Western PA Local News category, Page 2650
Monroeville fire department attorneys ask to dismiss part of lawsuit filed by Gateway student, parents
Attorneys representing a Monroeville volunteer fire company have asked a judge to dismiss a portion of a civil lawsuit filed against the station. Court records show that attorneys Bruce Rende and Amy Sims say the parents of a Gateway student who was hit by an ambulance cannot recover damages for...
VP Mike Pence asks for 4 more years in White House during Beaver County visit
Vice President Mike Pence promised during a visit Tuesday to a Beaver County Veterans of Foreign Wars post that he and President Trump would make Pennsylvania “more prosperous than you could possibly imagine” if reelected in 2020. Pence called the impeachment inquiry a “disgrace,” vowed continued support for military veterans...
Allegheny Township adopts 2020 budget with no tax increase
Allegheny Township Supervisors on Monday night adopted a budget for 2020 that will keep the property tax rate at 16.5 mills. It’s the 10th consecutive year that township officials have held the line on property taxes. Of the 16.5 mills, 13.35 will go toward a $4.1 million general fund. A...
Western Pa. Christmas Bird Count has 10th most volunteers, Audubon says
Pittsburgh isn’t exactly the bird capital of world, but its volunteers who count birds for the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count are ranked as the 10th largest group of counters in more than 2,600 count areas. Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count is the largest citizen survey in the country that measures...
John Sphon named new CEO at Excela as rating agency downgrades bonds
John Sphon, a longtime Excela Health executive, was named CEO of the Westmoreland County hospital and health system Tuesday. Sphon’s appointment followed the announcement five days ago that Moody’s Investors Service had downgraded $63 million in outstanding Excela bonds from A3 to Baa1. In a statement on the downgrade, Moody’s...
Bridgeville increases spending, keeps current tax rates
While the 2020 Bridgeville budget calls for a spending increase of almost $337,000, residents will not see their taxes go up. Borough council unanimously approved the $3.2 million general fund budget Dec. 9. Commissioners also approved maintaining current rates of 6.5 mills on buildings and 10 mills on land. With multiple delayed...
Westmoreland officials seeking input on housing, community development needs
Officials from the Westmoreland County Community Development Division are seeking input on housing and community development needs. There will be four sessions over the next month to help determine spending priorities for federal money over the next five years. An online survey is available for people unable to attend a...
Missing Pittsburgh girl found safe
Pittsburgh police say a 12-year-old girl who was reported missing on Monday has been found safe. Saniyah Gates, who attends South Hills Middle School on Mt. Washington, was located on Tuesday. Police said the previous day that she did not return home from school. No further information was immediately available....
Police: Man shot in hand in East Liberty
Pittsburgh police are investigating after a man arrived at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Oakland with a gunshot wound to his hand. The man, who arrived at the hospital by private means shortly before 8 p.m. Monday, told officers he was on Larimer Avenue in East Liberty behind the Target when...
Pittsburgh police find missing 83-year-old woman
Pittsburgh police have located an 83-year-old woman who had been missing since Monday night. Beatrice Stapf, of Morningside, was found shortly before 6:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 1600 block of Jancey Street where she had fallen. Officers said she was alert and conscious and was transported by EMS to UPMC...
The Stroller, Dec. 10, 2019: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Springdale High School Drama Club to present two plays The Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School Drama Club will perform two shows in one, “The Charge Is Murder,” and “Our Place,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the high school auditorium. Tickets are $8; $5 for students and senior citizens; Gold...
Baldwin students get hands-on learning in medical field
Makenzie Shandor pulls the plastic tightly around Paige Young’s knee, making sure the ice stays in place. “How did I do?” the Baldwin High School senior asks, as she practices wrapping her classmate’s knee for an injury. “Looks good. I’ll give you a 10 on that,” said Natalie Sorce, an...
Former Leechburg police Chief Mike Diebold to remain in jail on parole violation
Former Leechburg police Chief Michael Diebold will remain in jail for an indefinite period pending a hearing to determine whether his parole will be revoked. Diebold, 42, a convicted sex offender, was jailed late last week after he was accused of accessing a social media site that specializes in sadomasochism....
