Haley Daugherty stories, Page 10
West Leechburg siblings navigate twists and turns of the balloon art business
Harper and Cameron Grantz are the “Twist Tastic” siblings. Harper, 10, and Cameron, 11, use their affinity for art and design to create everything from dogs and monkeys to swords and hats using colorful balloons. They began their own business, Twist Tastic Duo, and completed their first event in May....
Gilpin supervisors fill vacancy
Gilpin Township has welcomed one more supervisor. Gary Hall, 65, was unanimously appointed to a vacant seat Thursday night. He’ll fill a position left by Kris Kulick in May. “The biggest reason was to put faith back into the governance of Gilpin Township,” Hall said when asked why he decided...
U.S. Open honors Flag Day, Army’s 250th birthday
The opening ceremony of the 125th U.S. Open wasn’t just about golf. Notable figures in the USGA, local government and military gathered at the tournament’s Fan Central for an opening ceremony and flag raising. Special guests, including USGA president Fred Perpall; Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato; Director of U.S. Army...
Penn Hills School Board member censured, faces possible removal
A Penn Hills School Board member has been censured for a social media post and is facing possible removal from the board. The May voting meeting’s agenda featured a motion to censure board member Devon Goetze. Board member Robert Marra presented the censure and attributed it to a Facebook post...
Riverview graduates 83 in Class of 2025
Here’s a look at the Riverview High School graduating Class of 2025: Tyler C. Aftanas, Marco N. Aquino, Christopher S. Barnes, Elise I. Barnes, Lily A. Bauer, D’Andre Beatty, Jacob Alexzander Bennett, George Joseph Bernsdorff, John Paul Bertucci, Renton L. Biondich, Reilly N. Boda, Giovanni Bryce Bonifate, Antonio Boyer, David...
51st Oakmont Greek Food Festival to feature traditional food, music
Some extra food is being made in preparation for the 51st Oakmont Greek Food Festival presented by the Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church at 12 Washington Ave. later this month. Event co-chair Andy Gavrilos said last year’s festival ended in disappointment for some attendees when a few of...
Oakmont residents find community, sweet memories selling parking spots
Mike Komaniak is one heck of a Tetris player. But his version of the game is a bit more immersive than the actual puzzle-building video game. Every five years since 2006, Komaniak and his wife, Suzanne, open their backyard to men’s and women’s U.S. Open spectators trying to find a...
Hulton Road among routes seeing jump in traffic, slower commute during U.S. Open week
Clare Sliben had to leave for her summer job as a lifeguard almost an hour early Monday morning. Like many other Oakmont residents, Sliben, 16, has been battling traffic, mainly on Hulton Road, during rush hour each day this week as the 2025 U.S. Open takes place at Oakmont Country...
Verona Council hires new police chief
Thomas Dessell wears multiple hats in the Verona community. A Verona native, Dessell has been a borough police officer and president of the Verona Chamber of Commerce. But council promoted him to police chief on Tuesday night. The hiring comes on the heels of previous chief Ron McLemore’s honorable discharge...
Penn Hills School Board results: 7 candidates earn party nods for November general election
Newcomers and incumbents for the Penn Hills School Board will be making an appearance on the November ballot. According to unofficial election results from the Allegheny County Office of Elections, out of nine candidates, Democratic newcomers Monica Colbert, 51, Dawn Golden, 54, and Reginald Hickman, 51, and incumbent Nicole Richardson,...
Apollo Memorial Library closed for repairs
Apollo Memorial Library will be closed through Tuesday for a restoration project. According to a social media post from the library, the building sustained water damage and closed June 7 for repairs. The building’s book drop is not accessible. Any overdue fines as a result of the closure will be...
Traffic calm in Oakmont during 1st day of U.S. Open practice rounds
Drivers in Oakmont experienced mostly traffic-free travel as U.S. Open practice rounds kicked off Monday morning. While there might have been a bit more travel than usual, traffic wasn’t an issue, Oakmont police Chief Michael Ford said. People, however, shouldn’t necessarily get used to those quick travel times through the...
