Western PA Local News category, Page 1347
Burgettstown man gets maximum sentence for third-degree murder in 3-year-old boy’s beating death
A Burgettstown man will serve 20 to 40 years in prison for killing his girlfriend’s 3-year-old son last year. Tyler Scott Mason, 27, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder on June 21 for the beating death of Aiden Lombardi. On Monday, he was sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Kelly...
South Hills Junior Orchestra invites participants
South Hills Junior Orchestra has kicked off its Fall/Winter 2022 season with regularly scheduled weekly rehearsals. Free trial practices of SHJO are free and open to amateur musicians of all ages. They are held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays at Upper St. Clair High School, 1825 McLaughlin Run...
Defendant takes the stand in Homewood triple fatal fire trial
Martell Smith spent nearly eight hours in a Pittsburgh police interview room on Dec. 20, 2017, being questioned about a fire in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood that killed three people earlier that day. Investigators suspected the fire had been purposefully set and that gasoline was used. They also knew that when...
Witnesses say bar fight started with quip and ended in near death
James Lookabaugh said a fight prompted by an offhanded response to a man he had just met at a North Belle Vernon bar three years ago nearly turned tragic. Lookabaugh, 47, of Texas, testified to a Westmoreland County jury on Tuesday he owned an oil and gas business and was...
Trial for sex trafficking of teen ends in guilty plea for Turtle Creek man
A Turtle Creek man pleaded guilty Tuesday to the sex trafficking of a 14-year-old runaway from New Kensington. Davon Allen Fuqua, 36, cut short his trial midway through testimony from his accuser, who told a Westmoreland County jury she was transported with a prostitute to have sex with two older...
Harmar to maintain Springdale Township road to help residents
Harmar supervisors approved an agreement allowing the township to permanently maintain a section of road in neighboring Springdale Township. Under the memorandum of understanding, according to township engineer Matt Pitsch, Harmar will maintain Crone Hollow Road from its intersection with High Street in Springdale Township to the Harmar line. As...
30 employers expected at job fair set on Monday near Youngwood
About 30 employers are expected at a job fair scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. Monday at the PA Career Link office adjacent to Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood. Employers will be seeking workers in health care, nursing homes, gambling, staffing, machining, manufacturing, higher education and the package delivery...
Pittsburgh nonprofit gets $120K grant for Fern Hollow Bridge restoration, Frick Park rehab
Pittsburgh’s new Fern Hollow Bridge could be finished by the end of the year, but the collapse of the old Fern Hollow Bridge in January has left lingering damage to the valley below. Upstream Pittsburgh, an environmental nonprofit, has received a $120,000 state grant that could help address that, said...
Indecent graffiti in Kennedy Park in Vandergrift draws ire from parents
The last thing Vandergrift resident Sarah Cooper expected to find at her local park during an outing Sunday with her young son was X-rated graffiti. Cooper said her 10-year-old son noticed vulgar images of male genitals and obscene words spray-painted on two stone pillars at the entrance to Kennedy Park....
Trump FBI search puts unusual spotlight on National Archives nominee, a Norwin graduate
WASHINGTON — As a novelist, Colleen Shogan has imagined the most vivid of Washington dramas. Larceny at the Library of Congress. A homicide in the House of Representatives. A stabbing in the U.S. Senate. But Shogan is about to become a protagonist in a storyline too fantastical for fiction —...
Plans for $1.3 million renovation of Overlook Park in Whitehall released
Whitehall officials have revealed plans for an estimated $1.3 million redevelopment project at Overlook Park. They include a new playground and swings, installation of an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant pathway to the playground, upgrades to the baseball field and improved access via rebuilt stairs from Spring Valley and Orchard...
Linton Middle School unveils STEM lab, New Directions room
Penn Hills School District’s Linton Middle School unveiled a recently completed STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) lab, as well as a New Directions room. On Sept. 15, the school district also welcomed Sen. Jay Costa (D-Forest Hills) to tour and dedicate the upgraded spaces. First on the tour was...
