http://www.post-gazette.com/ Local/regional news and features, Latest news, Education, Transportation, Mining Safety, Weather, Capitol Notes, Casino News, Casino Journal, News Obituaries, Morning File en-us Copyright 2009, post-gazette.com. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:17:31 -0500 15 http://www.post-gazette.com/includes/2007design/images/150x30pg_now_logo.gif http://www.post-gazette.com/ 144 39 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1015154-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml An effort to block Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's proposed 1 percent tuition tax has begun in Harrisburg. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:56:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1015139-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The state Department of Education today recognized 1,939 public schools with Keystone Achievement Awards for making adequate yearly progress -- known as AYP -- for two consecutive years, 2007-08 and 2008-09. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:32:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1015055-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Pittsburgh police have made an arrest in the stabbing of a man on the South Side early this morning. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:18:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1015058-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Two Pittsburgh school board members have set up their own citywide meeting for Monday so the public can comment on a school closing proposal and any other issues facing Pittsburgh Public Schools. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:44:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1015072-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Avonworth School District will dedicate a bench and area for reflection in memory of Jacob Snively at 10 a.m. tomorrow at the middle school. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:56:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1015059-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml After 23 months of negotiations, teachers in the South Allegheny School District have reached a contract settlement with the school board that will give teachers annual raises that average 2 percent. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:27:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1015064-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Shaler man remained free on bond after he was ordered today to stand trial, charged with having been drunk last May when he drove the wrong way onto a Fort Duquesne Bridge ramp where his car collided with another, killing the other driver and permanently disabling that driver???s passenger. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:18:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1015056-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Three men were held for trial this morning in the fatal shooting of a Beltzhoover man during a robbery in October. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:41:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1015053-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A man was killed in one-car crash this morning on Route 286 in Westmoreland County. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:27:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014953-488.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml In the past several weeks, as the H1N1 flu has swept through the nation, questions have been raised about how Pennsylvania chose to handle the process of distributing the limited doses of vaccine. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:53:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1015054-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Venango County man, injured in a one-vehicle crash in October in Mercer County, died this week in an Ohio Hospital, state police said. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:41:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014926-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Standing in ponchos and under a canopy of umbrellas, a few hundred people gathered in the rain in front of UPMC Braddock yesterday to decry UPMC's decision to shutter the hospital there, hoping their messages -- conveyed over a crackly portable speaker -- would sway the medical giant to change its mind about closing the facility. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:34:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014943-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Chances are, if you went to school in Brentwood before 1981, Geraldine Franz Sullivan knew you. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:19:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014940-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml After working an unfulfilling job upon his graduation from Duquesne University, where he helped to manage the club football team, Jon Neiderer decided it was time to get into professional sports. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:18:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014920-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A bumpy half-mile missing link on the North Shore Trail will be filled handsomely this winter by a $5 million elevated structure stretching near Millvale. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:13:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014925-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Downtown buildings and holiday decorations won't be the only things aglow during this evening's celebration of Light Up Night. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:08:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014922-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Don't bury Mellon Arena just yet. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:59:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1015052-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The proposal would have allowed a correctional organization to house more than 100 adult ex-offenders in a Penn Avenue building that currently houses a program for adolescent females. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:53:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014906-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml In recent months Pennsylvania has been in step with the nation in terms of unemployment, staying about a point behind the national rate as both rates slowly ticked up. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014915-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation yesterday awarded $290 million in teacher-effectiveness grants to schools in Pittsburgh and three other cities, saying the bold initiatives they've proposed have the chance to shape the future of teaching in America. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014923-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A majority of Pittsburgh City Council members said yesterday that they'll vote for a tuition tax, but that won't stop the universities -- and maybe the students -- from trying to derail the effort. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014927-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Pittsburgh police and the city's Office of Municipal Investigations are looking into allegations of misbehavior by officers at Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's election night party at a North Shore sports bar. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014949-294.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml He arrived in the mail one bright and sunny December afternoon: a tiny tadpole swimming in a bag of water. He and his accoutrements came in a box marked "Grow a Frog." Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014955-66.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The federal government yesterday asked for former Steelers Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount to be held in default on more than $600,000 in back taxes that he owes. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014957-59.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml An armed robber is being sought after the holdup Wednesday of a PNC Bank branch in North Huntingdon, police said. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014958-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A man who spent 19 years in prison for a rape he did not commit appears to be nearing a settlement in his federal lawsuit against the city of Pittsburgh. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014959-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center in Oakland has received the 2009 HPCwire Reader's Choice Award for Top Supercomputing Achievement, which recognizes the center's work as part of the National Institutes of Health's Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study project. