Western PA Local News category, Page 1208
Penn Township facing delays in receiving new police vehicles
Penn Township police will be getting a trio of new SUVs this year. The board of supervisors approved the purchase of three 2023 Ford Explorer all-wheel-drive police vehicles at $37,680 each, for a total of $113,040. The township will pay an additional $54,035 for emergency lighting, sirens and other equipment,...
On the move: High school scholarships, band festival, dean’s lists
Viva Kreis, a senior at Belle Vernon Area High School, was named the female recipient of the $10,000 2022 Heisman High School Scholarship. She is a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team Handball Team and competes across the globe while also playing three additional varsity sports. Viva is valedictorian...
Coroner: Man takes own life in standoff with police at Hempfield mobile home park
A man who was barricaded in a Hempfield mobile home park died by suicide Monday night, officials said, following a standoff with state police that left the community paralyzed for much of the day. Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson identified the man as Gerald A. Long Jr., 54, and said...
North Huntingdon considers fee for property owners to fund stormwater projects
Faced with an estimated $9 million in stormwater projects to help North Huntingdon meet the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act, township officials this week were presented with a plan for raising money by levying a fee on property owners. To reach an estimated collection of $1.8 million annually...
Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh area on down side of mixed week for gas prices
The picture of gas prices is mixed this week, with the average rising nationally while coming down in the Pittsburgh area and across the state. “We’ve seen somewhat of a mixed week at the pump with some states seeing gasoline prices rise, while others have stabilized for the time being,”...
Hempfield Area seniors eager to raise money at Mini-THON
After a roughly five-year hiatus, Mini-THON is making a comeback at Hempfield Area High School. In March, 180 seniors will dance for 12 hours in the field house during the no-sitting event that raises money to fight pediatric cancer. Hempfield Area senior Ella Jones is organizing the event after attending...
Tiny house, big dreams for Irwin man
Got to get back to the land And get my soul free … And we got to get ourselves Back to the garden — “Woodstock” by Joni Mitchell Benjamin D’Amico of Irwin is going on a life-changing venture and getting back to the land, at least for the foreseeable future,...
Gas vs. electric? It’s not just as simple as a stove
Chris Galarza remembers working as a chef in restaurants where the thermometer in his pocket easily would reach 135 degrees. Sometimes, it would get so hot in the kitchen, as the gas burners fired away, that it made the staff nauseous. Gas stoves are not only common but often preferred...
‘Remembrance is the thing’: Owners of vintage, antique stores report big business
The rapid growth of Yesterday’s RAVE in Greensburg has been a surprise to co-owner Patty Wolfe. The store that specializes in antique and vintage items with 15 vendors in a renovated space at the former Schaller’s Bakery building on Highland Avenue opened in November 2021. As more sections of the...
Ways to honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy in Pittsburgh
Several organizations are hosting events Monday to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here are some ways to honor King’s legacy in Pittsburgh: Prayer breakfast The Allegheny County Bar Association on Monday is hosting their 24th Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast and Program at Ebenezer Baptist...
Westmoreland doubles plans for broadband upgrade projects
As much as $3 million will be spent this year on four projects aimed at improving high-speed internet access in Westmoreland County, commissioners said. These broadband upgrades come as a followup to a study by the county last year that, according to preliminary results, determined as much as 71% of...
Plum, Oakmont, Verona area happenings, week of Jan. 16, 2023
Friends of the Riverfront meets Friends of the Riverfront is working with Verona, Oakmont, Plum and Penn Hills to develop a safe, accessible and sustainable multi-purpose trail stretching from the Allegheny Riverfront in Verona, through Oakmont and Penn Hills along Plum Creek, to Boyce Park in Plum. The plan is being...
Hampton area happenings, week of Jan. 16, 2023
Museum hosts Doll Tea, lecture A Doll Tea is scheduled for 2 to 3 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Depreciation Lands Museum, 4743 S. Pioneer Road, Hampton. The afternoon of tea, treats and crafts is for children ages 5 and older, accompanied by their favorite doll. This event is geared...
