Western PA Local News category, Page 1694
How to stay in touch with Peduto now that he’s no longer Pittsburgh’s mayor
Former Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto says he wants to stay connected with his former constituents … sort of. On his first full day out of office after eight years of running the city, Peduto posted a tongue-in-cheek “Top Ten ways we can stay connected” on his website Tuesday. Number 8...
Man who killed Pitt student Alina Sheykhet to get hearing on effectiveness of former attorney
A man who pleaded guilty to killing a University of Pittsburgh student to avoid a possible death penalty will get a hearing to try to prove his attorney was ineffective. The state Superior Court ruled Monday in favor of Matthew Darby, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder Oct. 17, 2018,...
Jeannette police seek help to identify woman seen leaving home just before suspicious fire
Jeannette police are trying to identify a woman seen leaving a home on Magee Avenue over the weekend just before a fire there, according to Chief Donald Johnston Jr. The blaze was reported at 5:20 p.m. Saturday. Authorities said it is suspicious. Firefighters extinguished the flames quickly because someone spotted...
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey names 1st appointments to his administration
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Tuesday announced the first appointments to his mayoral administration, naming Jake Pawlak as deputy mayor and state Rep. Jake Wheatley as chief of staff. Pawlak, who served as Gainey’s transition director, will be appointed as the director of the Office of Management and Budget. He...
Lower body of Twin Lakes drained to fix retaining wall, to be refilled by trout season
Water in the lower lake at Twin Lakes Park will remain low for most of the winter as crews repair a retaining wall and restore walkways that wind around the lake, officials said. The water level was dropped by about 6 feet when the project began in late November, allowing...
Thomas Jefferson’s Bryan a football and early education standout
Shortly after signing his National Letter of Intent to play center for the NCAA Division 1 Kent State Golden Flashes on Dec. 15, Nick Bryan headed to the Thomas Jefferson High School cafeteria where a surprise awaited him. Youngsters ages 2 ½ to 4 from the TJ nursery school lined...
Kiski Township woman accused of shooting man she thought stole pistol from her SUV
Kiski Township police accused a woman of kicking a man out of her vehicle and shooting him because she thought he stole one of her handguns. Patricia Marie Kettering-Pierce, 55, of Clarks Hollow Road, Kiski Township was charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault, which includes a count of...
12-year-old boy, 2 women killed in Pittsburgh’s Homewood remembered in tearful vigil
Friends and family members gathered Monday night in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood to remember the 12-year-old youth football player the neighborhood knew as “Buddy Business.” “He was the first up at the field and the last to leave,” said Mubarik Ismaeli, president of the Homewood football team, the Bulldawgs. Denzel “Buddy”...
Zumba, great blue herons and hiking among winter attractions at North Hills parks
Nesting great horned owls, outdoor Zumba dance and fitness classes and hitting the trails are among the winter offerings in North Park and Hartwood Acres. As more people frequent the county parks in record numbers seeking refuge from the pandemic, they continue to visit during the colder months, said Andy...
Port Authority services impacted by covid cases as 7th transit driver dies from virus
A seventh Port Authority employee has died, officials announced, as covid-19 and its omicron variant continue to take a toll on the transit service in Allegheny County. The employee, a five-year bus driver, died Jan. 3, according to Port Authority spokesman Adam Brandolph. Nearly 30 employees of the transit service...
Former Pirates pitcher’s appeal of sex conviction rejected by Westmoreland judge
The conviction of former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez, who was found guilty last year in the sexual assault of a 13-year-old Scottdale girl, will stand — according to a ruling from a Westmoreland County judge. Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears, in a 78-page opinion, ruled evidence presented during a...
GoFundMe set up for Tarentum hit-and-run victims
A Tarentum woman is fighting for her life after being left in critical condition from a Dec. 30 hit-and-run crash, according to her family. Lyric Manley Jackson and her 9-year-old daughter Symia Jackson were struck by a vehicle while walking along East Seventh Avenue, near the Tarentum Bridge. The driver...
