Experts see huge appetite for new supermarket chains in Western Pa. as Meijer, Wegmans move in
Western Pennsylvania shoppers will have their appetites for new grocery stores put to the test once supermarket chains Wegmans and Meijer arrive in the region. Experts believe customers have room to spare. “You still have one of the most acute shortages of supermarket chains anywhere in the continental United States...
Buffalo Township man accused of sexually assaulting girl turns himself in
Derrian Alcorn, the Buffalo Township man accused of raping an intoxicated 15-year-old girl last year, turned himself in Wednesday for his preliminary arraignment. Alcorn’s defense attorney, Duke George Jr., said his client is in the process of posting the $100,000 bond set by District Judge Jack D. Ripper. Alcorn is...
7th annual Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival draws record crowd while supporting breast cancer survivors
Dragons were spotted recently on North Park Lake, but they weren’t the fire-breathing kind. And the misty morning provided the perfect backdrop for the seventh annual Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival on Sept. 27, hosted by Pittsburgh Hearts of Steel, a nonprofit breast cancer awareness organization. Dragon boat racing is a...
Swastikas found on signs in Mt. Pleasant borough, surrounding communities
Mt. Pleasant Borough Police are investigating numerous swastikas spray painted on signs around town over the last few days, said Mayor Diane Bailey. Authorities are asking that residents and business owners leave the symbols associated with antisemitism or of Nazism alone while they try to figure out who is behind...
Chase Bank ATM firebombed along McKnight Road in Ross
Within hours of a shootout late Tuesday night at Ross Park Mall, an ATM was firebombed along McKnight Road, according to township police. A nearby witness reported the firebombing shortly after midnight, Ross Deputy Chief Brian Kohlhelpp said. The drive-thru ATM is located under a canopy in the parking lot...
Ferris wheel returns to Pittsburgh for Oktoberfest
The Ferris wheel that lit up Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente Bridge last year has returned. Running from Thursday through Oct. 12, the Ferris wheel will be featured for Oktoberfest’s Karneval. The wheel will be open daily from noon to 8 p.m., with Fridays and Saturdays extended to 10 p.m. As of...
Pitt’s Oakland enrollment increases 4%; numbers stable elsewhere
Enrollment at the University of Pittsburgh’s Oakland campus has increased by roughly 4%, according to data released Wednesday. Pitt reports more than 31,200 students attending the campus this fall, an increase from 29,927 last fall. Of those, about 21,380 are undergraduates, about 1,000 more than last fall; and 9,849 are...
What federal services are affected by the government shutdown?
With Congress and the White House remaining deadlocked over the 2026 federal budget, the U.S. government shut down much of its operations as of midnight Wednesday. The partial shutdown could be a long standoff, Reuters reported, which could lead to the loss of thousands of federal jobs. Agencies are warning...
‘Not an honest document’: Critics slam Gainey’s 2026 budget plan
Pittsburgh’s controller and several City Council members on Wednesday skewered parts of Mayor Ed Gainey’s budget proposal for next year, with one councilman calling it “unprofessional” and “sloppy.” The $680 million operating budget — released Tuesday evening after a last-minute rush to make final adjustments — avoids tax hikes and...
Former Rite Aid building in Lower Burrell could be enticing location for retailers
The location of a former Rite Aid in Lower Burrell, near the Route 56 and Leechburg Road intersection, could make it attractive to a potential retailer, city officials say. “What we’ve found is large retail establishments, they insist on having a four-lane highway,” said Councilman David Stoltz. “With that building,...
Oakmont fire chief warns residents about second round of brush fire season
With the second round of brush fire season upon us, Oakmont Fire Chief Joseph Flanick is being proactive in stopping fires before they start. Factors such as dry weather, windy days and fallen autumn leaves creating a thick layer of dry fuel all contribute to the quick spread of brush...
Shoppers return to Ross Park Mall as police continue to investigate shootout in parking lot
People were shopping, eating and walking at Ross Park Mall on Wednesday, a sunny morning after a shootout Tuesday night in the mall’s parking lot left at least one person hurt. Gene Pancheri and his wife, Antoinette, of Pittsburgh were among the mall walkers getting in their steps, as they...
