Haley Daugherty stories, Page 6

Whether reflected by actual data or not, one thing is clear: Verona business owners are feeling less safe these days. Borough business owners and managers — 21 of whom signed a letter to Verona officials — say they’ve seen an increase in crime in the business district over the past...

Excitement is in the air as Leechburg leaders and community members prepare to welcome the new year and the borough’s 175th anniversary. To kick off the year of celebrations, the Leechburg Museum and the Leechburg Area Community Association are teaming up to host a New Year’s Eve party at the...

After years of inactivity, the large pool at Linton Middle School will be back in use for the district’s swim team. The pool has been inoperable because of maintenance issues and repairs since the spring of 2022. Since then, Penn Hills swim team members have hosted home meets at the...

The holiday spirit arrived in a New Kensington neighborhood Sunday night. Around 30 people gathered at the corner of Marlboro Drive and McLaughlin Drive for the third year in a row to go caroling around the block. This yearly tradition was started by neighbors Michael Sawhook, Jena Arcuri and Kris...

Dr. Becky Morrow loves taking care of animals — and teaching others how to as well. Not only is Morrow the founder, president and medical director of Frankie’s Friends, a non-profit veterinary clinic and medical rescue for cats in New Kensington, she is an assistant teaching professor at Penn State...

Freeport Area ninth grader Lizzi Smetak has been volunteering regularly at Freeport Area Library for about a year now. “I just love coming in here,” said Smetak, 15. “It’s a really nice place to spend my time.” She didn’t think twice when she agreed to spend her Saturday morning helping...

People of all ages donned their coats and hats and braved the cold to watch the annual Harrison Township Christmas Parade on Saturday afternoon. The pararde began at 1 p.m. at the intersection of Alabama Avenue and Broadview Boulevard and ended on Montana Avenue. The Harrison Police Department cleared the...

There’s a new way for Oakmont residents to contact elected leaders, borough departments, community groups and administration. On Tuesday, Dec. 3, council Vice President Amanda Pagnotta introduced an updated communication form on the borough’s website for resident use. Borough officials have been receiving a large number of messages from residents,...

A new trail is short but eventually will connect Leechburg to hundreds of miles of trails along the Allegheny and Kiski rivers. The Leechburg Area Community Development Corp. has officially kicked off its Tow Path Trail project, which has the potential to give Leechburg access to almost 600 miles of...

Leechburg’s proposed 2025 budget calls for no tax increase. The budget includes over $1.3 million in expenditures with just over $1.2 million in revenue according to the borough’s proposed budget. The gap will be filled by a projected $100,000 surplus from this year’s budget. “The proposal has no millage increase,”...

Two people were taken to a hospital Friday morning following a head-on crash involving a Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus and a pickup in Penn Hills. According to Adam Brandolph, deputy chief communications officer of Pittsburgh Regional Transit, the crash happened near the intersection of Frankstown Road and Coral Drive. He...

The Tarentum Bridge was shut down for a brief period Friday morning because of icy conditions. Both sides of the bridge closed around 8 a.m. after a minor accident so city crews could salt the road, New Kensington police Chief Bob Deringer said. Eureka Fire Rescue confirmed there were reports...

The Linton Middle School media center sports a new name. Penn Hills School Board members and district officials gathered in the media center Nov. 26 for a ceremony to formally rename the space as the Senator Jay Costa Media Center. Superintendent John Mozzocio called the dedication a way to express...

Nick Theofilis lived to serve others. “Nick was an incredible young man,” said Diane Fitzhenry, supervisor of Penn Hills EMS. “(He was) 23 years old, but as I’ve mentioned in other gatherings, he was quite accomplished. He had accomplished more milestones in his short life than many people more senior...

Gilpin’s proposed 2025 budget calls for no tax increase, but the township would use more than half of its reserve money to close a projected $113,000 deficit. The proposed budget includes nearly $973,000 in spending but about $860,000 in revenue, according to the township. The township’s property tax rate would...

Oakmont property owners could see a 40% tax hike, the first increase in 11 years, under the proposed 2025 budget. The budget proposal calls for a real estate tax increase of 1.5 mills, taking the rate from 3.73 mills to 5.23 mills. Officials say the increase is needed to cover...

Tess Diehl loves to feed people. She shows that love every day as Leechburg Area’s food service director. “I rather enjoy taking care of people through food and nutrition,” she said. During her second year at the district, Diehl has combined her creativity, passion and knowledge of nutrition to create...

Santa made an early appearance Nov. 20 in Penn Hills with a special visit to the Berkshire Hathaway office on Frankstown Road. Staci Rullo of Penn Hills invited the public to her real estate office for free photos with Santa and cookies. “We have been doing this for many, many...

Kiski Township has dropped out of discussions about forming a regional police force with nearby Leechburg, Parks, Apollo and North Apollo. Leechburg Councilman DJ Zelczak, a member of the steering committee exploring the merger, said he did not want to speak for Kiski officials in declining to say why that...

Paul Wright has been a volunteer firefighter with the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company for 34 years. Involved since he was14, Wright views his service as a way of helping his community. “When I was a kid, my preacher always asked us what we would do to make a difference,” he...

The president of the Riverview School Board is the latest local official caught up in a presidential politics kerfuffle. A resident this week publicly called for Jennifer Chaparro to resign, citing a social media post expressing her personal views about the presidential election results. Chaparro posted a dark screen with...

Riverview’s elementary students might soon be able to experience uninterrupted play. “For years and years our elementary school playgrounds have been like a dust bowl,” said Superintendent Neil English. “We’ve tried all sorts of different solutions to try to fix those issues and it continues to be a problem.” Agronomist...

The Progressive Workshop of Armstrong County wants to get to know the Leechburg community. The nonprofit is planning an open house at Thursday, at its new Adult Achievement Center on Market Street. Founded in 1968, the workshop provides services and programming for adults with mental disabilities. The company’s Adult Achievement...

The Progressive Workshop of Armstrong County wants to get to know the Leechburg community. The nonprofit is planning an open house at 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14 at its new Adult Achievement Center on Market Street. Founded in 1968, the workshop provides services and programming for adults with mental disabilities....

Frank Trujillo couldn’t wait to be a fireman and stuck with it for 78 years. “When I was a young fellow, they had a carnival one year and they took me on a ride in a fire truck, and that always stuck with me,” Trujillo said. “The first year I...