Western PA Local News category, Page 803
Resident warming frozen pipes sparks fire at Hempfield mobile home
A resident using a heat gun Wednesday morning to thaw pipes in a Hempfield mobile home sparked a fire that heavily damaged the home, according to fire Chief Anthony Kovacic. The resident escaped unharmed and called 911 about 10:30 a.m. Firefighters extinguished the flames, leaving about half of the Flamingo...
Trib Lunch Box: Headlines to carry with you
Here are some noon headlines from the Trib, Wednesday, Jan. 17. • Tree of Life synagogue demolition begins A new design will be focused on a path of light that will illuminate the building. • The cold temperatures are holding on When will it break? •...
Holiday lighting winners announced in Bethel Park
During Bethel Park Council’s Jan. 8 meeting, Mayor Jack Allen announced the winners of the municipality’s Holiday Lighting Contest. “This recognition herein given to your home signifies that your holiday decorations were judged to be the best your ward,” he said, reading from a proclamation. “Bethel Park appreciates your efforts...
10 Fox Chapel Area students win awards in speech, debate tournaments
Ten Fox Chapel Area School District students won awards in speech and debate tournaments. • Dalmasse Sterner Steel City Invitational, Dec. 15-16: The team of senior Adhitya Thirumala and junior Moonyoung Hwang won first place in Policy Debate and earned a bid to the Pennsylvania High School Speech League State...
Gallagher sets big goals as new Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall executive director
Marlee Gallagher loves telling stories. She’ll now be telling the story of the historic Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall. Gallagher, 35, of Carnegie is stepping into the role of executive director for the Library and Music Hall. She started the position Jan. 2. “I’m most looking forward to...
Demolition of Tree of Life building begins, making way for memorial design
As contractors braved the bitter cold Wednesday and started demolishing parts of the Tree of Life-Or L’Simcha building, Carole Zawatsky grew nostalgic. The head of a nonprofit working to rebuild the Squirrel Hill synagogue where 11 Jewish congregants were killed during a Shabbat service Oct. 27, 2018, Zawatsky said her...
Frigid conditions persist, shuttering and delaying over 300 schools in Western Pa.
More than 300 schools in Western Pennsylvania delayed or canceled classes Wednesday morning in the face of continued frigid temperatures, sub-zero wind-chill readings and lingering snow. Pittsburgh Public Schools closed for a second straight day Wednesday, a move its leaders announced Tuesday night. Other districts, such as Greensburg-Salem, Hempfield Area...
Morning Roundup: 1 shot in Homestead; Beaver County man killed in crash
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Jan. 17: 1 hospitalized in Homestead shooting A man was hospitalized Wednesday morning after being shot in the back in Homestead, Allegheny County Police said. The non-fatal shooting was reported at about 4:20 a.m. in the 1000 block...
Natrona ‘rocks,’ thanks to ATI, volunteers
Property that once housed about 20 Penn Salt company homes in Natrona continues to be upgraded by a group of volunteers. About a dozen people braved the cold Friday to scatter 60 tons of river rock on the stretch just near the railroad tracks, sandwiched between Federal Street and a...
The Stroller, Jan. 17, 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. Nominations sought for Allegheny Valley SD Alumni Hall of Fame Allegheny...
Penn-Trafford unites general, special education students through bocce
Penn-Trafford High School is one of the latest Western Pennsylvania schools to start an interscholastic sports team that purposely fills its roster with students who have intellectual disabilities and ones who don’t. Penn-Trafford’s new bocce team is part of the Special Olympics’ 13-year-old Unified Champion Schools program, which uses sports...
Unused metal detectors from Acrisure Stadium to be donated to Leechburg schools
Leechburg Area School District plans to boost security thanks to a sharp-eyed school security officer and the generosity of officials at Acrisure Stadium. Mike Kapustik, a security guard at Leechburg schools, recently noticed unused metal detectors inside a storage area during a visit to Acrisure Stadium. “One of our security...
