Western PA Local News category, Page 3026
Charges reduced in knife, gun confrontation outside Praha Hotel
A Tarentum man involved in a disturbance at the Praha Hotel earlier this month pleaded guilty to lesser charges Wednesday. Misdemeanor charges of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person were withdrawn against Felix Brun Sondova Blancarte, 34. He pleaded guilty to summary offenses of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness....
Police continue to investigate Munhall double shooting
Allegheny County Police detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding a double shooting Tuesday night in Munhall. Police had not identified any suspects nor discovered a motive for the shooting as of Wednesday. A 20-year-old man from the Homestead area and a 31-year-old woman believed to be from Rankin were...
School board sacks request for new Springdale football uniforms
Allegheny Valley School Board rejected a request from Springdale High School’s head football coach to buy new uniforms the coach said are needed because there’s a shortage of ones that fit. “I only have about 15 to 20 uniforms that fit properly,” head coach Seth Napierkowski wrote in a letter...
Judge selected in Monroeville kidnapping case
An Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas judge has been selected to hear the cases of two men alleged to have been involved in a Monroeville kidnapping. Derrick D. Duke, 25, of Swissvale, and Justice J. McCallum, 24, of Penn Hills, will face Judge Randal B. Todd on May 17...
Forum set for Harrison, Highlands primary candidates
The Harrison Township Democratic Committee is hosting a non-partisan public forum for township commissioner and Highlands School Board candidates. The forum will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday at the Natrona Heights Veterans of Foreign Wars, 894 Veterans Drive. It’s off of Freeport Road near Harrison Hills Park....
Work on new MAWC pipeline nearing completion
A $63 million project linking Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County water treatment plants is wrapping up. Authority officials said work on the final section of a 48-inch pipe between Jeannette and Adamsburg is nearly complete. The line still has to pass bacterial tests and be connected to a tank in...
Meadows Racetrack and Casino fined $12,500 for underage gaming violation
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board levied fines totaling $242,500 against two casino operators Wednesday, including a $12,500 fine against the Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington County. The fines were announced at the board’s public meeting disclosing consent agreements between the casinos and the board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel. The...
Scholarship fund honoring Lower Burrell Officer Kotecki continues to grow
The Officer Derek Kotecki Scholarship Fund will have distributed $42,500 to area students when awards are presented this spring at graduation time. Kotecki, a Lower Burrell native, a husband and father of two, served his hometown as a police officer for 18 years, including many as its police dog officer....
2 killed in Washington County crash – Apr. 17, 2019
Two people died from injuries they suffered Monday morning in a Washington County two-vehicle crash, authorities said. Julie Nicholas, 51, of New Eagle, was driving south on Route 88 in Carroll Township around 7 a.m. when a northbound vehicle crossed the center line and hit her vehicle head-on, according to...
Kittanning trooper honored for drugged, drunken-driving arrests
The Kittanning state police station’s Trooper of the Year has prevented numerous tragedies on the roads in his part of the Alle-Kiski Valley, his supervisors said. Trooper Nick Elliott, of Butler, helped arrest about 100 people for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol last year. “That’s 100 potential...
Pennsylvania AG settles $101K dispute with pest-control company
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Wednesday it reached a $101,430 settlement with a Utah-based pest control company with Pittsburgh offices in what Shapiro’s office described as a deceptive business practices case involving door-to-door solicitation. Shapiro’s office initiated the investigation following consumer complaints to Franklin Park officials about Aptive Environmental...
North Huntingdon pair accused of stealing purse, going on shopping spree
Two North Huntingdon residents were arrested Tuesday, charged with stealing an 82-year-old woman’s purse last month and going on a three-day shopping spree that racked up more than $5,800 in credit card charges. Laura M. Dick, 45, and Michael M. Kominsky, 29, are charged with multiple counts of identity theft,...
