Western PA Local News category, Page 1205
Mt. Pleasant woman describes being left for dead after alleged assault by ex-boyfriend
A Mt. Pleasant Township woman told a jury how she was bloodied, bruised, covered in mud and vegetation and left for dead in the woods in 2020 after she was assaulted by her live-in boyfriend. But she regained consciousness some 12 hours later and crawled to a road to seek...
Allegheny County detectives accuse contractor of failing to do work in Hampton, Bethel Park after being paid
Detectives with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office have charged a McKeesport man with home improvement fraud after investigating complaints from residents in Hampton and Bethel Park. John Fritzius III, 54, of the 500 block of Lincoln Way was charged with felony and misdemeanor counts of theft by deception, deceptive...
Youngwood man cuts trial short, pleads guilty to fatal stabbing
Michael Covington Jr. sat on the witness stand Wednesday and told the surviving family members of Matthew Genard that he struggles to deal with his actions from more than five years ago when, police said, he robbed and stabbed his victim at least 22 times in the back. “His life...
Clairton man suspected in deadly Pitcairn shooting arrested
A Clairton man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a fatal shooting Jan. 2 in Pitcairn. Daniel Kelly, 21, of Clairton, faces a homicide charge and weapons violations, the sheriff’s office said. The victim, Nekye Smith, had been shot in the head around 4 p.m. in the 400 block of...
Pittsburgh to issue $68M in bonds to cover capital projects
Pittsburgh City Council voted Wednesday to approve issuing nearly $68 million in bonds to pay for capital projects this year. The measure will fund projects that City Council has already approved in Mayor Ed Gainey’s 2023 capital budget, Jennifer Gula, the city’s finance director, said. This year’s operating budget, which...
Family of man who died trying to help Beaver County shooting victim sues Center Township, police officer
The sister of a Beaver County man who died after being tackled by a Center Township police officer as he was trying to help a shooting victim in November has filed a federal lawsuit against the township and the officer. Deborah Little filed the complaint on behalf of her brother,...
Fate of Pitt’s English Language Institute remains uncertain
For years, Taylor Swift fans have sung along with the artist’s mega-hit “I Knew You Were Trouble” as they nursed their own heartbreaks, speculating which one of her exes inspired the song. But for two instructors at the University of Pittsburgh’s English Language Institute, there’s another reason why many people...
Pittsburgh Councilman Bruce Kraus won’t seek reelection, his top staffer Bob Charland looks to replace him
Longtime Pittsburgh City Councilman Bruce Kraus said Wednesday that he will not seek reelection. Kraus, a Democrat from the South Side, is in his 16th year representing the city’s District 3 and served as council president from 2014 to 2020. He was the first openly gay person elected to council....
Bethel Park Lions Club celebrates 80th anniversary
Part of Bethel Presbyterian Church is eminently familiar to Jay Wells. “When I joined the club, we met right in this same room,” he said. The group he referenced is the Bethel Park Lions Club, which is celebrating the 80th anniversary of its establishment. The club was organized on Dec....
Police: Richland man paid no-show home improvement contractor up front
A contractor from Butler County faces felony charges after a Richland man told police that he paid more than $6,000 up front for fence work but couldn’t get a refund after being told he would have to wait at least four months for the project to start. Austin Jay Reges,...
Voters to select successor to state Rep. DeLuca in upcoming special election
Residents of Oakmont, Verona and most of Plum will vote for a new state representative on Feb. 7. The special election for the 32nd state House district is one of three scheduled for that day in Allegheny County. The others are for the 34th and 35th districts. Only residents registered...
Students celebrate Chartiers Valley Primary School’s birthday
Students helped the celebration by making a card, putting their fingerprints on a flag and listening to stories from retired teacher Mary Coperich. Each student at the primary school, which serves approximately 800 students in kindergarten through second grade, received a cupcake eraser thanks to the Social-Emotional Learning Committee. In...
