Western PA Local News category, Page 2105
Fewer students expected to return to Hempfield’s cyber program next year, survey shows
Fewer students expressed interest in attending Hempfield’s cyber program next school year compared to those currently enrolled. Initial results from a survey sent to parents last month show 130 students across the district are interested in attending the Hempfield Area Cyber Academy or Edgenuity, which allows students to complete courses...
86-mile stretch of Pa. Turnpike to close this weekend for bridge project
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is scheduled to close in both directions for several hours this weekend between New Stanton and Breezewood. Turnpike officials said the closure will begin at 11 p.m. Saturday and reopen to traffic by 6 a.m. Sunday as part of a bridge removal project. The closure is necessary...
Free cancer screening planned at AHN’s Hempfield hospital
Editor’s note: This story was amended March 19, 2021 to change the minimum age at which someone could be screened for lung cancer. Free cancer screenings are set for April 24 at AHN Cancer Institute - Hempfield after the coronavirus pandemic disrupted non-emergency health care needs. The neighborhood hospital on...
Book it: Pittsburgh artists create Carnegie Library cards to open the pages for all
Andrew Carnegie’s words “Free to the People” are inscribed above the entrance to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in Oakland. To celebrate the library’s 125th anniversary, four Pittsburgh artists were commissioned to design library cards based on their interpretation of what “Free to the People” means. The commemorative cards are...
Hempfield man arrested after police said he brought gun into Westmoreland courthouse annex
A Hempfield man who visited the Westmoreland County courthouse annex building Monday to get a concealed carry permit instead was arrested after police said they found a gun in his backpack, according to court papers. Shawn William Vanhorn, 23, is charged with a weapons violation and possession of a firearm...
Sharpsburg garden benefits from Sisters of St. Joseph grant
The Sharpsburg Market Garden is among several groups to receive a grant from the Sisters of St. Joseph to help provide fresh produce and stave off hunger in local communities. Garden director Ruth Ann McGarry said her group will use the money to purchase supplements for the soil and also...
Irwin sponsors Easter Egg hunt
Irwin will hold an Easter Egg hunt from March 22 to 26 that will give children ages two to 12 from Irwin, North Huntingdon and North Irwin the opportunity to win prizes. Borough office employees will hide the plastic eggs along Main, Third, Fourth and Fifth streets and Irwin Park...
New contract for Jeannette police could help city attract job candidates
A new four-year contract with Jeannette police officers calls for 2.5% annual pay increases for current employees and additional yearly hikes for new hires, said solicitor Tim Witt. City officials hope the adjustment for new officers will be an incentive after the department struggled in recent months to get enough...
McKees Rocks sues Alcosan, saying construction will ruin boroughVideo
McKees Rocks borough officials believe that a tunnel project being proposed by Allegheny County Sanitary Authority will result in economic, environmental and social injustice in their community. They filed a lawsuit Tuesday to stop it. The complaint, filed against Alcosan, includes multiple claims for public nuisance, alleging that the construction...
Allegheny County’s covid hospitalization number drops to October level
Allegheny County has its fewest number of covid-19 patients hospitalized since October, according to the latest state Department of Health data. On Tuesday, there were 135 covid patients hospitalized, down from 153 on Monday. That number has decreased since 172 were hospitalized on Thursday. Tuesday’s number was the lowest since...
Ohio lowers age limit for vaccine to 16 years old and up
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The coronavirus vaccine will be available to anyone in Ohio 16 years and older by the end of the month, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday. A significant increase in vaccine supplies expected in the state warrants the eligibility expansion, the governor said. Currently, Ohioans 50 and older...
Hempfield Area to get more Chromebooks for next school year
Hempfield Area School District will buy 500 new Chromebook laptops for use by next year’s high school students. During Monday’s school board meeting, board members unanimously voted to authorize the business office to advertise and seek proposals for the purchase of the Chromebooks. Board member Sonya Brajdic was absent from...