Prime Stage earns American Council of the Blind award for audio description services
Nathan Ruggles’ work as an audio describer at Prime Stage Theatre means he is responsible for bringing the visual elements of live theater to visually impaired audience members. “It’s all about making that visual imagery present and accessible to people who have visual impairment,” said Ruggles, 48, of Pittsburgh’s Mount...
18 Under Eighteen: Junior Achievement calls for nominations
Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania, headquartered in South Fayette, seeks to showcase and celebrate a dozen and a half young people through the initiative 18 Under Eighteen. This year, the organization recognized the inaugural class, which represented a diverse cross-section of the region and varied backgrounds. JA is accepting nominations...
Improvements eyed at Flight 93 memorial’s western overlook
Planning and fundraising for a new facet of the Flight 93 National Memorial is underway as nonprofit group plans to enhance the western overlook, the spot where families got their first glimpse of the Sept. 11, 2001 crash site. Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial executive director Donna Gibson said...
Mt. Pleasant man charged after incident in Westmoreland County courtroom
A man accused of incidents involving two nurses at the Westmoreland County Prison was charged Monday after a woman was injured when he “thrusted himself” at his attorney in a courtroom, according to court papers. Joe Paul Biller, 37, of Mt. Pleasant, is facing a charge of simple assault. Westmoreland...
Homecoming festivities scheduled at Chartiers Valley
As the 2022 football season progresses, Chartiers Valley High School’s Homecoming is approaching. The Colts will play Montour at 7 p.m. Oct. 14, and preceding the game is a Homecoming Carnival, to take place from 3:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 12 During the carnival, guests will have the opportunity to...
Pa. court hears argument on whether life without parole for 2nd-degree murder is cruel, unusual punishmentVideo
When Derek Lee illegally entered a home in Elliott in 2014, he had no intention of killing anyone. He and his co-defendant, Paul Durham, had gone to the house to rob its occupants. But while Lee was upstairs, Durham shot and killed a man in the basement. Both men were...
Bridgeville sculpture show features 14 regional artists
Starting Oct. 1, the Bridgeville Public Library becomes home to an impressive collection of outdoor and indoor art as part of the first Bridgeville Library Sculpture Exhibition. The show is the result of a partnership of the Pittsburgh Society of Sculptors, Public Art Bridgeville and the library’s Bill & Grace...
O’Hara officials seek $1.775 million in various grants for capital improvements
O’Hara officials hope to bolster the township’s capital improvement efforts by acquiring state grants. Council recently voted to seek five grants for a combined $1.775 million from the Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund through the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County. The money would help help cover the cost of five...
Bridgeville man pleads guilty for actions in Capitol riot
A Bridgeville man who livestreamed his actions during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony charge of interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder. Kenneth Grayson, 53, pleaded guilty to this charge in a Washington D.C. court. According to court...
Man charged with cocaine trafficking in North Carolina arrested on new charges in Arnold
A man released from custody on a $500,000 bond for drug and weapons charges in North Carolina was arrested at a house in Arnold where, police said, they found cocaine and a pistol. Alvinn Davonn Twine, 32, was arrested after officers from the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force and agents...
Volunteers, law enforcement celebrate National Thank a Police Officer Day
Members of the National Thank a Police Officer Day AK Valley Team spent Sept. 17 bringing bags of gifts and thank you notes to law enforcement from Fox Chapel to Kittanning and many stations in between. The annual appreciation day takes place the third Saturday in September. More than 900...
State police seek help to find man last seen in Herminie
State police are looking for a man who was last seen in Herminie Sept. 7. Aaron D. Ross, 43, frequents the Jeannette area, according to information released Tuesday by troopers. He was last seen wearing a red/orange shirt, denim blue jeans and black sneakers. He stands 5 feet, 10 inches...
New Kensington mother accused of locking teen kids out of home
A New Kensington woman is facing child endangerment charges after, police say, she changed the locks to her home, locking out her teenage daughter and son. Police filed two counts of endangering the welfare of children against Shayla Marie Covington, 35, of Leishman Avenue on Sept. 14. She is scheduled...
