Maddie Aiken stories, Page 14
Pitt-Greensburg art exhibit showcases Black experiences
Watercolor paintings, emotion-filled photographs, bold quotations and more line the sidewalk outside Chambers Hall at Pitt-Greensburg. The artwork makes up “Black Lives in Focus,” a multimedia exhibit that puts Black experiences in the campus spotlight. The exhibit, which comprises 21 art panels and 10 text panels, has traveled to all...
Feeling hungry? Permanent food truck location opening in Penn Township
Food truck fans in Penn Township are in for a treat this April. Township commissioners greenlighted a resolution that will bring food trucks to 1115 Harrison City Export Road. Nicassio Enterprises received conditional-use approval to bring the vendors to the property, which is located about half a mile from the...
‘Yes, I can vote’: Pitt-Greensburg student becomes U.S. citizen
As a political science major, Juliet Montes Duran dedicates her time to learning about local, national and international governments. Until last week, however, she couldn’t participate in the government of the country she grew up in. The sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg became a naturalized U.S. citizen...
77 townhouses headed to Penn Township in final phases of Blackthorne Estates
More housing is headed to Penn Township. Township commissioners have approved Blackthorne Estates’ phases VI-B and VII, which will add 77 townhouses to the luxury golf course community more than 25 years in the making. The townhouses, to be built by Ryan Homes, will feature three bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms, two-car...
Wilkinsburg man and woman arrested for Edgewood stabbing
Allegheny County Police have arrested two people allegedly responsible for the March 20 stabbing of a woman in Edgewood. Chazadee Miller, 24, and Shayron Coleman, 27, face felony and misdemeanor charges for the assault, according to court documents. At 3:25 a.m. on Sunday, the woman was stabbed in the shoulder...
Fire reported at Fairfield Township home
Firefighters are responding to a house fire on Kairenbrook Drive in Fairfield Township. The fire started at about 10 a.m. Wednesday on the second floor of the residence, according to a Westmoreland County dispatcher. There are no people reported inside the home, but there are animals inside. There are currently...
1 person dead after vehicle collides with train in Sutersville
One person died Wednesday morning in a crash between a vehicle and CSX train in Sutersville, railroad officials said. The collision occurred at 10:35 a.m. near Second Avenue and Fourth Street, according to the Westmoreland County dispatcher. The Westmoreland County coroner, who was called to the scene shortly after the...
Penn-Trafford Drama Guild will bring ‘tradition’ to the stage with ‘Fiddler on the Roof’
A show steeped with tradition is “a perfect match” for Penn-Trafford High School’s 50th anniversary, according to spring musical director Tom Bekavac. The Penn-Trafford Drama Guild will perform “Fiddler on the Roof” this April. The Tony Award-winning musical tells the story of a Jewish family that faces cultural changes and...
Where are Western Pa. Girl Scout cookies? Arriving soon, hopefully
Most people in Western Pennsylvania are still waiting to receive their boxes of Girl Scout cookies, but not inmates at SCI-Fayette. The state prison received over 1,100 boxes of cookies this year during its third sale to benefit Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania. Inmates had the opportunity to buy up to...
Day of Caring event at Hempfield Manor advocates for increased nursing home funding in Pa.
This story was updated March 18, 2022, to correct Hempfield Manor’s ownership information. Since March 2020, long-term health care workers have been sick more, battled stress and fought fatigue because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Pennsylvania Health Care Association hosted a “Day of Caring” Thursday at Hempfield Manor to mark...
BotsIQ brings manufacturing, teamwork to Westmoreland County Community College
Bots battled, sparks flew and high school students cheered at Westmoreland County Community College. The college on Tuesday hosted the second round of preliminaries for BotsIQ, a regional competition in which student-made robots fight each other gladiator-style. A third round will be held Thursday on the Hempfield campus. Dozens of...
Meet Melva Simon, the 105-year-old World War II veteran from Mt. Pleasant
Melva Simon never sat still. The Mt. Pleasant native served as a Navy secretary during World War II, co-ran an orchard, raised a family, co-taught premarital classes at her church and kept up with a myriad of hobbies. “Don’t tell her she can’t do something,” Melvajo Bennett, Simon’s daughter, said....
