Western PA Local News category, Page 2546
Police: Youngwood man provided heroin that killed his girlfriend
A 36-year-old Youngwood man was arrested Wednesday on charges of providing the heroin that killed his girlfriend almost a year ago. Christopher P. Showalter was arraigned on charges of drug delivery resulting in death, manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance and two counts of possession of a controlled substance...
Police: 3 men arrested on drug charges after undercover buy, traffic stop in Arnold
An undercover drug buy and a traffic stop Thursday night led to searches of two Arnold homes and the arrest of three men. Arnold police Chief Eric Doutt said officers seized heroin, cocaine, marijuana and other drugs in the arrests, along with guns and cash. Arrested were Glendon Scott Starr,...
Franklin Regional Junior Olympic team sends 11 wrestlers to state championships
Eighteen members of the Franklin Regional Junior Olympic (JO) wrestling team earned top-four finishes at the recent Area III state qualifier held Feb. 16 at Franklin Regional Senior High School. Six wrestlers earned first-place finishes, Area III champion designations and spots in the 2020 PJW state tournament. Another five earned...
Trafford man loved family, woodworking
Dwight Witman Jr. had just turned 4 when he spent time with his future wife, Naomi, for one of the first times. The duo, who lived a block from each other in Trafford, remembered kneeling next to the bathtub playing with sailboats during Witman’s birthday party. Naomi Witman was the...
Federal judge blocks measure giving Lake Erie legal rights
TOLEDO, Ohio — An unusual ballot measure approved by voters in Ohio’s fourth-largest city to give legal rights to Lake Erie has been struck down by a federal judge. A coalition of environmental groups had led the effort in Toledo as a way to add new protections for Lake Erie...
Hempfield school board to discuss cyber school, property tax reform at Monday’s meeting
Hempfield school board members will host state Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield, at Monday’s committee of the whole meeting. Located in the district administration building, 4347 Route 136, officials will discuss cyber charter schools, mental and behavior health counseling support and property tax reform. “It’s really going to be kind of...
Hearing delayed for veteran Westmoreland sheriff’s deputy accused of inappropriate contact with female inmatesVideo
A hearing for a former Westmoreland County sheriff’s deputy accused of persuading female inmates to expose themselves or grope him in exchange for cigarettes ended as soon as it began Friday. Michael Ferguson, attorney for the veteran deputy Daniel A. Gradischek, 32, of Unity, objected to the first witness called...
Police: Fight over cigarette leads to McKees Rocks shooting; 14-year-old charged
A 14-year-old boy is charged in connection with a shooting last week in McKees Rocks that stemmed from the victim refusing to give the boy and two others a cigarette, according to Allegheny County Police. The shooting happened about 4:19 p.m. Saturday on Munson Avenue, Sgt. Todd Dolfi said. A...
Authorities: Altoona teens charged in fatal shooting during robbery
ALTOONA — Three teenage boys face murder charges in the fatal shooting of another teen who was killed when they tried to steal marijuana from him, authorities said. The three teens — two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old, all form Altoona — were arraigned Thursday and remanded to the county jail....
Walmart looks to expand alcohol sales in Western Pa.
Walmart wants to expand its sales of alcoholic beverages in Pennsylvania to its store in Unity and two other stores in Beaver and Clearfield counties. Unity supervisors are scheduled a March 12public hearing in March on the retail giant’s plan to transfer to the store at 100 Colony Lane an...
80-foot fall, vandalism at Western Pa. parks top week’s headlinesVideo
Two parks in the Western Pennsylvania area made the news this week, both for the wrong reasons, while endings were announced for a private school in the North Hills, double coupons at Giant Eagle and security at Pittsburgh International Airport. Woman falls at McConnells Mill Jocie Van Kirk, a 21-year-old...
Rapper Frzy speaks to students at Cleveland Steward ElementaryVideo
Pittsburgh rapper Harvey “Frzy” Daniels showcased his talent at a Gateway elementary school on Feb. 26 to display the school’s character trait of the month: trustworthiness. Dr. Cleveland Steward Jr. Elementary’s 329 students in kindergarten through fourth grade cheered and screamed and reached for the rapper known for his freestyle...
