Western PA Local News category, Page 1426
Lower Burrell couple charged with fraud over insurance claim on jewelry
A Lower Burrell couple face fraud charges after police say they filed an insurance claim for gold and diamond jewelry and a Louis Vuitton handbag they reported stolen after selling the items. William Leonard Klems II, 41, and Kaylyn Leeann Klems, 31, of the 100 block of Chippawa Drive, each...
How I moved, lost my dog and regained faith in humanity over 5 days in July
Sometime late last fall, my husband, two sons and I decided to move. We’d lived for 17 years in Brentwood — front-row seats to the best Fourth of July parade around — but wanted a house with two bathrooms, maybe a game room and a bigger yard for the boys...
Westmoreland happenings: Flea market, hot dog sale, reunions
Submissions from nonprofit organizations for Briefly Speaking can be emailed to 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 is no fee....
Shaler Area School District hires new middle school principal
A new and familiar face is at the helm of Shaler Area Middle School. Dr. Shannon Howard, who has been serving as the interim principal at the school since Eric Stennett went on leave in January, was formally hired by the Shaler Area School District at the June 15 school...
Firefighters battle house blaze in Washington Township
No injuries were reported in a house fire Wednesday morning in Washington Township. Fire crews responded about 7:30 a.m. to a home in the 100 block of Hope Hollow Road. Clayton Murphy, Washington Township fire chief, confirmed a man and a dog were not at home when the blaze broke...
Police say Beechview man filmed teen girl in fitting room at South Hills Village
A Beechview man is accused by Bethel Park police of filming a 14-year-old girl trying on clothing in a fitting room at a store inside South Hills Village, according to a criminal complaint. Police said they found the 30-second video of the girl on a cellphone belonging to Miguel M....
Allegheny Circle set to reopen for 2-way traffic
The $3.2 million project converting Allegheny Circle into a two-way roadway is nearly complete, officials with Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure said, and will be converted for two-way traffic Thursday evening. The roadway will be open to traffic during the conversion, though there will be isolated lane restrictions to...
Letter to the editor: Contacting Penn Hills officials isn’t easy
This is in response to Mayor Paulene Calabrese’s comments on the Penn Hills website, pennhillspa.gov. Mayor Calabrese stated that she would find out about public affairs on social media and wondered why people don’t bring it up to her and council. Did she ever consider that Penn Hills leaders can...
The Stroller, July 20, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15068. Please include a daytime telephone number. Performers needed for annual Casino Theater Christmas show The Casino Theater in...
‘Everything water’: Jacobs Creek Watershed Association hosts 5th Headwaters Party
To Denise Wilkins, the Jacobs Creek Watershed Association is all about “everything water.” First assembled in the 1960s and reformed as a nonprofit organization in the late 1990s, the JCWA stewards 177 miles of streams from the Laurel Highlands to the Youghiogheny River. Wilkins soon will enter her third year...
Pittsburgh council approves $1.95 million in repairs to 30th Street Bridge
A local construction company will perform $1.95 million in repairs to Pittsburgh’s 30th Street Bridge. Pittsburgh City Council unanimously approved the measure Tuesday. The 30th Street Bridge — which connects Herr’s Island and River Avenue — is one of several city bridges in need of repairs and improvements. City Council...
Armstrong Tunnels in Pittsburgh to close for 3 hours Friday morning
The Armstrong Tunnels in Pittsburgh will close from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday for investigation work, according to the county’s Department of Public Works. During the closure, inbound drivers should use Second Avenue, Ross Street and Forbes Avenue, while outbound motorists should drive on Forbes Avenue, Chatham Square, Fifth...
Penn Hills woman injured in Pennsylvania Turnpike crash, troopers say
A Penn Hills woman told state troopers late Tuesday that she fell asleep while driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Mt. Pleasant Township and crashed into the concrete barrier, according to police reports. Troopers said Briana R. Wehner, 23, was injured in the 10:15 p.m. crash along the eastbound lanes...