Arnold rejects offers for abandoned properties from 2 out-of-area buyers
Arnold Council rejected offers to purchase abandoned properties from two buyers who do not live in Western Pennsylvania. In one case, a person from Philadelphia offered $800 for two vacant lots at 1711 and 1713 Third Ave. The other offer was from a person in Los Angeles, who bid $1,507...
Penn State New Kensington to host conference on artificial intelligence
Penn State New Kensington will be hosting a conference focused on how faculty at higher-education institutions can adapt to the fast-changing technology of artificial intelligence and implement it in their classrooms. The campus in Upper Burrell will host the “Future Readiness Conference” for higher-education faculty Jan. 26. People interested in...
Police: Pittsburgh man dies in crash along Freeport Road in O’Hara
A Pittsburgh man has died after being involved in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday evening along Freeport Road in O’Hara, Allegheny County Police reported. Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased as Michael Vernon, 74. An Allegheny County emergency dispatcher said the wreck occurred around 6:30 p.m. near the intersection...
Former Jefferson Hills mayor, council woman remembered as dedicated public servant
Janice Cmar believed preserving opportunities for families and getting things done for her community made life worth living. So much so that she spent about 35 years teaching in the Peters Township School District, and 24 more recent years as a Jefferson Hills elected official with stints on council and...
24th annual Unity Breakfast in McCandless celebrates Dr. King
Beyond his three adult children and 11 grandchildren, Judge Dwayne Woodruff sometimes is greeted by younger folks introducing themselves as “one of your kids.” When his wife, Joy, heard such a statement for the first time, the judge had to explain that the person was someone he met through juvenile...
Water conservation to continue as Beaver Run Reservoir level rebounds
Despite recent rains and snowfall that helped boost water levels at Beaver Run Reservoir, mandatory conservation remains in place for about 56,000 Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County customers. Authority officials said water levels have rebounded at the reservoir that straddles Bell and Washington townships. The reservoir serves the northern half...
Bitter weather prompts Allegheny County, Pittsburgh to extend ‘Code Blue’ action
The Allegheny County Department of Human Services and the city of Pittsburgh have extended the current “Code Blue” action until 8 a.m. Monday. “Code Blue” is declared when the National Weather Service forecasts the air temperature to fall below 26 degrees between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. The plan can...
South Side businesses laud police crackdown on East Carson Street corridor
An ongoing police crackdown on the South Side is making the bustling East Carson Street entertainment district safer, police officials, business owners and local community members said Tuesday. “It’s had a monumental effect on the (South Side) Flats since its inception,” John DeMauro, owner of Urban Tap gastropub on East...
New Kensington chimney fire prompts warning to ensure chimneys are clean
New Kensington’s fire chief urged homeowners Tuesday to have chimneys professionally cleaned after firefighters responded to a chimney fire in the city. Fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. said firefighters found a thick buildup of creosote — a flammable, tar-like byproduct of any burning wood — in the chimney of a...
Snow causes headaches, similar storm could return by week’s end
Western Pennsylvania is in for another round of snow by the end of the week, meteorologists warned. Tuesday morning’s snowfall dropped about 2 to 4 inches across the region. It caused about 200 school cancellations and more than a few headaches for commuters. Across Allegheny County, the average snowfall was...
Former Westmoreland jail guard pleads guilty to conspiring in assault of inmate
A former jail guard pleaded guilty Tuesday for his role in the assault of an inmate at Westmoreland County Prison. Prosecutors said Brian J. Prinkey, 26, of Connellsville, was working as a corrections officer on Aug. 20, 2022, when he conspired with two inmates who were accused of beating a...
Eastbound I-70 reopens between Arnold, Smithton following multi-vehicle crash
The eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 reopened to traffic around 5 p.m. following a multi-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon, state police said. The eastbound lanes between Exit 44 (Arnold City) and Exit 49 (Smithton) were closed because of the accident, which was reported at 3:43 p.m around mile marker 46, according...
Washington County controller accused of starving dog to death waives preliminary hearing
April Sloane will have her day in court at another time. The Washington County Controller accused of starving her dog to death waived her preliminary before District Judge James Saieva Jr. Tuesday afternoon. North Strabane police charged her with two felony counts of aggravated cruelty — one for causing serious...
