Western PA Local News category, Page 1598
MAWC seeks damages for contamination of water system
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County has filed a lawsuit against more than two dozen chemical companies, accusing them of manufacturing toxic substances and contaminating the local water system. The six-count lawsuit filed in Westmoreland County seeks damages associated with chemicals that leached into the water supply but also for...
Kiski Township car crash leads to felony charges
An Apollo woman faces a felony charge after police responding to a report of a car crashing into a yard say they learned the vehicle was stolen and her boyfriend, who was driving, fled from the scene. Kiski Township police arrested Melissa Marie Wilson, 38, of Armstrong Avenue, charging her...
Greater Latrobe administrative overhaul names 3 staffers assistants to superintendent
Greater Latrobe School Board this week approved a restructuring of the district’s central administrative staff that will increase responsibilities — and, eventually, pay levels — for four employees. Those pay increases, expected to total about $30,000 next school year, raised concerns for Andrew Repko, the sole board member to vote...
Penn Township man to serve 10-year prison sentence for jewelry heist
A Penn Township man will serve up to 10 years in prison for stealing a neighbor’s jewelry in 2019. Michael Joseph Lapaglia, 31, was convicted in November by a Westmoreland County jury of felony burglary and trespassing as well as misdemeanor counts of theft and receiving stolen property. According to...
Hunker men accused of shooting dogs say they shot them after peacock’s killing
Two men were charged Wednesday in connection with the December fatal shooting of two dogs that were later found in a wooded area of Hunker. State police said James P. Hill, 76, and his neighbor Jason W. Beal, 35, shot and killed Hagrid, 5, and Aspen, 4. The bodies of...
What to know about the omicron subvariant BA.2
A new version of the coronavirus that causes covid-19 has made its way through Europe and other parts of the world, and it now has been detected in the United States, including locally. It is not a new strain, but rather a variant of a variant — a subtype of...
Shop & Stroll kicks off Thursday in downtown Greensburg
Shoppers hoping to explore locally owned stores in downtown Greensburg will have additional opportunities to do so thanks to a new “Third Thursday Shop & Stroll.” For the event, which kicks off Thursday, participating businesses will stay open until 8 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month. “We’re trying...
Hearings to be held on Pittsburgh City Council proposals to generate money for infrastructure fund
Some people opposed to a Pittsburgh City Council proposal to levy a 1% tax on college tuition and medical bills to generate money for infrastructure improvements appear to be more open to a separate proposal to seek money from nonprofits instead. The Fern Hollow Bridge collapse in January heightened concerns...
Owner of Gilpin personal care home accused of stealing $111K from dead resident’s account
State police accused the owner of a personal care home in Gilpin Township of stealing nearly $111,500 from a resident’s credit union account after the 75-year-old woman died. Carrie Ann Leway, 42, of the 300 block of Godfrey Road faces five counts each of forgery and identity theft, all felonies,...
Barebones Black Box Theater in Braddock returns to stage with ‘Misery’
As area theaters go back to producing live stage shows, fans of tightly produced, intimate plays can celebrate the return of Barebones Black Box in Braddock. The brainchild of actor/director Patrick Jordan, barebones productions is bouncing back from a two-year hiatus in a big way with the opening of the...
Norwin, North Huntingdon consider wage hikes for summer workers
Facing challenges in hiring summer workers, North Huntingdon Township raised the wages for its summer laborers, and the Norwin School District is considering doing the same. Township commissioners this week unanimously approved raising the wages of summer employees from $11 an hour to $15 an hour. The township needed to...
Police: Man entered Gateway elementary school, recorded child in girls’ bathroom
A man lied his way into Ramsey Elementary School in Monroeville on Tuesday and recorded a child on his cellphone as she used the girls’ restroom, according to charges filed by Monroeville police. Brian Mintmier, 26, is charged with possessing an instrument of crime, possessing an instrument of crime on...
Fox Chapel Area School District easing out of social distancing at mealtime
Fox Chapel Area School District students will soon be able to use the gymnasiums, auditoriums, cafeterias and other common spaces they way they were intended as officials move closer to its pre-pandemic environment. The district was using those areas to allow for social distancing during meal times. The school board...
