Western PA Local News category, Page 224
Though questions remain, local officials back proposed Springdale data center
After a planning commission meeting earlier this month offered the first glimpse of a massive proposed data center in Springdale, many local officials say they like what they see. Preliminary plans presented by Brian Regli, a consultant for developer Allegheny DC Property Co., include two large structures — a 565,000-square-foot...
Family that lost home in Penn Township fire grateful for help, daughter’s return from hospital
A couple of agonizing hours passed between the time Laurie Kiss learned that her family’s Penn Township home was on fire until she learned her 11-year-old daughter was rescued. Kiss was on an out-of-state work trip Aug. 4 when a neighbor phoned to alert her to the fire that soon...
Penn Township to draft ‘no parking’ ordinance; Rowe Road residents vie to keep street parking
The Penn Township Commissioners gave the go-ahead to start drafting a “no parking” ordinance for some roads throughout the municipality. Commissioners discussed expanding the parking ordinance to select roads about a year and a half ago but revisited the topic after township staff noticed potential parking complications on Rowe Road....
Star party in McCandless offers peek at Perseid meteor shower
“Oh! I just saw one!” Stargazers sporadically interrupted their quiet chatter with excited cheering and clapping as they spotted the occasional meteor, also known as a shooting star, flashing briefly across the night sky during a recent star party. Local families and members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh...
Husband of Ligonier woman killed by falling branch at McKeesport park sues city for her death
The husband of a Ligonier woman killed by a falling tree branch while she was attending a softball event in a McKeesport park last month has sued the city in Allegheny County Court. William W. Miller, who is the administrator of his late wife, Gendie’s, estate, cites negligence and infliction...
Unity plumber pleads guilty to bilking homeowner
A Unity plumber was ordered to serve at least 11½ months in jail for failing to complete a sewer replacement job at a Hempfield home in 2022. Mark E. Loughran, 55, pleaded guilty to felony counts of deceptive business practices, theft and receiving advance payment for work not completed. But...
Police seek armed, masked carjackers who stole Jaguar in Scott
Authorities are looking for four men who they say carjacked a Jaguar at gunpoint Thursday afternoon outside a Scott shopping center. The men, all of whom were wearing masks, drove at least one vehicle, a white and black Dodge Durango, to a traffic light near the Greentree Shopping Center on...
South Fayette man gets 15 years in prison for filming sex with teen
A South Fayette man will serve 15 years in federal prison for filming himself having sex with a 14-year-old girl. Matthew Trax, 25, was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy. In addition to the prison term — which was part of his plea agreement — Trax...
Spartaco Club ex-president released on bond, hearing on theft charges scheduled in New Kensington
The former president of the Spartaco Sporting Club in New Kensington turned himself in to a New Kensington district court Thursday to face charges of theft and illegally taking ownership of the club. Phil DiLucente, an attorney representing Glenn Hofer, 82 of O’Hara, said Hofer turned himself in at District...
The Village at Pittsburgh Mills sues mall owners over road conditions
Owners of The Village at Pittsburgh Mills are suing the owners of the beleaguered Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer, alleging they have failed to maintain the roads there despite being contractually obligated to do so. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, asks the court to...
Judge orders closure of sex assault case against former Pirates pitcher
A Westmoreland County judge has ordered the closure of the criminal case that ended the Major League Baseball career of former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez. Vazquez, 34, was convicted of the sexual assault of a Scottdale teenager and served about four years in prison before he was deported in...
Hempfield Area begins new school year
Students in the Hempfield Area School District returned to classrooms Thursday. The district instructs more than 5,000 students across its nine schools — Fort Allen, Maxwell, West Hempfield, West Point and Stanwood elementaries; West Hempfield and Wendover middle schools; Harrold School for ninth graders; and high school. To help students...
Allegheny County to pay $425K to man charged but never tried in 2016 Wilkinsburg massacre
Allegheny County will pay $425,000 to one of the men accused of killing six people and an unborn child nearly a decade ago in Wilkinsburg to settle a lawsuit alleging malicious prosecution. The figure is included in a copy of the July 23 settlement agreement with Robert J. Thomas obtained...
