The Stroller, Oct. 24, 2025: 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. AK Strong Chamber to...
Change of fortune: Charleroi sees drop in Haitians; deportation fears, job loss
As Jim Alexandre looks out the window of his Haitian Resource Center office in downtown Charleroi, he wonders how his community will handle its latest challenge — the closure of a food processing plant that will eliminate 250 jobs by the end of October. “In general, it’s the newest problem,”...
Pitt to deploy new AI tool to assist students, faculty
Studying and coursework might look a little more high-tech at the University of Pittsburgh. Pitt has signed a universitywide agreement with Anthropic and Amazon Web Services for an AI model — Claude for Education — that can pose open-ended questions and offer support for students, preparing them for professional AI...
Dyslexia simulation reveals challenges 20% of population faces
Hailey Levin has known for years that her daughter is dyslexic. But experiencing for the first time what it might be like for her, she said, was almost heartbreaking. Levin was among about two dozen people, largely parents like herself, who participated in a dyslexia simulation event the Pennsylvania branch...
Murrysville council candidates zero in on comprehensive plan update
Candidates competing for four open seats on Murrysville Council have unanimously identified one central issue facing the municipality: the long-overdue update to its comprehensive plan. All five candidates running for the four seats cited the planning document — which serves as the town’s vision for growth and development — as...
In brief: Happenings in the Penn Hills area
Trick-or-treat time Trick-or-treating will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, in Penn Hills. Residents who plan to participate are asked to leave their porch lights on. Motorists are advised to stay off the roads during this time and to drive with caution if they must navigate...
Jeannette struggles to fill 2 openings on police force
Jeannette is looking at financial incentives and other options to encourage more applicants to two openings on the police force. As of Tuesday afternoon, no one had applied for the positions, police Chief Derek Manley said. The application period closes Oct. 31. During a meeting Monday to prepare for the...
Medical examiner identifies woman killed in January in Upper St. Clair house fire
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the woman who died in a January house fire in Upper St. Clair. The medical examiner’s office ruled Thursday that Meredith Miller, 42, died as the result of soot and smoke inhalation, and extensive thermal burns, from a fire Jan. 23 in...
Hill District bar reopens with new style and same charm
Fifty years after first opening her Hill District bar, Roberta “Mrs. Bert” Brassell is once again behind the counter following nearly a year of renovations. At 83, she’s reopened the neighborhood staple as Black Beauty Bar & Grill, proving that while the name and the seating may be new, the...
Judge upholds life sentences for Monessen man in 1973 rape, double murder case
A judge has rejected an appeal from a Monessen man who has spent 50 years in prison for the 1973 murders of two young children and the rape of their mother. Attorneys for John Veltre Jr., 69, claimed that Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Stewart II abused his...
Murrysville area: Veterans dinner, used book sale and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Speakers to discuss alcohol abuse The Mother of Sorrows “Boomers & Beyond” speaker series will feature Dr. Sabato Stile and Michael Flaherty at its Nov. 11 meeting, discussing “Alcohol and Alcohol-Use Disorder.” The presentation will focus on the impact of alcohol use...
Pa. officials roll up sleeves for covid shots and encourage residents to follow
At a Harrisburg pharmacy Thursday, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen and Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys rolled up their sleeves for covid shots to underscore the vaccine’s continued availability. “Today I want to encourage everyone who is six months or older to talk to a health care provider or pharmacist...
North Allegheny thespians to stage ‘Addams Family’ as fall musical
The creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky will be brought to life, so to speak, for North Allegheny’s fall production of “The Addams Family Musical” — hitting the stage on Nov. 6, 8 and 9 at the senior high school. Director Bob Tozier, chair of the North Allegheny music department, said...
Pa. union organizer deems strike timing ideal for unionized Starbucks baristas
Starbucks Workers United is launching a strike authorization vote Friday amid stalled talks for a first contract between union baristas and the coffeehouse chain. Baristas are also planning 70 “practice pickets” in 60 cities as the vote unfolds to draw attention to their demands for better staffing, pay and working...
Average age of first-time mothers rises over 31 at Allegheny Health Network hospitals
People are having children later in life — a trend that’s especially pronounced in Western Pennsylvania. The average age of first-time mothers who gave birth in 2024 at an Allegheny Health Network labor and delivery unit was 31.1 years old — three years higher than the national average, according to...
Tickets available for Shining Star Gala to honor volunteers making impact in McCandless
Volunteers and community members who made an impact on the Town of McCandless will be celebrated and recognized at the 2025 Shining Star Gala on Nov. 1 at the Camelot Banquet facility in Pine. This year honors 11 individuals and one community group who have given their time and talents...
McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority in talks with AHN on new ambulance post
The McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority is in discussions with AHN Wexford Hospital in Pine to construct a multiuse facility on its grounds there. The proposed facility is an EMS station and training center. The EMS station would include a four-bay garage to house MFPAA ambulances and AHN paramedic response vehicles....
Harrison woman treated after attack by her own dogs
A Harrison woman was treated late Tuesday after being attacked by her two dogs. Police Chief Brian Turack said no charges were filed in the incident. Emergency crews responded at about 8:50 p.m. to the 1100 block of Lane Avenue for a 45-year-old woman who suffered bite wounds and multiple...
PennDOT work restricts traffic on Rostraver bridge over I-70
Traffic has been reduced to a single lane on Crawford Lane Bridge in Rostraver. Temporary traffic signals have been installed at each end of the bridge, on Crawford Lane and Finley Road, to guide traffic over the span that crosses above Interstate 70. The lane restriction is slated to continue...
8 candidates vie for 4 seats on Plum Council
Four seats are up for grabs on Plum Council this year, and eight candidates are seeking to win them. The incumbents — all Republicans — are hoping to retain their places in the face of four younger challengers on the Democratic slate. Both sides, however, seem to be concerned about...
Irwin to hold Halloween parade Saturday
Youngsters in Irwin Borough will have a chance to don their Halloween costumes and go to businesses in downtown Irwin for a trick-or-treat from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, followed by a parade along Main Street. Registration for the parade will be held 1 to 3 p.m. at the S&T...
Springdale Zoning Hearing Board considers data center developer’s requests
The Springdale Zoning Hearing Board has been left to mull more than a half dozen requests from developers of the proposed data center in the borough after a lengthy meeting Wednesday night. Board Solicitor Charles Clark said he expects the board to render a decision within 30 to 45 days....
4 Republicans, 4 Democrats seek open seats on Plum School Board
Plum School Board could see some new faces, as eight candidates — split evenly between Republicans and Democrats — vie for four seats. Among the candidates, three currently sit on the board, including the board president. As the district continues its large building projects at O’Block Elementary School and Plum...
Webkinz World returns to internet browsers after hiatus
The small, plush Webkinz stuffed animals popularized in the late 2000s are making a comeback — with their virtual world officially back up and running after an a long hiatus. Early access for the browser-based version of Webkinz Classic is now available, according to Webkinz Newz. It can be found...
Republican Springdale mayor faces Democratic challenger
Two men are vying to be mayor of Springdale on Nov. 4. Democrat John Murray is challenging incumbent Republican Joel Anderson, who has served as mayor since 2023. Anderson declined TribLive requests to comment for this story. A resident of the borough since 1996, Murray, 66, ended up on the...