Fitzgerald vetoes Allegheny County paid sick leave bill
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald on Tuesday vetoed the paid sick leave legislation passed last week by county council, saying it did not follow the correct process laid out by county law. Council on March 10 voted 10 to 4 to approve the legislation, which orders businesses in the county...
Beltzhoover man pleads guilty in shooting death of 3-year-old last year
A Beltzhoover man who went to sleep with a shotgun under his pillow pleaded guilty Tuesday to accidentally killing a 3-year-old girl. Marlin Pritchard, 52, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and person not to possess a firearm in the death of Chassity Clancy. He will be sentenced by Allegheny County...
Robert Morris University announces plans for return to normal operations this fall
Citing positive developments in the rollout of the covid-19 vaccine, Robert Morris University President Christopher B. Howard on Tuesday said RMU plans to return to a normal schedule of in-person classes and athletics with fans in the stands this fall. With the announcement, RMU joins a growing list of colleges...
Aspinwall has joined the North Hills COG
Aspinwall is now a member of the North Hills Councils of Government (COG), leaving its longtime membership at the Allegheny Valley North group. Council green-lighted the move, saying the change was based largely on logistics. “The AVNCOG was great and served Aspinwall well,” council president Tim McLaughlin said. “However, we...
Allegheny County Health Department adds new vaccination sites
The Allegheny County Health Department announced Tuesday that it will be opening three new covid-19 vaccine locations before the end of March. The sites will include a temporary site in Oakland, a site for targeted outreach in the Central Hill District and a community vaccine location in Ross, according to...
Southwestern Pa. gas prices stabilizing; remain well above national average
After weeks of sharp price spikes, analysts say gasoline price increases in Southwestern Pennsylvania appear to be stabilizing. Regular unleaded gasoline increased only a penny per gallon last week following increases of 25 cents per gallon here over the last month. There were multiple factors behind the increases that drove...
Prostitution, drugs, theft among charges filed by Monroeville police March 3-10, 2021
The following charges were filed March 3-10, 2021, with Monroeville District Judge Jeffrey L. Herbst. All charges were filed by Monroeville police: • Christopher Eric Morgan, 46, of Trafford with careless driving and two DUIs. Charges were filed March 10 in connection with an incident along the 2100 block of...
Drugs, firearms, simple assault among charges handled March 8, 2021 by Monroeville Judge Jeffrey Herbst
Monroeville District Judge Jeffrey L. Herbst handled these cases March 8, 2021. Defendants will have court dates set in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Charges were filed by Monroeville police unless otherwise noted. Held for court • Melissa Ann Cole, 40, of Monroeville on simple assault. The charge...
Squaw Run Road in Fox Chapel will become Hemlock Hollow Road
In a nod to the borough’s early years, Fox Chapel council voted on Monday night to rename Squaw Run Road to Hemlock Hollow Road, bringing an end to a nine-month conflict on how to remove the slur “Squaw” from place names. The change to one of the borough’s most heavily...
Sewickley gets Netflix makeover as part of new film projectVideo
Several Sewickley residents and business owners were excited for the borough’s closeup as Netflix production crews were in town filming scenes for an upcoming project. “I think this is a really pretty area, and think it’s nice that people would want to feature it in some film,” said Kimberly Anderson,...
Norwin students criticize return to full-time in-school instructionVideo
Norwin’s plan to have students return to school five days a week beginning Friday was panned by eight high school students Monday, who claimed they are being made to choose between their health and their education. The students say social distancing is not possible in the high school, and not...
Hempfield Area outlines phased reopening for high school students returning full time
Leaders in the Hempfield Area School District have laid out a schedule for when high school students will return to in-person classes five days a week. Starting March 26, senior students will be the first to fully return as part of the phased reopening. They will be followed by the...
Water main break closes part of Mount Oliver road
Part of a road on the border of Pittsburgh’s Mount Oliver and Arlington neighborhoods was closed Tuesday morning because of a water main break. Parkwood Road was closed between Otillia Street and Mountain Avenue, Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV reported. Pittsburgh Public Safety described the break as “substantial.” WATER MAIN BREAK...
