Emily Balser stories
Western Pa. health experts alarmed by ‘unacceptable’ rise in maternal deaths
Local doctors say the rising number of maternal deaths in the state is “unacceptable” and “scary,” and they are working to create more comprehensive ways to care for pregnant and postpartum women. According to data from the state Department of Health, an increasing trend in pregnancy-related deaths occurred from 2012-16...
Harrison girl, 7, raises thousands of dollars for police — again
Harrison’s youngest reigning fundraising queen was at it again this weekend. Kaley Bastine, 7, raised nearly $3,000 for New Kensington police Officer Joe Martino and his police dog, Deuce. The dog was donated to the police department by the Officer Brian Shaw Foundation. Shaw was killed while on duty in...
Residents bring items to Tarentum antique store hoping to find treasureVideo
Allegheny Township residents Robert and Elaine Bargerstock knew the items they brought into an antique appraisal event Sunday were worth a lot in sentiment, but they had no idea how much they would be worth in dollars. The photos feature Robert Bargerstock’s grandfather, who was an Allegheny Ludlum worker during...
Introducing Sherman, TribLive’s Pet of the WeekVideo
Everyone, meet Sherman! This young boy is TribLive’s Pet of the Week, and he’s available for adoption at the West Deer Dog Shelter. Age: One year old Breed: He’s a beagle and coon hound mix. He has been at the shelter for about a month. What he likes: He’s a...
Penn State Extension plans workshop for cattle farmers
Beef farmers will have a chance in October to learn more about how to market the meat from their animals during a workshop offered by the Penn State Extension. Beef cattle producers can attend a two-day workshop on Oct. 22-23, 2019 at Penn State University Park. The workshop also is...
Springdale Energy donates $55K to improve safety, emergency services in A-K Valley
Springdale Energy donated $55,000 to four organizations in the lower Alle-Kiski Valley to help them improve safety and emergency services. Springdale Volunteer Fire Department and Allegheny Valley Volunteer Fire Company each received $10,500, while Allegheny Valley School District received $16,000 and the Allegheny Valley Emergency Management Agency got about $18,000....
Penn State New Kensington to name student union after philanthropist Chuck Booth
Penn State New Kensington plans to name its new student union building after the late Chuck Booth to honor the longtime donor and supporter of the school. Booth was one of the early advocates for the campus and contributed regularly to scholarship funds and other campus initiatives. He died in...
Penn’s Colony Festival mixes history, crafts, food, funVideo
Casey Jones posed for a picture Sunday in a pillory, with his arms and head through the holes of the device formerly used for punishment by public humiliation. Instead of public mockery, his family had a good-natured laugh and snapped a picture before they continued to make their way around...
Pet of the Week Chloie is looking for laid-back homeVideo
Everyone, meet Chloie! This loving gal is TribLive’s Pet of the Week, and she’s available for adoption at the East End location of Humane Animal Rescue in Pittsburgh. Age: 10 years old. Breed: She’s an American pit bull terrier mix. What she likes: She likes to go on leisurely strolls...
Harmar officials relieved to get $157,000 grant for stream bank restoration
Harmar officials have received a state grant to help remove sediment from it streams as part of complying with its state-mandated Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) plan. The township received nearly $157,000 in state Watershed Restoration and Protection Program funding for stream bank restoration along Little Deer Creek. “We...
Trib newsman Dick Mears remembered for his creativity, problem-solving skills
Richard “Dick” Mears was always there for his friends and family, whether it was to lend a helping hand or offer a laugh. “He was always willing to help anybody at all and make a difference whether it was a co-worker, a family member, a neighbor or whoever,” said Frances...
Trib newsman Dick Mears remembered for his creativity, problem-solving skills
Richard “Dick” Mears was always there for his friends and family, whether it was to lend a helping hand or offer a laugh. “He was always willing to help anybody at all and make a difference whether it was a co-worker, a family member, a neighbor or whoever,” said Frances...