Trash or treasure: Appraisal fair coming to Tarentum history museum
For people who love a treasure hunt, the Tarentum history museum is the place to be Saturday. Four appraisers affiliated with the Sen. John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh will be on-site to assess the value of old jewelry, art, side tables, lamps and more. “People seem to love this...
Jeannette considers work at entry to improve access to city hall
Jeannette is trying to make an accessible entrance to city hall easier to navigate for those who use it. But cost is a factor. Solicitor Tim Witt said officials are looking into grant funding to enhance a back entryway and navigation throughout the 100-year-old structure for people who have physical...
Inventory to dictate closing date of Community Supermarket in Harrison
Inventory is starting to dwindle at Community Supermarket in Harrison. The store, which has operated in the Heights Plaza shopping center since 2002, is expected to close by Oct. 31. Joe Glaister of Brackenridge believes it might be sooner. “I’m probably there three or four times a week,” he said....
State police release details on fatal motorcycle crash in Sewickley Township
Pennsylvania State Police have released information about a fatal motorcycle crash last month in Sewickley Township. Matthew W. Cathers, 52, of Smithton was riding a Harley-Davidson Sportster on Lowber Road around 5:30 p.m. Sept. 18 when it left the road and hit a guide rail, police said. The motorcycle continued...
Morning Roundup: Woman hit by car in South Side; water main break on East Carson
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Oct. 1: Woman critical after being hit by a car in South Side A woman in her late 70s was hit by a car Tuesday while crossing the street in Pittsburgh’s South Side Flats neighborhood. The collision occurred...
The Stroller, Oct. 1, 2025: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Free microchips available for...
Bill to help pay for police bulletproof vests a ‘game-changer’
Allegheny County Housing Authority police Chief Mike Vogel recently paid $1,800 for his bulletproof vest. Through a federally funded grant program enacted by Congress in 1998, he should get a 50% reimbursement. But instead of $900, he received $450. “The bill hasn’t been written for 20-some years. We’re still using...
PSU Fayette seeks new home for ‘family history’ of artifacts at coal and coke center
In the basement of the library at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus a few miles north of Uniontown, sits one of the largest collection of artifacts of the region’s bituminous coal and coke-producing industries. The fate of the 48-year-old Coal and Coke Heritage Center and its 8,000 artifacts and...
Etna, Reserve should form regional police department, study finds
A state study recommends that Etna and Reserve form a regional police department, while also finding that doing so will cost each municipality more for police services. The Governor’s Center for Local Government Services at the state Department of Community and Economic Development prepared the report at the request of...
‘SpaceBurgh’ festival will return to Riverview Park for 2nd year
Pittsburgh’s second annual space festival — known as “SpaceBurgh” — is returning this weekend to Riverview Park. The festival brings together STEM, robotics and astronomy in a citywide celebration of space, according to the event announcement. SpaceBurgh will last from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at the park in...
Flying out of Latrobe? Spirit Airlines swaps Fort Lauderdale for Orlando flights
Passengers flying on bankrupt Spirit Airlines out of Arnold Palmer Regional Airport near Latrobe will lose the twice-weekly service to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in November but will gain two flights a week to Orlando, the airport’s chief officer said. The cutting and adding of service from Arnold Palmer Regional by...
Police investigating gunfight at Ross Park Mall parking lot, minivan sought
Ross police are investigating a gunfight that took place in a parking lot at the Ross Park Mall on Tuesday evening. Emergency calls for the incident came in shortly before 8 p.m. The incident occurred near the Dick’s Sporting Goods and Nordstrom store, according to news partners WTAE. Ross Township...
Gainey pitches budget plan with no tax hike
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration on Tuesday proposed a penny-pinching budget that avoids a tax increase for 2026. Gainey’s $680 million operating budget — which funds basic city functions, like employee salaries, programming and utility bills — would increase spending from the roughly $666 million budgeted this year. That’s an...
