Western PA Local News category, Page 1230
Plum telethon raises more than $57,000 for Make-A-Wish Foundation
Everyone involved with Plum Borough School District’s 22nd annual Make-A-Wish Telethon figured the 2021 event would be a tough act to follow. After a year’s hiatus, the 2021 telethon returned to an enthusiastic response that took its cumulative fundraising total over the $1 million mark. Donors’ generosity continued in 2022,...
Lower Burrell police accuse woman of harassing neighbors, felony charge filed
A Lower Burrell woman was charged with a felony after police said they received multiple complaints that she was harassing her next-door neighbor. Shannan Lee Marie Dotto, 44, of the 7200 block of Guyer Road was charged by summons with felony and misdemeanor counts of stalking. She also was issued...
South Hills Lights festival celebrates Hanukkah
This year’s Hanukkah celebration has a special significance for Rabbi Mendel Rosenblum and, by extension, Jewish communities throughout the world. In leading the annual South Hills Lights festival on Dec. 19, Rosenblum told a story related to him by a fellow rabbi, Eliezer Chitrik of Nuremberg, Germany. In 1938, the...
Mt. Washington struggles with rise in car break-ins
After someone broke into Emily Shaheen’s Chevrolet Spark outside her Mt. Washington apartment around Thanksgiving, the marketing director and Point Park University alumnus didn’t fret much. After all, they mostly just scored some loose change. “I didn’t even bother going to the police because there was nothing they were going...
Rotary, Franklin Regional club reach out to social service nonprofits for the holidays
Murrysville-Export Rotary member Theresa Gutierrez didn’t have to look far to find a worthy recipient for a holiday donation drive. “Theresa is a resource parent for us,” said Annette Gross, foster care director at Wesley Family Services in O’Hara. “The Rotary had me come out to speak with them about...
St. Margaret Foundation funds free shuttle for senior citizens in Alle-Kiski Valley
Senior citizens from Tarentum to Etna can get free rides to medical appointments thanks to support from the St. Margaret Foundation. The agency last week announced it again will fund an Alle-Kiski Valley shuttle with a $90,500 grant, as well as three other shuttles that transport people between grocery stores,...
Coroner: Slick road cited in fatal head-on collision in Indiana County
A driver was killed Thursday when two pickup trucks collided head-on in Indiana County. Andrew David Johnston, 25, of South Mahoning Township, Indiana County, was pronounced dead following the wreck that occurred shortly before 8 a.m. on Route 954 in Center Township. The cause of death was pending, according to...
Spending a frigid Christmas Eve with the Steelers? Here’s what’s drawing fans to Acrisure Stadium
A frigid Christmas Eve in Acrisure Stadium will be “firsts” for some Pittsburgh Steelers fans. A 12-year-old boy will attend his first Steelers game. A devoted fan from Madagascar will go on her first blind date. A Lower Burrell insurance agent will wear a heated vest for the first time....
Tarentum gets buy-in from resident to help fight blight
Residents of West 10th Avenue in Tarentum can look forward to the cleanup of a habitual eyesore and potential hazard. A buyer plans to pour $40,000 into renovations at 208 W. 10th Ave., Code Enforcement Officer Anthony Bruni said. “This is a house that’s been vacant going on three years,”...
Penn Hills High School students place in Carnegie Mellon University coding competition
Three students from Penn Hills High School recently earned a major honor competing against other students from around the globe. Seniors Eric Cronin and Matthew Kirby and junior Caleb Lohr recently all placed in the top three in their respective divisions at the bi-annual fall 20222 Carnegie Mellon University Creative...
1 person in custody after domestic incident in Mt. Washington
One person was taken into custody after a SWAT team was called Friday morning to a domestic incident on Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh. City police initially responded shortly before 3 a.m. to a home in the 60 block of Harwood Street. A SWAT team was called in when occupants refused...
Sewickley Township woman charged in fatal crash
A Sewickley Township woman is accused of being impaired when she crossed over the center line of Arona Road, slamming head-on into another vehicle and killing its driver, according to court records. Ahna L. Malik, 43, was arrested last week on charges of homicide by vehicle while driving under the...
