Western PA Local News category, Page 531
Stewart School closing hearing prompts wide range of reactions
An array of viewpoints were shared by a dozen Burrell residents Tuesday during a public hearing on possibly closing Stewart Elementary School. Some requested Stewart remain open in some capacity, and others advocated for its closure. Some requested fifth-grade classes move to Huston Middle School, and others suggested they be...
Police arrest third person in June’s pro-Palestine protest at Pitt
A Pittsburgh man has been arrested for storming a barrier and injuring a police officer last month during pro-Palestine protests at the University of Pittsburgh. University of Pittsburgh Police on Monday arrested Cole Florkewicz, 24, of the city’s Perry South neighborhood, as the third person charged in connection with what...
Pittsburgh OKs Lawrenceville apartment complex despite aesthetic concerns
Mel Ngami skewered the renderings of a proposed apartment complex in Lawrenceville, calling them “very strongly depressing.” Peter Quintanilla, his colleague on the Pittsburgh Planning Commission, panned the design as a large box that “looks too flat.” Despite the commissioners’ misgivings about the looks of the planned 5-story apartment building...
Former nursing aide sentenced for jewelry theft from dementia patients
A former nursing aide was ordered to serve nearly 10 months in jail for the theft of jewelry from dementia patients at a Murrysville nursing home. Christina Louise Ankney, 40, of Braddock, Allegheny County, pleaded guilty in April to two misdemeanor counts of theft and receiving stolen property in connection...
Delmont mom rejects torture claim in adopted son’s death
A Delmont mother charged in connection with the death of her 5-year-old adopted son last year “categorically denies” allegations she caused the boy’s fatal injuries, her defense lawyer said after a court appearance Tuesday. Defense attorney Adam Gorzelsky said the prosecution’s case against Lauren Maloberti is based on false assumptions....
Defense suggests alternate causes for New Kensington toddler death
The lawyer for a New Kensington man accused in the death of a 2-year-old boy said Tuesday that fatal injuries suffered by the child were caused by accidents or another family member. Prosecutors contend Keith Dale Lilly Jr., 35, caused multiple head wounds and other injuries suffered by Mikel Fetterman,...
Penn Hills school board to vote on final budget
Penn Hills school board members will be voting on the district’s final 2024-25 school year budget tonight. The $99.8 million proposed budget includes a 1-mill tax increase, which would produce a tax rate of 31.5965 mills. This would result in a homeowner with a median assessed value of $69,800 paying...
Avoiding AI not an option for teachers, education experts say at Pittsburgh conference
As discussions of artificial intelligence technology make their way into classrooms across the country, education experts speaking at a national conference in Pittsburgh Tuesday urged teachers to take part in the conversation. Mike Searson summarized it simply: educators cannot handle AI the same way they addressed the rise of social...
Contract awarded for Fort Pitt Brewery site demolition in Jeannette
Demolition of the old Fort Pitt Brewery in West Jeannette is imminent. Westmoreland County officials plan to meet with the contractor Wednesday to determine a start date, said Brian Lawrence, director of the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank. The contract was awarded Tuesday by the redevelopment authority board...
North Apollo woman who drowned at national park in Montana remembered as sweet and compassionate
A North Apollo woman who slipped and fell from rocks and drowned Sunday at a national park in Montana is being remembered for her kind heart. The National Park Service said in a statement that Gillian Tones, 26, slipped on slick rocks at Glacier National Park about 5:20 p.m. and...
Blighted Sharpsburg brownfield gets $25 million boost in Allegheny Shores transformation
Transformation of Allegheny Shores, a 52-acre brownfield along the Allegheny River in Sharpsburg, got a boost of nearly $25 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Money will be funneled to construction of a multimodal transportation network to support the project. Work includes a bridge over the Conemaugh rail line,...
