Westmoreland Housing Authority OKs $17.1 million budget
Westmoreland County Housing Authority board members on Tuesday approved the agency’s annual operating budget that officials hope will be an accurate spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year. Rachel Fritz, the authority’s chief financial officer, told board members the budgets for administrative costs and public housing programs total $17.1 million...
AHN closing primary care office in New Kensington as workers vote to unionize
Allegheny Health Network officials said a decision to shutter a longtime primary care office in New Kensington is unrelated to its office staff voting to unionize. United Physicians at 305 Seventh St. is expected to close by the end of the year, said Sarafina James, AHN senior public relations analyst....
Transcript: Gov. Josh Shapiro’s keynote address at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit in Pittsburgh
Editor’s note: Below is a transcript of the keynote address that Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered Tuesday at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit in Downtown Pittsburgh, as prepared by the governor’s office. Thank you, Governor Corbett. My family and I feel blessed to call the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg home....
Butler County man accused of raping young girl recharged after previous case dismissed
Butler County authorities have refiled charges against a Winfield man, accused of raping a young girl, after a previous case was dismissed before trial. Penn Township Police say Michael Garrett Saunders, 49, repeatedly sexually assaulted the girl when she was 11 and 12 years old. Saunders was initially arrested in...
‘Please remember our names’: Plum woman addresses drunk driver who killed her husband
The last words Maria Vernon heard her husband say just before a car crashed into their SUV last year on Freeport Road in O’Hara were, “Oh my God, Maria, watch.” They came out as a hysterical scream. Then Vernon saw her husband’s head strike the windshield, bounce back, and come...
Norwin Art League renovates studio
The Norwin Art League’s studio in downtown Irwin has undergone a significant transformation, offering a completely refurbished space for artists to learn and create. The recent renovations, which began in June, included a full overhaul of the facility. To create a more open and natural environment, the league removed old...
Orr’s Jewelers leaving Squirrel Hill for Strip District bustle
Orr’s Jewelers is closing its Squirrel Hill store after more than two decades and opening a new one in the Strip District to capitalize on the neighborhood’s rapid redevelopment. The 10,000 square-foot Strip District shop will open by the end of the year in a converted warehouse on the 1600...
Derry Township woman accused of faking husband’s death to recoup $2,800 down payment for garage
A Derry Township woman is accused by police of forging a death certificate for her husband in an effort to get out of a $14,800 contract for a metal garage to be built at her house, according to court papers. Lori L. Shawley, 54, was charged this week with felony...
Police: Owner of car involved in Hempfield e-bike fatality charged with resisting arrest
A Jeannette man who state police said owned the car involved in a fatal hit-and-run in Hempfield was charged Monday in connection with an alleged incident at his home during the investigation. Troopers said they were led to the North Third Street home of James S. Grady II, who was...
New bill seeks ‘commonsense’ curbs on Pittsburgh vape shops to protect kids
Pittsburgh officials are considering new restrictions on vape shops in an effort to limit kids’ exposure to stores selling nicotine and CBD. The measure, introduced to City Council on Tuesday, would not allow new vape shops to open within 1,500 feet of elementary or secondary schools, licensed daycare facilities, religious...
Pa. Turnpike lane in Westmoreland reopens after closure for emergency repairs
An eastbound lane of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County is now open after bring closed for more than eight hours Tuesday. Turnpike crews made emergency repairs to a void discovered under the surface . The problem was discovered at about 10 a.m. Tuesday near mile marker 62.4, between the...
Pine-Richland administrators recommend tax increase as district faces $4.9 million deficit
The Pine-Richland School District could seek to increase property taxes by more than its state-imposed inflation limit as it grapples with a nearly $5 million deficit for the 2026-27 school year. Superintendent Brian Miller said he and Christopher Juzwick, the district’s director of finance and operations, are recommending at least...
Wawa coming to Penn State
Sheetz haters at Penn State are in luck — Wawa is officially coming to Happy Valley. Wawa has plans to open 10 stores in the broader Centre County area by 2031, with four stores planned for the State College area, the Centre Daily Times reported. The first stores will open...
