Allegheny County Council approves increases to air-quality permit fees
Allegheny County Council on Tuesday moved forward with an air quality permit fee schedule that, officials say, will promote public health and relieve financial pressure on the county health department’s air quality program. The fee changes include raising a range of permit and maintenance costs for industrial facilities starting Jan....
Westmoreland to break 200 election ties with draws from a jar
More than 200 races in this month’s municipal election in Westmoreland County ended in ties. The county election board Tuesday issued a precertification of the results of the hundreds of races that appeared on the Nov. 4 ballot after tallying more than 22,000 write-in votes, said Election Bureau Director Scott...
Monroeville author offers spicy and ‘delightfully cuckoo anthology’ for first book
On July 3, Heather Mohan and her childhood friend, Lisa Purdue, were chatting about life’s funniest moments. Mohan surprised Purdue — lovingly referred to as Quags, due to her maiden name Quaglieri — with a story her friend never heard before. The friends — who both graduated from Gateway and...
Jeannette man charged in hit-and-run that killed e-bike rider
A Jeannette man is now charged in connection with a hit-and-run that killed a man who was riding an e-bike in Hempfield. State police accused William Edward Sever, 37, of being behind the wheel of a borrowed Kia car when it collided with Jayden Lynch, 19, of Jeannette, late on...
Westmoreland officials refute claims of backdoor salary deal for former purchasing director
Westmoreland County Commissioner Ted Kopas on Tuesday refuted defense claims that the criminal prosecution of the county’s former purchasing director was an effort to cover up actions taken outside of official channels. Kopas, Controller Jeffrey Balzer and county finance director Meghan McCandless testified under defense subpoenas as part of an...
Seneca Hills Village Singers present Veterans Day concert
The Seneca Hills Village Singers at the Senior Seneca Living Facility in Penn Hills presented an hourlong concert on Veterans Day to remember those who served our country as members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. Under the direction of Joseph Hajdu, the 13-member chorus sang...
Harrison man indicted after officials say he threatened to shoot postal carrier and shoot up post office
A federal grand jury has indicted a Harrison man on 11 charges after he was arrested in a raid on his home late last month. The grand jury indictment against Thomas Dorn, 39, of Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood adds eight counts of interstate threats and a single count of threatening to...
Police offer details on Derry Township fatal shooting
State police had been called to a Derry Township home that was the scene of a fatal shooting Saturday four times in less than a year for domestic-related complaints. None of them resulted in any criminal charges, said Trooper Steve Limani. “It’s not uncommon for us to go to a...
Proposed Penn Hills budget includes no tax increase; first hearing coming up
Penn Hills will hold its first hearing on its proposed 2026 budget at 7 p.m. Nov. 24. The public is welcome to ask questions about the $78.9 million spending plan — which includes no tax increase — and provide feedback on what the township’s goals and financial priorities should be...
Hunter dies after fall in South Huntingdon
A hunter in Westmoreland County died after falling on Tuesday. A county 911 supervisor said first responders were called to South Huntingdon’s Mendon neighborhood just after 12:30 p.m. Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said Michael Hinerman, 50, was found on his property in a wooded area along McCune Road in...
Pittsburgh Mills property owners ordered to pay another $17.6 million in fines
Property owners for the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer were ordered to pay more than $17 million in response to poor road, sidewalk and door conditions at the mall complex, an Allegheny County judge ruled Tuesday. In sum, Judge Thomas Flaherty handed down $17,634,080 worth of fines against the four...
Local news festival Newsapalooza set to return this week
Newsapalooza, a two-day local news festival in Pittsburgh, will return for another year on Thursday and Friday. The event will take place at Point Park University and its Pittsburgh Playhouse theater. Presented by Point Park’s Center for Media Innovation, Newsapalooza saw its first edition last year. Attendees can expect numerous...
‘I was paranoid’: Severe psychosis drove fatal stabbing of liquor control officer on Montour Trail
By the time Antonia Quesen fatally stabbed a man running on the Montour Trail last year, she was profoundly paranoid. Since her junior year in college studying art, her mom told a judge on Tuesday, Quesen believed people were poisoning her; that there were 5G chips in the covid-19 vaccine;...
