Western PA Local News category, Page 77
Craft distilleries make industry, community connections
Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, Western Pennsylvania was the epicenter of American whiskey production. Before the Prohibition era, Pennsylvania cornered the market in rye whiskey. It wasn’t until 2011 that a distillery returned to the state. Matt Strickland, the master distiller for Iron City Distilling, wants to honor that history....
‘Read the room’: Western Pennsylvanians weigh in on cellphone etiquette
Pastor James Arter of First Evangelical Lutheran Church and Cross Roads Community Presbyterian Church in Leechburg vividly recalls the moment he experienced a cellphone etiquette faux pas during a funeral viewing. Arter witnessed a female snapping selfies with her phone over an open casket that contained the deceased. “I had...
Westmoreland happenings: Pizza fundraiser, blood drives, senior citizen news, more
Fundraiser A pizza fundraiser to benefit Parker’s Fly High Foundation will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, at Rocco’s Pizza, 112 S. Third St., Youngwood. A percentage of each purchase will be donated to the foundation that honors the late Parker O’Shell. Dine in, takeout or...
Shapiro, Garrity set stage for Pa.’s high-stakes race for governor
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro didn’t mention his likely Republican opponent by name once last week when he launched his reelection campaign with a 26-minute speech in Pittsburgh. President Donald Trump’s name didn’t come up either. Shapiro’s likely opponent in the race for governor, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, took a different...
Fire leaves Hempfield house with significant damage
A man was taken to a hospital Friday afternoon suffering from smoke inhalation caused by a fire in his house along Mt. Pleasant Road in Hempfield, a township fire official said. Hempfield Deputy Fire Chief Ben Rudd said he did not know the identity of the affllicted man, who was...
Ballerinas flock to Pittsburgh to compete in renowned scholarship competition
Paige Radford stepped onstage Friday at the Pittsburgh Playhouse for her first-ever dance competition — a moment she’s been preparing for since she was 2. Radford, 10, of Marshall, was a contestant in the Youth America Grand Prix semifinals, which began Friday at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. The YAGP is the...
Police say Harmar man shot and burned down his own home, fired guns at nearby houses
A Harmar man fired gunshots at his and neighbor’s homes before torching his residence early Friday morning, according to police. David John Benec, 65, of Harmar is charged with arson, discharging a firearm into a structure and recklessly endangering another person. Around 4 a.m. Friday, police arrived at the scene...
Staffing is top priority as UPMC Magee-Womens nurses head into 1st contract talks
The newly formed nurses unions at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital will get to flex their power at the bargaining table for the first time Wednesday. Their priorities for their inaugural contracts include stronger health insurance, longer paid parental leave and better pay for experienced staff. But their top ask is improved...
Frankie’s Friends in New Kensington helps rescue 40 cats from hoarding situation
Frankie’s Friends nonprofit veterinary clinic in New Kensington is seeking help from the public after saving a hoard of 40 cats from a Westmoreland rescue shelter. Officials declined to name the rescue organization because no charges have been filed against it. The investigation continues. “The cats are sick, skinny —...
Special tax diversion proposed to help revitalize Downtown Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority officials are eyeing a tax diversion as the next step in ongoing efforts to revitalize Downtown in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. The authority’s board on Thursday voted to start the process of implementing a Transit Revitalization Investment District, known as a TRID. The diversion...
Georgie’s Corner Cafe to close indefinitely Sunday in Shadyside
Georgie’s Corner Bakery & Café announced it will close for good this weekend. The Shadyside coffee shop at 5743 Walnut St. will have its last day of business on Sunday, according to a post on its Instagram account. As of Friday afternoon, though, the account no longer exists. The announcement...
Judge delays ruling on Millvale’s $2M emergency loan request
A judge Friday delayed his ruling on Millvale’s emergency request to take out a $2 million loan to fend off a potential budget crisis. Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge John T. McVay, Jr. said he needs the consultant guiding debt restructuring for the municipality of 3,300 residents to testify before...