Deer Lakes junior Madison Rethage among 250 selected for Congress-Bundestag program
Deer Lakes junior Madison Rethage was running typical errands last weekend, heading to the pet store to buy supplies for her guinea pigs, Jacques and Pierre. “My mom happened to check her phone and saw an email for a scholarship I had been waiting on,” the 16-year-old said. “She wanted...
Pittsburgh council’s Charland trashes unwieldy city system for garbage citations
Pittsburgh Councilperson Bob Charland wants to make it easier to cite people who leave trash on their property. Charland, D-South Side, on Tuesday introduced legislation that would allow city inspectors to issue citations and fines for people who leave garbage on their property, improperly store garbage cans or leave garbage...
Majestic home in Marshall on the market for $1.49M
Set to be move-in ready this summer, the newly built Colonial-style home at 2007 Mallard Lane in Marshall offers a rare chance to skip the wait for new construction. Priced at $1,499,900, this two-story brick residence boasts 10-foot ceilings, a stacked stone gas fireplace, and a gourmet kitchen designed for...
Heavyweight champion Michael Moorer to be honored at Monessen community celebration
Former world heavyweight boxing champion Michael Moorer will return to his hometown of Monessen this weekend, where he will be honored at the city’s Celebration in the Park on June 29 for his recent induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. “It’s an honor,” said Moorer, 56, who lives...
Grandmother carjacked at Hempfield Burlington store; suspect arrested in Millvale
A woman was able to grab her 4-year-old granddaughter from the backseat of her Jeep Compass Sunday afternoon as a carjacker drove off with it outside a Hempfield clothing store, according to state police. Paulino M. Romero, 39, is accused of wresting the woman’s key from her purse at 1...
Delmont residents get chance to ask questions of stormwater authority
Delmont residents with questions about the borough’s newly formed stormwater authority can learn all about it at the group’s Wednesday meeting. “I’ve had some neighbors coming up to me to ask about it,” said borough Councilwoman Krista Krautbauer. “They said what they’ve read makes it sound like it’s already a...
Abandoned puppies found in Unity Walmart parking lot
A Westmoreland animal shelter is asking for information after a bin of puppies was found abandoned Monday morning in a store’s parking lot. Action for Animals Humane Society posted a photo on social media, explaining how the puppies were found. The post said they were left in the Unity Walmart...
Morning Roundup: Man shot in leg in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, June 25: Police investigate shooting in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar Pittsburgh police are investigating after a man was shot in the leg late Monday night in the city’s Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood. Police were dispatched to the intersection of Lemington Avenue and Oberlin...
The Stroller, June 25, 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. Free meals available at Knead Community Cafe Knead Community Café will...
Some skeptical, others confident in Housing Authority police’s word to step up Sheldon Park patrols
Eric Walters has witnessed this before. The notion that police will step up patrols in the Sheldon Park apartment complex in Harrison isn’t believable to the nine-year resident. “They’ve been saying that,” Walters said. “If they do, they’ll do it a couple days and say they’re doing something, and then...
$300K in upgrades set for Ambridge Avenue Park in Leet
A committee of Leet residents have worked to find an appropriate location to honor township residents who have died while serving their country. The last honor roll was on the side of a brick wall of the former municipal building. Committee members said it was not a very prominent place,...
City planning commission to review plans for Latrobe Sheetz store update
Sheetz is planning an update and reconstruction next year of its convenience store at Route 982 and Ligonier Street in Latrobe. The city’s planning commission is expected to review plans for the project at its July 1 meeting, but council members got an early look during their session this week....
Property taxes to jump 5% to support Hempfield Area budget
Property taxes in Hempfield Area School District will be going up nearly 6% to support a 2024-2025 budget approved Monday by the school board. The $109.6 million budget will increase the district’s tax rate from 85.76 mills to 90.76 mills. It was approved in an 8-1 vote, with board member...
Working conditions are driver of national teacher shortage, federal education deputy says at Pittsburgh conference
When people ask Cindy Marten what she does for a living, she does not tell them she is the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. After 34 years as an educator and school administrator, she tells them she is a teacher. “I was born, literally, to be a...
