Man charged in Squirrel Hill home invasion, burglary linked to Verona theft
A Pittsburgh man charged in connection to a home invasion and burglary in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood is linked to other crimes in the city and the Alle-Kiski Valley, police say. Jerry Chambers, 59, was arrested last week by Verona police on theft charges. This week, Chambers was charged in...
The Stroller, Dec. 11, 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. Gift wrapping services available...
Local municipal managers rack up state, national awards
Tarentum Manager Dwight Boddorf credits much of his leadership ability to a mindset he learned in the Marine Corps — stay calm under pressure, focus on what matters and build systems that last. Over the past several years, he has applied that approach to revitalization efforts in the borough. On...
Gordo’s Café and Cantina coming to RIDC Park in O’Hara
A scratch bakery and cantina in O’Hara will feature tavern-style pizza, fresh-roasted meats and gourmet cronuts in a prime location perched along Route 28. Gordo’s Café and Cantina is scheduled to open in the coming weeks in RIDC Park, in the home of the former Periwinkle’s Bakery & Café. “The...
Jeannette delays vote on landlord licensing program
Proposed ordinances in Jeannette for a landlord licensing program and commercial property inspections are on hold after a majority of the group decided to table the matters. “I feel like we need public input on these ordinances, and I think we need more discussion,” Councilwoman Michelle Langdon said. “Since we...
More than 200 people gather to remember loved ones at 30th Light of Love event
Nearly a year after his mother, Rose Pirollo, died on Christmas Day, Chris Pirollo of Penn Hills attended Soxman Funeral Homes’ Light of Love memorial program for the first time. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but he walked away feeling it was a “wonderful, elegant, tasteful celebration of remembrance.”...
Fox Chapel sparkles during annual Light Up event
Santa ditched the flying reindeer and sleigh for a cool, vintage VW bug emblazoned with a Fox Chapel Police logo to mark his arrival at Fox Chapel’s third annual Light Up event held Dec. 3 at the borough building. Fox Chapel Mayor Alex Scott III kicked off the Light Up...
Westmoreland happenings: Pet photos with Santa, Christmas night market, cookie walk, more
Art The Latrobe Art Center is collecting original poetry works to be displayed on a poster in shop windows in Latrobe, Ligonier and Greensburg. Entries should be less than 25 lines or 300 words long and not contain explicit content or hate speech. The author must live or work in...
Murrysville area: Delmont ‘Holidaze,’ winter heating assistance, holiday events, more
Delmont ‘Holidaze’ Delmont will host a “Holidaze” celebration from 3-6 p.m. Dec. 14 at Faith Global Methodist Church, 305 Freeport St. The afternoon will include food trucks, craft vendors, live music, children’s activities, basket raffles and a visit from Santa. There will also be a dozen new bikes and helmets...
‘So supportive to us and our families’: Norwin Elks donates $6,500 to Westmoreland autism nonprofit
The Autism Society of America’s Westmoreland County chapter hosted its monthly recreation event Nov. 17 at Hillview Bowling Lanes in Hempfield. The nonprofit covered all of the expenses, allowing attendees to bowl free of charge. A recent donation to the society from the Norwin Elks lodge in Manor is partially...
Penn Township church’s cookbook fundraiser leans on ‘history of serving really good food’
Deana Rugh looks fondly on the days of serving delicious food to the Penn Township community from First United Church of Christ’s kitchens. Penn-Trafford soccer players used to stop by the Penn Township church during its biannual country breakfast — fueling up for Saturday morning practice with eggs, pancakes, ham,...
Penn Middle donates 175 tote bags to local cancer patients
About 55 Penn Middle School students and staff packed and donated tote bags for local cancer patients in honor of late teacher, Jackie Landram. This is the third year that the school has donated items to the cancer center through their charitable initiative, Landram’s Light. The school donated 175 bags...
Norwin area: Book sale, heating assistance, tree sale, more
Scouts to sell Christmas trees Boy Scout Troop 284 of Irwin will be selling live Christmas trees at the Busy Beaver store parking lot at the Norwin Hills Shopping Center. The tree sale will be from 5-9 p.m. Dec. 12; 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Dec. 13; and from 10 a.m.-6 p.m....