Man shot in the leg in Pittsburgh
A man was shot in the leg in Pittsburgh Monday night. City police are investigating the incident reported around 8:40 p.m. along the 5500 block of Hays Street. Authorities said officers found a man who had been shot in the leg, and he told officers it happened at Hays Street...
Latrobe firefighters leave council meeting without reason for their suspensionsVideo
Firefighters who are under suspension at Latrobe Fire Department’s Goodwill Hose Company No. 1 say they haven’t been told why. “We were suspended without cause, without reason,” Nico Giovannagelo, captain of the Goodwill Hose Company, said of himself and six other firefighters. “We do not know why we were suspended,...
Plum officials ink a new 4-year deal with public works union employees
A new four-year deal for Plum public works employees comes with raises and a borough contribution to a new supplemental pension fund. Council unanimously approved the contract Monday, effective through 2023. Borough Manager Michael Thomas said it affects about 24 employees and Plum plans to hire more next year. The...
Plum officials appoint storm water task force members, plan to meet in January
Plum officials selected their storm water task force members and plan to have the group’s first formal meeting next month. Council unanimously voted Monday night to appoint residents Ronald Costa, Ricci Vigno, David Reynolds, Carlos Escalante and Carey Cole to the team designed to address and prioritize flooding issues in...
Harrison tree service company emphasizes safety as they reach new heightsVideo
Editor’s note: Building the Valley tells stories of businesses big and small and the employees who make them special. If you know of any standout employees, bosses or companies with a great story to tell, contact reporter Madasyn Lee at mlee@tribweb.com B.J. Schaltenbrand recalls the time BeaverJack Tree Service received...
Greensburg approves $7,600 in new business grants
The City of Greensburg will give $7,600 in grants to three new businesses. City Council unanimously approved the grants Monday under a program that provides money to cover “soft costs” like architectural and design fees for commercial endeavors. All three businesses are located at 136 South Pennsylvania Ave., a long-vacant...
4 arrested in Propel Schools check forgery case; warrant out for 5th suspect
Police arrested four people in connection with a scheme to steal nearly $23,000 from Propel Schools by forging checks in the Western Pennsylvania charter school operator’s name, officials said Monday. The Propel Schools Foundation filed a report with police on Nov. 12 after discovering nearly two dozen fraudulent checks in...
Greensburg keeps taxes flat in 2020
Greensburg passed a budget with no tax increase for the 12th year in a row. The $12.8 million budget keeps real estate taxes at 25.05 mills, with a separate one-mill tax supporting the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library. City Council approved the budget unanimously Monday. Council also approved the purchase of...
Pittsburgh man pleads guilty to dealing cocaine from Sheraden convenience store
A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty to dealing cocaine from a convenience store he owned in the city’s Sheraden neighborhood, federal prosecutors said Monday. Willie Harris, 40, admitted to conspiring to sell more than 500 grams of cocaine — or more than a pound — out of Woogie’s Mini Market on...
Police searching for man who punched bus driver in Downtown Pittsburgh
Police say a man punched a bus driver in the face in Downtown Pittsburgh and are asking for the public’s help to find him. Police on Monday released two photos of the man they say assaulted the driver at about 8:20 p.m. Sunday, Port Authority of Allegheny County spokesman Adam...
Israeli citizen pleads guilty in 2004 sexual assault of girl in Dormont
A 54-year-old Israeli citizen, who was accused of raping a teenage girl 15 years ago and fled to Israel until being extradited back to Pittsburgh in February, pleaded guilty Monday to four sex crimes before an Allegheny County judge. Moshe Journo lived in Beechview at the time the charges were...
Point Park University announces esports team
Point Park University is looking for gamers to join its new esports team. The team is recruiting players with plans to compete in the 2020-21 school year. Point Park University’s Pioneer’s Athletic Department will oversee the esports program, which will be treated as the 18th varsity sports team on campus....
