Western PA Local News category, Page 843
Fox Chapel Area School Board reorganizes
The Fox Chapel Area School Board conducted its annual reorganization meeting Dec. 4, and members re-elected three of the board’s top officers. Marybeth Dadd was re-elected president; Ronald P. Frank as vice president and Vanessa K. Lynch as assistant secretary. Board members re-elected in the November election — Dadd, Frank,...
Fox Chapel, Jewish Spark to host community Menorah Lighting
The Jewish Spark and Fox Chapel Borough will host the Fox Chapel Community Menorah Lighting 5 p.m. on Dec. 13 at the Fox Chapel Borough Building, 401 Fox Chapel Road. A state-of-the-art Menorah display will feature LED lights. Area dignitaries will be present for the event, which is free and...
Former Pa. state cop sentenced to federal prison for child porn offenses
Sean R. McKenzie said he joined the Pennsylvania State Police in 2008 in hopes of doing good and helping others. Instead, he did the exact opposite, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Grogan. McKenzie, 39, was sentenced Wednesday to 23 years in a federal prison on child pornography possession charges....
Westmoreland 250: 10 things to see in Sewickley, South Huntingdon
(Editor’s note: To mark Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday this year, we’ve come up with a list of 250 things — 10 things in 25 communities — that we consider to be important to the makeup of our area. This is the final installment of the 25-part series.) South Huntingdon and...
‘At the right place, at the right time’: Go Laurel Highlands recognizes 9 photo contest winners
For Connie Weyant, the photograph that placed her in the top nine of Go Laurel Highlands’ annual photo contest took years of patient waiting. Weyant, of Somerset, has been observing Somerset Lake for about eight years in search of a bald eagle. She’s received countless calls from friends, pointing her...
Toys for Tots requests up more than 40% over last year
Toys for Tots groups in some areas are seeing a more than 40% increase is requests over last year, a situation they say stems from a number of economic factors. “There’s a higher need for gifts for families in need,” said Jennifer Neilen, Allegheny Valley chapter Toys for Tots coordinator....
Holiday market returns to Westmoreland Museum for 2023 season
Anyone looking for unique, homemade gifts will find plenty at the Holiday Mart in the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg this weekend. The annual event brings local artisans together to show off and sell their creations. Booths spill out into the lobby and first level of the museum,...
Allegheny County Executive-elect Sara Innamorato focusing transition on community input
With less than a month until she takes office, Allegheny County Executive-elect Sara Innamorato is undertaking a large transition effort with a focus on gathering community input from across the county. “I want the county’s priorities to be the community’s priorities,” Innamorato told a crowd of about 200 people at...
Westmoreland happenings: Cookie walks, holiday concert, Christmas bingos, more
Church news • Greensburg Church of the Brethren will host a night of fun and fellowship for individuals and groups with developmental disabilities from 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays at the church, 554 Stanton St. Dinner is included. Participants must be accompanied by a family member or caregiver. Donations will...
Ross tables 2024 budget adoption, vote rescheduled
Ross Township commissioners tabled their vote to adopt the township’s official budget and millage rate for 2024 Monday night. Township manager Ronald Borczyk said that there are some adjustments that need to be made to the budget before it is finalized and voted on. “We evaluated some expenses and found...
$10M to go toward affordable housing programs in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh City Council has approved a $10 million budget for a trust fund supporting affordable housing programs in the city. The amount of money provided to the Housing Opportunity Fund in 2024 could be adjusted in the coming weeks as City Council finalizes the city’s budget, Councilman Bruce Kraus, D-South...
Pitt grad identified as fatal shark attack victim in Bahamas
A University of Pittsburgh alumna was attacked and killed by a shark while vacationing with her husband in the Bahamas. Lauren Erickson Van Wart, a 44-year-old Boston resident, was paddleboarding with her husband on Monday when she was bitten by a shark, according to Royal Bahamas Police Sgt. Desiree Ferguson....
