Western PA Local News category, Page 1249
Pittsburgh City Council approves $7M contract with security firm
Pittsburgh City Council has awarded a city-based company a nearly $7 million contract to provide security at the City-County Building and other sites for the next five years. In addition to the City-County Building on Grant Street, St. Moritz Security Services will provide guards at other city-owned locations such as...
Vecchio again voted Penn Hills School Board president
Although she recently threw her hat in the ring for the Allegheny County Democratic Committee’s nomination for the late State Rep. Tony Deluca’s seat, Erin Vecchio was unanimously re-elected as Penn Hills School Board president for the seventh straight year. “I’m thankful for the board to believe in me still....
Harlem Wizards entertain in Hampton
In basketball, it’s not exactly legal to grab hold of the rim, hoist yourself up and block shots from that vantage point. But it is good for quite a few laughs. The Harlem Wizards traveling troupe has been putting smiles on faces for 60 years, including a Dec. 7 stop...
Pittsburgh streamlines process to convert unused Downtown office space into housing
A zoning change approved this week by Pittsburgh City Council will streamline the process to convert existing Downtown office space into residential units, officials said. The legislation, unanimously approved Tuesday, will allow proposed residential projects in the Golden Triangle area to move ahead without being reviewed and approved by the...
New Kensington man faces up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal child porn charges
A New Kensington man could spend decades in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to distributing child pornography, authorities announced. Robert Pacek, 51, pleaded guilty Tuesday, Dec. 6, to seven counts of distributing images of children being sexually abused using a website on the Tor network, according to a...
Monroeville couple continue toy-collecting tradition
This Santa Claus is about as real as it gets. Pete Colangelo might not have a flying sleigh or workshop full of elves. And instead of the North Pole, he lives in Monroeville. But each year, and he and his wife, Carol, make deliveries that put plenty of smiles on...
Plum police detective becomes department’s first public information officer
A Plum detective has been named the police department’s first public information officer. Joseph Little took the weeklong FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association class in Pleasant Hills to take on the role. “I provide the community with the most accurate, up-to-date information,” he said. “As you would imagine, during...
Vandergrift man accused of slapping 3-year-old in face so hard it left a hand-shaped welt
Vandergrift police accused a man of repeatedly slapping a toddler in the face so hard that it left a handprint and a bruised and swollen welt. Timothy John Turner, 47, of Franklin Avenue in Vandergrift, was charged with a felony count of aggravated assault of a child under the age...
2 Greensburg area churches prep for food outreach on Dec. 10, Christmas Day
Donations of money, time, transportation — and cakes — will come together Dec. 25 to provide holiday ham meals for hundreds of Greensburg residents. Continuing a tradition of about two decades, volunteers will be needed beginning Dec. 23 at First Presbyterian Church of Greensburg to prepare free dinners for pickup...
Pine-Richland students pile on the presents with 6 bus loads of donated toys
When a local radio station launched its annual Stuff-A-Bus drive by asking organizations help collect Christmas gifts for needy children by filling a bus with toys, members of Pine-Richland’s student government took up the challenge. But instead of filling up just one vehicle, they delivered six school buses laden with...
Speaker series highlights Westmoreland County’s ‘hidden treasures’
There are people who go about their work quietly, making positive differences in the community without getting much public recognition. The Westmoreland Diversity Coalition intends to shine a light on some of those people, and their diverse backgrounds, through its new Hidden Treasures Speaker Series. Maria LaVelle, CEO of Pheple...
Greensburg Salem School Board names meeting room for longtime solicitor
Greensburg Salem School District had some surprises in store Monday evening for longtime solicitor John Scales. Shortly before the school board meeting, the district threw a 90th birthday party for Scales. Afterward, the board further honored him by naming its meeting location the John N. Scales Legislative Meeting Room. “It’s...
