Western PA Local News category, Page 2807
Divers recover body of swimmer who drowned in Yough River
Rescue teams recovered the body of a male swimmer who apparently drowned in the Youghiogheny River Tuesday evening in Perry Township, Fayette County. Fayette County Coroner Dr. Phillip E. Reilly confirmed that divers recovered the body of the victim, who “was swimming across in an area and went under.” He...
Franklin Regional opens school year with new website, stadium upgrades
Franklin Regional school officials made upgrades to their football field as well as their website in the run-up to the new school year. Online visitors will see a brand-new, revamped website launched in mid-August with a simplified address: FRSDk12.org. The new site features a revised directory, new teacher pages and...
Lawmakers step in to keep Allegheny River locks open next summer in Armstrong County
A state lawmaker from Armstrong County said Tuesday that $160,000 in grant money has been secured to help a Kittanning nonprofit pay to keep locks open next year in the county’s portion of the Allegheny River. The announcement from state Rep. Jeff Pyle, R-Ford City, came a day after the...
Red Cross closes overnight shelter, continues to help people displaced by West Oakland fireVideo
The American Red Cross and other social service agencies stepped up to help those displaced by an apartment complex fire in Pittsburgh’s West Oakland neighborhood, the president of the tenants’ council said Tuesday. “They have brought us clothes, brought us food, gave us medical supplies, personal supplies,” said Mischelle McMillan,...
Petition to change Hempfield stadium name in honor of Terry Ranieri gaining tractionVideo
It took only 15 hours for over 3,500 people to sign a petition to have the name of Hempfield’s Spartan Stadium changed to honor a longtime Spartan football and band fan, inching just shy of the 5,000-signature goal. Terry Ranieri, who would greet fans at games while watching the band...
Cheswick, Harmar, Springdale Township team up for Low Grade Road improvements
Officials from Harmar, Cheswick and Springdale Township are teaming up to apply for grant money to improve a road that goes through the three municipalities. Officials are applying for a nearly $550,000 Gaming and Economic Development Fund grant to pave the entire length of Low Grade Road. Harmar Engineer Matt...
FBI: Reports of ‘underaged’ massage parlor workers led to probe linked to Western Pa.
A federal investigation that culminated in the arrest of a Florida man accused of operating a human trafficking ring through massage parlors from the Sunshine State to Pennsylvania, including five in Western Pennsylvania, began in 2017 after complaints made to a national hotline, according to court documents. David C. Williams,...
Report: Pittsburgh area home prices rise, sales slow slightly
Pittsburgh area home prices continue to rise, according to the latest RE/MAX National Housing Report. Although lower interest rates are helping affordability, the area has seen two straight months of accelerating price increases. If the trend continues, it’s not an encouraging development for Pittsburgh-area buyers, according to the July National...
Bottle rocket competition soars at Westmoreland FairVideo
Among the bottle rocket aficionados at the Westmoreland Fair, there’s a debate about which pop bottle works best. “Pepsi works better than Coke,” said Lyndsey Androstic, announcer for Tuesday’s 4-H rocket competition at the Peoples Grandstand Arena. Others swear by Mountain Dew. Regardless, what garnered the most attention on Tuesday...
Hempfield band, community show support for Terry Ranieri, their biggest fanVideo
A special performance for a beloved member of the Hempfield community shut down a township neighborhood Tuesday. Members of the Hempfield Area marching band played outside Terry Ranieri’s Beacon Valley Road home while he sat at a front window and listened from inside. About 100 band members, flanked by at...
McCandless mulls stiffer fines for residents who can’t control barking, roaming dogs
McCandless council is poised to consider a steep hike in the fines residents could face if they fail to keep their dogs from running loose or annoying neighbors with constant barking. The town’s current animal control ordinance calls for a $25 fine for each incident in which a resident is...
Former Cleveland judge pleads guilty in ex-wife’s stabbing death
CLEVELAND — A former county judge in Cleveland pleaded guilty Tuesday to fatally stabbing his ex-wife moments after she had dropped off their two daughters last November. Lance Mason, 51, told a visiting judge in a Cuyahoga County courtroom that he wanted to “take responsibility for my crimes,” adding, “There...