Power outage closes Rostraver Elementary
A power outage caused Rostraver Elementary School to close on Wednesday, Belle Vernon Area School District officials announced. According to an alert on the district website, the outage occurred at 6:30 a.m. and affected multiple systems in the building, including HVAC, security, phones and internet access. “This is not a...
Vandergrift businesses unite with public fundraiser to benefit library
Some Vandergrift business owners are hoping their new initiative to raise money for the borough’s library can revamp how the town thinks about supporting its nonprofits. Throughout the year, customers at Chris Kakias’ G&G Restaurant had the option to donate to the Vandergrift Public Library through a wall-mounted box placed...
Rankin police chief dies
Rankin police Chief Jeremi Gregory died Tuesday, the borough announced on its Facebook page. “Chief you will be greatly missed and remembered by all,” the borough posted. Officials didn’t indicate the cause of Gregory’s death or his age. Gregory served with the borough department since July 2018, according to his...
Man shot by Pa. Attorney General’s agents at Pittsburgh’s Greyhound station
A man was in critical condition Wednesday after two state Attorney General’s Office agents shot him at the Greyhound bus station in Downtown Pittsburgh, police said. Two men began fighting on a bus around 6:40 a.m. and their altercation continued outside on the station’s concourse, police spokeswoman Cara Cruz said....
Morning Roundup: Crews battle blaze at Collier Township restaurant
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Dec. 6: Crews battle blaze at Collier Township restaurant Firefighters responded shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday to battle a fire at Rooster’s Roadhouse along Thoms Run Road in Collier Township, Allegheny County. Crews continued to douse the flames...
Survivors of Hamas attack to speak in Squirrel Hill as Hanukkah begins
Hila Fakliro was a bartender during an all-night music festival in Israel on Oct. 7. At daybreak, she looked up at explosions in the sky. She thought they were fireworks. Hamas fired rockets from Gaza during a terrorist attack that killed hundreds of festival attendees. Fakliro ran. She hid in...
Greensburg Luminary Night offers holiday festivities, music on streets, at library, museum
Seasonal music and festivities will highlight downtown Greensburg’s 54th Luminary Night, set for 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Activities for all ages will await visitors along the luminary-lined streets of the city’s business district. “Everything is set for a fun-filled evening in the city, continuing the tradition of streets lined...
The Stroller, Dec. 6, 2023: 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. Toy drive to benefit Kiski Area SD families Kiski Area School...
A year later, still no resolution in online theft of nearly $140,000 from Tarentum
Few answers have turned up in the year since Tarentum was robbed of nearly $140,000 in an online phishing scam. The investigation by the borough’s insurance carrier is ongoing. Officers determined the person or group responsible for the crime netted a total of between $800,000 and $900,000 from many victims,...
Greensburg pays nearly $87K to correct Medicare tax withholdings
Greensburg paid nearly $87,000 to the Internal Revenue Service as a result of an audit that determined the city and its police officers had not been paying Medicare taxes. City administrator Kelsye Hantz said the audit looked at 2021 and the payment, which covers the amount owed by the city...
State police seek info on child-luring suspect in Indiana County
State police are seeking information on a man who allegedly attempted to lure an 11-year-old boy toward a vehicle in northern Indiana County on Tuesday afternoon. Police said an unknown Black man in his 30s with short hair, a dark blue hooded sweatshirt and a bandana or facial covering attempted...
Pittsburgh Symphony, Mendelssohn Choir bring Handel’s ‘Messiah’ to Saint Vincent in Unity
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, under the direction of Manfred Honeck, performed George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” on Tuesday in the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica. First performed on April 13, 1742, in Dublin, Ireland, “Messiah” didn’t have its premier in London until nearly a year later....
Allegheny County Council passes amended budget with increase in community college funding
Allegheny County is a step closer to finalizing its 2024 budget after the council passed an amended budget that includes large increases for the Community College of Allegheny County. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald proposed a budget of just over $3 billion in October, and council proposed an amended version...
