Western PA Local News category, Page 947
Bring ‘hobby and family together’ at Guy on the Couch in Monroeville
In the early days of serious card collecting, some shops had about enough room for a parent, his son and the clerk. When it comes to capacity and comfort, Guy on the Couch Cards & Gaming in Monroeville offers pretty much the opposite. From a children’s play area near the...
Texas trucker pleads guilty to sexual assault
A truck driver from Texas was ordered to serve up to six years in prison for sexual assaults against three teenage girls in Rostraver. Clyde D. Clark, 43, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to charges in three cases in which he was accused of having improper sexual relations with girls ages...
Derry man found not guilty of resisting arrest
A Derry Borough man who has been in jail for more than a year after he was charged with resisting arrest last summer was found not guilty on Tuesday. Justin J. Jones, 38, was acquitted by Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani of misdemeanor and summary counts following...
Pittsburgh man wanted for shooting in West End arrested in NYC
A Pittsburgh man who was wanted in connection with a shooting in the West End was arrested early Tuesday morning in New York City. Richard Worley was wanted for shooting a woman in the hand and leg at Wabash Street and Sawmill Run Boulevard on Aug. 20. The woman was...
Immigration status halts guilty plea in Greensburg meat cleaver attack
A proposed plea deal for a man charged with attacking a co-worker last month in Greensburg with a meat cleaver was put on hold Tuesday over a judge’s concerns about the immigration status of both men involved. Westmoreland County prosecutors attempted to push through the unusually quick court disposition, less...
Pittsburgh appeals decision to reduce punishment for officer who skipped funeral where 5 were shot
Two Pittsburgh police officers and their supervisor were disciplined last fall after they failed to provide a police presence at a Brighton Heights funeral in October where five people were shot. Those details were revealed last week in an arbitration appeal in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court after one of...
Striking workers returning to Wabtec’s Erie plant after new contract
Union workers are returning to Wabtec’s Erie plant this week after a 10-week strike. About 1,400 members of UE Locals 506 and 618 ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with the Pittsburgh-based locomotive manufacturer last week. “This contract represents a substantial improvement over what Wabtec had on the table in...
Escaped pet iguana found in Mt. Lebanon
Pittsburgh’s summer of reptiles on the loose continues. Mt. Lebanon police announced Sunday that an escaped iguana named Spike was found wandering on McNeilly Road. He was reconnected with his owner later that day, police said on Facebook. The iguana was lost for nearly a week, said police. “Spike is...
Plum musicians rock for Rustic Ridge
Support for Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood continues with the help of some musically inclined residents. Janet Schoedel, who sings for the rock band Barracuda, and Ken Joy, drummer for MoJo — The Band, live near the site of an Aug. 12 explosion that claimed six lives. Their groups will join...
PUC rules public utility equipment not at fault in 2022 Plum home explosion
A Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission ruling that an April 2022 home explosion in Plum was not caused by public utility equipment does not eliminate the possibility that natural gas caused the explosion. In a statement released Tuesday, the PUC’s safety division found no evidence that public utility natural gas equipment...
Deputy had cocaine in system when responding to Garfield standoff, sheriff says
Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin M. Kraus said Tuesday that he fired a deputy who tested positive for cocaine just after responding to the six-hour standoff in Garfield that ended with the gunman’s death. The deputy, a seven-year veteran who Kraus declined to name, was one of 13 officers tested by...
Suspect fatally shot by a law-enforcement officer near Route 30 in North Huntingdon, investigation continues
A law enforcement officer fatally shot a suspect in North Huntingdon on Tuesday afternoon while agents with the state Attorney General’s Office were conducting a narcotics investigation, according to officials. The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office released a joint statement on behalf of the state police that said that, after...
Westmoreland City man forced off road after chase through neighborhoods
A Westmoreland City man is accused of leading state police on a chase Monday that reached 110 mph, at one point going the wrong way on Route 30, according to court papers. Ricardo S. Monteparte, 57, did not have a valid drivers license, police said. Troopers reported seeing a Jeep...
