Quincey Reese stories, Page 18
State funding to bolster special educator workforce benefits Western Pa. schools
As the state Department of Education pushes out nearly $1.5 million in grants to help grow the special educator workforce, Western Pennsylvania schools are taking advantage. More than 75 universities and K-12 schools will benefit from the grants — including Bethel Park, Mt. Pleasant Area, Plum and Pittsburgh Public school...
Bushy Run continues clearing damage from June tornado, receives financial support from community
The sounds of cannons and rifle fire that were supposed to ring through the air at Penn Township’s Bushy Run Battlefield this weekend were replaced with the whirring of chain saws. Six weeks after a tornado whipped through the state historical site, Bushy Run is still picking up the pieces...
Arnold Palmer airport to start $22M expansion
The first phase of a $22 million terminal expansion project at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport will start this fall. The project, which will expand the Unity airport’s terminal by 32,000 square feet, is meant to improve the passenger experience and meet new TSA requirements. It will expand the TSA screening...
Hempfield breaks ground on Weatherwood Park, municipal complex projects
Three years after purchasing 43 acres from Excela Health to build a township park and municipal complex, Hempfield is breaking ground on its $16 million project. The Weatherwood Community Park and Hempfield Municipal Complex site is off Weatherwood Lane near Route 30 and Mt. Pleasant Road. It has been cleared...
Viewing, funeral services set for 10-year-old killed in Donegal Township
A funeral will be held this week for a 10-year-old Donegal Township boy who was stabbed to death Thursday. Hunter Meyers was spending the night at 13-year-old James C. Campbell’s house in Donegal when, police said, James stabbed Hunter multiple times in the head. Hunter was found dead in a...
Vintage car fanatics cruise through Laurel Highlands for annual Countryside Tour
Dave Antram had no choice in the matter. He was raised to enjoy classic cars. Antram, 56, of Somerset Borough took his white 1954 Kaiser out for a spin Thursday morning to Ligonier’s Ramada Inn, where more than 50 vintage vehicles departed for more than 100 miles of driving through...
Global program pushes male athletes to talk about dating abuse, sexual violence
Ryan Reitz is used to having difficult conversations. For the past seven years, Reitz has facilitated the Coaching Boys Into Men program with male athletes in locker rooms across Westmoreland County — diving into topics such as consent, respect and dating violence. Sometimes, encouraging athletes to participate in the conversations...
‘I always need the first day of Steelers training camp off’: Fans flock to Saint Vincent as practices begin
It doesn’t take a trained eye to see that Jaime Lucchetti is a diehard Steelers football fan. Her arms, legs and collarbone are decorated with 30 tattoos of Pittsburgh players’ faces, team logos and iconic phrases such as former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s 2018 huddle call, “dilly dilly.” It took her...
Casino hosts weekly bingo nights benefiting local charities
Live Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield’s Westmoreland Mall kicked off a series of bingo nights benefiting local charities. Bingo takes place at the casino’s Venue Live event space every Monday. Doors open at 5 p.m. and bingo begins at 7 p.m. The first event, held at the end of June, raised...
Police: 2-car crash in Marshall-Shadeland involved stolen vehicles
A two-car crash in Pittsburgh’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood involved stolen vehicles, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety. Two cars were being driven recklessly through the city’s North Side Tuesday morning, nearly colliding with a police vehicle, said a Public Safety spokesperson. Multiple vehicles were stolen from different parts of the city overnight,...
‘Hillbilly Elegy’ generates high interest at Westmoreland, Allegheny libraries
Since former President Donald Trump announced Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, Vance’s memoir has generated attention at local libraries. The 2016 book, “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” tells the story of Vance’s family roots in Kentucky, his upbringing in Middletown, Ohio,...
Hempfield woman dies in vehicle crash along Route 819 in Mt. Pleasant
A 24-year-old woman died in a vehicle crash early Monday morning on Route 819 in Mt. Pleasant Township, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Brittany P. Ohler of Hempfield was driving a Jeep Wrangler north near the 6000 block of Route 819 just before 6 a.m. when the vehicle...
