Western PA Local News category, Page 877
Leechburg Area School Board seeks resident to fill vacancy
Leechburg Area School Board is looking to fill a vacancy after a board member resigned last month. President Anthony Shea confirmed the board received Matthew Jagodrinski’s letter of resignation in July. Jagodrinski was elected to a two-year term in 2021. In his resignation letter, Jagodrinski said professional and personal commitments...
Domestic violence charges withdrawn against DA Zappala’s son
State prosecutors Thursday morning withdrew domestic violence charges against the son of Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr., court records show. Ohio Township police charged Stephen John Zappala, 31, of Ben Avon Heights, with simple assault and harassment on July 23, court records show. He was arraigned and...
Monroeville Jazz Festival marks 20th anniversary
Murmurations are groups of starlings that twist and turn while flying together in a giant flock. People watch in amazement, wondering how they don’t ever run into each other. That is what local musician Kenny Blake likens to jazz music. “They’re not thinking. They’re not acting. They’re just doing it...
Woman who killed motorist in 2014 while distracted now accused of being high with child in car, causing wreck
A West Deer woman who admitted to killing a man when she hit his disabled car along Route 28 in 2014 is now accused of being high on fentanyl and cocaine when she caused a head-on collision in late May while driving her child to school. Rachel Rebecca Bailie, 32,...
Export man arrested in fatal Plum hit-and-run with motorcyclist
A 30-year-old man from Export was arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash in June in Plum, Allegheny County police announced Thursday. County police charged Towner William Henretty II with a felony count of accidents involving death or personal injury and summary traffic offenses, including failing to stop and...
Harrison paving project to include busy Broadview Boulevard
Ten Harrison roads will be paved this month, including the busy section of Broadview Boulevard in front of the Heights Plaza Shopping Center. The nearly $312,000 project is scheduled to begin Aug. 14. Commissioners approved the bid in February from Shields Paving. Members said they were pleased to see the...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Aug. 11-13
’50s fun The fabulous ’50s will live again at The Stroll, set for 5 to 9 p.m. Friday around Diamond Park and surrounding streets in downtown Ligonier. The annual event includes a classic car cruise, oldies music by DJ Pete, sock hop and merchant sidewalk sales. Information is available from...
Westmoreland happenings: Chicken barbecue, turkey dinner, historic reenactment, more
Submissions from nonprofit organizations for Briefly Speaking should be emailed to cpinto-smith@triblive.com. Include a complete address and daytime phone number. Submissions are due at least two weeks prior to the event. Each announcement is printed once; there is no fee. Church News • St. James Church, New Alexandria, will have...
Greensburg Salem OKs salary hike for superintendent
Greensburg Salem School Board approved a salary increase for district Superintendent Ken Bissell Wednesday. The board registered its approval of Bissell’s work with a pay hike to $154,000, exceeding the minimum annual raise of $2,000 set forth when his contract and starting salary of $144,000 were approved in April 2022....
Gabby Barrett returns home for postgame concert at PNC ParkVideo
At 23, country singer Gabby Barrett is in her glory days. That’s the name of her latest single, which she’ll sing during a Friday concert in PNC Park, following the Pirates game against the Cincinnati Reds. The concert is included in all tickets for the game, which starts at 7:05...
Morning Roundup: 5 shot in Pittsburgh’s Middle Hill neighborhood
Here are some news items from this morning, Thursday, Aug. 10: Five people injured in Middle Hill shooting Three people are in critical condition, among five injured in a shooting late Wednesday night in Pittsburgh’s Middle Hill neighborhood. Police responded at 10:45 p.m. to a ShotSpotter alert for multiple rounds...
Springdale, Riverview may team up in softball, wrestling, golf
Bitter rivals in Lower Valley high school athletics scene may be teaming up in three sports. Allegheny Valley school directors are considering a cooperative sponsorship agreement with the Riverview School District for its softball, wrestling and golf programs. “We believe that creating positive, meaningful relationships with our neighbors such as...