Penn Township proposes steady property tax rate in 2026 budget
Penn Township commissioners will vote next week on a 2026 budget proposal that would not increase property taxes. The nearly $12 million spending plan includes a property tax rate of 17.4 mills, plus a 1.3 mill tax dedicated to the township’s five volunteer fire departments: Claridge, Grandview, Harrison City, Level...
Police search for Washington County couple accused of living with corpse, cashing Social Security checks
Police in Washington County are searching for a husband and wife accused of living with a decomposing body to continue cashing social security checks. James Bebout, 69, and Debbie Bebout, 64, of Canton Township are charged with felony theft and criminal conspiracy as well as abuse of a corpse. The...
Pinch of rising prices, outlook on inflation differs among area shoppers
Jaclyn Thomas of Southwest Greensburg and Tim Taylor of Sharpsburg are feeling the economic pressure of rising costs in different ways. “Being on a low income, it’s very hard,” said Thomas, 46, who is a food stamp recipient. “There’s a lot of things I had to cut out.” Taylor, 41,...
Same budget, different universes: Pittsburgh council, mayor diverge on 2026 spending plan
Depending on who’s talking, Pittsburgh’s 2026 spending plan is either absolutely fine — or a complete disaster. City Council members, their budget director and the Pittsburgh controller seem to be living in a totally different reality than Mayor Ed Gainey’s top officials. Detractors have blasted the Gainey’s final budget as...
2 more New Kensington men federally indicted after 2024 drug bust
Two New Kensington men have been added to the list of people indicted in a Department of Justice investigation of an alleged cocaine trafficking organization in Western Pennsylvania. Andres Flores-Cedeno, 39, of New Kensington and Marcos Francisco-Tomas, 34, of Riverside, Calif., arrested last year, were indicted previously. Authorities said the...
3rd trial results in guilty verdicts for New Kensington man charged with 2020 slaying
Felicia Williams and her family said justice was finally served after a Westmoreland County jury convicted a New Kensington man in the fatal shooting of her brother nearly six years ago. After three days of testimony and two hours of deliberations Wednesday, jurors found Letresse Tareke Williams guilty of second-degree...
No tax increase in Marshall for 2026; township working to build capital reserve
Marshall residents won’t see a tax increase in the new year. At their meeting Dec. 1, township supervisors passed a 2026 budget that retains a millage rate of 1.42 mills. While the general fund is listed at $10,985,210 versus expenditures at $14,243,537, that’s because of a transfer of nearly $4...
Contract change for Crawford Pool bathhouse saves Shaler $24K
A change in contracts for the construction of a new bathhouse at Crawford Pool in Shaler’s Kiwanis Park will save the township about $24,000. According to township Solicitor Anna Jewart, Shaler was required to separate contracts for the bathhouse project’s electrical and plumbing work from the $2.21 million contract awarded...
Springdale Zoning Hearing Board approves requests from data center developers
Data center developers have cleared the last hurdle before a formal council vote after the Springdale Zoning Hearing Board approved six variance requests from Allegheny DC Property Co. The variances allow the center to stand at 75 feet high with more than 100 diesel generators on its roof and its...
Shaler recognizes outgoing Commissioner David Mizgorski
Outgoing Shaler Commissioner Dave Mizgorski was recognized at his final meeting as a township commissioner on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Mizgorski, a Republican, lost his bid for reelection as Ward 2 commissioner in November’s election to Democrat Josh Fleitman. Councilmen Conrad Wagner, Ward 4, and James Boyle, Ward 6, were unopposed...
Preliminary hearing moved for former Highlands teacher accused of sex assault
A preliminary hearing for Sean Dicer, a former Highlands School District teacher charged with sexual assault, has been moved from District Judge Carolyn Bengel’s office in Brackenridge. Dicer, 53, of Brackenridge, is instead scheduled to appear at 10:30 a.m. Monday before District Judge Michael J. Girardi in Harmar. His attorney,...
Parking an issue as Shaler commissioners approve mausoleum expansion
The Catholic Cemeteries Association of the Diocese of Pittsburgh is preparing to expand a mausoleum at St. Stanislaus Catholic Cemetery along Soose Road in Shaler. Shaler commissioners on Tuesday, Dec. 9, approved construction of the 3,600-square-foot addition, conditioned on the provision of 16 parking spaces or the association seeking a...