Fawn man convicted of sexually assaulting 2 children gets 10-30 years in prison
A Fawn man who was arrested in 2019 was sentenced to 10 to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of repeatedly sexually assaulting two young children. Douglas Charles Simoncic Jr., 32, of Iron Bridge Lane was found guilty Oct. 11 in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court of two...
Westmoreland happenings: Art show, pierogi sale, more
Submissions from nonprofit organizations for Briefly Speaking can be emailed to Carol Pinto-Smith at cpinto-smith@triblive.com or mailed to Briefly Speaking, 210 Wood St., Tarentum, PA 15084. Include a complete address and daytime phone number. Submissions are due at least two weeks before the event. Each announcement is printed once; there...
How the Good Food Project is creating a zero waste kitchen in Millvale
Too much food can be a good problem to have, but it does pose challenges. Just ask the folks who run 412 Food Rescue’s Good Food Project, a kitchen in Millvale that accepts and processes food that would otherwise go to waste. It’s all about feeding people who don’t have...
New Kensington man pleads guilty in fatal 2018 crash in Plum
A New Kensington man pleaded guilty Tuesday to homicide by vehicle for a 2018 crash in Plum that killed a 90-year-old woman. Richard Stutz, 44, will be sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Thomas E. Flaherty on April 17. Stutz also pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault...
Morning Roundup: Police say man who shot at mail carrier shot others on McKnight Road
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023: Police: Man who shot at mail carrier shot others on McKnight Road Police have connected a man who they say shot at a mail carrier in Pittsburgh earlier this month with a shooting that injured...
Freeport starts the year with 15% property tax hike, first in more than a decade
Freeport is starting 2023 with a 15% hike in real estate taxes. The owner of a home assessed at $40,000 will pay $80 more in borough real estate taxes, from $520 in 2022 to $600 in 2023, borough officials said. “Council agreed to raise taxes because revenue has been flat...
People encouraged to ‘Fill the Truck’ to help feed the needy
Without donations from the public, Bread of Life food pantry in Etna would struggle to serve its 140-plus families each month with fresh eggs, milk and produce. “The help is invaluable,” Director Alexis Weber said. “It is our mission to provide and we would never turn anyone away. I don’t...
The Stroller, Jan. 18, 2023: 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. Tickets on sale for cash bash Natrona Heights Veterans of Foreign...
Hempfield teen convicted in brother’s slaying paroled from state prison
Ian Bishop, who was 14 when he bludgeoned his 18-year-old brother to death in the family’s Hempfield home in 2002, is out of prison. Bishop, now 35, was paroled Jan. 3, according to records made public by the Pennsylvania Parole Board. He served 21 years in prison. Bishop was prosecuted...
Quaker Valley School District officials promise to keep any potential real estate tax hike to 4.1% or less
Quaker Valley School District officials have pledged to keep any tax hike for next school year to 4.1% or less. That percentage is the highest the district can push for under the inflation-based state limit known as the Act 1 index. Act 1, passed in 2006 to provide property tax...
Police say no foul play in man’s fatal fall from Lower Lawrenceville building
A man who died after falling about 30 feet from a rooftop Tuesday in Pittsburgh’s Lower Lawrenceville neighborhood has been identified. Jonathan Encrapera, 41, of Pittsburgh was declared dead shortly after he fell, according to an Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office report. Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said officers...
ShotSpotter reports 11 shots fired in the East Hills, Pittsburgh police find man shot in the arm
A man was hospitalized in stable condition Tuesday after being shot in Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said officers were dispatched shortly after 8 p.m. to the 2300 block of East Hills Drive after a ShotSpotter alert reported 11 rounds had been fired. Police found a...
O’Hara residents to see changes in trash collection in a few months
Changes are coming to O’Hara trash collection, specifically with new bins and collection days. Township officials recently approved a new trash and recycling contract with Waste Management through the North Hills Council of Governments. It runs 2023-26 with an option year for 2027. Township Manager Julie Jakubec said garbage collection...