Tarentum taxes to remain steady under proposed budget; utilities to increase slightly
Property taxes were held steady in Tarentum, although residents will likely see a slight increase in some utility costs. The proposed $5.7 million general fund budget was passed Tuesday. It maintains a property tax rate of 5.98 mills. If approved, the owner of a home assessed at the borough’s median...
Tarentum man mauled by his own dogs
A Tarentum man who faced charges last year after his pit bulls attacked several people on Halloween was mauled by his three dogs Tuesday at a borough apartment. Brandon Baynes, 37, suffered severe injuries to his face, Tarentum police said. Emergency crews were called early Tuesday to an Allegheny County...
New rules take bite out of red tape for food trucks in Pittsburgh ahead of NFL Draft
Pittsburgh on Tuesday made it easier for vendors to set up retail or food stands throughout the city. The changes will take effect shortly, well in advance of the 2026 NFL Draft in April. The three-day event — which will span Downtown and the North Shore — is expected to...
Ross Manager Ronald Borczyk, a West Deer resident, announces retirement
After nearly 30 years as an elected and appointed local government official, Ronald Borczyk is calling it a career. Borczyk, 67, will retire Jan. 9 from his current position as manager of Ross, Commissioner Dan DeMarco announced during the commissioners meeting on Monday, Nov. 17. “We’re gonna miss you, Ron,”...
SWAT, U.S. Marshals arrest South Side homicide suspect
A SWAT team and U.S. marshals on Tuesday arrested a Penn Hills man who had been on the lam in connection with a fatal shooting last month in Pittsburgh’s South Side entertainment district. Video footage showed Moniem Strothers, 26, shoot Steven Robertson, 33, once in the neck in the 1200...
Allegiant pilots picket for higher pay outside new Pittsburgh airport terminal
Allegiant Air pilots picketing outside the new Pittsburgh International Airport terminal said they’re fed up with sluggish union contract talks and pay well below industry standards. Jumping to another carrier, including other budget airlines like Spirit or Southwest, could bring more than double the hourly pay, they said. “All we’re...
Verona Police launch new features on refurbished website
The Verona Police Department has streamlined multiple services and information access through its newly refurbished website. The improvements will significantly improve the department’s online presence, according to a post on its Facebook page. New services available on the site include paying parking tickets online, requesting police reports, applying for handicap...
Heisler warns of ‘widespread service disruptions’ if Pittsburgh fleet isn’t funded
Pittsburgh Controller Rachael Heisler is urging officials to create a fund for nonprofits to help buy new emergency vehicles as the city struggles to maintain an aging, breakdown-prone fleet. If Pittsburgh doesn’t significantly bolster investments to the fleet, the city could experience “widespread service disruptions” in the coming years, Heisler...
Wilkinsburg man accused of beating woman to death in Plum
Allegheny County Police have accused Shawn Higgins of beating his girlfriend to death in Plum on Saturday. Higgins, 62, of Wilkinsburg is charged with criminal homicide in connection to the death of Jacqueline Pryber. Police in Washington Township, Westmoreland County, initially located Pryber’s body in the passenger seat of Higgins’...
With state budget passage, Gateway School District anticipates $600,000 bump in revenue
During Gateway School Board’s study session Nov. 17, the board discussed the impact the state budget finally passing will have on the district. The district anticipates receiving a net increase of $612,021 in state revenue for the 2025-26 school year. Superintendent Guy Rossi stressed the amount still needs to be...
Latrobe prepares for health cost hike next year, looks to hold line on taxes
Latrobe officials plan to hold the line on taxes next year despite an increase in health benefit costs and moves to boost staff and equipment for a shift to in-house garbage hauling. City council voted last week to advertise a proposed 2026 budget with projected revenues of $7.52 million, which...
Hunt Elementary initiative’s goal is to send every student home with food before Thanksgiving
When students at Roy A. Hunt Elementary School go home for holiday breaks, their teachers worry. Almost 87% of the school’s students are economically disadvantaged, according to data from the state department of education’s Future Ready Index. So, with the recent federal government shutdown concurrent with a state budget impasse...
