Western PA Local News category, Page 594
Westmoreland vehicle tracking policy could put deputies in danger, sheriff says as he files lawsuit
Westmoreland Sheriff James Albert claims a new fleet policy that tracks the county’s 180 vehicles through GPS technology will put his deputies in danger. The sheriff this week filed a lawsuit challenging the county’s updated fleet policy and is seeking an injunction to keep it from being enforced. “I think...
Free vending machines to dispense Narcan at 7 Allegheny County locations
A new vending machine outside Tree of Life Open Bible Church in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood dispenses free naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug often referred to by the brand name Narcan. It’s one of seven naloxone vending machines that Allegheny County will be operating to provide a convenient way for...
Records reveal how violence at Pittsburgh pools prompted chaperone policy
A fistfight among dozens of teenagers, the use of pepper spray and threats with a gun were among a string of violent incidents at Pittsburgh public pools early this summer that raised serious security concerns among city officials, according to documents obtained by TribLive. The incidents, not previously made public...
What Americans still remain in Russian prisons?
The U.S. and Russia on Thursday completed their largest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history, a deal involving 24 people, many months of negotiations and concessions from other European countries who released Russians in their custody as part of the exchange. But not all Americans came home. Some still are being...
Derry Township bridge replacement to trigger 21-mile detour; I-70 restrictions slated
PennDOT is planning a 21-mile detour for Derry Township motorists and lane restrictions on Interstate 70 in Rostraver, both beginning Monday. Route 982 in Derry Township will be closed between Garrigan Hill and Laughlin Farm roads while contractor Beaver Excavating installs a box culvert to replace a bridge over a...
Friends of the Riverfront seeks volunteers to clean the Tarentum waterfront by kayak
Anyone curious about the types of trash submerged in the Allegheny River can volunteer to pluck gas cans, soccer balls and other items from the Tarentum waterfront during a special event this month. Hosted by Friends of the Riverfront, the cleanup is part of a pilot program to target water-based...
New blood testing advancements can assist with Alzheimer’s, cancer detections
Advances in blood tests aimed at screening for ailments like Alzheimer’s disease and colon cancer can mean faster diagnosis and treatment for patients, said two Allegheny Health Network doctors. Problems can be found earlier in a way that’s easier on the patient than more invasive cancer screenings, such as a...
Feds indict 19 in ‘large-scale’ drug ring linking Western Pa., Detroit
Authorities have busted a “large-scale” drug-trafficking network that had been using “trap houses” to shuttle fentanyl and other street drugs between Detroit and Western Pennsylvania since last summer, federal prosecutors announced this week. An indictment unsealed Thursday in Pittsburgh charged 19 suspects — 10 of them from New Castle —...
Allegheny Township supervisor, 2 former officials face charges over toy drive money
A disagreement in Allegheny Township over who should control a pool of money raised to buy Christmas presents for children now is in a district judge’s office. Charges were filed Thursday against an Allegheny Township supervisor, a former supervisor and the township’s former manager apparently over $10,000 that was transferred...
Morning Roundup: Route 51 detours begin as crews raze Pittsburgh bridge
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Aug. 2: Route 51 detours begin Demolition work started late Thursday on a poorly rated bridge in Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington neighborhood. Part of Route 51, also known as Saw Mill Run Boulevard, closed as crews began work to...
West Nile virus found in Westmoreland mosquitoes
West Nile virus has been detected in Westmoreland County for the first time this year. Mosquitoes tested positive for the disease after being captured in Latrobe and at the border of Greensburg and Hempfield, according to Chrissy Edwards-McCune, who conducts the county’s West Nile virus monitoring program for the Westmoreland...
The Stroller, Aug. 2, 2024: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Bagpipe performance to highlight Plum festival Living Word of Plum will...
North Huntingdon man among thousands waiting for kidney transplant as Pa. marks Donor Day
Tom Farino of North Huntingdon is eight months into what could be a seven-year wait for a kidney transplant. A transplant would give Farino, 72, a new lease on life. “They’re trying to find a living donor before I need dialysis,” Farino said. Farino said his doctor at Allegheny General...
