Western PA Local News category, Page 2750
Pittsburgh activist charged with harassment of Exxon gas station clerk
A Pittsburgh community activist who helped organize protests following an assault on two customers at a North Side gas station has been sent a summons for allegedly harassing one of the gas station employees on Facebook. Amber Sloan, 46, of the city’s Uptown neighborhood faces a charge of harassment by...
New Kensington, Arnold agree on handling of code, zoning matters at industrial park
New Kensington and Arnold both approved an agreement giving New Kensington complete control of code and zoning matters at Schreiber Industrial Park, which spans both cities. New Kensington’s Redevelopment Authority bought the park for about $8 million in 2018. It stretches for more than a mile along the Allegheny River....
Harrison Township refuses to address police union’s pension enhancement request
Harrison commissioners will not entertain a request from its police officers union to enhance their pensions under the existing contract. Teamsters Local 249, which represents the township’s 12 rank-and-file officers, asked the township to consider enhancements to their pensions as they had for police Chief Mike Klein, said Keith Frank,...
Harrison girl, 7, raises thousands of dollars for police — again
Harrison’s youngest reigning fundraising queen was at it again this weekend. Kaley Bastine, 7, raised nearly $3,000 for New Kensington police Officer Joe Martino and his police dog, Deuce. The dog was donated to the police department by the Officer Brian Shaw Foundation. Shaw was killed while on duty in...
Residents bring items to Tarentum antique store hoping to find treasureVideo
Allegheny Township residents Robert and Elaine Bargerstock knew the items they brought into an antique appraisal event Sunday were worth a lot in sentiment, but they had no idea how much they would be worth in dollars. The photos feature Robert Bargerstock’s grandfather, who was an Allegheny Ludlum worker during...
Passion for computers inspired St. Joseph High School senior to volunteerVideo
Michael Smith needed only 100 hours of community service to meet the requirement to graduate from St. Joseph High School next spring. But he liked his time at Computer Reach so much, he just keeps running up the hours. Smith recently was named “Volunteer of the Year’’ by the Pittsburgh...
Westmoreland Mall evacuated while police searched for Ohio jail escapee
The Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield was evacuated Sunday afternoon for two hours as state police searched for a man who escaped from an Ohio jail. Troopers believe Christopher M. Clemente, 24, was in the area of the mall about 11 a.m. He and three other inmates escaped from the Gallia...
Greater Pittsburgh Jews hope High Holy Days foster healing from Tree of Life attackVideo
Jews of Western Pennsylvania are hoping that Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, will help them make a fresh start nearly a year after the Tree of Life massacre. The mass shooting doubtless will cast a shadow over the High Holy Days — a solemn time that normally is devoted...
Scott Township resident celebrates 91st birthday
Gertrude Godzinski of Scott celebrated her 91st birthday Sept. 29. Gertrude is mom to Dennis (Jackie) and Donna (Joe) Reinwald and has seven grandchildren, Stephanie, Jennifer (Brian) and Jude Reinwald, Raymond (Amanda), Michelle and William Godzinski and Nicole (Mike) Bialowas. Gertrude has five great-grandchildren. Kathryn and Tom Butts have welcomed...
‘Ghost Tour’ to bring local history to life at Brackenridge’s Prospect Cemetery
The past will come to life through the voices of the dead at Prospect Cemetery in Brackenridge. But it is history, not fright, that is the focus of the cemetery’s annual Historical Ghost Tour, being held this year Oct. 10. From the cemetery’s more than 17,000 graves, 13 belonging to...
Big-box stores take law into their own hands in fight against shoplifting
It wasn’t the first time Tyler Shuey saw this. The Walmart asset protection associate watched as a woman on multiple days around a year ago underrang merchandise at self-checkout registers at the Unity store. The woman hid mints and gum under more expensive merchandise like meat, clothing and frozen food....
Private criminal complaints bypass police as cases head to courtVideo
In August 2018, a woman directly asked prosecutors to charge her ex-boyfriend, a resident of McKeesport, with witness intimidation. She accused the man of threatening to come to her apartment, kick in the door and kill her or throw bricks through her windows. She said he wanted her to drop...
