Western PA Local News category, Page 1556
New life for Cycle Diner in Tarentum is possible, owners say
There might still be life in Tarentum’s Cycle Diner, just not as a traditional sit-down eatery. The 1949 diner is owned by Gatto Cycle Shop and attached to its Harley-Davidson showroom along East Sixth Avenue. In January, it was denied a permit by the Allegheny County Health Department to reopen....
Flu cases, colds up in Western Pa. as people relax covid-19 precautions
Influenza cases now outnumber covid-19 cases in some areas of Western Pennsylvania, though they remain far below pre-pandemic numbers, experts say. “Over the last couple weeks, there has certainly been a surge in noncovid-related illnesses in the region. Chief among these pathogens has been the yearly influenza virus,” said Dr....
Fitness fundraiser Spin Your Wheels returns to Allegheny RiverTrail Park in Aspinwall
A fitness-themed fundraiser offering fun and fellowship returns to Allegheny RiverTrail Park in Aspinwall April 23. Spin Your Wheels was created in 2015 by Aspinwall resident and attorney Jennifer Evashavik. She bills it as the “fitness party of the year” and hundreds attend. The family-friendly event offers classes for everyone,...
Greensburg Salem School District projects no tax increase in preliminary 2022-2023 budget
Greensburg Salem school officials are planning to keep taxes steady as part of the district’s preliminary 2022-23 budget. While the board won’t adopt a final budget until June, business manager Joan Wehner said initial indications are expenditures and revenues each will increase to about $48.7 million, up from $48.1 million...
The Stroller, April 16, 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. Please include a daytime telephone number. Golf outing and walk to benefit NAMI Butler County The National Alliance On Mental Illness (NAMI) Butler County Golf Scramble and...
Group seeks racial equality at Greensburg Salem, decries school director’s Facebook post
A newly organized community group in Greensburg Salem School District says it wants to work with the school board to combat racism and racial bias and negative effects of such on students. Several members of CORES (Communities Organizing for Racial Equality in the Schools) additionally aired related concerns at Wednesday’s...
Northern Westmoreland student wins state welding competition, moves on to national
Kiski Area High School junior Grace Wilferd put her knowledge of welding on display to win big at a competition last weekend in Hershey. Wilferd, 16, of Allegheny Township took first place in the welding demonstration competition at the SkillsUSA State and Leadership Conference, held April 6-8. Additionally, she received...
Lower Burrell cracks down on vacant building blight with $1,000-a-day fine for uncorrected violations
On the face of Lower Burrell’s new vacant property ordinance, the fines are hefty — $1,000 a day — for property owners who don’t fix unsightly issues on their vacant property. But the fines will be levied in only the most severe cases, according to city officials, such as when...
Franklin Park Y to host Healthy Kids Day
The YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, including the Baierl Family YMCA in Franklin Park, is hosting its annual Healthy Kids Day on April 30, encouraging families to take a moment to help kids be kids and set them up for a summer of success. The day-long event will feature activities such...
CBS to air investigation into safari death of Greensburg-area dentist’s wife
CBS this weekend will air an investigation into the death of Bianca Finizio Rudolph, the wife of former Greensburg-area dentist Lawrence Rudolph. “Death on Safari” will broadcast on “48 Hours” at 10 p.m. Saturday. It also can be streamed on Paramount+. Bianca Rudolph died of a gunshot wound during an...
Attempted firing of a Leet Township police officer under investigation, police chief put on paid administrative leave
An investigation is underway involving the attempted termination of a Leet Township police officer. The officer in question has yet to to be formally identified. Commissioners established an investigatory committee and authorized attorney Lisa Mantella of the Pittsburgh-based Leech Tishman law firm to launch an investigation at a meeting March...
Pa. unemployment rate falls in March, 23rd straight month without an increase
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate has fallen again. The state Department of Labor and Industry’s monthly report for March, released Friday, shows the unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percentage point, declining to 3.6%. In addition, the commonwealth’s unemployment rate for March 2022 was 2.2 percentage points below its March 2021 level....