Altoona woman chases fame after Pittsburgh porta-potty fight video goes viral
Don’t call her Dalanie. Call her Romper Stomper. An Altoona-bred college student is cashing in on her 15 minutes of fame after a viral video from country star Morgan Wallen’s Aug. 31 performance at PNC Park showed her violently defending her mother at the concert’s porta-potties. Dozens of clips of...
Defense attorneys consent to gag order proposed by Zappala following video briefing
An Allegheny County judge on Tuesday granted a request for a gag order by District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. stemming from a video he made in which he commented on pending cases. The gag order covers a homicide case from August 2022, as well as the attempted homicide of...
Languages, woodworking, history and opera all topics in fall semester at Fox Chapel Area Adult Education
Exercise enthusiasts, language lovers and people with a passion for plants have a bevy of programs to choose from during the new semester of Fox Chapel Area Adult Education. Classes have varying start dates but registration is open now. “It’s back to school time for adults too,” Executive Director Sue...
Same Lower Burrell utility pole, power lines down twice in 3 days
The power lines and a utility pole near the Dunkin’ in Lower Burrell can’t seem to catch a break. Crews responded to the intersection of Wildlife Lodge and Leechburg roads, where people can turn into the Burrell Plaza parking lot from Wildlife Lodge, for downed power lines Tuesday morning —...
Penn Township man jailed after attempting to run from police officers
A Penn Township man was jailed without bail Friday after police said he led them on a chase when he didn’t have a valid drivers license. The driving record for Gregg L. Snyder, 59, is so voluminous that township police said they had to request a copy of it from...
Deadline nears to order T-shirts in support of Greensburg VFD cancer research benefit
Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department is looking to step up participation in its annual T-shirt sale so it can help “knock down” breast cancer. As in each of the past six years, the department’s goal is to sell more than 200 of the shirts, allowing it to donate $2,000 to the...
Police say New Stanton Manor fire was intentionally set during argument
A Hempfield man is accused by state police of setting a fire in his apartment Sunday morning, prompting the evacuation of the building, according to court papers. Frank M. Starr, 45, is being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $50,000 bail. Troopers were called to New Stanton Manor at...
Monroeville softballers raise money for Plum families
The Monroeville Sting Fast Pitch Tournament Team recently held a car wash to raise money for the families of the Rustic Ridge neighborhood in Plum. Head Coach Pete Griffith reported that the team raised almost $650. “It’s important to all of our coaches that we teach our team the importance...
Jennifer Kaniecki MacNeil appointed president of St. Joseph High School
Jennifer Kaniecki MacNeil attended St. Joseph High School in the 1980s, when Steve Jobs first introduced the desktop computer to the masses. “We had an Apple IIe at school and that actually launched my passion for technology,” MacNeil said. “It was while at St. Joe’s that I found an enthusiasm...
Drew’s Family Restaurant, a fixture in Forest Hills, is on the market for $1.5M
A restaurant that’s been a longtime staple in the Forest Hills community is up for sale. Drew’s Family Restaurant has been listed by Century 21 Fairways for an asking price of $1.5 million. The listing describes it as a turnkey restaurant. The Ardmore Boulevard eatery was opened by Spiro Countouris...
UPMC names new chief financial officer
UPMC has tapped Frederick Hargett as its executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Oct. 1, succeeding Edward Karlovich. Hargett comes to UPMC from Novant Health, Inc., a Winston-Salem, N.C.-based health system that encompasses 16 medical centers, more than 1,900 physicians and outpatient surgery centers, rehabilitation programs, diagnostic imaging...
‘Truly honored and very humbled’: Penn-Trafford nurse selected as grand marshal for township fall festival
Lisa Popovich was selected as a grand marshal for the Penn Township Fall Festival in 2008 for her efforts to bring a new, inclusive playground to McCullough Elementary. But when her mother-in-law died unexpectedly the night before the parade, she had to step down. Now, 15 years later, Popovich will...
