Western PA Local News category, Page 440
Pittsburgh bans employers from testing most medical marijuana card holders
If you smoke pot, have a medical marijuana card and work in Pittsburgh, your boss can no longer test you for cannabis in most cases. City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to ban employers from testing most workers or prospective employees with state-issued medical marijuana cards. The rule includes several...
Allegheny County considers moving polling place from Chartiers Valley school building
Allegheny County elections officials might move a polling place from Chartiers Valley Intermediate School to another location in Scott Township, a county spokeswoman said Tuesday. Chartiers Valley School Board on Sept. 12 sent a letter to the county requesting that the Intermediate School, located off Swallow Hill Road in Scott,...
Dog named Lucky missing after carjacking at East Huntingdon Tractor Supply store
As they often did, Willard Martz and his 10-year-old Airedale terrier, Lucky, went for a ride Monday morning. When Martz parked outside the East Huntingdon Tractor Supply about 8:45 a.m., leaving a window open for his companion, and headed into the store, someone came up behind him, said his daughter,...
Pittsburgh man charged in death of father at their home in city’s Overbrook neighborhood
A Pittsburgh man has been arrested and charged in the death of his father Monday at their home in the city’s Overbrook neighborhood. City police charged Christopher Hudak, 28, with criminal homicide in the death of 63-year-old James Hudak, who was pronounced dead at the scene with multiple stab wounds...
Hempfield Area votes to spend $100K to double its weapons detector devices
After purchasing six weapons detectors for its schools in advance of the academic year, the Hempfield Area School District will double up on its security measures. The district purchased six OpenGate weapons detectors for more than $111,000 in July. The devices — two parallel poles that create a gate for...
Penn Hills man charged with alleged assault in Frick Park
A Penn Hills man has been charged with indecent assault and other crimes in connection with an incident in Frick Park. Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said Isaiah Rivers, 19, allegedly made inappropriate contact with a woman who was running along the park’s Tranquil Trail around 5:15 p.m. Sunday....
Harris set to return to Pittsburgh on Wednesday
Vice President Kamala Harris is slated to visit Pittsburgh once again on Wednesday afternoon as part of her White House bid, according to a campaign representative. Details about the visit weren’t immediately available. It will be Harris’ fourth stop in the Pittsburgh area since launching her presidential campaign. Pennsylvania has...
The Stroller, Sept. 24, 2024: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Summit Hose to host...
Trump pledges to create protectionist policies and deport immigrants before cheering crowd at IUP rally
Former President Donald Trump spoke to a capacity crowd at Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Monday night, detailing his protectionist policies of tariffs, criticizing immigrants’ impact on Pennsylvania towns, and keeping steel production in America. “We are going to keep U.S. Steel right here in America,” Trump said. “We have...
Saint Vincent College relaunches program in aviation management
When Leo Sun of Latrobe was the tender age of 6, he wanted to fly airplanes. He was interested in watching shows about air crash investigations rather than cartoons. Now 18, the Saint Vincent College student is getting that opportunity and is working his way toward that treasured license as...
The Keystone Key: Unlocking younger votes
As we approach the pivotal 2024 presidential election, Pennsylvania appears to be key to victory. With Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris seemingly visiting the state almost weekly, voters are grappling with critical issues that will shape the future of our country. Today, we’re diving deep into the perspectives...
Trump courts farmers’ support in visit near Smithton
Rachelle Davanzo’s life growing up on her family’s South Huntingdon farm wasn’t a typical childhood. “When normal kids went home to watch TV, I went home to milk cows,” she said. Now a beef farm still run by her family, the bucolic rural site was the backdrop for a visit...
‘Best day of the year’: Thousands gather for Shaler Area’s Homecoming festivities
A social media observation best summed up the events along Mt. Royal Boulevard on Sept. 21: “Best day of the year! Once a Titan, always a Titan!” Displaying enthusiasm along those lines, thousands of community members attended Shaler Area Homecoming festivities, starting with a morning parade in what turned out...