Will Mupeta disliked police but now wants to join the force — a high school program changed his mind
Will Mupeta didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. Then he attended a career fair the city of Pittsburgh hosted Downtown. He learned about public safety jobs and wondered whether a career as a firefighter or EMT might be in his future. That encouraged him to sign...
Norwin library to create children’s story walk at Irwin Park
Children visiting Irwin Park this year may have the opportunity to read a book while walking along a path, engaging in activities that coincide with the book’s theme. The Norwin Public Library received approval from Irwin Borough Council this week to create a story walk. The experience will feature 15...
District attorney rules police shooting of Derry Township man as justified
The use of deadly force by police in fatally shooting a Derry Township man in November was ruled justified by Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli. State and Latrobe police faced an immediate threat of serious bodily injury or death when they responded to a domestic disturbance and were met...
Video cameras to record unique presentation on history of the U.S. at Palace Theatre
The story of the birth of the United States will collide with Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra musicians in a unique performance that will include video cameras stationed around Greensburg’s Palace Theatre. Saturday will be a night of firsts: the first time “The Unlikely Union: A Storytelling Symphony of America” will have...
Pittsburgh International Airport adds nonstop flight to Los Angeles on United
United Airlines announced Friday it’s reintroducing daily nonstop service between Pittsburgh International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, with flights starting March 29. United — which last flew a direct connection between the airports in 2014 — will become the third airline offering this route. Breeze Airways has done so...
Attackers kidnap, pistol-whip podcaster in Wilkinsburg
A woman who was restrained, blindfolded, pistol-whipped and held for ransom managed to escape her kidnappers at the BP gas station on Ardmore Boulevard in Wilkinsburg on Thursday night, according to police. An arrest warrant for one of two suspects — 19-year-old Dontae Stevens, of Wilkinsburg, identified by the victim...
O’Connor ramps up Clean and Lien program attacking blight in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor on a frigid Friday morning stepped over scraps of multicolored wrappers and chunks of concrete in a blighted lot on Dove Way in Knoxville. Behind him sat a city dump truck packed full of trash that crews had cleaned from the property that morning: heaps of...
‘Everybody’s equal when they enter the show’: Greensburg Art Center holds annual member exhibit
Greeted by vibrant colors and soothing scenes, attendees of the Greensburg Art Center’s latest exhibit are sure to be put at ease, said Secretary Janice Decker. The art center, located at 230 Todd School Road in Hempfield, is holding its annual member show, which features 56 pieces — including paintings,...
Pennsylvania Cable Network to showcase Leechburg artist
The Leechburg Area Museum and Historical Society will be gracing the television screen once again. After previously filming for its show “It’s History!,” the Pennsylvania Cable Network is back for more. “There was just so much information,” said Larry Boehm, president of the museum board. Boehm said the museum’s first...
Pa. gets $193M from federal rural health fund amid warnings it won’t offset Medicaid cuts
Pennsylvania has big plans for its $193 million award from a federal rural health fund, including investments in telehealth, recruiting health care workers and supporting ambulance services. But the nine-figure infusion from the Rural Health Transformation Program, announced last month by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is overshadowed...
Pitt, IUP launch initiatives to transform campus culture through dialogue
For the most part, students weren’t afraid to have difficult conversations on controversial topics when Gwen Torges started teaching at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1997. That’s no longer the case. “There has always been, and will always be, people who say ‘that’s not me,’ but there were always...
Arnold park improvements on hold after higher-than-expected cost estimates
Upgrades to Arnold’s Roosevelt Park may have to wait after estimates for work there came in significantly higher than expected. City officials planned to use Community Development Block Grant money to pay for upgrades, but the costs are far exceeding the money available. The city will have to redo its...
Riverview seeks to fill vacancy on school board
Riverview School Board is looking for a new member. Applications are being accepted to fill a board vacancy left after Roger Pogoda resigned. “This was not an easy decision,” Pogoda told the board at its meeting Monday. “I appreciate each and every one of you. … You can’t know if...