Shoppers find religious books, knickknacks, fellowship at Bloomfield’s Sacred Heart of Jesus Store
Each person who enters Sacred Heart of Jesus Store in Bloomfield leaves with something, even if they don’t make a purchase. “The blessing doesn’t go on the items we sell; the blessing goes on literally everyone that comes in,” says Sister Mary Madalyn Schleifer, who runs the Liberty Avenue shop...
Franklin Regional plans lecture series on hot-button school issues
Franklin Regional officials are reaching out to parents and the community to engage them about hot-button issues facing today’s students: bullying, drugs and pitfalls of social media use. The Franklin Regional Parent and Community Lecture Series kicks off March 11 with an overview of the district’s bullying prevention strategy. It...
Pittsburgh infectious disease specialist: ‘It’s time to prepare for coronavirus surge’Video
With the continued spread of the coronavirus and misinformation about the disease, Pittsburgh-based infectious disease and critical care physician Dr. Amesh Adalja has become a highly sought-after expert on the subject. A senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Adalja works on pandemic preparedness, emerging infectious diseases...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Feb. 28-March 1
Leap into the weekend in Pittsburgh. Here are some things to do. Furry friends Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash hit musical “Cats” is on stage through Sunday at the Benedum Center, Downtown. It is the latest gathering of Jellicle cats as part of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series....
Police: App, cameras, social media help nab Hempfield purse thief
Police used a cellphone app, surveillance footage and social media to find and charge an accused purse thief in Westmoreland County. According to state police, a man was captured on surveillance footage taking a purse from an 81-year-old Jeannette woman’s shopping cart while she was preoccupied at a Giant Eagle...
Student killed in WVU apartment complex shooting; 2 charged
A West Virginia University student was killed in a shooting early Friday morning at a university-run apartment complex near the campus, officials said. Eric James Smith, a sophomore from Clementon, N.J., was identified as the victim in the shooting, which happened around 4 a.m. at the College Park Apartments. Officials...
Memorial service for kayaking victim, formerly of Gilpin, set in Kiski Township
A memorial service for a former Gilpin woman who died in a kayaking accident on a West Virginia river is set for Saturday. A wife and mother of two children, Jamie Gray went missing on Feb. 9 while kayaking with nine other people on a remote section of Middle Fork...
The Stroller, Feb. 28, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
The Stroller is your go-to place for local meeting notices, charitable events and volunteer opportunities. Information for The Stroller may be dropped off or mailed at least a week in advance to: The Stroller, Valley News Dispatch, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084, email vndnews@tribweb.com or fax 724-226-4677. TryLife Center...
Chartiers Valley High School comes alive with ‘Young Frankenstein’
At Chartiers Valley High School, spring musical director Kim Giffin chooses the actors and actresses first, then the production. “I see what kids I have, and then I pick the show,” Giffin says. “I like to do the auditions first and then fit them into the roles for the musical.”...
UPMC took in $20B in revenue in 2019, claims dominance in Western Pa. insurance market
Nearly 1 in 3 Western Pennsylvanians now has a health insurance plan with UPMC — making the nonprofit behemoth not only the state’s largest private employer and hospital system but also the region’s largest insurer. That’s according to UPMC executives and their newly released 2019 year-end financial statements. They cited...
Baldwin-Whitehall community comes together over multicultural food
A traditional dish of fried noodles from Myanmar sat on the table next to mac n’ cheese. Inside the Baldwin High School cafeteria, kids and adults alike from across the globe — including the U.S., Nepal, Afghanistan and Tanzania — gathered to share a meal. The night of dancing, singing,...
Board receives resignations for three Carlynton School District educators
Carlynton School District will need to fill several key positions after receiving resignation letters from administration and staff. Rachel Gattuso, the assistant principal at the junior-senior high school, will step away from her position on or before May 1 because of family reasons. In her letter to the superintendent, Gattuso...
Hempfield slated to host first blood drive
Hempfield officials are slated to host their first blood drive next week with the American Red Cross. Located at the Hempfield Township Athletic Complex, 220 Forbes Trail Road, the event Friday, March 6, will run from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Those interested can preregister at the American Red Cross...