New Highlands superintendent resigns previous post as assistant
Highlands School District’s new superintendent formally resigned from her previous post with the district. Monique Mawhinney started as the district’s assistant superintendent in April 2018. She became substitute superintendent in place of former Superintendent Michael Bjalobok, who went on medical leave July 2 last year and retired on April 1....
Penn Hills emergency responders recognized for saving young life
Penn Hills officials recognized six first responders for their work to save a young woman after she suffered a near-fatal cardiac arrest last year. Taylor Allen, 21, suffered from a sudden cardiac arrest July 31 at her grandmother’s home in Penn Hills. Penn Hills EMS Supervisor Diane Fitzhenry said the...
Gateway, Sunrise students score more than just points
Sam Parkin’s greatest day at school had nothing to do with the classroom or dismissal, and everything to do with heart and teamwork. Sam, 17, of East Deer was one of several students at Sunrise School in Monroeville to compete against Gateway High School students in a basketball game earlier...
Irwin reaches deal with prospective Cafe Supreme owner on $11,100 garbage bill
Robert Juliano moved a step closer to owning the Cafe Supreme restaurant in Irwin after reaching a tentative agreement with Irwin Borough to pay more than $11,000 in delinquent garbage bills that had piled up from the restaurant’s previous owner. Last week, Juliano proposed to Irwin council he would pay...
New Kensington men deny stealing items from unlocked Lower Burrell cars
Two New Kensington men who police said went into unlocked vehicles in Lower Burrell last month told police they were drunk and looking for a lost cellphone, but denied going into cars to steal items inside, according to a criminal complaint. Isiah C. Mangol and Darius Rasavn Johnson, both 19,...
Fox Chapel Area teacher wins Carnegie Science Center award
The director of Fox Chapel Area’s cyber school is the winner of the Carnegie Science Center’s 2019 High School Educator Award. Stephanie Reilly, the district’s online learning coordinator, will receive the honor on May 10 at the 23rd annual celebration at Carnegie Science Center’s PPG Science Pavilion. “I am honored...
Edgewood man charged with homicide 14 years after shaking infant daughter
An Edgewood man is charged with homicide in the Feb. 1 death of his daughter – 14 years after he shook her as an infant and left her with brain damage and a seizure disorder. Allegheny County Police are searching for Ariden Jackson, who was 23 when authorities filed aggravated...
Watchers finally get a peek at Harmar bald eaglet
It doesn’t take much to bring out the cadre of wildlife photographers who faithfully follow the whereabouts and activities of the region’s bald eagles. After more than a week of watchers and photographers trying to get a peek of the eaglet in the Harmar nest, Fox Chapel’s Gina Gilmore managed...
Will Pittsburgh pave your street this year?
Pittsburgh on Wednesday released a list of streets scheduled for new asphalt in 2019. Residents can see if their street is on the list through the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure website. Pittsburgh lists the streets by City Council district and on an interactive map. The Mayor’s Office set aside...
Pitt-Greensburg panel: Think small for large problem of climate change
For a problem as big as climate change, it’s the local things that matter. That was the consensus from a panel discussion on “Climate Change and Its Effect on Western Pennsylvania” held Tuesday at the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg. The panelists, participating in the 14th annual Dr. Bernard Cobetto Lecture Series...
Phipps to sell used flower bulbs to the public
Visitors to the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens can take home a burst of color with the organization’s used bulb sale on Saturdays through the end of the month or until supplies last. Phipps horticulturists and volunteers regularly replace the more than 60,000 bulbs on display throughout the Gardens of...
Norwin discusses possible tax hike, doesn’t expect layoffs
Norwin School District property owners may pay 3% more in real estate taxes for the 2019-2020 school, the most the school district can raise taxes without getting approval from the state education department or district voters. In discussing the proposed budget for the upcoming school year, Norwin anticipates raising real...
Oakmont officials launch new website
Oakmont officials launched a new website Monday in order to improve communication with residents. The redesigned oakmontborough.com allows users to find borough forms and schedules, as well as activities and government functions, more efficiently. The mobile site also received a boost and a more user-friendly menu tab. Borough officials said...
