Western PA Local News category, Page 1663
Missing Ohio man found safe, police say
A man reported missing and in need of medical attention has been found and is safe, Pittsburgh police said. Philip Gosnell, 50, is from Zanesville, Ohio. He was last seen at 4 p.m. Thursday near UPMC Presbyterian Hospital before being reported missing. Police did not release further information about how...
Stay off the ice: Allegheny River frozen for more than 45 miles north of Cheswick
Recent clear and frigid nights accelerated ice formation on the Allegheny River stretching from Cheswick north past Kittanning, according to the National Weather Service. With more than 45 river miles iced over, authorities are urging residents to stay off the ice for safety reasons. The ice mass is expected to...
West Deer man takes satisfaction in caring for Bull Creek Cemetery
West Deer resident Howard Kirkbride tries to keep his visits to Bull Creek Cemetery to a minimum of once a week, but his passion for it makes that impossible. The 77-year-old has volunteered his time to the cemetery, on Tarentum-Culmerville Road, for more than 28 years. He became president of...
2 teens charged after fight involving pepper spray at Pittsburgh’s Allderdice High School
Two teenagers face charges stemming from a fight involving pepper spray at a Pittsburgh high school, district officials said. The incident happened Thursday at Allderdice High School in the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. An 18-year-old was allegedly involved in a fight with five other students, during which the 18-year-old discharged...
District court in Pittsburgh split on school masking, issue likely to be decided by appellate court
The underlying facts in each case are the same. The North Allegheny and Upper Saint Clair school boards voted recently to reverse mandatory masking policies. Medically vulnerable students argued that the reversal put them at risk of contracting covid-19 and the decision violated their rights under the Americans with Disabilities...
Man pleads guilty in 2019 McKees Rocks Bridge crash that killed woman
A McKees Rocks man pleaded guilty Thursday to causing a crash that killed a woman in 2019 on the McKees Rocks Bridge. Christopher Vuckovich, 42, pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle and related counts stemming from the Feb. 15, 2019 crash. In exchange for the plea, the Allegheny County District...
Fox Chapel church hoping to ‘Fill the Truck’ for food pantries in Indiana Township, Sharpsburg and Etna
On Super Bowl Sunday, football won’t be center stage for everyone. Volunteers at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church are scheduled to host the 8th annual Fill the Truck fundraiser through which several hundred food and nonperishable items are collected for hungry neighbors. “It is a great event for the community,” Deacon...
Police: Raid at Arnold man’s home nets 4 pounds of pot, cash, illegal guns
An Arnold man faces seven felony charges after police raided his home and found more than 4 pounds of marijuana, thousands of dollars in cash and several illegal guns, according to his arrest papers. John Wermlinger, 53, of the 1500 block of Riverside Drive, was charged with five counts of...
ACMH Hospital nurses vote to authorize potential strike
A clash over wages and staffing has led to a potential strike by the nursing staff at ACMH Hospital near Kittanning. ACMH Nurses United, which represents 213 staffers at the hospital along Nolte Drive, voted Wednesday to authorize a strike after being what they called “pushed to the brink by...
Visitation and inmate transfers halted as covid-19 surges through Westmoreland County Prison
Westmoreland County Prison brass on Thursday suspended inmate visits as another surge of covid-19 cases has erupted at the lockup in Hempfield. Warden Bryan Kline said more than 100 inmates have the coronavirus and additional cases are expected once pending test results are reported. The outbreak involves about 20% of...
Norwin area: Irwin fire department fundraiser, Conor Lamb to meet with Democrats
Irwin fire department to hold fundraiser Those attending the Irwin Volunteer Fire Department annual benefit dinner and raffle on March 5 at Antonelli Event Center, 100 Colony Drive, Irwin, have a chance to win $4,000 and other prizes. Doors open at 6 p.m., with bar to open at 6:30 p.m....
Frigid temperatures don’t keep volunteers from removing wreaths at National Cemetery of the Alleghenies
On the frigid Jan. 22 morning, Bonnie Wishner noticed as she drove out of her garage the temperature display in her GMC Terrain dropped from 14 degrees to 10 to 4. “I said to my husband, how low will it go?” said Wishner of Strabane. “He told me these vehicles...
