Regional category, Page 355
Mining could cause section of I-70 ‘to settle about 2 to 5 feet in some areas’
At some point in 2019, PennDOT officials expect parts of Interstate 70 could sink up to five feet between the West Virginia line and the Claysville interchange in Washington County due to longwall mining. “When longwall mining occurs, the interstate can be expected to settle about two to five feet...
New lawsuit filed against Glade Run Lutheran claims another boy was sexually assaulted
The parent organization that ran a since-closed Zelienople youth home and recently settled a lawsuit filed on behalf of a teenage sexual assault victim faces a new lawsuit of a similar nature. Attorney Michael Pisanchyn Jr. of the Pittsburgh-based Pisanchyn Law Firm filed the suit this month against Glade Run...
Technology, fingerprints helped troopers solve 1999 abduction, rape case
Decades of advances in forensic technology, combined with fingerprints obtained from drunk-driving arrests in Maryland, resulted in a break that allowed troopers to arrest a man for the 1999 abduction and rape of a 10-year-old Somerset County girl, police said Thursday. Timothy D. Nelson Jr., 50, of Cumberland, Md., was...
Troopers say Indiana County woman missing for a week discovered ‘safe’
State police in Indiana said an Indiana County woman who was reported missing by her family since Jan. 3 was discovered safe Thursday. According to police, Megan Sue Durand, 35, was last seen at about 4 p.m. Jan. 3 at a residence on Red Street in the village of Iselin...
State police to release details of nearly 20-year-old abduction, rape of Somerset girl
State police plan to announce Thursday details of a nearly 20-year-old investigation into the abduction and rape of a 10-year-old Somerset County girl that resulted in the arrest Wednesday of a 50-year-old Maryland man. Trooper Stephen Limani said Trooper Jeff Brock arrested Timothy D. Nelson Jr., 50, of Cumberland, Md.,...
Parts of Laurel Highlands could get 3-5 inches of snow by Thursday
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for parts of the Laurel Highlands through noon Thursday. Snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches are expected, with winds gusting as high as 35 mph, according to the NWS Pittsburgh office in Moon Township. The advisory covers the ridges...
5 charged with kidnapping, torturing pregnant woman in New Castle
State police have charged five people with kidnapping and torturing a pregnant woman in Lawrence County in an attempt to find missing money. The captors allegedly duct taped the victim’s legs together, gagged her with duct tape, injured her toe with a clamp, hit her feet with a hammer and...
More than $35,000 raised for family of children who died in South Union fire
A fundraiser for the family of two children who died Tuesday in a house fire in South Union surpassed its $35,000 goal in less than 24 hours. The GoFundMe page set up by Shienna Ross of Uniontown continues to raise money in memory of siblings RyLeigh Paige Weasenforth, 7, and...
Pennsylvania politicians react to Trump’s national border security address
President Trump’s nationally televised address on border security Tuesday night called on Congress to approve his plan to build a $5.7 billion steel wall along the U.S.-Mexican border and put an end to the second-longest U.S. government shutdown. “The federal government remains shut down for one reason and one reason...
‘Young lives lost’: Fayette County neighbors grieve for 2 children who died in house fire
Families in a South Union neighborhood awoke Tuesday to sirens and flashing lights as fire trucks and ambulances responded to a house fire that killed a young brother and sister. RyLeigh, 7, and Gunner Weasenforth, 5, were pronounced dead at the South Mt. Vernon Avenue home, Fayette County Coroner Phillip...
St. Vincent-Carlow to offer collaborative nursing program
Add Saint Vincent College to the growing list of Westmoreland County institutions hosting undergraduate nursing degree programs. Saint Vincent, which offers a master’s and doctorate program for nurse anesthetists in conjunction with Excela Health System, will partner with Carlow University beginning this fall to offer a bachelor of science in...
Dregs of Rivertowne’s brewpub chain for sale again in bankruptcy saga
Two closed taverns that once belonged to bankrupt Rivertowne Brewery Co. are for sale again after a deal to sell the Verona property fell through and the North Huntingdon site never attracted a buyer at auction. Fybo Management Inc., one of the interlocking bankrupt companies that operated Rivertowne’s Murrysville brewery...