Pa. Turnpike to close westbound Warrendale E-ZPass lane Wednesday morning
One of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s E-ZPass lanes at the Warrendale toll plaza will be closed for several hours on Wednesday. Between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., motorists cannot use the westbound express E-ZPass lane at this plaza. Instead, they will travel through the traditional tolling lanes on the right side,...
Quaker Valley School District to host tours of proposed high school site
Quaker Valley School District officials plan to host tours of a proposed high school site in Leet. District director of facilities Charlie Gauthier will serve as the tour guide of the property at 210 Camp Meeting Road. It is a walking tour. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes. It...
Aspinwall Police Department to add activities to Friday’s Movies in the Park
People who participate in Aspinwall’s Movies in the Park series will have an opportunity for a couple pre-show activities with borough police. A bike ride is planned for 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Aspinwall Recreation Area near Ben Killian Field. Bicyclists will ride with officers throughout the borough and return...
Allegheny County Council overrides Fitzgerald’s veto, bans new fracking in parks
Allegheny County Council on Tuesday voted to override a veto on a bill that bans new fracking leases on county parkland. The override marked the first time in Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald’s three terms that council overturned one of his vetoes. The bill bans new industrial leases at the...
Hard-of-hearing child with special needs missing from Salem Township home has been found
A 10-year-old girl who is hard-of-hearing with special needs has been found safe after she went missing from her Salem Township home Tuesday afternoon. According to Salem Township Public Safety, the child left her home at around 3:30 p.m. First responders used the Greensburg Fire Department’s bloodhound team to safely...
Plan to convert unused Pittsburgh office spaces into housing gets $2.1M
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved a measure to allocate $2.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to an initiative that will convert unused Downtown offices into residential space. Officials said the project would provide much-needed housing and repurpose offices that have sat empty since much of the city’s...
House fire under investigation in Arnold
An Arnold house was unoccupied when it was damaged by fire Tuesday afternoon. The fire at 1432 Third Ave. was reported at 5:20 p.m., according to Westmoreland County 911 and Arnold No. 1 fire Chief Brian Gouza. The house is at the rear of the lot, abutting Cherry Alley. Units...
Mt. Pleasant man on trial for rape of child
Testimony started Tuesday in the trial of a Mt. Pleasant man charged with the rape of a teenager and sexual assault of another child. Westmoreland County prosecutors claim Kenneth R. Daniels II, 42, had improper sexual contact with two females from 2014 to 2017. Daniels was charged with 11 counts,...
Westmoreland County inks $20.9M contract for prison inmate medical care
Westmoreland County will pay nearly double for medical care of jail inmates under a new five-year contract approved by commissioners. The $20.9 million contract with PrimeCare Medical Inc. of Harrisburg will include increased services that focus on mental health treatment and support for inmates at the Hempfield lockup. Commissioners selected...
Pa. casinos post record $5B in revenue in 2021-22 fiscal year
Pennsylvania casinos saw substantial growth during the last fiscal year, with the industry posting a record $5 billion in revenue, state regulators said. In all, the state’s 16 casinos generated $5.04 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2021-22, which runs from July 1 through June 30, according to the Pennsylvania...
Chimney fire shuts down New Kensington coffee shop
No serious damage was caused by a chimney fire Tuesday at a coffee shop in downtown New Kensington. Firefighters responded to the call at Steel Cup Coffee Roasters on 10th Street about 11 a.m., fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. said. Business owner Doug Pinto said he was roasting coffee when...
Western Pa. paramedic among EMS personnel honored in memorial procession to Arlington
It’s been a difficult nine months for Matt Stewart. Stewart’s father, Jeannette Emergency Medical Services paramedic William J. Sekora Jr., died Oct. 8 at 63 after contracting covid-19. The Penn Township man’s death was declared to have occurred in the line of duty by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Emergency Services....
