Western PA Local News category, Page 3062
North Park’s historic Cottonwoods Council Ring to be explored April 6
Located within the boundaries of North Park are a number of historic structures, but a hiker, runner or biker may pass them by without even knowing. “Or you might see (an historic structure) and not know the significance of it,” said Sam Shephard, senior park ranger for Allegheny County Parks’...
Heidelberg Volunteer Fire Department celebrates 110 years
In 1909, Phillip Hillen was named chair of a group of 16 Heidelberg residents who had come together for the purpose of establishing a borough fire department. Its mission was “neighbors helping neighbors.” In June, Heidelberg Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) will celebrate its 110th anniversary. In the beginning, its primary...
Vandergrift VFW hosts ‘Welcome Home’ toast to Vietnam-era veteransVideo
They’re aging now. Mostly retired, graying or bald. When they were young, they were drafted or enlisted into military service during the tumultuous time that was the Vietnam War era. They’ve been home for more than 40 years, but most weren’t given a proper welcome when they returned from serving...
Pittsburgh-area drummer to play in Prince tribute, ‘Celebration 2019’ at Paisley Park
Brian Edwards of Bellevue has been playing drums since he was 3 years old. He’s played sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium with the British royal family in attendance, and he’s recorded and toured with Jesse Johnson, the original guitarist for funk-rock group The Time. In late April, he’ll travel to...
Concealed-carry events set in Fayette County
A seminar and after-hours permit event for Western Pennsylvania residents interested in concealed-carry for a firearm will take place this month. The Markleysburg Fire Department and officials from State Rep. Matt Dowling’s office on April 13 will host a concealed-carry seminar, including presenters from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, the...
Mother of Sorrows Youth Ministry marks 25 years of ‘Living Stations of the Cross’
Mother of Sorrows Youth Ministry in Murrysville will present its 25th annual Living Stations of the Cross on April 5 and 6. A cast of more than 20 students will portray vignettes of Jesus’ passion and death, while leading those gathered in meditation and prayer. Catholic churches typically display a...
Officials: Friday evening protest peaceful in Pittsburgh’s East End
A group of about 50 protesters disrupted traffic Friday evening but were peaceful as they moved along several streets in Pittsburgh’s East End, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety social media posts. City police warned of expected heavy traffic and delays in the area as they blocked off streets surrounding the...
Sewickley Academy girls lacrosse remains undefeated in early-season play
The Sewickley Academy girls lacrosse team edged Mars 12-11 in a nonsection road game Friday evening. The 2-0 Panthers again are hoping for big things this season after finishing as the WPIAL Class AAA runner-up to Pine-Richland and qualifying for the state playoffs in 2018. Mars placed fourth in the...
Alleged road rage in Penn Hills sparks police chase, crash, arrest
Penn Hills police arrested a male driver Friday evening following a reported road rage incident and an extended, slow-speed chase that ended in a crash on the Parkway East. No injuries were reported in the traffic incident that lasted about 10 minutes and was over before 8 p.m., according to...
Teacher relates his trip to Antarctica to Leechburg elementary school students
Life below zero isn’t easy — but it’s rewarding. That’s the message teacher Michael Penn presented during a PowerPoint presentation to fourth-grade students from David Leech Elementary School on Friday, chronicling his recent polar adventures in Antarctica. Penn, 54, of Beaver County is a teacher in the Shaler Area School...
Truck driver pleads guilty in Route 22 crash in Salem Township
A Georgia truck driver pleaded guilty Friday to charges he caused a multi-vehicle collision nearly four years ago in Salem that left one motorist injured and traffic stalled for more than eight hours on a busy section of Route 22. Andrew M. Parkes, 32, was sentenced by Westmoreland County Common...
West Newton man pleads no contest to indecent assault
A West Newton man will serve up two seven years on probation for having improper sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl last year. Michael J. Rozzo Jr., 32, pleaded no contest this week to misdemeanor charges of corruption of a minor and indecent assault in connection with an incident Feb....
