Regional category, Page 13
Slippery Rock enrollment up 2.75% — its highest increase in 9 years
Slippery Rock University is experiencing record enrollment and retention rates this fall semester. Total enrollment at the Butler County state college is 8,625 students, a 2.75% increase from last fall, according to the university. It’s Slippery Rock’s largest single-year increase in the past nine years. There are 1,549 full-time, first-year...
Benezette elk viewing areas unaffected by weekend fires
A wildfire Saturday in Benezette it isn’t expected to impact tourism in the self-proclaimed “Elk Capital of Pennsylvania.” In north central Pennsylvania, visitors regularly flock to Elk County to observe the animals, and fall is particularly popular for viewing the annual elk rut. The game commission maintains multiple elk viewing...
PennWest, IUP partner with Google to expand AI training
When leaders in the business, manufacturing and education fields seek PennWest University students for internships and jobs, they’re not just asking if candidates are skilled in artificial intelligence. They’re also asking if the students can lead AI training and development for their potential peers, said Camille Dempsey, director of the...
Ligonier Valley officer joins few in local law enforcement able to draw blood of DUI suspects
When Ligonier Valley police Officer Shawn Knepper makes a traffic stop, he may end up taking the driver’s blood as well as his or her name, age and license number. Knepper recently became one of 19 municipal law enforcement officers in the state who have gained certification as a phlebotomist...
Concert will help support East Palestine residents affected by train derailment
Former steelworker, longtime Pittsburgh-area labor activist and musician Mike Stout wanted a way to formalize relief efforts for those affected and displaced by the 2023 East Palestine train derailment. The freight train derailment on Feb. 3, 2023, in the village near the Pennsylvania state line included 11 cars transporting hazardous...
Western Pa. theaters, museums struggling with funding, audience retention
On stages across Western Pennsylvania, the drama unfolding isn’t only scripted — it’s real. Five years after covid-19 shuttered theaters and silenced auditoriums, regional arts organizations are still navigating the fallout of the pandemic, shrinking funding streams and an audience base that looks much different than before. National data from...
‘Civil Discourse’ class aims to bridge political, social divides
Abagail Hayward doesn’t talk about politics with certain friends. It’s not because she’s unable to share her beliefs or respect other ideologies. She just doesn’t want to lose friends because of the tense nature of such conversations. “I know how they stand, and I don’t want them to not like...
Homer City school board member threatened after misunderstood Facebook post
An ill-timed Facebook post misconstrued to be celebrating Republican influencer Charlie Kirk’s assassination prompted death threats against a Homer City school board member and spurred 60 people to attend a board meeting this week. “One down, hundreds to go,” Misty Hunt posted Sept. 10 on Facebook. The words were meant...
Beaver County Catholics warned to double-check their inbox as emails aren’t from priests
A Beaver County Catholic parish is dealing with spam emails impersonating members of its clergy, according to a Facebook announcement. Mary, Queen of Saints Catholic Parish, which has churches in Aliquippa, Center, Hopewell and Monaca was made aware of the emails, specifically impersonating its priests, the Revs. John Gizler, Celestine...
Take the TribLive weekly news quiz: Sept. 19
The following is a feature from TribLive: A weekly news quiz: 1. Jimmy Kimmel’s television future is hanging in the balance after ABC suspended his late-night show as a result of the host’s comments mocking President Donald Trump. Which TV show did Kimmel make his debut? A/ Crank Yankers B/...
Teen shot, killed by federal agent in Aliquippa
An 18-year-old shot and killed by a federal agent in Aliquippa on Thursday evening was running from officers when he fired a weapon at them, state police said. Kendrick Curtis Jr., 18, was shot just after 6:20 p.m. after he fired a gun at law enforcement officers who were in...
Realtors, experts weigh in on Pittsburgh housing market for median income earners
Editor’s note: This is the first in an occasional series on real estate market trends in Western Pennsylvania. Ashlea Lee was tired of hunting for pet-friendly rental apartments for Reese, her 5-year-old golden retriever. The Westmoreland County native and Greensburg Central Catholic alumna knew what she wanted: a modest ranch,...