Cruising toward Christmas: Latrobe woman gifted car during holiday season
A 70-year-old Latrobe woman who went five years without a car after a failed inspection now has one after her longtime friend, Joseph Lanatovich, gifted her a 2000 Lincoln Town Car. For years, Angie Bush had to rely on public transit, car services and the kindness of her friends to...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Dec. 23-26
It’s Christmas weekend in Pittsburgh, and while there might not be much going on Saturday or Sunday, Friday and Monday offer some great entertainment options. Immaculate Reception 50th Anniversary Celebration Though some Immaculate Reception events have been canceled, others are set to go on as scheduled, including a gathering planned...
Florida man charged in $74,000 theft from Saint Vincent College
A Florida man was jailed this week without bail on state police accusations that he used fraudulent checks to steal nearly $74,000 from Saint Vincent College, according to court papers. Troopers said Alfredo N. Paiva Matos, 28, deposited the checks into a bank account belonging to NPM Alliance Corp., what...
Winter storm brings frigid temps, high winds, snow to Western Pennsylvania
The major winter storm that moved through Western Pennsylvania on Friday, dropping temperature some 40 degrees, will keep the region in a deep freeze on Christmas Eve and on Christmas, the National Weather Service in Moon said. People are likely to wake up Christmas Eve morning to temperatures in the...
Duquesne University to begin construction on new 11-story student apartment building next month
Duquesne University plans to begin construction next month on a new 11-story student apartment building on Forbes Avenue. The 556-bed facility will include amenity spaces, bicycle parking, a fitness area and outdoor courtyards available to residents, students and others in the community, the university said. The new building, located next...
Lamp Theatre posters to be unveiled in Irwin
Eight scenes depicting Irwin’s history and landmarks past and present will be unveiled Friday when shadowboxes are illuminated on an exterior wall downtown at The Lamp Theatre. The posters on the Lamp Theatre Community Wall will be revealed about 5 p.m. after a brief ceremony at 4:30, said John Gdula,...
Kids for Kids fundraiser at Lower Burrell school rings up thousands for Children’s Hospital
Each year, students at Stewart Elementary School in Lower Burrell forgo having classroom holiday parties on the last day before Christmas break. Instead, they bring in their own toys, collectibles and handmade items to sell to other students and faculty to raise money for a charity. This year, the students...
Chapel Downs residents in Harmar should see end to sewer line woes in 2023
Two Harmar sewage projects are set to move forward in 2023 because the township received two county gambling revenue grants. Matt Pitsch, township engineer, said the township has received two grants from Allegheny County’s Gaming Economic Development and Tourism Fund. He said one is a 2022 grant the township applied...
The Stroller, Dec. 23, 2022: 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. Monarch Hospice seeking volunteers Monarch Hospice, Lower Burrell, is looking for...
MAWC: No rate hike planned as inflation continues to impact authority spending
Rising energy costs and anticipated price increases for chemicals has left the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County with a $4.5 million budget gap seven months into the 2022-23 fiscal year. The increased expenses will require the water and sewer authority to dip into the agency’s financial reserves to balance its...
Buy Now, Pay Later options heat up during holiday season
Whether you’re shopping for tech deals on Amazon or indie crafts on Etsy, you probably noticed there are more options at checkout than just using a credit card. More retailers are using “Buy Now, Pay Later” platforms such as Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay and Paypal to spread out payments in installments....
Hempfield man: Mental health issues prompted crime spree that ended with assault on police
A Hempfield man will serve up to 18 months in jail for assaulting two police officers in the culmination of a crime spree that included stealing a flag, disrupting a funeral and vandalizing a congressman’s legislative office. Roger C. Strautmann, 23, pleaded guilty Thursday to multiple offenses in four criminal...
Leet Zoning Hearing Board declines to appeal judge’s ruling regarding a proposed Quaker Valley High School
The Leet Township Zoning Hearing Board will not appeal an Allegheny County Common Pleas judge’s ruling on a proposed Quaker Valley High School. Its members decided in a 2-0 vote Thursday night to close the book on its part of the process in the school district’s pursuit of a new...