Fred Rogers Center event in Unity will aim to help grown-ups ‘learn to listen’
Millions of children grew up singing songs including “It’s You I Like” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” with Mister Rogers — but those children, now grown, might not realize the musical depth present in “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” The Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College in Unity this month...
Police seeking Apollo man who they say crashed stolen car, fled scene
A search is underway for an Apollo man who police said crashed a stolen car in a residential yard in Kiski Township. At about 5:45 p.m. on Friday, Korry Reese, 35, crashed the car in the yard along Canal Road and fled just as a Kiski Township police officer arrived,...
23-year-old shot in Plum upgraded to stable condition
A 23-year-old Plum man who was shot in the chest last week has been upgraded to stable condition, Allegheny County Police said Tuesday. Officers responded to the shooting at about 8 p.m. Friday along the 7800 block of Saltsburg Road. The man, whose name was not released, was taken by...
Boy shot twice in Homestead on Friday evening
A boy is in the hospital after he was shot in Homestead on Friday evening. At about 5 p.m., police responded to the shooting at the intersection of East 20th Avenue and McClure Street, according to a news release from Allegheny County Police. The injured boy suffered two gunshot wounds,...
Penn-Trafford library aide transforms old books into dress for Women’s History Month
Sarah Schadler said she has a “really hard time” throwing old books into the dumpster. The McCullough Elementary School library aide in the Penn-Trafford School District instead saves unused, outdated books — some with copyrights as early as 1954 — for future library projects. Her latest project featured a Cinderella-style...
2022 maple sugar season nearing its end in Western Pennsylvania
Don’t get too sappy about it: The 2022 maple sugaring season is nearing its end in Western Pennsylvania. Dan Roseum, owner of Roseum Maple Syrup in Murrysville, expects the season to last one or two more weeks at most. The Pennsylvania season, which typically begins in early February and ends...
‘Smashing bots’: High schools battle in regional robotics competition
Riley Davison’s Wednesday was filled with excitement for one reason: “smashing bots.” The Pine-Richland senior was among dozens of high school students who crowded in Robert Morris University’s John Jay Center for the 17th annual BotsIQ, a regional competition in which student-made robots fight each other gladiator-style. In one corner,...
Read Across America Day: Western Pa. organizations find creative ways to encourage reading
When children learn to read, the skill “opens the world to them,” according to Amber Power, executive director of Bella Terra Stables in Murrysville. Bella Terra Stables is one of many local organizations that offer unique ways to encourage children to read. “If you can make reading fun for kids...
Professional drummer’s collection given to Norwin school district
Larry McCloskey began playing the drums when he was 6 years old. By age 10, he was already playing in local nightclubs. The North Huntington resident’s youthful passion for the drums later spiraled into a lifelong musical career. McCloskey, who also was known professionally as Larry Mardell and Larry McCluskey,...
Westmoreland YWCA’s used bookstore aims to support affordability, literacy
Children’s books, mystery novels, adventure tales and more line the walls of the Westmoreland County YWCA’s basement. The gently used books are the association’s latest venture to promote literacy and affordability in the community. For $1 per inch, Greensburg locals can purchase books through the YWCA’s year-round used bookstore. The...
Trout stocking is underway. Here’s how the Westmoreland fishing community is preparing for the upcoming season
There’s something fishy in Westmoreland County’s waters. During the next three months, hatchery-raised rainbow, brown and brook trout will be released into the county’s waters for anglers to catch during trout season, which opens statewide April 2. Locally, the first trout of 2022 were released Tuesday in Loyalhanna Creek. Throughout...
Apprenticeship competition highlights importance of manufacturing in Southwestern Pa.
Local manufacturing apprentices put their skills and knowledge to the test Friday in a competition to determine who is best at metal working in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The competition, hosted annually by the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Association, featured eight apprentices from six local manufacturing companies. This...
‘A shining, positive light’: Friends, family remember Southmoreland coach Ron Frederick
The last football game that Rob Frederick watched his brother Ron coach wasn’t a Southmoreland game. Instead, it was a youth football league game in which Ron’s son, Colin, played. Rob said he was “captivated” watching Ron coach Colin. There was more pep in the proud father’s step that game....