Son charged in slaying of 67-year-old South Fayette mother
The son of a 67-year-old South Fayette homicide victim was arrested Saturday by Allegheny County Police. David Sumney, 30, was charged with criminal homicide, robbery, theft and abuse of a corpse in the death of his mother. The victim’s body was discovered Sept. 2 when South Fayette police responded to...
South Buffalo’s tractor pull galvanizes community in support of girl, 6, with cancerVideo
At 6 years old, Ella Conroy has plenty in common with kids her age. The South Buffalo girl likes to build houses of Legos and make friendship bracelets. She is a Girl Scout and cheers for youth football players across the Alle-Kiski Valley. But Ella has to spend at least...
Mt. Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festival offers exhibits, food, music this weekendVideo
There are plenty of demonstrations by professional glass cutters at the annual Mt. Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festival, but there are plenty other activities, too. And that’s not to mention the food — 25 ethnic food booths plus dessert booths — and music on three stages, too. Among the acts:...
Pugs and more pugs race, revel at PugtoberfestVideo
David Godin could not envision himself owning a dog — singular. That was before his wife, Kim, decided they needed a pug. On Saturday, the Somerset County man who never saw himself owning a dog found himself proudly introducing his family’s five pugs to a reporter who stumbled on the...
Allegheny County launches flu shot clinic Monday
The Allegheny County Health Department will launch a walk-in flu shot clinic at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 30 at 425 First Ave. in Pittsburgh. Officials said patients can enter the Immunization Clinic via Cherry Way and proceed to the fourth floor. It is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4...
Latrobe football alumni dinner will honor ’59, ’60 champion squads
Varsity gridiron champions from six decades ago will be honored anew Oct. 5 at the Latrobe Wildcat Football Alumni Association’s Kick-Off Dinner in Unity. The second annual buffet dinner, set for 6:30 p.m. at Giannilli’s II Restaurant on Route 30, will recognize the 1959 and 1960 Latrobe Wildcats football squads....
‘Silent Ride’ Sunday to honor O’Hara man who died while riding to work in Harmar
About 100 bicyclists will ride on a busy Harmar road Sunday morning to honor an O’Hara man who died a month ago while riding his bicycle to work. Thomas Haykin, 57, died Aug. 31 after he was struck by two vans on Freeport Road near Route 910, investigators said. Haykin...
In-town fields part of high school football tradition across Western PennsylvaniaVideo
Greensburg’s Offutt Field was thrust into the spotlight on Nov. 2, 1962, and on Sept. 9, 1988 — though for opposite reasons. Nestled in a dip between hills on the city’s eastern end, the field originally known as Athletic Park has played host to a variety of community events and...
Westmoreland Night of Worship unites area churchesVideo
An estimated 1,400 people came to Greensburg’s Palace Theatre on Friday night to worship. The inaugural Westmoreland Night of Worship was a free concert that brought together Christian groups from across the county. Tickets were free but needed to be reserved ahead of time, and all had been taken days...
Congregation that shares Tree of Life Synagogue opts out of Rosh Hashana phone call with Trump
One of Pittsburgh’s Jewish congregations opted out of a conference phone call with President Donald Trump on Friday, urging the president to condemn white supremacy and change his stance on immigration and gun control. Congregation Dor Hadash is one of three congregations that share the Tree of Life synagogue in...
1 hospitalized in connection with head-on crash in Washington Township
Washington Township police are investigating a crash Friday evening that sent one person to a local hospital with injuries. Westmoreland County dispatchers said calls for the two-vehicle, head-on crash at Route 66 and Silvis Road came in shortly before 6:30 p.m. North and southbound lanes of Route 66 were closed...
Pirates give grants to 38 youth baseball programs
Pirates Charities has given grants to 38 youth baseball and softball programs in three states — including 13 in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties. The “Fields for Kids” program is an annual initiative led by the Pittsburgh Pirates’ charity organization, which issues matching grants from $1,000 up. This grant money can...
Elizabeth Bridge reopened after structural concerns addressed
The Elizabeth Bridge has been reopened about a day after it was closed due to structural concerns. PennDOT closed the bridge, on Route 51 between Elizabeth and West Elizabeth, Thursday afternoon due to a failed temporary structural support bracket being utilized for hanger cable replacements. Crews and consulting engineers worked...
