Western PA Local News category, Page 2154
Phone scam alert involving fake Amazon calls issued in Indiana County
Residents of Indiana County are being warned about a telephone scam involving Amazon accounts. Pennsylvania State Police have received reports of a scam in which the caller tells of a problem with a purchase on the residents’ Amazon account. According to the complaints, the caller then provided a phone number...
Greensburg man arrested in sexual assault, rape of 2 boys
A Greensburg man was arrested Wednesday on state police accusations that he raped a boy and sexually assaulted another in Unity nearly three years ago, according to court papers. Steven Michael Cope Jr., 25, is being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $25,000 bail. Troopers said they received a...
Hempfield elementary school temporarily closed due to covid cases
A Hempfield elementary school is closed the rest of the week due to covid-19, according to district officials. West Point Elementary School will reopen Monday after one student and one staffer reported positive covid tests, according to a letter from Superintendent Tammy Wolicki. Students will participate in remote learning Thursday...
Troopers: Latrobe fugitive arrested last week found with heroin, methamphetamine; new charges filed
When Westmoreland County sheriff’s deputies searched the closet of a Unity mobile home last week, they found more than the 24-year-old fugitive they said had been dodging authorities for nearly three months, court documents reveal. According to complaints filed Wednesday by state troopers, Collin A. Quakenbush of Latrobe was discovered...
Debate continues over city’s role in Pittsburgh’s ‘educational emergency’Video
The leaders of Pittsburgh’s city government and public school system agree there is a crisis in education because of the coronavirus pandemic and systemic racism. What should be done about it — and by whom — remains a matter of contention. City Councilman Ricky Burgess first brought up declaring a...
McCandless updates zoning law to limit location of fracking wells, reduce drilling nuisances
There aren’t any applications in the pipeline from drillers who want to extract natural gas from deep underground in McCandless. But if such an application is filed in the future, drillers will be limited to a few select spots in the town and must adhere to strict rules to prevent...
Train speeds set to increase along tracks running from Hempfield to YoungwoodVideo
Train speeds are set to increase this week along a portion of railroad tracks running through Hempfield and Youngwood. The increase, which will begin Friday, will bring speeds from 10 mph to 20 mph along sections of the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad, according to Mark Rosner, president of Carload Express, the...
Former Westmoreland Recorder of Deeds Tom Murphy to run for new office
Tom Murphy spent 16 years as Westmoreland County’s recorder of deeds and, until last month, never considered running for another courthouse elected office. Murphy, who for the last year has been working the private sector after losing his re-election bid in 2019, received a call from his friend, Democratic incumbent...
Westmoreland County adds 84 covid cases, 3 deaths
Westmoreland County on Wednesday added 84 new coronavirus cases and three deaths, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The county’s totals now stand at 25,516 cases and 645 deaths associated with covid-19. Of those newly added cases, 26 are confirmed and 58 are probable. According to the state’s covid-19...
Bridgeville installs cameras at Chartiers Park to stop vandalism, illegal dumping
Bridgeville installed 20 cameras around Chartiers Park in an effort to prevent vandalism and illegal dumping on the property. Manager Joe Kauer said the $11,500 project has been something the borough has wanted to do for around 10 years but never did because of budget constraints. “We hope this keeps...
Neighbors, friends raise money to help displaced tenants of South Side fire
Jared Murphy and his girlfriend were about to drive across the Birmingham Bridge to get to the South Side when they saw huge clouds of smoke. “I live near there so I thought it might be my apartment,” said Murphy. It wasn’t his place, but someone he knew lived there....
Allegheny County hits lowest covid hospitalization number since November, adds 35 deaths
Covid-19 patient hospitalizations in Allegheny County decreased by 27 on Wednesday, bringing the total to 249, the lowest since Nov. 11. According to the state’s covid-19 dashboard, there are currently 249 coronavirus patients hospitalized in the county. For perspective, there were 542 patients hospitalized a month ago (Jan. 10) and...
