Western PA Local News category, Page 1797
Mandatory masking in schools: A nuisance, but no big deal for most students
Parents have been at the forefront of urging school administrators to take a stand against the state’s September mandate requiring mask-wearing in K-12 schools. Meanwhile, objections from students have been rare. And school administrators responsible for enforcing mask-wearing have reported little to no issues from students. After the state Department...
Jefferson Hills council race has 8 candidates seeking 4 seats
Jefferson Hills council will have at least one new member on council after the November election as incumbent Francis Sockman declined to seek reelection. There are four candidates for both the Democrat and Republican parties seeking four 4-year seats on the Nov. 2 ballot, according to the Allegheny County Office...
The Stroller, Oct. 19, 2021: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your club meetings, community events and fundraisers for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com. Please include a daytime telephone number. Coat drive to benefit Highlands students The second annual Winter-Ready Rams coat drive to benefit children in the Highlands School District...
Parkway East reopens after tractor-trailer overturns
The Parkway East’s inbound lanes reopened Tuesday morning after an overturned tractor-trailer prompted a four-hour shutdown that snarled rush-hour traffic. The crash happened before 5 a.m. between the Edgewood/Swissvale and Wilkinsburg exits, according to PennDOT. The tractor-trailer was on its side, blocking much of the three-lane highway. All lanes were...
Dispatch: Coroner called to scene of multi-vehicle crash in Fayette County
The Fayette County coroner was called to the scene of a multi-vehicle crash in German Township Monday night, a Fayette 911 dispatcher said. Crews responded around 4 p.m. to 1865 McClellandtown Road for reports of the crash involving four vehicles. Information regarding any additional injuries was not immediately available. The...
Shapiro makes campaign stop in Greensburg on ‘Big Fights’ bus tour
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro made a stop in Westmoreland County on Monday evening, the 15th of 18 counties he’ll visit during a six-day bus tour after his announcement last week he is running for governor. Shapiro is calling it the “Big Fights” bus tour, promoting his work exposing decades...
Westmoreland election bureau to remain open evenings and weekends through Nov. 2
Westmoreland County’s Election Bureau will remain open until 8 p.m. through the Nov. 2 election, officials said. The hours will allow additional time for the office to process mail-in ballot applications and perform other administrative duties, according to election bureau Office Manager Jessica Goughnour. The elections office willbe open daily...
Allegheny County police union files suit over vaccine mandate
The union that represents the Allegheny County Police Department is suing the county over a mandate that all executive branch employees be vaccinated against covid-19, alleging that it is a mandatory subject of collective bargaining. The complaint, filed last week in Common Pleas Court, seeks an injunction to halt the...
Hacker who sold UPMC employee data on the dark web sentenced to prison
A Michigan man was sentenced Monday to seven years in prison for hacking into UPMC databases and stealing data of more than 65,000 employees and selling it on the dark web in 2014. U.S. District Chief Judge Mark Hornak imposed the maximum sentences against Justin Sean Johnson, 30, for the...
A peek inside Southwest Greensburg’s new marijuana dispensary
Terri Kroh doesn’t question whether medical marijuana is beneficial. She sees it almost daily through her role as medical director at Maitri Medicinals, which is opening a new medical marijuana dispensary in Southwest Greensburg. “It’s very, very rewarding,” Kroh said. “You see so many lives changed, individuals that come in...
Shaler Township acquires Jeffery Primary School building and grounds
Shaler Township has completed the purchase of the now-closed Jeffery Primary School, located on Wetzel Road attached to Kiwanis Park. The township closed on the purchase in August and paid $120,000 for the building and the 6.15 acres it sits on, according to the Allegheny County Real Estate Portal website....
Leetsdale council has 4 open seats and 6 candidates on the ballot
Six candidates are in the race for four, four-year terms on Leetsdale council. Incumbents Benjimen Frederick (current council vice president) and Osman Awad will face newcomers Beth Carroll, Patricia Lee, Maria Napolitano and Elizabeth Surmacz. Here are the candidates and their answers to the questions posed by the Sewickley Herald....