Morning Roundup: Carrick blaze injures resident, 3 firefighters; vendor thefts reported at Picklesburgh
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, July 22: Carrick fire sends resident, 3 firefighters to hospital A resident and three firefighters were injured in a blaze that broke out Sunday at a commercial and residential building in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood. Pittsburgh firefighters responded to...
Vehicle found in Allegheny River belonged to missing Shaler woman, contained human remains
A vehicle found Sunday night in the Allegheny River in Oakmont housed human remains, according to local authorities. The vehicle belonged to Janet Walsh, a Shaler woman who was reported missing in January 2020 by her daughter, who was supposed to have dinner at her mother’s house that evening. Jim...
Pennsylvania boosts student teacher stipend, but funding still falls short to cover all
Pennsylvania has allocated a total of $30 million to a stipend program for student teachers, but the funding will cover only about half of the students who applied for it. Gov. Josh Shapiro signed off on the stipend program in December, allotting $10 million to support college students spending a...
Vandergrift building partially collapses, 911 dispatcher says
A Vandergrift building partially collapsed Wednesday evening, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. Vandergrift fire, police and EMS crews were dispatched around 5:10 p.m. to a building located at 125 Grant Ave., the dispatcher said. The rear of the structure had collapsed. The cause of the collapse has not...
Greensburg aims to boost pedestrian, cyclist safety with new transportation plan
When Bella Fiume moved to Greensburg after four years living on Pitt’s Oakland campus, she expected to see more people walking the sidewalks around her new home. Fiume is one of a handful of residents who attended an open house this past week to provide feedback on a draft of...
Penn-Trafford track athlete’s fundraiser generates more than $8K for elementary school playground
Matthew Sarnowski left his final track and field season at Penn-Trafford High School with a new school discus record, a WPIAL championship title and a third place standing in the state. But the Penn State-bound thrower also left the district with more than $8,000 to fund a new playground for...
Mount Pleasant Township man dead after motorcycle collision with deer
A Mount Pleasant Township man was killed after hitting a deer while riding his motorcycle Friday night, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Jayson A. Halterman, 50, was driving his motorcycle near 400 Stone Church Road in Hempfield around 10:30 p.m. when he struck a deer and a utility...
Kittanning man found guilty of murder in fentanyl-laced cocaine overdose death
An Armstrong County man was convicted of third-degree murder for delivery of drugs that resulted in a fatal overdose four years ago, according to the state Attorney General’s Office. Nathan R. Wolfe, 41, of Kittanning was convicted Thursday of providing crack cocaine laced with fentanyl to Eric McMillen, who died...
Fayette man allegedly paid teen cash and marijuana to carry out 2023 murder
A Fayette County man charged with homicide last year was arrested Friday and accused of paying a teenager cash and marijuana to carry out the crime, according to court records. Calvin J. Huffman, 37, of Uniontown City was arrested in June 2023 and accused of assisting a teenage boy in...
New Eagle man killed in water skiing accident on Monongahela River
A New Eagle man died in a water skiing accident Saturday morning in Washington County, according to Coroner Tim Warco. Jarred Feschuk, 39, was water skiing on the Monongahela River near West Brownsville when he collided with a docked boat. Feschuk was transported to Penn Highlands Mon Valley Hospital’s emergency...
Man wounded in Garfield shooting
A man was wounded Friday night in a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood, according to city police. Officers were dispatched around 10:40 p.m. to a shooting in the 300 block of North Fairmount Street. At the scene, police said they found shell casings in the area and spoke with a...
Homestead man killed in Clairton shooting
A Homestead man was killed in a shooting in Clairton on Friday evening, according to Allegheny County Police. Police were dispatched to the 900 block of Madison Avenue just before 10:30 p.m. for a shooting. Police said Terell Dachaon Blanks, 27, was found with multiple gunshot wounds. He died at...
Confluence woman accused of abandoning 2 toddlers in vehicle, driving under the influence
A Confluence woman was arrested by state police for driving under the influence and endangering the lives of two toddlers following a pursuit that began in Maryland. Samantha Cherry, 25, is accused of abandoning two toddlers in a vehicle in Fayette County, according to state police. Maryland state police troopers...