Chomper, the rescued Kiski River alligator, to serve as animal ambassador
The Kiski River alligator that led officials and volunteers on a weeklong search will call Pittsburgh home — for now. The alligator was safely delivered Monday evening to an undisclosed alligator foster residence in Allegheny County. The location is kept secret to protect the people caring for the animal and...
The Stroller, Aug. 10, 2023: 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. 1973 Springdale HS champion teams to be celebrated Allegheny Valley School...
Tarentum boaters have until Oct. 31 to remove items from boat docks
A decision by Tarentum Council to eliminate boat docks at Riverview Memorial Park has enraged longtime users who feel they are scapegoats for what they called the borough’s swankier aspirations. Boaters have until Oct. 31 to dismantle sheds, roofs and other amenities because of concerns over a lack of state...
North Allegheny hosts Just for Girls sports camp
Competition can sometimes keep girls from trying a new sport in school, said Michelle Ruiz, the health and physical education teacher at Marshall Middle School. With Just for Girls camp, held July 31-Aug. 4 at the North Allegheny School District, girls were introduced to two to three different sports each...
Gateway principals go on Come Join Our Gator Family tour in Monroeville, Pitcairn
For their Come Join Our Gator Family tour, Gateway’s elementary principals made sure to bring the beloved school district mascot. And this Gator was a true Friend. “I volunteered,” Ramsey Elementary Principal Katie Friend said during a break from wearing the mascot costume’s head. “I’m having a lot of fun...
Hempfield high school project plan is millions of dollars over budget, must be revised
Contract bids for the first phase of the Hempfield Area Senior High School renovation project are millions of dollars over budget, and the project must be revised before construction can begin. That’s what architects from SitelogIQ told the Hempfield Area School Board at a public meeting Wednesday afternoon. The architects...
Route 66 in Parks Township reopens following road project
Part of Route 66 in Parks Township, also known in that stretch as River Road, has reopened to traffic following a road project. PennDOT announced on Wednesday that the section of the state road that follows the path of the Kiski River has opened after being closed for a pipe...
Pittsburgh-area health insurers request rate increases
The Pittsburgh region’s biggest health insurers are seeking rate increases for plans on the individual market, some up to 13%, according to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. Highmark Inc. is asking for an average rate increase of 11.2% and the Highmark Coverage Advantage Inc. insurance plan is requesting an increase of...
Former Pittsburgh animal control officer revives lawsuit over cruelty charges
A former Pittsburgh animal control officer is fighting back against animal cruelty claims he said cost him his job and his reputation. James Genco III, 48, of Pittsburgh, filed an amended lawsuit this week in federal court against three people whose comments led to animal cruelty charges being filed against...
Riverview School Board to interview candidates Aug. 14 for 2 vacancies
The Riverview School Board has two vacancies to fill. Superintendent Neil English said board members Jeanine Hurt-Robinson and Jane Miller have resigned from the panel. Their resignation letters weren’t immediately available. In an updated statement Wednesday, the district said that after consulting with the county department of elections, the school...
Sustainable Pittsburgh selected for clean energy workforce initiative
Sustainable Pittsburgh wants Southwestern Pennsylvania to be a leader in the growing field for clean jobs. The Downtown Pittsburgh-based nonprofit has been selected by Jobs for the Future as a Quality Green Jobs Regional Challenge Member. The organization will join other groups across the country to prepare individuals for climate-resilient...
License plate replacement events planned in Westmoreland
Two free events being held by state Rep. George Dunbar this month will help Pennsylvania motorists who have peeling or hard to read license plates get a replacement. The representative is working with Penn Township police from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday in the green parking lot at Penn...
Marching Foxes hit the field in preparation for 2023-24 season
The Marching Foxes are in full swing preparing for the upcoming season. The 2023-24 Fox Chapel Area marching band began band camp Aug. 7, with members learning the ropes before the group’s annual performance at Kennywood. That presentation will be during the Kennywood Fall Fantasy Parade on Aug. 20. The...
