Western PA Local News category, Page 1983
NBC News: WPXI in Pittsburgh 1 of 2 stations hit by apparent cyberattack
WPXI-TV was one of two Cox Media Group stations forced offline this week in an apparent cyberattack against the parent company, according to a report from NBC News. Managers on Thursday told employees at WPXI and WFTV in Orlando, Fla. to shut down company computers and phones, according to report....
Developers try to address Churchill residents’ questions, continued opposition of potential Amazon site
Representatives of a development company interested in purchasing a plot of land in Churchill for use as an Amazon distribution center addressed an array of concerns from residents, many of whom oppose the potential development. During a Churchill Borough Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday, Hillwood Development’s representatives and experts gave...
With retirement of longtime East Deer police chief looming, officials ponder future
A new era in East Deer police protection may be forthcoming with the retirement of longtime Police Chief John Manchini. Manchini, a township policeman for 27 years and the township’s only full-time officer, submitted his resignation for purpose of retiring. The commissioners accepted it Thursday with regret and thanks. It...
Introducing the Highlands High School Class of 2021
Congratulations to the Highlands High School Class of 2021: Austin Allan, Jacob Allan, Alexis Altfather, Sydney Altfather, Zachary Altfather, Sadie Elizabeth Angely, Jacob T. Atkinson, Danyelle Joyce Bartchy, Joie M. Beacom, Joshua Ryan Christopher Beck, Luke Ryan Beer, Ethan James Bernat, Madison Olivia-Anne Bernat, Noah Elijah Bianco, Trent James Bielak....
Scottdale man sentenced to prison for role in robbery, shooting of Derry drug dealer
A Scottdale man was sentenced Friday to serve up to five years in prison for his role in the shooting and robbery of a Derry drug dealer last year. Brandon Eugene “Lil-Drizzy” Thomas, pleaded guilty to felony charges of robbery and conspiracy. Westmoreland County prosecutors agreed to dismiss attempted homicide,...
In letter, state representatives demand Zappala rescind policy prohibiting plea offers to Black attorney
Eleven members of Allegheny County’s state House delegation sent a letter to District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. on Friday condemning his policy of refusing to make plea offers to a Black attorney who criticized his office as being “systematically racist.” The two-page document demands that the policy be rescinded....
Saltsburg Canal Days festival returns with parade, fireworks, cookie contest
The annual Saltsburg Canal Days festival is back this weekend after going on hiatus in 2020, during the covid-19 pandemic. The event, which features a parade, entertainment, vendor booths and fireworks, will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday and continue at noon Sunday. The largest annual happening in Saltsburg, it celebrates...
Completion of UPMC family health center in New Kensington celebratedVideo
The new UPMC St. Margaret Family Health Center in New Kensington does not compare at all with the facility it replaces in city hall, the center’s medical director said. “Everything is brand new. It’s bigger,” said Dr. Winfred Frazier. “It’s a much more welcoming space.” The center has moved from...
Rivers Casino raising non-tipped minimum wage to $15 per hour
With covid-19 restrictions easing and more people returning to entertainment venues, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh has jobs openings. As part of its effort to fill those jobs, Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia, are adopting a $15 per hour minimum wage for employees who don’t receive tips from customers. Rivers Casino...
Southmoreland school official challenges primary results, claims county ballot error
Editor’s note: This story was amended on June 7, 2021, to correct the name of Southmoreland school board candidate Candice Raymond. A Southmoreland School Board member on Friday challenged the results of last month’s primary, claiming the Westmoreland County Election Bureau failed to include an open two-year seat on the...
Ex-child actor Drake Bell accused of child endangerment in Cleveland
One of the stars of the popular Nickelodeon children’s show “Drake & Josh” faces criminal charges regarding a girl he had met online and who attended his 2017 concert in Ohio when she was 15. Jared “Drake” Bell, 34, pleaded not guilty on Thursday in a Cleveland courtroom to a...
Pitt drops outdoor mask requirement for those fully vaccinated
Fully vaccinated individuals on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus will no longer be required to wear face coverings while outdoors, according to university officials. An announcement posted to the university’s Twitter account Friday afternoon said the new recommendations will go into effect Monday, June 7. Everyone, regardless of vaccination status,...