Hempfield-based rescue group foots medical bills to promote senior dog adoptions
Bones takes arthritis medication twice a day to relieve pain in his legs, while Bruce relies on pills to help control his seizures. Those ongoing medical problems didn’t prevent respective owners Makayla Losteter and Jessica Sullenberger from welcoming the older dogs into their homes, but a program recently introduced by...
The Stroller, Jan. 4, 2022: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Start the new year off right! Publicize your events, club meetings and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Community blood drive planned in Gilpin A Red Cross community blood drive will be from noon...
Holy Family continues Christmas meal tradition
Holy Family Catholic Parish, located in Oakmont, Plum, and Verona, has a tradition of sharing a meal on Christmas morning with those who may be alone during the holiday. The parish was still able to share the gifts of the season with 233 people, even though covid caused a change...
District Association’s Follies raises money for projects from Harmar to Aspinwall and beyond
Fresh off the success of the Follies fundraiser, filled with jokes and jabs, the District Association of the Fox Chapel Area is eyeing ways it can use proceeds from the event to enhance life across the Lower Valley. The Follies, a light-hearted, self-deprecating musical, raised more than $85,000. “For a...
Staffing shortages prompt Pittsburgh Public Schools to move to remote instruction
Pittsburgh Public Schools will be moving to remote instruction at 17 of its schools because of covid-related staffing shortages, the district announced Monday. Eight school buildings will be closed Tuesday. They include: • Carrick High School • Greenfield PreK-8 • Liberty PreK-5 • South Hills 6-8 • Whittier PreK-5 •...
Johnstown shooting death of teen ruled a homicide
EBENSBURG — The death of a woman whose body was found New Year’s Day in a car in the Hornerstown section of Johnstown has been ruled a homicide. Jaydin Sanderson, 19, of the Ferndale area, died of a gunshot wound to the head, Cambria County Coroner Jeffrey Lees said Monday...
State police: New Year holiday crashes up, citations down from 2019-2020
Crashes and related injuries and deaths in Pennsylvania were up this New Year’s holiday weekend compared with the same three-day period in 2019-20, before the pandemic had an impact on travel, according to state police. The number of arrests across the state for driving under the influence stayed nearly the...
New Kensington man to serve 5-10 year prison term for meth lab in parents’ basement
A New Kensington man will serve up to 10 years in prison in connection with a methamphetamine laboratory found in his parents’ basement. Sean Christopher Smith, 36, was convicted in October by a Westmoreland County jury of multiple charges of possession of drugs used to make methamphetamines and two additional...
Allegheny County Medical Examiner rules Jim Rogers’ death was accidental
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said Monday that a homeless man who died a day after being tased repeatedly by Pittsburgh police died as a result of a lack of oxygen to his brain. Medical Examiner Karl Williams’ office said the manner of death is accidental. Jim Rogers was...
Leechburg schools placed on lockdown after threat made on social media
All Leechburg Area School District buildings were placed on lockdown for a portion of the day Monday after school officials learned about a threat that was made on social media, according to the superintendent. Superintendent Tiffany Nix notified parents about the lockdown in a voicemail. “We are in a lockdown...
Increased salaries set for new Westmoreland DA office heads
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli won her first case Monday. Ziccarelli’s victory came not in the courtroom but in the boardroom as the county’s salary board unanimously backed her plan to increase the pay for a newly appointed first assistant and chief detective. The annual salary for First Assistant...
Connellsville man sentenced to 40 years in prison for rape of child
A Connellsville man was ordered Monday to serve up to 40 years in prison for the rape of a child that a Westmoreland County judge described as “one of the worst cases of a sexual nature that I’ve seen.” Shawn Tracy Melville, 44, pleaded guilty in October to eight offenses...
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey promises to unite city in inaugural addressVideo
Pittsburgh’s new mayor, Ed Gainey, reiterated his campaign promise of making Pittsburgh a city for all during his inauguration Monday. Formerly a state representative, Gainey — who campaigned on promises to reimagine the police, create more affordable housing and unite a divided city — was sworn in as Pittsburgh’s 61st...
