Westmoreland County to furlough staff, partially close parks as Pa. budget impasse continues
Westmoreland commissioners said employees will be furloughed in two weeks and the county parks will partially close in early October as a result of the ongoing state budget impasse. Commissioners on Thursday instructed department heads to make recommendations for a temporary job reduction plan as part of continued cost-savings efforts....
Duquesne University to offer real estate major
A college degree isn’t required to hold a real estate license, but Duquesne University officials say a new program they’ll offer will give students a leg up in that field. Duquesne will be offering an undergraduate Real Estate major, minor and certificate program beginning next fall. “There’s a lot of...
Pittsburgh airport’s traveler satisfaction likely to rise with new terminal, survey says
Pittsburgh International Airport has ranked 13th for medium sized airport in this year’s North America Airport Satisfaction Study, just ahead of the unveiling of the new terminal project. A travel intelligence expert says the new terminal could help to improve Pittsburgh’s rankings. Mike Taylor, senior managing director of travel intelligence...
McCandless Community Day doubles its attendance with longer day, more offerings
Warm weather and pleasant skies welcomed visitors to the annual McCandless Community Day, held Sept. 13 in and around Town Hall along Grubbs Road. While it’s difficult to know for sure, Manager John Schwend estimated the number of attendees was between 2,000 and 2,500, doubling last year’s crowd. “We heard...
State budget impasse prompts Allegheny County hiring, spending freeze
Allegheny County is freezing hiring and spending because of a state budget impasse that has left funding in limbo. The county is losing out on about $75 million per quarter until the state adopts a budget. The county has a $3.1 billion budget, which has been under increasing pressure. The...
Energy Transfer gives $10,000 toward gear for McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority
A recent grant of more than $10,000 to the McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority helped purchase vital turnout gear for its members, thanks to a First Responder Fund by Energy Transfer. The grant was announced with a check presentation Sept. 15 at the MFPAA board meeting held at the main station...
Springdale to impose fines for vacant, abandoned properties
After passing a new ordinance Tuesday, Springdale may soon begin fining owners of vacant or abandoned properties in the borough. Springdale Borough Manager Terry Carcella said it’s part of an “aggressive” new plan to combat neglected properties in the area. “By doing nothing, that won’t work for the borough,” he...
Artists think big, paint small at ’24 Minis’ exhibit in Tarentum
Even if you’re painting a life-size depiction of baby birds, you don’t need a huge canvas. That’s part of the reason why Murrysville artist Betty Trout decided to focus on multiple families of robins in her backyard as the subject of her entry in the “24 Minis” exhibit at the...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Sept. 19-21
The last official weekend of summer is upon us. Fall is coming Monday, so plan your next few days around these events to enjoy the last moments of the season. Rod Stewart tribute Singer Rod Stewart has enjoyed a decades-long music career, performing rock to adult contemporary and beyond. This...
Allegheny Valley to construct handicapped parking lot at new turf field
Allegheny Valley School District says it’s in the initial stages of building an ADA-compliant parking area near its new artificial turf field across Butler Road from Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School. Superintendent Patrick Graczyk said the district is in discussions with FieldTurf USA, the contractor that recently installed the turf, to...
Morning Roundup: Man shot in Carrick; 5-year Fayette fugitive arrested in West Virginia
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Sept. 18: Man shot in Carrick A 28-year-old man was shot in the foot Wednesday night in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood, according to police. At 9:45 p.m., the man arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to...
Railroad tells East Deer it doesn’t have to follow town procedures to construct buildings
Norfolk Southern railroad’s plans to construct two buildings have stirred some ire among the East Deer commissioners. Chairman Tony Taliani told his fellow commissioners the railroad officially notified the township of its plans via a letter from an engineer, Michael Gay. The site for the buildings is a tract owned...
The Stroller, Sept. 18, 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. Leechburg’s annual Pink Day...
‘A beacon of hope:’ Sewickley Township unveils plans for new library
Sewickley Township Public Library unveiled plans Wednesday for a new facility next to the H.W. Good Elementary School near Herminie — a $1.9 million project that will give the library a home of its own. “It’s been a dream of the board and director for many years. We’ve been talking...
Why a stream near Monroeville Mall is glowing bright blue
In the valley below Monroeville Mall, a small stream that starts in Penn Hills winds its way downhill alongside Stotler Road, before breaking southeast and following the road that bears its name, Thompson Run. As the stream nears a bridge carrying Thompson Run Road over top, the water has an...
Penn-Trafford launches youth cross country, track and field program
Basketball, soccer, flag football, wrestling — Greg Shogan’s 6-year-old son, Connor, has tried out almost every youth sport available to him. Wrestling has become a favorite. But when it came to the other sports, the part Connor enjoyed the most was not the game itself, Greg Shogan said. “When he...
Monroeville area: Old William Penn closure, fall book sale, Heritage Day and more
Old William Penn closure Old William Penn Highway between Duff Road and Evergreen Drive will be closed through the end of September as work crews demolish the existing Parkway East bridge over the road, PennDOT officials announced. Traffic will be detoured. East of the closure, drivers will turn north onto...
Sweet endeavor: Shaler Area grad falls into beekeeping, and now it’s helping to pay for college
Anthony Ondo’s love of beekeeping started as a good deed that soon became love at first sting. Now a junior at Chatham University’s Falk School of Sustainability studying sustainable business, the 22-year-old Shaler resident applies what he learns in his classes directly to his apiary business while using his profits...
Duquesne University basketball player charged with assault
A Duquesne University basketball player has been charged with simple assault for allegedly punching a woman during an argument last month. Pittsburgh police filed the charges against city resident Maximus Edwards, 23, on Aug. 3. The woman, who Edwards knows, reportedly flagged down officers at the intersection of Penn Avenue...
DEP faces concerns about air pollution from proposed Homer City power plant
State environmental regulators were peppered with questions from Indiana-area residents Wednesday concerned about the air pollution that will be emitted from a proposed 4.5-gigawatt, natural gas-fired power plant outside Homer City and the potential for impacting their health. “We don’t feel they took any shortcuts on evaluating the (air pollution)...
Vigil for Franklin Regional student set at Murrysville church
A candlelight vigil is planned Thursday night in memory of Tayson Foltz, the Franklin Regional student who was found dead outside the senior high school last weekend. The event will be held at 7 p.m. at Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church, 4600 Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville. Family members said in...
Duquesne Light promises improvements after April storm
Duquesne Light officials on Wednesday vowed to make improvements after customers complained of poor communication and long power outages after a severe storm in April. The April 29 storm left three dead and caused massive, widespread damage, blowing roofs off of buildings, downing massive trees and leaving debris in roadways....
Strip District group sues to block Pittsburgh from swapping traffic lane for bike lane along Penn Avenue
Tim Gaber worries that eliminating a lane of traffic on Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh’s bustling Strip District in order to add a bike lane could cause massive traffic jams and make it harder for fire trucks or ambulances to respond to emergencies. Gaber, a Strip District resident and owner of...
Pittsburgh council moves ahead with master plan for controversial $86M public safety center
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday voted to move ahead with plans for a massive $86 million public safety training facility — but only after adding new conditions meant to alleviate concerns from residents who fear the facility will be used to militarize police. In a preliminary vote Wednesday, Council supported...
2 men face charges in connection with disposal of 17-year-old girl’s body
Two people were charged this week in connection with the death of a 17-year-old girl whose remains were found in Fayette County in April 2024. They are accused of disposing of the body of Kaitlin Whoolery, 17, in North Union in November 2023. Derrick D. Bradley, 37, of Uniontown, and...