Pittsburgh airport’s traveler satisfaction likely to rise with new terminal, survey says
Pittsburgh International Airport has ranked 13th for medium sized airport in this year’s North America Airport Satisfaction Study, just ahead of the unveiling of the new terminal project. A travel intelligence expert says the new terminal could help to improve Pittsburgh’s rankings. Mike Taylor, senior managing director of travel intelligence...
Artists think big, paint small at ’24 Minis’ exhibit in Tarentum
Even if you’re painting a life-size depiction of baby birds, you don’t need a huge canvas. That’s part of the reason why Murrysville artist Betty Trout decided to focus on multiple families of robins in her backyard as the subject of her entry in the “24 Minis” exhibit at the...
DEP faces concerns about air pollution from proposed Homer City power plant
State environmental regulators were peppered with questions from Indiana-area residents Wednesday concerned about the air pollution that will be emitted from a proposed 4.5-gigawatt, natural gas-fired power plant outside Homer City and the potential for impacting their health. “We don’t feel they took any shortcuts on evaluating the (air pollution)...
2 men face charges in connection with disposal of 17-year-old girl’s body
Two people were charged this week in connection with the death of a 17-year-old girl whose remains were found in Fayette County in April 2024. They are accused of disposing of the body of Kaitlin Whoolery, 17, in North Union in November 2023. Derrick D. Bradley, 37, of Uniontown, and...
Pennsylvania AG confirms malicious cyber attacks
A month after website, email, and phone outages disrupted the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the office confirmed hackers intentionally carried out a cyberattack. The office said in a press release Wednesday that a “malicious actor” had been encrypting files in an attempt to blackmail the office into making a...
Highmark study: Surgery beats drugs like Ozempic for those looking to lose weight
Weight loss surgery is a cheaper and more effective way than medications like Ozempic for obese patients to shed pounds, according to a Highmark Health study released Wednesday that tracked thousands of people. Patients with severe obesity lost 28% of their weight on average, compared to just 10% with the...
Wawa coming to Penn State
Sheetz haters at Penn State are in luck — Wawa is officially coming to Happy Valley. Wawa has plans to open 10 stores in the broader Centre County area by 2031, with four stores planned for the State College area, the Centre Daily Times reported. The first stores will open...
DEP gives preliminary nod to $10B Homer City plant, environmental group sounds alarm
State environmental regulators say they intend to approve an air quality plan for a proposed natural gas-fired power plant near Homer City, despite concerns from an environmental group that the facility would become the largest air polluter in Pennsylvania. The Department of Environmental Protection said the air quality plan submitted...
Fall foliage in Western Pa. may be less than splendid, forecaster says
First, the good news, especially if it gets windy: The season of raking/blowing/bagging leaves could start and end earlier than normal this year because of an extended dry spell that started in early August and lasted through Labor Day. But the lack of rain, coupled with an early cold snap...
‘Trash wheel’ could soon be installed to remove litter from Pittsburgh river
Stewards of Western Pennsylvania waterways are hoping a machine being used to prevent litter from polluting the Baltimore harbor could help keep the Steel City’s rivers clean. Two nonprofit organizations, Allegheny CleanWays and Three Rivers Waterkeeper, are working on bringing a “trash wheel” to the Monongahela River near Hazelwood. Powered...
Morning Roundup: Child dies in Elizabeth Township fire; attempted robbery in East Allegheny
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Sept. 15: Child dies in Elizabeth Township fire A child was in critical condition early Monday following an early-morning fire in Elizabeth Township. TribLive news partner WTAE reports Monday evening that the child has died. The blaze broke...
Ford City woman charged after 3 dead infants found in rental home
Police have charged an Armstrong County woman after they discovered three dead babies inside the house she had been renting, they said. The investigation into Jessica Marie Mauthe, 39, of Ford City began when the landlord of a property in the 100 block of Oak Lane, Cadogan Township, was cleaning...
Time running out to claim federal tax credits on energy-efficient improvements
Chad Warhold, owner of plumbing, heating and air conditioning company Warhold Mechanicals in North Huntingdon, is expecting to add some last-minute jobs to his calendar between now and the end of the year. That’s because in addition to tax credits for solar energy installation, tax credits for homeowners who upgrade...