Lawyer for fired sports authority controller questions latest allegation
The attorney for the fired controller of the Sports and Exhibition Authority is questioning allegations of a suspicious transaction that led the authority to fire his client. The SEA announced Monday it had terminated Sharon J. Mink after an internal review found she made an unauthorized wire transfer of more...
Latrobe zoning panel turns down nonprofit’s plan for Depot Street offices
Faith Forward Ministries’ plan for moving some of its office staff to a donated house on Latrobe’s Depot Street hit a roadblock this week when the city’s zoning hearing board denied a needed variance. Eric Cosby, who moved to deny the Latrobe-based nonprofit’s request for the variance at Depot and...
Highlands School Board approves new hires, resignations
Highlands School Board has approved several personnel moves ahead of the start of the new school year. The board hired three people: • Drew Karpen has been approved as the district’s new athletic and transportation director, retroactive to July 22. His salary was set at $65,000. • Theresa Bargh was...
Scottdale woman ‘got herself involved in every single organization she could’
Vicki Clark of Mt. Pleasant can’t remember her mother ever sitting down to relax. “She would be involved in so much,” Clark said. “She would call every single person in per phone book, she quit her job to babysit our girls. She got herself involved in every single organization she...
Ex-coach who chased Chardon High School shooter seeks Ohio House seat
COLUMBUS, Ohio — An educator who chased away the teenager who fatally shot three students at an Ohio high school says he’ll campaign for a state House seat. Frank Hall tells Cleveland.com he wants to join the Legislature to advocate for school safety and rural Ohio . Hall drew national...
Lauri Ann West Community Center opening earlier
Good news for folks who like to get their early morning exercise on. Lauri Ann West Community Center is rolling back its hours so that doors open at 5:30 a.m. weekdays. New hours begin Sept. 3. “We heard the feedback, and we know that people like to come to the...
Southwest to drop Pittsburgh-to-Los Angeles nonstop flights
Southwest Airlines will eliminate nonstop flights between Pittsburgh and Los Angeles as it drops nonstop flights to many of the cities it serves. The changes are effective Jan. 6, 2020. Also in January, Southwest will add more flights to Atlanta, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Chicago Midway, Fort Myers and Tampa,...
Police: Men who ditched stolen vehicle near South Busway get away
Two men who ditched an allegedly stolen SUV eluded police for two hours before authorities called off a search for them, Pittsburgh police spokesman Chris Togneri said. Officers stopped the Chevrolet Equinox at about 7:05 a.m. near West Liberty and Pioneer avenues, according to police. The men got out of...
Trial begins for Homewood man accused in 2017 Swissvale homicide
The trial of a 21-year-old Homewood man accused in the 2017 shooting death of a Swissvale teen in a drug deal gone bad started Tuesday. Investigators allege that William Henry Smoot, 21, shot and killed Vallen Davies-Mack, on May 18, 2017, at Collingswood playground in Swissvale. Smoot and two other...
Blawnox unveils new website
Blawnox council is keeping its promise to provide better communication with residents through a newly unveiled website. The site, blawnox.com, debuted this week and is designed to be more user-friendly, officials said. Residents can pay utility bills, report concerns and view council meeting minutes. “The borough had received a grant...
Work begins to repair retaining wall on Nadine Road in Penn Hills
The work to repair Nadine Road in Penn Hills and its retaining wall will begin Aug. 20, the Allegheny County Department of Public Works said. The section of the road between Allegheny River Boulevard and Lincoln Road has been closed since July 12 following storms that overturned the wall and...
Penn Hills man charged with false arrest
Penn Hills police say a North Braddock police officer unlawfully placed two men under arrest when he thought they were scamming him and his wife. Sharon Jackson, 26, of Braddock believed he and his wife were being scammed by two life insurance agents when they showed up to their Penn...
Motivational quotes at Hempfield school to spur positive behavior
“Your attitude determines your direction.” “Be a buddy not a bully.” “Be kind.” These are just a few motivational words West Point Elementary students will see when school starts Thursday. Stuck to the walls of almost every bathroom stall in the Hempfield school, the quotes are a way to spread...