Richland History Group: The storied history of the Bakerstown Hotel
Each month, the Richland History Group will highlight notable aspects from the area’s past. Until 2015, Richland’s Bakerstown Hotel was a well-known local landmark, but few now remember that it operated in two different buildings, one block apart. During its estimated 152-year history, it saw stagecoaches, liquor raids and a...
Dog walker multitasks in Aspinwall
Marina Zapata of Aspinwall walks, from left: Peppa, Pablo, Buster, Linus and Jusper on March 15 along Eastern Avenue in Aspinwall. Zapata, a professional dog walker, owns Peppa, Pablo, Buster and Linus. She says she loves to spend afternoons walking the neighborhood pups....
Food Podcast: Empty Bowls fundraising event features Pittsburgh restaurants and artisan bowlsVideo
On this week’s episode of the Food Podcast presented by Clearview Federal Credit Union on the TribLIVE podcast network, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank gets an inside look at how artisans are making one-of-a-kind bowls for this year’s Empty Bowls Fundraiser. The event, which supports Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank...
AG: No evidence of crime in Ross sergeant’s alleged sharing of video evidence
No criminal charges will be filed against a Ross police officer accused by fellow officers of mishandling explicit video evidence in a case, the state Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday. The controversy — which led to a union vote of no confidence in Chief Joseph Ley — stemmed from allegations...
Kennywood to open Easter weekend with new touches
The new coats of paint are drying on several roller coasters at Kennywood. Pillars at the entrance are adorned in neon yellow. Food stands are getting new lighting. It’s getting close to opening day — a week earlier than in recent years. Kennywood will open Saturday, April 16, for season...
Volunteers help save Penn Hills’ Clothes Line community closet
After donating clothes to Mt. Hope Community Presbyterian Church’s community closet for 10 years, Wendy Redington received bad news when she brought clothes to donate in late January. The Clothes Line was closing because it did not have enough volunteers. Devastated by the news, Redington decided to make a phone...
Route 356 work in Allegheny Township to begin next month
Motorists who use state Route 356 in Allegheny Township should circle April 4 on their calendars. That’s the day an eight-month-long renovation of the key traffic artery will begin. The work will be done in three phases. The first is from Weinels Crossroads to Piper Road; Phase 2 will be...
Mable Mazza’s legacy lives on in Allegheny Township
Allegheny Township supervisors this week renamed their meeting room the “Mable Mazza Meeting Room” in honor of the late community contributor and activist. Mazza frequently attended meetings of township supervisors, the Kiski Area School Board and other regional and county organizations. She also worked the polls on Election Day. The...
Pysanki egg sale at Rizzo’s Malabar Inn to benefit Ukrainian causes this year
There will be a lot of Ukrainian symbols tucked into Ginette Simpson’s pysanky eggs this year. The intricate decorations will feature blue and gold colors and Ukraine’s national flower. “I’ve really focused on sunflowers,” she said. “They’re featured in a lot of my designs.” The New Alexandria woman will have...
Murrysville police arrest man after accusations of prowling, stalking ex-girlfriend
A 55-year-old man was arrested for stalking and related charges by Murrysville police after a former girlfriend said he entered her yard to look through her windows and repeatedly drove his car along her street. Brian Begor of Mt. Lebanon was arraigned Tuesday on multiple charges of harassment, prowling and...
Endangered Indiana bat mostly gone from southwestern Pa. but longer migration holds hope
The tiny wings of the endangered Indiana bat seem to be taking the creature on longer journeys. The Pennsylvania Game Commission recently documented the longest known, single-season migration of the federally and state-endangered bat from Pennsylvania to Kentucky. As the migration, at least 418 miles, broke the record for longest...
Health fair returns to Hempfield
After being canceled last year because of the covid-19 pandemic, Hempfield’s health and wellness fair is set to return this weekend. The Healthy, Happy Hempfield — Community Health & Wellness Fair is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the township athletic complex, 220 Forbes Trail Road. The...