Pittsburgh man charged with DUI in crash that damaged Baldwin home
A Pittsburgh man said he blacked out on the way home from a South Hills bar before he crashed into a family’s home in Baldwin, according to the charges against him. Michael Deery, 53, faces two counts of driving under the influence and a half-dozen summary citations in connection with...
What to expect from President Biden’s Pittsburgh visit
President Joe Biden will visit Pittsburgh on Friday to tout the recently passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill with a stop planned at Carnegie Mellon University’s Mill 19 research and development center in Hazelwood. Pittsburgh Public Safety said Thursday that motorists should expect some delays and road closures because of the...
Norwin library to hold book sale
The Friends of the Norwin Public Library will hold a sale of “gently used materials” from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 2. The proceeds from the book sale will benefit the Norwin Public Library, especially the children’s summer reading program. No electronic scanning devices will be permitted by patrons....
Report looks at how Wilkinsburg annexation would impact Pittsburgh Public Schools
Proponents of Pittsburgh’s proposed annexation of Wilkinsburg have shared data regarding a potential merger of Wilkinsburg’s schools with Pittsburgh Public Schools, ahead of a final vote on the measure expected within the next two weeks. Wilkinsburg Community Development Corp., the group that spearheaded the effort to have Wilkinsburg annexed into...
What’s that? John Irwin House holds history of borough
For some who grew up in the Irwin area, the yellow house at the corner of Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Irwin may simply be known as the teddy bear shop. While it hosted Ye Olde Teddy Bear Shoppe for 25 years, drawing in children with an easily...
Saint Vincent College exhibits explore art, spirituality, stereotypes
Part of the mission of the Verostko Center for the Arts at Saint Vincent College is to feature work that exists at the nexus of art and spirituality, according to curator Andrew Julo. Two new exhibits, “People of the Book & the Storyboard” and “The Hoods Series,” explore that connection...
On-ramps to Neville Island Bridge, southbound I-79 to close Monday
The long-term closure of the ramps from Route 65 and Deer Run Road to southbound I-79 at the Neville Island Bridge in Glenfield will begin Jan. 31, weather permitting, according to PennDOT. Beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, the ramps that carry traffic from Route 65 in both directions and...
Pa. to spend $225M to retain, recruit hospital nurses, provide loan debt relief
Local hospital and nursing school officials hope $225 million in federal money being allocated to retain and recruit nursing staff in Pennsylvania, as well as provide debt relief to nursing students, is a step toward reducing a critical shortage in the profession. “Over the past year, we have been providing...
Protesters demand accused Penn Hills officer stay off the street
LaTasha Talley, mother of the late Romir Talley, and activists attended the Jan. 24 Penn Hills council meeting with the intention of keeping officer Robert Gowans on desk duty until the investigation into the death of Talley concludes. Gowans is under investigation in the Dec. 22, 2019, shooting death of...
Wily ‘coyote’ — or maybe dog — on lam after clawing out of Mt. Pleasant Township shelter
An animal that was undergoing testing to determine whether it is a dog or coyote escaped from the Mt. Pleasant Township wildlife rehabilitation center where it was being treated for mange. Rescuers were searching for the creature Thursday, said wildlife rehabilitator Morgan Barron. Wildlife Works founder, director and senior rehabilitator...
Penn Hills appoints new police chief
Penn Hills has a new police chief following the end of Howard Burton’s contract. The municipality announced in a press release the appointment of Sgt. Ronald Como as the new Penn Hills police chief. Burton’s contract ended Dec. 31. Burton was with the police department for over 50 years, serving...
Spread The Love food drive set at Verner Elementary in Verona
The students at Verner Elementary in Verona are lending a helping hand to the community by sponsoring their fourth annual Spread The Love food drive. Taking place Feb. 7-11 and coordinated by the student council, students of every grade will be encouraged to bring in a nonperishable food item. The...
Tarentum councilman aims to make borough a destination with Craft Beer Fest
With plans underway for the second annual Craft Beer Festival in Tarentum, organizers are looking to adjust the timing to account for the weather. “Everything was great, but it was boiling hot,” event coordinator Brian Snyder said of last year’s festival, held in August at Dreshar Stadium. Snyder, a member...