2 children killed in Fayette County fire identified
A brother and sister were killed early Tuesday in a house fire in South Union Township, Fayette County, according to Coroner Phillip Reilly. His office identified the children as RyLeigh Weasenforth, 7, and Gunner Weasenforth, 5. They were pronounced dead at the house on South Mt. Vernon Avenue at 7:48...
Two charged in Indiana hostage situation
Two Allegheny County men are accused of holding a woman hostage in her Indiana apartment on Monday, assaulting her and threatening her and her family, Indiana police said. Jeremy R. Bryant, 37, of McKeesport, and Stevland K. Parks Sr., 33, of Wilkinsburg, are accused of holding the woman inside her...
Ohio regulatory approvals bring second ‘cracker’ plant in region closer to reality
Southeastern Ohio has moved closer to joining Southwestern Pennsylvania as the location of an ethane “cracker” plant that could be a boon for employment for the natural gas industry and plastics manufacturers. The proposed plant near Shadyside, Ohio, in Belmont County, cleared its final regulatory hurdles in late December, when...
Jefferson Township woman escapes captors by popping car trunk, running to home
DRY TAVERN — Police say two men kidnapped a woman from her Jefferson Township apartment, hogtied her with electrical tape and threw her into the trunk of a car, but she managed to pop the trunk and run to a nearby home. State police tell the Observer-Reporter 40-year-old Demitrius Davis...
Seton Hill dean to lead IUP College of Fine Arts
A Seton Hill University dean and professor of music who led the efforts to build two new centers for art and performing arts at the Greensburg university will be the next dean of the College of Fine Arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. IUP officials Monday announced the selection of...
1 dead, others hospitalized in Canonsburg carbon monoxide leak
Officials say a carbon monoxide leak in a multiple-family home left a man dead and several people hospitalized. Police were called to the home in Canonsburg just after 7 a.m. Monday. Officers responding reported a strong odor of natural gas and called the fire department. When crews went inside, they...
Falling gas prices expected to end in February, analyst says
Despite rallying oil prices and a “brief hiccup” that saw the nation’s average gas price rise for two days last week, the overall trend remains in favor of lower gas prices, said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. “The window for cheap gas prices continues to close, however,...
Troopers seek information on New Year’s Day fire in Fayette County
State police in Uniontown are seeking information on a New Year’s Day fire that destroyed an out building in rural Fayette County, killing two horses. Fire marshal Craig Soltis said the 5 a.m. fire destroyed a building on the 600 block of Buchanan Avenue, Springfield Township, owned by Arm Land...
Gas restored to most customers in Donora outage
Natural gas service was restored to about three quarters of the 1,700 customers of Columbia Gas in Donora, Washington County as of early Monday morning, according to the company. About 425 customers remain without power. Gas company technicians will go door-to-door this morning to perform safety checks and restart gas...
Stock market volatility belies strength of U.S. economy, experts say
The stock market roller-coaster ride of the past month may not be fun for investors, but it doesn’t have to be a harrowing experience either, financial advisers across the region said. Investor worries about stock market volatility are understandable, advisers told the Tribune-Review, but those should be balanced against the...
Columbia Gas opening warming centers after shutting off service in Donora
Columbia Gas announced Saturday evening that it was shutting off natural gas service to about 1,700 customers in Donora, Washington County. “The shutdown of service and the steps we are taking are out of an abundance of caution,” the company said in an announcement. “There is no threat to our...
Laurel Ridge State Park to grow by 281 acres thanks to conservation purchase
A recent land acquisition will add 281 acres to Laurel Ridge State Park at the border of Fayette and Somerset counties later this year. The property was purchased by the Pittsburgh-based Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in December and will eventually be transferred to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources....
Aldi recalls potato chips due to potential undeclared milk allergen
Aldi is recalling potato chips from stores in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York and Ohio because they were mislabeled, the company announced. Aldi and Olde York Potato Chips voluntarily recalled 96 cases of “Clancy’s Wavy Potato Chips” as a precautionary measure due to the potential presence of milk. “This product...
