspinwall resident Steve Paff hasn’t had an electric bill in six years. He followed his keen interest in solar energy and made the decision to install a large, 20-panel solar unit in his backyard in 2019. The ground-mount solar panels were installed in a fixed position and cost around $27,000,...
Springdale data center developers hopeful ahead of vote, close on property with Charah
Brian Regli, a consultant for the company seeking to construct a large data center in Springdale, says he’s optimistic the project will be approved by borough council next month. Land developer Allegheny DC Property Co. wrapped up its testimony during a five-hour meeting Monday night. That came a week after...
Pittsburgh Public Schools rejects school closure plan
A reconfiguration plan that called to shutter nine Pittsburgh Public School buildings was defeated by a 6-3 vote Tuesday night. The “Future-Ready” plan called for the closure of the Student Achievement Center (Baxter School); Friendship; Schiller, Manchester; Fulton; McKelvy (Miller PreK-5); Woolslair; Spring Hill and Morrow. Grade structures would have...
21 new police officers graduate from WCCC’s Municipal Police Officers’ Training Academy
Twenty-one cadets graduated from Westmoreland County Community College’s Municipal Police Officers’ Training Academy during a ceremony Tuesday. Graduates are Jordan Brasile and Grace Revitsky, both of Latrobe; Damiyan Davis of West Newton; Andrew Evans of North Huntingdon; Bradey Jackson of Allegheny Township; Jonathan Preece of White Oak; Charles Sciore of...
Westmoreland judge considers new trial for convicted murderer of mother, sister and aunt
A New Kensington man who was a juror in the trial of a man accused of a triple murder in Loyalhanna testified Tuesday in Westmoreland County Court that he heard a fellow juror comment on why the suspect did not join the judge, attorneys and jurors when they toured the...
Gas odor causes evacuation at Murrysville shopping plaza
An odor of gas caused an evacuation Tuesday afternoon at a Murrysville shopping plaza and sickened several people. Six people were taken to a local hospital as a precaution when they reported feeling ill at the Walnut Hollow plaza on Route 22, TribLive news partner WTAE reported. An official told...
PennDOT opens all lanes of ‘diverging diamond’ interchange along I-70 in Rostraver
PennDOT on Tuesday completed work to fully open a new “diverging diamond” interchange at the junction of Interstate 70 and Route 51 in Rostraver. The newly formatted interchange and nearby improvements on the two roadways have been under construction for three years. The I-70/51 diamond configuration has replaced a previous...
Prosecutor’s errors under scrutiny as defense seeks to toss case in 2022 Taco Bell killing
The veteran Allegheny County prosecutor whose conduct led to a first-degree murder conviction being overturned this summer had never before tried a homicide case and hadn’t tried any case for nine years prior to the one in question. Chief Deputy District Attorney Jarrod Caruso was the only witness to testify...
Shapiro signs CROWN Act against hair discrimination
Pennsylvania is now the 28th state to ban discrimination based on hair or appearance, after Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a bill expanding the definition of “race” to include hair texture, protective hairstyles and religious creed. On Tuesday, Shapiro and other legislators gathered at Island Design Natural Hair Studio in Philadelphia...
‘I know what it’s like to be hungry’: Greensburg church to donate 400 Thanksgiving dinners to local families
Kim Colosimo remembers what it’s like to be hungry. “I went through a divorce many, many years ago,” said Colosimo, who moved to Latrobe from Johnstown two years ago. “I had two small children. I was ‘this close’ from not having a home.” The church she attended in Johnstown is...
Tax rate would hold steady in West Deer under proposed budget
There is no tax increase projected in West Deer’s 2026 proposed budget. With expected revenues and expenditures balanced at almost $9.8 million, millage is projected to stay at 2.90 mills. Homeowners with the median assessed property value of $122,000 would continue to pay about $354 on their property tax bill....
Ex-Leet fire chief, wife charged in misconduct case involving junior firefighter
A former Leet Township fire chief and his wife were arrested Nov. 24 after investigators said she exposed herself to a teenage fire department volunteer and told him she was eager to have sex with him once he turned 18, according to Allegheny County Police. Nathan Turner, 40, texted his...
Leechburg Area School Board race flips after official votes are certified
After general election votes were certified Monday, Leechburg Area School District saw one race for a four-year board seat flip. Rather than losing a spot by 10 votes, which unofficial results showed on election night, Neill Brady received six more votes than newcomer Janie Borsh Symons to secure a four-year...
