Regional category, Page 152
Boost in K-12 state funding to impact Allegheny, Westmoreland districts
Allegheny and Westmoreland school districts anticipate a boost in funding this year after legislators gave their stamp of approval to $8.5 billion for K-12 public education. The Keystone State will provide more than $7.3 billion in basic education and level-up funds — a roughly 11.4% increase from the 2021-22 allocation....
4 counties under flood watch as storms approach Pittsburgh area
A flood watch is in effect for parts of the Pittsburgh area until Monday morning as excessive rainfall may cause flooding, the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh said Sunday. The watch for Allegheny, Beaver, Greene and Washington counties began at 11 a.m. Sunday and was scheduled to last until 8...
State police charge woman with attempted homicide after man found shot in Aliquippa
State police charged an Aliquippa woman with attempted homicide after a man was found shot in the city early Saturday morning. According to state police, officers determined Katrina Mills, 40, shot the victim from interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance camera footage. Aliquippa officers responded to a report of a shot...
Despite popularity, aging trails subject to all manner of abuse
The people involved in overseeing and maintaining Western Pennsylvania’s trail systems nearly all said that cooperation is key in keeping the trails clean, welcoming and open. Along the Five Star Trail that runs from Youngwood to Greensburg, chapter President Vaughn Neill is working with a few dozen volunteers on fence...
Stepping up: Volunteers donate thousands of hours of time maintaining the region’s myriad hiking, biking trails
As walkers, hikers and bikers make their way onto the crushed limestone gravel of one of Western Pennsylvania’s many trail systems, it might not seem as though they are merging onto an economic highway. But if they’re stepping onto the Great Allegheny Passage — the trail between Pittsburgh’s Point State...
Armstrong County man killed in dirt bike accident
A 26-year-old man from Templeton, Armstrong County, was killed Friday evening when the dirt bike he was riding went off a road and struck a tree, officials said. Brandon Weaver was killed in neighboring Pine Township when the mishap occurred at around 7:50 p.m., according to a release from Armstrong...
New mental health hotline strives to make care more accessible nationwide
A new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has launched nationwide, with the intent to strengthen and transform crisis care in America, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials. The 988 system will build on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is an existing network of over 200...
Allegheny County Police seek arsonist suspected of setting 14 fires in Munhall, West Homestead and Homestead
An as-yet unidentified man is considered to a suspect in connection with a string of 14 arsons in Munhall, West Homestead and Homestead since April 23, Allegheny County Police said late Friday night. Police have identified a man as the suspect from a July 2 fire in Homestead. Most of...
Tennessee man, 19, fatally shot outside Washington housing complex
A Tennessee teenager was shot and killed in the early hours of Friday morning outside a Washington County public housing complex, according to county Coroner Timothy Warco. Emergency officials responded to the Jollick Manor housing complex off of South Franklin Street just after 12:15 a.m. Friday morning, for a report...
Make the most of the season with our 2022 summer bucket list
Summer goes by fast — like, blink and you might miss it fast. We’re already in the middle of July, and back-to-school supplies are on the store shelves. Before we know it, pumpkin spice everything will surround us. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s make the most out...
Some Westmoreland communities use hands-on method to tackle overgrown grass
Knee-high by the Fourth of July is the old adage for measuring corn. But if the measurement refers to your neighbor’s lawn, the outcome might not be so sweet. Overgrown properties are a recurring summertime problem shared by many area communities. Greensburg resident William Weir can look across Harrison Street...
Quecreek Mine rescue anniversary events begin Saturday
Several activities are planned starting this weekend leading up to the 20th anniversary of the Quecreek Mine rescue. The plans include a car cruise and celebrations at the Somerset County rescue site, among others. The events will commemorate the rescue of nine miners after they accidentally broke into an abandoned...
Butler woman pleads guilty in Social Security fraud
A Butler woman is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to defrauding the Social Security Administration of about $45,420 for four years by not revealing her husband was living with her, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh said Wednesday. Amy Lynn Snow, 54, of Bullcreek Road, pleaded guilty on Wednesday before...
Astronomers, space enthusiasts rave over 1st images from James Webb Space Telescope
Imagine feeling like a kid on Christmas morning — for two days in a row. For lifelong space enthusiast Bob Bickers of Murrysville, that’s what this week has been like as NASA releases the first images from the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope. “Stunning, just stunning. The images certainly...
State asks public to count wild turkeys, even a white gobbler in Upper Burrell
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking the public to count turkeys this summer for the agency’s Wild Turkey Sighting Survey. The commission needs the public’s participation throughout the state to determine population trends and compare long-term reproductive success, said Travis Lau in a commission news release. The count runs through...
Western Pa. U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung nominated to 3rd Circuit bench
President Joe Biden on Tuesday nominated Cindy K. Chung to become a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Chung, 46, has served as the U.S. Attorney for Western Pennsylvania since 2021. She would become the first Asian American to sit on the Third Circuit court...
New covid subvariants highly contagious, immune evasive, experts say
A rapidly spreading covid variant is highly contagious and can cause breakthrough infections, but it’s not more severe or dangerous than prior strains, local experts say. The omicron subvariant — known as BA.5 — has “really taken off, nationally and locally,” said Dr. Lee Harrison, professor of infectious disease and...
Week in pictures: July 4-10
A selection of the most compelling images from Tribune-Review photographers from around the region during the week of July 4-10....
New state law punishes caregivers who sexually assault care-dependent people
People accused of sexually assaulting the elderly or others for whom they provide care will face the same charges as those who commit the crime against students, inmates and children in institutional settings. A measure signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday was sponsored by state Rep. Carrie...
Never heard of Acrisure? Naming rights deal with Steelers stadium aims to change that
Why would a Michigan-based financial tech company with little connection to Pittsburgh want to secure naming rights to the city’s NFL stadium? It is an established model for expanding Acrisure’s growing footprint and helping make the company a household name — not just in the region but nationally, an industry...
Pittsburgh gas prices falling but remain higher than state, national averages
Gasoline prices are continuing to fall across the state and nation but remain stubbornly higher in the Pittsburgh region, according to AAA and GasBuddy. AAA was reporting the national average at $4.68 per gallon Monday, down about 13 cents in one week and about 32 cents from a month ago....
Infant found dead in Beaver County swimming pool
An infant was found dead in a Beaver County swimming pool Sunday evening, according to police. First responders in Chippewa responded to a home on Braun Road about 7:40 p.m., according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. Officials told the TV station they performed CPR on the child to no avail,...
Here’s where to turn if you’re behind on electric bill payments
Mandy Zalich, CEO of Westmoreland Community Action, expects to see an increase in requests for energy assistance in the next few months, as rate hikes might add to an influx of those who have sought help with their electricity bills during the covid-19 pandemic. Energy assistance requests come in waves...
Electricity rates on rise, but there are ways to combat higher costs
Electricity bills in Pennsylvania are increasing sharply this summer, driven in large part by a tight market for natural gas, industry experts say. The boost in electric rates has come as air conditioning units are cranked up for the summer. That makes it a good time for Pennsylvania residents to...
What does the proposed abortion constitutional amendment mean for Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Senate passed a constitutional amendment proposal Friday that, if enacted, would ensure the state constitution does not grant rights to abortions. The passage doesn’t have any immediate effect on the state’s abortion laws. The process for this amendment started late Thursday night, when Republicans proposed the change with...