Ingomar Middle School switches to remote learning after 3 covid cases reported
Students at Ingomar Middle School are switching to remote instruction through the end of the week after three positive covid-19 cases were reported during a 14-day period, North Allegheny school officials announced. All other district buildings will remain open for in-person instruction. Athletics and activities at Ingomar Middle School will...
Plum high school students perform monologues in virtual fall play replacement
It’s easy to understand right away why students at Plum Senior High School put out a video compilation of various monologues from favorite moments in movies and plays. It was the pandemic’s fault. Like several activities throughout schools across the world, the high school’s fall play was canceled this year....
Steel City Clothing evolves from a basement to a buildingVideo
The Pittsburgh brand continues to grow in popularity as does Steel City Clothing, a one-stop shop for all things ‘Burgh, be it socks, hats, hoodies and T-shirts. Steel City Clothing, located Downtown, sells clothing showcasing an array of Pittsburgh staples ranging from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Heinz to pierogis and...
Latrobe eyes signs to help keep brewery traffic on course
Latrobe city officials are working with City Brewing to curb off-course truck traffic headed to and from the company’s Latrobe plant. It’s unclear how that traffic could be affected by the recent announced loss of Iron City Beer production at the plant. Latrobe Public Works Director Scott Wajdic told city...
Pittsburgh woman sentenced for role in smuggling synthetic marijuana into prisons
A Pittsburgh woman was sentenced Tuesday to eight months in a federal prison for her role in smuggling synthetic marijuana, or K2, into correctional facilities, according to court records. Sandra Wilson, 29, was ordered to spend an additional three years on supervised release. Federal prosecutors said Wilson worked with a...
Whitehall native Susan Orsega selected as acting U.S. surgeon general
Rear Admiral Susan Orsega was in her Maryland home in late January when she received quite possibly the most important phone call of her life. President Joe Biden selected the Baldwin High School graduate to serve as acting U.S. surgeon general as Dr. Vivek Murthy goes through the nomination/confirmation process...
Highmark Health invests $1.5 million in diversity, taps Evan Frazier for new post
In a year when the Black Lives Matter movement has inspired racial awareness initiatives in much of corporate America, Highmark Health has announced a commitment to increase diversity leadership in Pittsburgh. Highmark said it is investing $1.5 million in The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI), a new nonprofit organization focused on...
Implosion of Dooker’s Hollow Bridge between North Braddock, East Pittsburgh set for Friday
The implosion of the Dooker’s Hollow Bridge between North Braddock and East Pittsburgh has been delayed from Thursday to Friday, according to the Allegheny County Department of Public Works. The 80-year-old bridge carries Bell Avenue in North Braddock and Center Street in East Pittsburgh over O’Connell Boulevard. Crews are removing...
Pitt-Greensburg, Saint Vincent snare grants for construction projects
The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and Saint Vincent College will tap a pair of state grants to expand campus facilities. The schools were among scores of businesses, colleges and government agencies that were approved for Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program (R-CAP) grants during the final round of grant awards for...
Jeannette seeks flooding fix before Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County digs up sports field
Jeannette officials want the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County to agree to fix a flooding problem in 15 homes before allowing the authority to dig up part of a sports field in West Jeannette for a project. The two entities have been working on an agreement for months, said city...
Letter to the Editor: Pity those trying to schedule a covid-19 vaccination
I’m 79 years old but worked in IT for 40 years and consider myself pretty computer savvy. But the extreme difficulty I’ve had trying to schedule a covid-19 vaccination makes me feel pity for the people who have little or no computer experience. What a frustrating process this is for...
Westmoreland events include parenting conference, turkey dinner
Fundraisers • Community Church of Hecla, 537 Hecla Road, Mt. Pleasant Township, will host a turkey dinner from 4 to 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at the church. Dine in or takeout. Details and takeout orders: 724-396-8065 or 724-244-2586 • West Newton Public Library is selling tickets for a Valentine’s Day...
Arnold Palmer airport 5-year plan envisions possible terminal expansion, added fire truck
A five-year plan for continued development of Arnold Palmer Regional Airport proposes additions to firefighting and snow removal equipment and renovation of the control tower. Officials also envision a further expansion of the terminal building — a move that could be justified if the Unity airport were to land a...