Greensburg man who portrays Jesus Christ in ‘Way of the Cross’ reflects on 2 decades of the drama
More than two decades ago, a Greensburg pastor asked Rick Zabrosky if he’d participate in the city’s Passion of Christ drama that had taken place for several years. Zabrosky agreed to a small role: Barabbas, the murderer whom the crowd asked Pontius Pilate to free instead of Jesus Christ. The...
Burst into bloom with learning opportunities at Andrew Carnegie library
Bulbs are sprouting, birds raising their voices in song, and all kinds of creatures shaking off the winter doldrums and scurrying about. After months of bare branches, tiny dots of green appear on the trees. And the sun – remember that? What a difference it makes to step outdoors without...
Pittsburgh plans to repave 39 miles of streets; work starts Monday
Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure plans to begin its 2022 paving program next week. The city is spending more than $12.5 million on street resurfacing and other improvements such as curb ramp upgrades. The city, which is responsible for maintaining more than 1,000 miles of roadway, plans to resurface...
PennDOT plan to replace Fourth Street Bridge in North Irwin posted online
A virtual plan display for the proposed replacement of the Fourth Street Bridge in North Irwin is available online for area residents to view, PennDOT said. The bridge, located west of the intersection of Route 993 and Main Street, has been closed for several years because of deteriorating conditions, project...
Hulton Road in Oakmont reopened to one lane after a large fallen tree and down wires caused a 9-hour closure
Hulton Road in Oakmont reopened Friday night to one lane after a large oak tree fell across the road, between Fifth and Seventh streets late Friday morning, pulling down electric lines, causing a power outage and blocking the well-traveled street for at least eight hours. The tree came down on...
North Huntingdon slide repairs, Penn Township pipe replacement set to detour traffic
Traffic detours are set to begin Monday for PennDOT projects in North Huntingdon and Penn townships. Crews are set to resume slide repairs in North Huntingdon. That work is expected to close a section of Guffey/Turner Valley Road, between Volk and Guffey roads, for up to 10 weeks. The marked...
Westmoreland Symphony to wrap 53rd season with ‘Beethoven’s Brilliance’
The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra will conclude its 53rd season with “a brilliant, energetic, and touching musical document from the grand tradition established by Mozart and Haydn,” according to Artistic Director Daniel Meyer. The piece is Ludwig van Beethoven’s Mass in C, which will conclude “Beethoven’s Brilliance,” set for 7:30 p.m....
URA to partner with RIDC on $39M warehouse project in Pittsburgh’s Fairywood
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority on Thursday entered into an agreement with the Regional Industrial Development Corp. of Southwestern Pennsylvania to build warehouses on a 25-acre site in the city’s Fairywood neighborhood. The proposed two-phase development would begin with construction of a 150,000-square-foot warehouse. RIDC said it is in talks with...
Neon Swing X-perience founder revives grandfather’s 1940s dance band
For 24 years, Neon Swing X-perience has been jumpin’ and jivin’ across area stages, playing a lively blend of vintage Americana music styles, including big-band, swing, rockabilly, hot jazz and blues. After a July 2 appearance at the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival, the band will be no more. “I’ve...
Brentwood painter provides ‘Unbroken’ support for Ukraine
Finishing a piece of her artwork less than 24 hours after she started is something out of the ordinary for Linda Barnicott. “Normally, I’m the type of person who sketches it out, then I do a pen-and-ink. Then I’ll maybe do a watercolor wash, and then I’ll paint it with...
Trafford-based home health care provider pays $383K to 46 workers to settle overtime claims
A Westmoreland County-based home health care service provider has agreed to pay more than $380,000 in back wages and liquidated damages to 46 employees working from four Western Pennsylvania locations who were denied overtime pay dating back to 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The agency’s Wage and...
Jeannette lands federal grant to build new fire station
The Jeannette Fire Department will soon have a new home thanks to a federal grant. The department will build a new station on city-owned property that formerly housed the Clay Avenue school. Fire Chief Bill Frye expects to receive $1.2 million though an American Rescue Plan Act grant. He said...
Policy’s gender definition at center of debate for Highlands School Board
The question of what constitutes gender could be front and center at the next Highlands School Board meeting. On Tuesday, board members will consider approval of an education equity policy that at least two members have voiced concern about. The aim of the proposed policy is to remove educational barriers...