Famed trial attorney F. Lee Bailey remembered for Greensburg trial
He came to town with a flourish. It was the late 1980s and word spread quickly through the Westmoreland County Courthouse that famed defense attorney F. Lee Bailey was in the building. He was due to appear before Judge Charles Loughran to defend his legal acumen. The dapper lawyer —...
Forensic anthropologist says Vandergrift woman’s remains burned for up to 10 hours
A forensic anthropologist testified Friday the body of a Vandergrift woman discovered in remote Derry Township in 2017 was likely burned in a fire for up to 10 hours. Dennis Dirkmaat, a professor at Mercyhurst University in Erie, told a Westmoreland County jury hundreds of small bone fragments along with...
‘On the Move’ in the Murrysville area for the week of June 17, 2021Video
Here are just a few of those in the Star’s coverage area who are “on the move” in one way or another. Submit listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Franklin Regional seniors Ian Sunny and Alaina Shook are the recipients of this year’s $1,000 Franklin Regional Education Association scholarships. The association presents the...
Recovery trumps jail for former Greensburg man in fatal overdose caseVideo
An Indiana County man’s recovery from drug addiction won praise from a Westmoreland judge who sentenced him Friday to serve seven years on probation for his role in his girlfriend’s overdose death in her Greensburg apartment two years ago. In rejecting a recommended sentence of up to 13 years in...
Jeannette gallery invites public to help with MAD*LAB art project
Following the popularity of last year’s MAD*LAB, the public art-making project has returned to You Are Here gallery in downtown Jeannette. The first session resulted in three artist-designed benches made of upcycled materials and two murals painted by project participants. Those pieces all have been placed in publicly accessible spaces...
Overdose deaths spike in Allegheny County amid pandemic’s isolation
Overdose deaths in Allegheny County rose 22% in 2020, an increase likely spurred by the stress and isolation wrought by the covid-19 pandemic, officials said. Across the county, 689 people were victims of fatal overdoses, a majority of which had some amount of fentanyl in their systems: 77%. Overdose deaths...
Murrysville officials will consider new hauling contract with Republic Services
While the cost of just about everything seems to have risen over the course of the covid-19 pandemic, the price Murrysville residents pay for trash hauling and recycling may stay the same, at least for the coming year. Three haulers provided bids for a combined Murrysville/Export hauling contract, with the...
Hampton High School gets approval for new storage garage
Construction of a storage garage at Hampton High School is expected to get underway as soon as this fall thanks to approval by Hampton council. School leaders asked to build a 2,400-square-foot garage to store maintenance and lawn equipment. Because the school along McCully Road sits in a conservation district,...
Upcoming road projects will impact traffic in Marshall, North Park
Two upcoming projects in the North Hills are expected to cause traffic delays for motorists. PennDOT’s project to upgrade traffic signals along Route 910 in Marshall Township will take place June 6-8 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Crews from M and B Services will be working on traffic controllers...
Former Dormont store owner, extradited from Israel, convicted of 2004 rape
An Israeli man who fled the Pittsburgh area in 2004 after being accused of rape was found guilty Thursday by an Allegheny County jury. Moshe Journo, 56, will be sentenced by Common Pleas Judge Bruce Beemer on July 12. The jury found him guilty of rape, aggravated indecent assault, sexual...
Food Podcast: A look at the food bank’s mobile farmers market
June is fruits and veggies month, so this week’s podcast focuses on the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s innovative way to get fresh produce from local farms to areas where healthy food is difficult to find. It’s called the Green Grocer, and while it looks like a food truck, you...
Allegheny County hospitalizations drop to 10th of December’s peak
Covid-19 hospitalizations in Allegheny County dropped to 88 on Friday, just a tenth of the county’s peak total in December. On Dec. 16, 881 patients were hospitalized in the county. Just a month later, the county’s total had fallen by 50%, hitting 425 on Jan. 17. The total stood at...
Hampton playground renamed for former councilwoman, township stalwart Martha Hunkele
The large playground at Hampton Community Park will be renamed for former council member Martha Hunkele, who by all accounts is among the township’s most ardent supporters. Hunkele served on council for 14 years, having most recently been elected in 2019 but forced to resign because of health concerns. She...
