Maddie Aiken stories, Page 3

It rarely snows in Tokyo. So it was “really cool” for Sohta Miyagawa, a Japanese student who is attending Penn-Trafford High School, to see a layer of snow blanket the ground in Western Pennsylvania. “I’m looking forward to Christmas (in America),” Miyagawa said this week at a Christmas party hosted...

A frigid Christmas Eve in Acrisure Stadium will be “firsts” for some Pittsburgh Steelers fans. A 12-year-old boy will attend his first Steelers game. A devoted fan from Madagascar will go on her first blind date. A Lower Burrell insurance agent will wear a heated vest for the first time....

Nearly a year after a fatal shooting and hit-and-run in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood, police have arrested a suspect. Alec Stefanovits, 27, faces criminal homicide charges after, police say, he shot two people early Jan. 23 in the the 300 block of Minton Street. When police arrived at the scene, they...

Here is a look at four holiday-themed destinations, in addition to Overly’s Country Christmas, just a road trip away that people can enjoy this Christmas season. Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, Pa. “It’s a Wonderful Life” fans can learn more about the life of the film’s star at the Jimmy...

At least one person was injured in a car crash Friday evening on Route 819. The crash happened just after 7 p.m. in East Huntingdon in the area of the Route 119 exit ramp, according to a Westmoreland County dispatcher. State police out of Uniontown are handling the incident, the...

A homeless man faces charges after, police say, he took drugs and hypodermic needles into Latrobe’s Adams Memorial Library. According to police, Alexander Kimmick, 24, locked himself in the library bathroom with the drug paraphernalia on Monday. Library staff told Kimmick to leave to no avail. Kimmick continued to refuse...

A Blairsville man faces charges after police say he burglarized a Latrobe home and stole a laptop from it. Thursday morning, a man told police that someone entered his Spring Street home and stole his MacBook, backpack and several other items. Using security cameras, Latrobe police found that Vincent Skillings,...

Some Pine-Richland parents say the district violated the First Amendment’s religious provisions and side-stepped parental medical decisions after eighth-grade students participated in a week of “mindfulness” lessons created by Allegheny Health Network. In November, the district hosted the “Chill Mobile” — a mobile mental health clinic launched by AHN and...

It seems as if — at least this holiday season — what was old is new again at Westmoreland Mall. On a December afternoon, the mall is buzzing with happy shoppers, hungry food court patrons and cheerful Christmas tunes. Children wave to their parents from the Christmas train, a kiosk...

Pine-Richland School Board president Greg DiTullio will remain in the leadership position in 2023 after the board unanimously confirmed him for another term. “This past year has been interesting,” DiTullio said at the board’s Dec. 5 reorganization meeting. “I think we’re all better today than we were last year …...

After months of debate over the availability of library books, some curriculum books are on the hot seat at Hempfield Area High School. During last week’s school board meeting, several parents voiced concerns over books intended to be included in a proposed college literature course for seniors. The directors approved...

Steve Patricia had a dream when he was young: to someday work for National Geographic. Patricia looked at the nonprofit as an organization that created “art for science’s sake.” As someone who grew up interested in science, history and art, he was drawn to that type of work. “I’ve always...

Richland Township residents won’t see their property taxes increase if the township’s preliminary 2023 budget comes to fruition. “Richland’s Township’s preliminary budget holds the line on the same tax millage as last year,” township Manager Dean Bastianini said. Right now, the proposed budget calls for a millage rate of 2.696...

About 30 excited children gathered at Bushy Run Battlefield Museum & Visitor Center this month to celebrate the holiday season. The historical park hosted a children’s Christmas party Dec. 4 complete with crafts, snowball games and a visit from Santa Claus. The party at the 225-acre battlefield site along Route...

The Hempfield Area School Board has a new president. Director Paul Ward took the helm on Wednesday after former President Tony Bompiani served in the leadership role for three years. Directors unanimously approved Ward, who was the sole nominee. Director Scott Learn will continue to serve as vice president. Ward...

Transportation Security Administration officers caught two guns Wednesday at the Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoint. The first gun, confiscated from a carry-on bag belonging to a West Newton man, was a loaded 9mm handgun. The second firearm was a loaded, antique .22-caliber handgun that belonged to a man from Clarksburg,...

A Uniontown man could face decades in prison after a jury convicted him for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The Department of Justice said Peter Schwartz, 49, threw a folding chair at police officers and sprayed them with pepper spray that he took from them. He...

A 200-year-old church in Stahlstown will need extensive repairs after it was damaged in a fire late Sunday. No one was injured in the blaze. “For me, that was the most important,” said Trinity United Methodist Church Pastor Christine Doren. “We can rebuild, but we can’t always rebuild a life...

A 13-year-old girl reported missing from Homewood has been found safe, according to Pittsburgh police. She was reported missing over the weekend and police sought the public’s help in finding her....

Aaron Siko has followed in Jason Winters’ footsteps within Hempfield government. In 2018, Siko took over as director of Parks and Recreation when Winters was promoted to township manager. Now, as Winters left the managerial role Friday, Siko will fill Winters’ shoes once again. Township supervisors unanimously appointed him as...

A tree fell on a person Saturday afternoon in Allegheny Township, according to Westmoreland County 911. The incident happened about 1 p.m. in the 100 block of Lynn Lane, according to a county dispatcher. EMS responded, the dispatcher said. An Allegheny Township police officer on duty Saturday said only the...

A 20-year-old man died in a single-vehicle crash on the Parkway East early Saturday morning. Jaquawn Walton, of McKeesport, crashed into a concrete barrier and a PennDOT pole at around 3:15 a.m. near the Oakland exit, according to state police. He was dead at the scene. State police, Pittsburgh police,...

U.S. Steel must pay over $458,000 in penalty fines after the company violated air pollution control regulations, according to the Allegheny County Health Department. The violations occurred at Clairton Coke Works early this year, the health department said. Per a 2019 agreement between U.S. Steel and the health department, 90%...

Pine-Richland parents, students and community members gathered at the district’s second town hall on Nov. 29 to narrow down feedback on the district’s 2023-2027 strategic plan. About 70 people attended the town hall in person or virtually during the afternoon session at Eden Hall Upper Elementary School. A second session...

Expressing frustration after months of controversy over Hempfield Area’s book policies, school board President Tony Bompiani urged his fellow directors to stop “kicking the can” and find common ground on the issue. “We put 10 months into this, and we’ve gotten nowhere,” Bompiani said during last week’s school board meeting....