Man killed after car crashes into McKeesport building
Allegheny County police are investigating a crash that killed one person and injured two others early Sunday morning in McKeesport. Officials said the incident happened just before 7 a.m. at the intersection of Lysle Boulevard and Center Street when a car crashed into a building. Three people in the vehicle...
Cheswick seeks full-time public works employee
Cheswick is looking for someone to join its public works department after its only full-time employee resigned to take another job. Councilman Michael Girardi said Dave Houston resigned last week and took a job with Tarentum’s public works department. “While he was the only full-time public works employee,” Girardi said,...
Introducing Minnie, a calico with ‘cat-itude’ available for adoption
Everyone, meet Minnie! This petite girl is up for adoption through Kiski Valley Cat & Kitten Rescue in Allegheny Township. Age: 1 year old Breed: Calico Personality: She can have a “cat-itude” at first, but she adjusts well to other cats and dogs. She will probably require an adjustment period...
Fans ready for Steelers’ home opener at Heinz Field
The Pittsburgh Steelers home opener against the Seattle Seahawks kicks off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, and fans arrived early at the stadium. TribLive reporter Emily Balser roamed tailgates in the parking lots and areas around Heinz Field on the North Shore as fans looked forward to seeing how the...
Lower Burrell man solves mystery surrounding great uncle’s 1925 death
Jason Devlin’s family never really got over the death of his great uncle nearly a century ago. And, making matters worse, no one in the family seemed to know any details about how Hugh Devlin died at the age of 18. “A hunting accident” is all his family seemed to...
Gamma Knife, a noninvasive brain tumor treatment, offered at AGH
Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute now offers patients a noninvasive alternative to traditional brain surgery to remove tumors. Gamma Knife, a type of radiation therapy where hundreds of precisely focused radiation beams are used to treat tumors and other abnormalities in the brain, is now available at Allegheny General Hospital....
Residents use hands, feet to decorate new sign for Tarentum community garden
From making ears of corn with their hands and pea pods with their thumbs, members of Abundant Joy Fellowship and the Alle-Kiski community came together Sunday to make their mark on the new sign for Tarentum’s Greg Blythe Friendship Garden. The effort was led by Blythe’s niece, Emily Whitco, who...
Pet of the Week: Aurora, a retriever mixVideo
Everyone, meet Aurora! This sweet girl is TribLIVE’s Pet of the Week, and she’s available for adoption at Animal Friends of Westmoreland. Age: 3 or 4 years old Breed: Retriever mix What she likes: Taking car rides and going for walks. She’d make a good partner for exercising and taking...
Question of turf at Allegheny Valley soccer field draws residents’ ire
Some Allegheny Valley School District residents say the district’s soccer field is in bad shape and should be converted to artificial turf. But they don’t want to do it just so a private soccer club can play there. The comments came during a special school board meeting Thursday afternoon, during...
Freeport life-skills students to join cheerleaders for Friday’s football game
Fans at Freeport Area High School’s football game Friday might notice a few extra cheerleaders on the sidelines. Students from the school’s life-skills class have been invited to be cheerleaders for the night. One of the cheer captains, Megan Rossey, 17, wanted to include them in an activity they otherwise...
Hospice workers grant Harrison man’s wish to visit his wife’s grave
When Carmen Amelio’s wife died in 2001, he wanted to give her the grave site he thought she deserved. So Amelio set out on a labor of love. He invested nearly $30,000 in his wife’s memory. He paid for a mausoleum so he could be buried with her. He installed...
Allegheny Valley school officials to consider youth club’s request to use soccer field
The Allegheny Valley School Board will hold a special meeting Thursday to consider a proposal from Arsenal Football Club of PA to use a district soccer field. The meeting will be held at 3:30 p.m. at Acme Elementary School, 300 Pearl Ave. in Cheswick. District spokeswoman Jan Zastawniak said the...
CDC awards Pennsylvania $2.25 million grant to study maternal mortality
Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration announced Tuesday it has received a $2.25 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the cause of maternal deaths in the state after an increase in recent years. Officials said the state Department of Health will receive the grant over five...