The Stroller, Jan. 16, 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. Card party planned Wednesday in Apollo St. James Parish, Apollo, will...
‘Jagged Little Pill’ crafts Alanis Morissette songs into jukebox musical
Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album, “Jagged Little Pill,” marked an alt-rock, grunge swerve from the Canadian singer-songwriter’s two previous dance-pop albums. Songs like “You Oughta Know” explored hot-button themes like sexuality, sexual harassment, self-help and societal apathy. The songs and themes are incorporated in “Jagged Little Pill,” a jukebox musical that...
2-year-old girl killed in Shaler fire remembered as ‘angel-like’
Kathy Palmer was working the night shift at a GetGo in Wexford when she got the call from her son as Friday turned into Saturday around midnight. “Something really bad has happened,” Palmer recalled him saying. “There was a fire and Dani didn’t make it.” Danika Deramo, Palmer’s 2-year-old granddaughter,...
Pedestrian hospitalized after being hit by car on Vandergrift Bridge
A pedestrian was taken to a hospital via helicopter Sunday night after being hit by a car on the Vandergrift bridge, authorities said. Vandergrift police and firefighters responded to the incident on the bridge at 6:21 p.m. Sunday, closing it to traffic as a helicopter was set to land at...
Police: One-car wreck in Churchill sends 3 to hospital
A car crash in Churchill sent three people to the hospital, authorities said Sunday. The one-car wreck occurred near the intersection of Lewin Lane and Beulah Road around 3 p.m., according to an Allegheny County 911 shift supervisor. Details were not available on the injuries or conditions of the hospitalized...
Prime Stage Theatre awarded National Endowment for the Arts Grant
Pittsburgh’s Prime Stage Theatre has received a significant financial boost for its plan to produce the world premiere stage adaptation of “Perseverance,” the story of a Holocaust survivor’s life in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. Prime Stage has been awarded a $10,000 Grant for Arts Projects from the National Endowment for...
Faces of the Valley: West Deer Scout boasts rare set of achievements
Fiona Lilly isn’t your average Girl Scout or Boy Scout: She’s both, and she has received the highest honors each organization offers. Lilly, an 18-year-old West Deer resident and student at Chatham University, earned the coveted Gold Award for her work in October on a mural for Girl Scout Troop...
Remember When: A look at more area high schools and how they got their names
Editor’s note: This is part two of a two-part series. If you look a little deeper into the name of your local high school, you might be surprised by what you find. How local high schools were given their names can sometimes have interesting backstories. Here are some intriguing ones...
New Kensington planners approve concept of new downtown playground, garden amid concerns
New Kensington’s planning commission has approved the concept of a new playground and garden in the city’s downtown area, but some neighbors have concerns about it. Westmoreland Community Action and Wesley Family Services have proposed building a playground and garden on vacant lots along 10th Street, with Third Avenue running...
Westmoreland County struggles with public defender staffing shortage
Westmoreland County Chief Public Defender Wayne McGrew has served more as an administrator than a courtroom attorney in recent years, supervising a team of lawyers responsible for representing indigent clients in the criminal and juvenile court systems. But that is expected to change in the coming months as McGrew’s staff...
Violence in health care: Medical workers increasingly must contend with threats, assaults
When Mike Huss gets an alert from a panic button or call within Allegheny Health Network, he and his team are prepared to jump into action. “If you look at it, some of it is just verbal abuse. Some of it is physical abuse, where someone strikes, punches, kicks, bites...
Man killed in Monroeville shooting
A 19-year-old man was fatally shot in Monroeville late Saturday, according to Allegheny County Police. First responders found the man with a gunshot wound to the torso on Bellwood Avenue after a 911 call at 11:30 p.m. He was taken to a hospital where police said he died. The Allegheny...