Vintage car fanatics cruise through Laurel Highlands for annual Countryside Tour
Dave Antram had no choice in the matter. He was raised to enjoy classic cars. Antram, 56, of Somerset Borough took his white 1954 Kaiser out for a spin Thursday morning to Ligonier’s Ramada Inn, where more than 50 vintage vehicles departed for more than 100 miles of driving through...
1 dead in Mt. Pleasant Township motorcycle crash
A Mt. Pleasant Township man was killed in a motorcycle crash Thursday night in the township, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. William K. Dodrill Jr., 44, of Ricci Lane died of blunt force injuries when the Harley Davidson motorcycle he was operating left the side of Hecla Road...
Pittsburgh controller urges URA to better use $10M affordable housing fund
Pittsburgh Controller Rachael Heisler is calling on the Urban Redevelopment Authority to more efficiently use a fund for affordable housing instead of leaving money unused. Heisler’s recommendation follows an audit released Thursday by her office that showed that in 2022, the authority did not spend several hundred thousand dollars of...
Defense claims judge’s conflict should result in dismissal of assisted suicide case
Attorneys for a South Greensburg woman who prosecutors say bullied her boyfriend into committing suicide in 2021 say the criminal case against their client should be dismissed. Defense attorney Tim Lyon said the district judge who held the case for trial last year participated in the initial investigation while still...
Man, woman perish in Fayette County house fire; pet dog recovering
A man and woman perished in an early morning house fire Thursday in Fayette County. Fayette County Coroner Dr. Bob Baker identified the victims as David Brooks Sr., 72, and Lori Cossell, 53, both of Dunbar Township. The couple were married, according to Tpr. Kalee Barnhart, state police public information...
Pa. appeals court hears arguments about misdated mail-in ballots
A government attorney told an appellate court Thursday that no county elections board in Pennsylvania uses the handwritten date on the outer envelope of mail-in ballots for any purpose. Why then, he asked, should a mistake in the date disallow a person’s vote? “A rule that serves no purpose should...
Westmoreland County loan boosts long-planned Brush Creek remediation project
A long-planned remediation effort to remove orange-tinted polluted mine drainage discharged int0 Brush Creek may finally be a reality. The eight-mile creek runs through Irwin and Trafford and into Turtle Creek. Westmoreland County commissioners on Thursday approved a $75,000 interest-free loan to the Turtle Creek Watershed Association that officials said...
Goldinger: Agency left ‘on their own’ without communication during Trump rally
The Butler County Emergency Services Unit pointed out potential vulnerabilities — including the rooftop where a gunman fired shots from during the July 13 campaign rally for former President Donald Trump — to the U.S. Secret Service after touring the Butler Farm Show grounds on its own the Wednesday before...
Westmoreland commissioners reject call for property reassessment
Westmoreland commissioners on Thursday conceded the county’s property assessments are decades out of date but they rejected calls to modernize the system that controls valuations used to determine tax bills. “I am still not in favor of a countywide reassessment. We can’t commit the money it will cost,” said Commissioner...
Lamp concert to raise money for Irwin police
The Lamp Theatre in Irwin will be the site of an alternative rock band concert Friday night to help raise money to pay for tasers and the associated software for Irwin Borough police. “We want to do something to help raise money. We want to do what we can to...
Zappala condemns antisemitic graffiti in Squirrel Hill, says vandals committed possible hate crime
Vandals “crossed the line” by spray-painting a red triangle on a religious building in Pittsburgh’s center of Jewish life earlier this week and might be subject to federal prosecution for a hate crime, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala, Jr. said Thursday. The inverted red triangle — which was...
Owner of skilled nursing facilities in Lower Burrell, Greensburg files for bankruptcy
Guardian Elder Care, the parent company of skilled nursing facilities including Belair in Lower Burrell and Oak Hill in Greensburg, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Johnstown-based health care company filed the petition for relief this week. Nineteen facilities — including locations in Lower Burrell, Greensburg, Bethel Park and...