Judge sides with couple, not Pittsburgh, in Schenley Farms landslide case
An Allegheny County Common Pleas judge on Tuesday ordered Pittsburgh to pay $730,000 to the owners of a Schenley Farms home impacted by a landslide — far more than the city wanted. Pittsburgh took the home, owned by Brian and Donna Albert, through eminent domain after the roadway on Andover...
A day of reverence: Rotary holds 9/11 remembrance ceremony in Monroeville
Most Americans can remember exactly where they were on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Although the weeks and months following the terrorist attacks in the U.S. were filled with fear and deep sadness, it was also a time when the country came together as one, setting aside differences. To...
Pittsburgh seeks to ban discrimination over past homelessness
A measure introduced Tuesday to Pittsburgh City Council would prohibit landlords from discriminating against people who have been homeless or have information on their housing record that might be viewed as a problem. Rachel Shepherd, executive director of the city’s Commission on Human Relations, said the goal is to ensure...
Pittsburgh police arrest 1 of 3 suspects in deadly Downtown riverfront attack
Pittsburgh police have arrested one of three suspects in the violent robbery and killing of Stephen Williams, a 42-year-old man whose body was found in the Ohio River earlier this month. Jose Soto, 25, was charged Monday with homicide, robbery and conspiracy in connection with the Sept. 6 killing. His...
2 dogs die in Tarentum house fire, residents displaced
No injuries were reported in a fire that tore through a Tarentum home on Tuesday, but two dogs died. Four dogs escaped, officials at the scene said. The blaze, in the 900 block of Porter Street, was reported shortly after 11:30 a.m. and quickly was upgraded to a second alarm....
Arnold, New Kensington American Legion posts merge, citing declining membership
A decline in membership has led the Arnold and New Kensington American Legion posts to merge. Arnold’s Post 684, and New Kensington’s Post 347, are combining to create the Ar-Ken American Legion, said Commander Gill Thomas. “Most Legion members, nowadays, are Vietnam era,” said Thomas, who was Arnold’s post commander...
Pine-Richland approves superintendent’s performance rating, salary increase
The Pine-Richland School Board has approved a pay increase for Superintendent Brian Miller. In finding that Miller had met performance standards for the 2024-25 academic year, the board set his salary at $221,707. That’s a 2.5% increase from the $216,300 salary the board set for Miller in August 2024 when...
Grist House brewery celebrates opening at former Cold War missile site
It wasn’t long after Brian Eaton and Kyle Mientkiewicz opened Grist House brewery in Millvale that they knew they would need additional space for production. As it turns out, a Cold War missile-command site in Collier fit the bill. Grist House celebrated a grand opening at the Nike site Sept....
Freeport Area eyes state budget impasse; finances OK for now
Although the state budget impasse could soon threaten Pennsylvania school districts’ operations, Freeport Area officials are not reaching for the panic button — yet. The state’s budget allocates millions of dollars in education subsidies every year, which are critical for financing district operations. Freeport Area was projected to receive almost...
Heidelberg program connects those in need with volunteers ready to help
A new initiative in Heidelberg has a simple goal: to ensure no one in town has to struggle with everyday household tasks alone. The borough has launched a program called “Heidelberg Helpers,” a neighbor-to-neighbor volunteer initiative created to connect residents who could use a helping hand, with those who are...
After Pittsburgh Riverhounds project stalls, North Huntingdon to consider setting rules for leasing township land
North Huntingdon is considering a new set of rules for anyone who wants to lease township-owned land. The township commissioners are expected to vote Wednesday to advertise a new ordinance that aims to prevent the kind of controversy that arose last year when officials considered leasing land for a $30...
Man identified in Robinson stabbings, fatal crash
Authorities have identified the man they say stabbed a boy and woman in Robinson and later died in a crash on Route 576 on Sunday. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as Brian Allen Thomas, 36, of McKees Rocks. The stabbing was reported just after 8 a.m....