Murrysville area: Artist talk, art show submissions and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Paper-cutting artist featured at ESAL The East Suburban Artists League will welcome Ted Bolha as its featured speaker on Sept. 4. Bolhas has been creating intricate, hand-cut art pieces for more than two decades, and in recent years has focused almost entirely...
Westmoreland Food Bank breaks ground on multimillion-dollar expansion
The Westmoreland Food Bank served about 5 million meals in 2024. And while officials are hoping the overall demand will decrease, their ability to fulfill that need will be expanding soon, along with their building on Devonshire Drive in Salem. Work on the planned expansion kicked off Thursday morning. “It’s...
Pittsburgh Mills owners ordered to pay millions more for poor road, sidewalk, building conditions
Legal woes continue to mount for the owners of the Pittsburgh Mills mall after they were found guilty of another 364 code violations Thursday. District Judge Michael Girardi handed down fines of differing amounts depending on the individual violations during a hearing for the four limited liability companies that, together,...
Hopes pinned on ‘unique’ redesign of Wexford I-79 interchange alleviating congestion, reducing crashes
Local officials, business owners and PennDOT are hopeful an investment of nearly $50 million will alleviate congestion and improve safety at the Wexford interchange connecting Interstate 79 with Route 910 in northern Allegheny County. Work is beginning on a $46.5 million, two-year project that will reconfigure the interchange on the...
Punxsutawney Phil, blown glass demo new features at Latrobe’s banana split celebration
Furry weather prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil keeps his strength up by eating corn, kale, carrots — and his favorite, bananas. So, the famous groundhog should be right at home on Saturday when he makes his first ever visit to Latrobe’s Great American Banana Split Celebration. “Before any road trip, we like...
Highmark operating income hits $121M in 1st half, propelled by covid funds, efficiency gains
Highmark Health, the Pittsburgh-based parent company of Highmark insurance and Allegheny Health Network, posted operating income of $121 million through the first half of the year, with solid performances from its main divisions. That’s a marked decline, though, from the same time in 2024, when Highmark reported a $307 million...
‘They made it too easy’: Franklin Park residents told to lock vehicles, don’t keep keys inside after early-morning thefts
A large number of thefts from vehicles as well as two vehicle thefts occurred early Thursday, Aug. 21, in Franklin Park. Franklin Park police Chief Aron Leach said the thefts took place around 4 and 4:30 a.m. All of the vehicles were unlocked and keys were left inside, he said....
Fair spectators enjoy demonstrations featuring Fancy, a rescued horse
A rescue horse has found a niche at the Westmoreland Fair with trainer Scott Downs. When Fancy was rescued by Second Chance Equine Association in 2009 from a location in Greene County, she was malnourished and loaded with parasites. Fancy and seven other horses didn’t have water or hay, “and...
Group accuses Trump of delaying tighter pollution monitoring at steel plants like Clairton Coke Works
An environmental group on Thursday called for stricter pollution monitoring at steelmaking facilities like U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, a longtime polluter and site of an explosion last week that killed two workers. A report from the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project documented potentially dangerous levels of pollutants at steel...
Annual Kickoff and Rib Festival returns to North Shore
The Kickoff and Rib Festival returns to Acrisure Stadium to fire up football season with ribs, music, and tailgate fun. Twelve nationally recognized rib vendors will be featured along with free concerts. The festival runs during Labor Day weekend and is presented by I.C. Light. The PA Pork Council will...
266 acres added to State Game Lands in Indiana Township
A new 266-acre plot in Indiana Township is set to join State Game Lands 203. The property, located directly adjacent to Emmerling Community Park, hosts about 1 mile of the Rachel Carson Trail near Deer Creek. Initially acquired by the Allegheny Land Trust in March, the plot expands Game Lands...
Road restrictions to be in effect during Tarentum paving program
Motorists who drive through Tarentum can expect temporary restrictions on some streets in September, when the borough kicks off its paving program. Milling and paving is scheduled for the following roads: • Summit Street from 10th Avenue to 8th Avenue • Fentzell Alley from Roup Street to 8th Avenue •...