Contract for bridge repair at Valley High School awarded
The New Kensington-Arnold School Board has accepted a $358,000 bid to repair one of four bridges that cross over Little Pucketa Creek at Valley High School. The bid from Caliber Contracting Services of Edgewood was the only one received for work on the main entrance bridge. The bid was opened...
Dillner farm in West Deer receives state investment to be preserved as farmland
Dillner Family Farms of West Deer has received a nearly $700,000 investment from the state Department of Agriculture to preserve the property as farmland through permanent conservation easement. It is one of 21 farms that received an easement last week and the only farm in Allegheny County. Dillner Family Farms...
Jeannette woman to remain in custody as mental health is evaluated
A Jeannette woman will remain jailed while she awaits trial for possession of a weapon of mass destruction after utility workers were injured as they attempted to restore water service to her home last year. Deborah Samulski, 62, was paroled Monday after serving three months behind bars following her conviction...
Allegheny County jury begins deliberations in South Side sexual assault case
Adnan Pehlivan’s defense attorney conceded Monday that his client may have acted strangely at Kopy’s bar on Pittsburgh’s South Side the night of May 15, 2018. In closing arguments during Pehlivan’s trial on sex charges, defense attorney Lee Rothman said it was true that his client bought himself and three...
Georgia woman gets house arrest, probation for delivering heroin to Westmoreland County
A Westmoreland County judge said a Georgia woman prosecutors described as a drug mule who transported large quantities of heroin into the area was a good person who “made a bad choice.” On Monday, he rejected a potential prison sentence in lieu of house arrest. Sade Franklin, 35, formerly of...
Incumbent Troy, newcomer Carnevale square off in Brentwood mayoral race
Brentwood’s incumbent Mayor Dennis Troy will square off against councilman Pat Carnevale in November’s mayoral race. Troy, a Republican, has served as Brentwood’s mayor for the last seven years. Carnevale, a Democrat, has been on council for nearly 12 years. The winner will serve a four-year term. Here’s a look...
Derry Township man pleads guilty to sexual assaults of women in Ligonier, Penn Township
Two women told a Westmoreland County judge that three years after they were sexually assaulted by a man they once considered a friend, they still struggle to deal with the emotional and physical implications of the attacks and his continued freedom. “I’ve felt like a prisoner since that day,” a...
2 women charged with stealing $3,000 in merchandise from Walmart at Pittsburgh Mills
Two women were charged Saturday by Frazer Township police with stealing nearly $3,000 worth of merchandise from a Walmart store over five days after one of them was spotted, according to police, shoplifting a supplement that claims to improve brain health. Police were dispatched to the Walmart at the Pittsburgh...
Fox Families Care seeks to boost self-esteem, bridge gaps for Fox Chapel Area students
Fox Families Care (FFC) is quietly working behind the scenes to provide local children with all they need to succeed inside the classroom. In the weeks leading up to the new school year, the nonprofit sponsored a freshman orientation at Fox Chapel Area High School to promote positive mental health....
U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle won’t seek another term in officeVideo
U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle said Monday he will serve out the rest of his 14th term in office but not seek reelection next year. “I believe the time has come to pass the torch to the next generation,” said Doyle, 68, a Democrat from Forest Hills. Doyle is the most...
Construction of affordable housing in Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood to begin next yearVideo
A Shadyside developer is partnering with the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, Pittsburgh Housing Development Corp. and Larimer Consensus Group to build 10 affordable homes in Larimer. Construction will begin on the first two in the first quarter of 2022. Officials hope to have families living in them by the end...
Irwin police arrest man they said became combative with first responders, officers
A 49-year-old Trafford man who police say became combative with paramedics and officers responding to a call Friday was charged with multiple offenses, including aggravated assault on police officers and making terroristic threats. Irwin EMS were dispatched to Vine Street about 8:30 p.m. Friday to assist Paul Hudak, who said...
3 charged with receiving stolen property after guns reported missing from Adamsburg home
Three people are charged with receiving stolen property in connection with guns reported missing from an Adamsburg home, according to state police. Nine handguns were discovered at a Hempfield man’s house last week after investigators uncovered text messages and photographs of some of the missing firearms on a cell phone...