Wolf nominates Elliot Howsie to be Common Pleas judge
Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday nominated Allegheny County Public Defender Elliot Howsie to be a judge on the Court of Common Pleas. If approved by the State Senate, Howsie would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Donna Jo McDaniel in January. He also would be a candidate...
Burrell School District nurse wins regional award from colleagues
Angela Dastolfo has been a Burrell School District nurse for 25 years and seems to know almost all of the students by name. For more than two decades, Dastofolo has been keeping a list of names, ages and medical needs. For her efforts, Dastolfo, of Lower Burrell, is poised to...
State officials to tour Armstrong County flood damage, hold public meeting Monday
The Allegheny River Development Corp (ARDC) along with state lawmakers and the Department of Environmental Protection will tour flood damage in the Rimer area of Armstrong County along the Allegheny River on Monday and hold a public meeting at 1 p.m. at the Madison Township Building, 107 Lawsonham Road, Widnoon,...
Graeter’s Ice Cream to open in Castle Shannon
A new craft ice cream shop is coming to Castle Shannon. The family-owned Graeter’s Ice Cream is opening a store April 5 on Mt. Lebanon Boulevard, according to a news release. Graeter’s has been around since 1870. The store offers a variety of flavors, sundaes, milk shakes, old-fashioned sodas and...
Game Commission hopes plastic bag in nest won’t harm Hays bald eagles
The male Pittsburgh Hays bald eagle brought an unusual, and potentially dangerous, object to the family aerie earlier this week: a black plastic bag. An official with the Pennsylvania Game Commission said Friday she hopes the plastic bag won’t wrap around an adult’s leg or one of the two young...
Salem man sent to prison for high-speed police chase while under the influence
A Salem man will serve up to six years in prison after he was sentenced Friday for being under the influence of controlled substances when he led police on a 20-mile, high-speed chase last year that started in Greensburg and ended with a crash in Loyalhanna. David Negich Sr., 52,...
Hempfield Area High School students to compete in BotsIQ finals
Together with their robot, 25 Hempfield Area High School students are preparing for their final battles at the BotsIQ Finals Competition, which features student-made robots battling for the top spot. “Take NASCAR, boxing and MMA and put it together,” said Hempfield’s teacher advisor Craig Siniawski. “These kids have a small,...
IUP student honored with Biden Courage Award for stopping sexual assault
Adrianna Branin says she has never seen herself as a hero; others do. Last week, former Vice President Joe Biden honored the petite coed with the Biden Courage Award for intervening to stop a sexual assault outside of an off campus party at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Branin, a 20...
Trump derails cuts to Special Olympics funding as Westmoreland County branch to mark 50th anniversary
Milton Claney remembers standing in the University of Pittsburgh’s stadium in 1968 when a boy ran past holding his bronze medal yelling, “I won! I won! I won!” At that moment, he realized what Special Olympics was all about. “I can’t say in 35 years I saw one Special Olympics...
Monroeville man linked to massage parlor human trafficking, prostitution case gets lower bond
A Monroeville man accused of helping run a human trafficking and prostitution ring out of five massage parlors in Monroeville and Murrysville returned to court Friday asking a judge to lower his $100,000 bond. Chang Yu Chen, 51, of Monroeville, who was described by the state Attorney General’s Office and...
Rivers Casino announces April events, promotions
Rivers Casino on Pittsburgh’s North Shore has announced special events for April, including an appearance by the music band Blues Traveler on Saturday, April 27. Tickets are $25 and parking is free. The show will take place in the casino’s new event space, which was unveiled in February. The second-floor...
Heinz History Center to digitize old Kennywood photos, videos
Thousands of images, a dozen videos and hundreds of pages documenting the history of Kennywood Park will now be digitized at the Heinz History Center. The photos and videos were once housed on the third floor of a haunted house. The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded the history...
Ex-Franklin Regional student working on plea deal in connection with cyber attack
The lawyer for a former Franklin Regional High School student charged with initiating cyber attacks that disrupted school and government computer systems throughout Westmoreland County in 2016 said in court Friday that plea bargain negotiations are progressing. Michaela Gabriella King, 21, of Murrysville, is awaiting trial on felony charges of...