UPMC Western Psych nurses warn staffing shortages degrading patient care
Nurses and local officials warned Monday of the dangers of low staffing, high turnover and closed beds at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital in Pittsburgh amid what they described as a dire mental health crisis afflicting the nation. Several dozen Western Psych workers represented by the SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania union raised...
Hempfield man denied bond reduction in alleged murder-for-hire case
A Hempfield man accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill his sister in April in a dispute over money and property he expected to inherit will not see his $250,000 bail reduced. Westmoreland County Judge Scott Mears said during a hearing Monday that the charge against Peter...
Trio pleads guilty to attempted metal theft from Hamill Manufacturing
Two men were sentenced to almost a year in prison Monday after pleading guilty to the attempted theft of U.S. submarine metal from a Penn Township manufacturer. Bobby Lucci, 27, and Marcello Miguel, 22, both of Mt. Ephraim, N.J., will serve from 364 days to two years, less one day,...
Burrell and Fox Chapel Area schools implement 2-hour delay, virtual learning after social media threats
Safety concerns have prompted a “flexible instruction day” Tuesday for students in the Fox Chapel Area and Burrell school districts. A delayed start for students will be in effect at both districts. A “concerning social media post” reported Monday by students prompted the virtual instruction and a 2-hour delay at...
Pittsburgh councilmen accuse Gainey of dodging questions on $1M NFL Draft pledge
Two Pittsburgh councilmen are demanding answers from Mayor Ed Gainey’s office about his pledge to spend $1 million of city money on supporting the NFL Draft when the high-profile event comes to the city in 2026. “Nobody is filling us in on the situation,” Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, told TribLive...
Westmoreland County Transit Authority cites ridership drop, flexibility in switch to smaller buses
Westmoreland County Transit Authority plans to replace 10 large commuter buses with smaller, more nimble versions that will both better navigate small city streets and match what has been declining demand. The authority approved the purchase of 33-seat buses that are fueled by compressed natural gas from California-based manufacturer Gillig....
Leechburg, school district leaders to discuss safety protocols after school threat
What officials are calling a miscommunication over an unfounded school threat could lead to better emergency protocols in Leechburg. Officials from Leechburg and Leechburg Area School District plan to meet privately Tuesday to discuss protocols for emergency situations affecting the borough and school district. Borough Public Safety Director and Councilman...
Remediated industrial property in Springdale Township could make way for new municipal complex, educational opportunities
Former industrial land in Springdale Township has the potential to reconnect and help revitalize the area, political leaders and Duquesne Light officials said last week. Duquesne Light unveiled a natural wetland on industrial property near the former Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale. John Bigi, the company’s environmental lead, said the...
Lower Valley first responders get boost for infrastructure, vehicles
A new patrol vehicle for the Springdale Police Department is one of three upgrades coming to first responders in the lower Allegheny Valley. State funding will assist the police department, Springdale Volunteer Fire Department and Lower Valley Ambulance Service in obtaining equipment for their agencies. The police department was awarded...
Natural gas sensor alert leads to brief evacuation at New Stanton vo-tech school
A natural gas sensor alert led to the evacuation of Central Westmoreland Career & Technology School in New Stanton on Monday morning, according to school officials. “Two of our teachers came in with their gas sensors to say the levels were a little higher than normal,” said CWCTC Director Jason...
The Brinery offers a fast-casual, scratch-made, culinary adventure in Sharpsburg
In the first several weeks at his new Sharpsburg restaurant, The Brinery, Chef Joe Bardakos kept running out of food. Hungry customers were less than thrilled, but it signaled to Bardakos that his culinary creations were on target. “It was super humbling,” said Bardakos of Reserve. The Shaler native and...
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy visits Pennsylvania ammunition plant to thank workers and ask for more
SCRANTON — Under extraordinarily tight security, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday visited a Pennsylvania ammunition factory that is producing one of the most critically needed munitions for his country’s fight to fend off Russian ground forces. Rep. Matt Cartwright, a Democrat who was among those who met with Zelenskyy...