‘Monticello Lights’ fundraiser will benefit Project Bundle-Up, Delmont police this yearVideo
Clark Griswold’s got nothing on the residents of Monticello Drive. Between a dozen of them, they will invest more than 200 hours and use more than 500 strands of lights as they decorate their Delmont homes and yards for the annual Monticello Lights fundraiser. “We’ve added lights, repurposed some things...
No tax increase planned in Gilpin
Gilpin residents won’t see a township property tax increase next year. The tax rate is expected to remain at 11 mills. Township supervisors recently approved their preliminary 2023 budget, which includes $810,300 in projected revenues. “Far too long has the Public Works Department and its equipment been put on the...
Meet Charlie: Highlands School District’s first-ever therapy dog
Trotting through the halls at Highlands Middle School in Harrison, an 8-month-old Labrador retriever is the district’s newest tool to help improve student success. The puppy, Charlie, will be tasked with more than looking cute. “He will increase the overall well-being for students,” said the dog’s owner, Principal Becky Bragan....
New Kensington-Arnold fires security guard accused of assaulting 5-year-old student
The New Kensington-Arnold School Board fired a security guard who had been accused of assaulting a 5-year-old elementary school student last year. Lori Ann Waltonbaugh, 59, of Greensburg entered a negotiated guilty plea Sept. 29 to a charge of recklessly endangering another person, according to court records. She was sentenced...
Pittsburgh man gets 28 months in federal prison for fentanyl, gun offenses
A federal judge on Wednesday noted the prolific distribution of powerful opioid fentanyl around the Pittsburgh region before sentencing a city man to federal prison for possessing the drug and others, along with a gun, according to federal prosecutors. Senior U.S. District Judge David S. Cercone sentenced 31-year-old Clarence Thomas...
Over-the-counter medications tough to find this cold, flu season
Demand for over-the-counter medications to ease suffering related to a spike in colds, flu and covid has left shelves empty and shop owners frustrated in recent weeks. “It’s the trifecta,” said Ed Christofano, owner of Hayden’s Pharmacy stores in Youngwood, Mt. Pleasant and Donegal. The Centers for Disease Control and...
Holiday happenings in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Santa Claus and his helpers will be visiting many locations in the Alle-Kiski Valley. Here is a list for you to check twice: Allegheny Township Photos with Santa will be from 10 a.m. to noon at Taco Bell, Route 56. The first 150 children 10 and younger will receive a...
The Stroller, Dec. 8, 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. Springdale students to present, ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ The Springdale Jr.-Sr....
Police say Greensburg man starved dog to death
A Greensburg man is accused by police of letting a dog die in the basement of an apartment where he had been living, according to court papers. Timothy J. Steinman Jr., 43, was charged Wednesday with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and a single charge of animal cruelty....
O’Hara adds social worker to provide residents another service
A new social worker in O’Hara is helping residents access to mental health and other services. Jalen Byrd began working in the township about a month ago. So far, he has helped homeless people with temporary housing, assisted with several referrals from the police department and township administration and been...
New president leads Hempfield Area School Board
The Hempfield Area School Board has a new president. Director Paul Ward took the helm on Wednesday after former President Tony Bompiani served in the leadership role for three years. Directors unanimously approved Ward, who was the sole nominee. Director Scott Learn will continue to serve as vice president. Ward...
Murrysville set to vote on 2023 budget with no tax hike
Murrysville Council last week delayed a vote on a $15.4 million 2023 budget, which does not includes a tax hike. The vote will take place at the final meeting of the year. Chief Administrator Michael Nestico said updates to some elements of the municipality’s salary ordinance require the municipality to...
TSA finds 2 guns at Pittsburgh airport security checkpoint
Transportation Security Administration officers caught two guns Wednesday at the Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoint. The first gun, confiscated from a carry-on bag belonging to a West Newton man, was a loaded 9mm handgun. The second firearm was a loaded, antique .22-caliber handgun that belonged to a man from Clarksburg,...