Riverview business manager recommends 2.23% tax increase
Riverview School District’s business manager doubled down on her recommendation for a tax increase for next school year. Business manager Sheila Lubert once again recommended a 2.23% tax increase for 2025-26 during the school board’s June 2 agenda meeting after reviewing the district’s proposed budget. The 0.5591-mill real estate tax...
Oakmont deer could be target of survey
Whitetail deer are on the minds of Oakmont officials. During a recent council meeting, Councilwoman Debra Ormay floated the idea to make a survey available for residents to share whether there’s a deer issue in Oakmont. She said she has received a few complaints about the presence of deer and...
Verona man arrested in connection with December robbery and shooting
Verona police made an arrest Friday morning in connection with a December robbery and shooting in the borough. According to Verona Officer Thomas Dessell, Price Riley, 37, was wanted for allegedly robbing his Uber driver and later firing a gunshot inside a gas station bathroom in December. “With the assistance...
Pittsburgh Mills: From 1-stop shop to disarray
With recent legal developments, including hundreds of township-issued citations, criminal charges and a lawsuit filed by real estate trusts for Walmart and Sam’s Club, Namdar Realty Group, the owners of Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer, continues to remain under the microscope for the property’s alleged mismanagement and slow decay. How...
Longtime fans recount stories, experiences at past U.S. Opens at Oakmont
Curt Coulter has a deep connection to Oakmont Country Club and the U.S. Opens played there. The golfing bug bit him early, at just 7. By the time he was 13, he was a junior member at Oakmont living a chip shot away. Coulter, 59, went on to win seven...
Verona’s annual farmers market returns to East Railroad Avenue
Verona Borough’s annual farmers market kicked off on Thursday, June 5. Local farmers, vendors and community clubs set up stands at 736 East Railroad Ave. to sell produce, plants and other wares. The market will take place every Thursday from 2 to 7 p.m. through October. For more information, visit...
Storms delay work, finish date on long-awaited Oakmont parking lot
The completion date for a long-awaited parking lot in Oakmont’s business district is being pushed back. Oakmont Community Foundation president Ray Rogers said work on the lot along Allegheny Avenue has been slowed repeatedly by bad weather. Oakmont was hit hard by severe thunderstorms at the end of April, leaving...
Pittsburgh Mills mall owners waive preliminary hearing for criminal charge
Owners of the Pittsburgh Mills mall are waiting to hear a trial date after waiving their preliminary hearing Monday. Pitt Galleria LLC, a limited liability corporation that New York-based Namdar Realty Group operates through, was charged with creating a public nuisance by the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office in April....
Oakmont zoning board hearing is a nonstarter after series of miscommunications
An Oakmont Zoning Hearing Board public hearing was rescheduled after officials discovered no one had notified the central figure in the situation that the hearing was taking place. The hearing, as advertised in a published legal ad, was scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. The zoning hearing board was to...
Butler City Police investigate apparent murder-suicide
Butler City Police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide Thursday. According to a statement released by Butler Police Chief Bob O’Neill, police found a woman and man dead inside a home on Cottage Hill Avenue just before 3:45 p.m. Wednesday when officers responded to a requested welfare check. “The detectives conducted...
Oakmont officials detail parking restrictions near country club for U.S. Open week
Some Oakmont residents have received a letter from the USGA detailing parking changes during next week’s U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. Borough officials released a map specifying 23 roads between Eight Street and the Pennsylvania Turnpike overpass that will be unavailable for on-street parking aside from residents...
Questions remain unanswered on 12th anniversary of Trib employee’s disappearance
Dan Niehaus preferred actions over words. Despite being prone to silence with the occasional “hello” and “thank you,” Niehaus of Penn Hills was known as a reliable man and a hard worker. “Dan was a nice guy, but he didn’t talk at all,” said Todd Besh, Trib Total Media production...
Leechburg Area students worked the polls thanks to innovative program
Leechburg Area students Rocco Vigna, 17, and Nevin Steele, 17, spent election day serving their community. The two juniors from West Leechburg were the first students to participate in a program that allows students living in Westmoreland County to work at polling places. The boys spent half a day at...