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014961-365.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Sto-Rox school board last night did not open up the head football coaching position despite rumors that the decision was a done deal. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014974-37.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml WASHINGTON -- Flights over much of the eastern United States were delayed yesterday by a predawn failure in a fairly new communications system, which led to the shutdown of a computer that accepts flight plans from the airlines and feeds them to air traffic controllers. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09324/1014981-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Greene County woman was killed early Wednesday when her pickup truck was struck by a dump truck in Dunkard. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014832-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A few hundred people gathered in front of UPMC Braddock this afternoon to rally the medical giant to keep the hospital open. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:26:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014856-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Two brothers from Bellevue have been charged with vandalizing about 150 cars in five North Hills communities Wednesday night. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:17:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014775-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The tuition tax has the votes to win approval. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:52:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014791-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml City police kicked off a holiday safety campaign today intended to keep Pittsburgh residents from falling prey to thieves and scammers who take advantage of the season. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:06:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014770-147.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Whitehall officials advised motorists to avoid several streets in the borough from 9:30 a.m. until early afternoon because of a Duquesne Light Company project to replace a power transformer. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:23:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014783-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A local architect today took his battle to save Mellon Arena from the wrecking ball to its owner, the city-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:13:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014446-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Plays have been a mainstay each spring at local high schools, but fall productions are becoming more commonplace -- and complex. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:04:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014551-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The McKeesport Heritage Center will host a special commemoration of female aviator Helen Richey on Saturday, on what would have been her 100th birthday. There will be a ceremony at 1 p.m. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:04:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014716-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Riverlife yesterday urged Pittsburghers to donate to the renovation of the broken fountain at Point State Park before a matching grant pledge expires Tuesday. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:55:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014543-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml By Cindy Micco Plays have been a mainstay each spring at local high schools, but fall productions are becoming more commonplace -- and complex. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:36:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014637-58.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml It is a measure of Sarah Palin's popularity that her appearance Saturday at a Sam's Club in South Strabane needs no advertising. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:30:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014773-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A half-mile missing link on the North Shore Trail will be filled by a $5 million elevated structure stretching from near Washington's Landing to the Three Rivers Rowing Association's near Millvale. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:18:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014494-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Sto-Rox school board is preparing to bolster its administrative ranks by giving two teachers administrative internships and replacing them with long-term substitutes. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:19:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014702-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml More than 150 Mon Valley residents, health care activists and elected officials gathered at Braddock Carnegie Library last night, where Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato hosted a public hearing on UPMC's decision to shutter its hospital there at the end of January. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:33:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014404-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Just out of high school and inspired by a friend, Steve Richard figured he would try competing in a sprint-distance decathlon at North Park. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:32:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014405-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml At West Penn Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, premature babies lie naked in incubators with wires protruding from tiny noses and snaking beneath fragile limbs. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:30:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014409-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml By joining forces, the Mars Area School District and its member municipalities hope to see a comprehensive recreation plan for the area, one they hope will help move them to the top of the heap of Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:26:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014474-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml John Pietrusinski was named principal of Pine-Richland High School in a unanimous vote of the school board Tuesday. He will begin the $95,000-a-year position Dec. 1. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:26:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014406-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Water rates will go up in Seven Fields next year, according to borough Manager Thomas B. Smith. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:25:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014390-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Attention is turning to hammering out a consensus with the largest group of unionized workers in the county courthouse and government center in downtown Butler. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:24:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014529-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml South Butler County teachers and the school board agree that any wage increases should be retroactive to July 2008, once the two sides come to terms on a new contract. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:24:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014393-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Freshmen are the focus these days at Parkway West Career and Technology Center in North Fayette. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:19:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014464-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml November is Native American Heritage Month, and to celebrate, Community College of Allegheny County North Campus was host to the performance troupe Fast Horses this month. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:12:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014585-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml On a recent day at The Pet Salon in Scott, dogs of varying shapes and sizes stood quietly on grooming tables as they were combed, brushed, clipped, trimmed and fluffed. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:06:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014583-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Someday, Luke Steinhauer would like to play the role of Tony in "West Side Story" on Broadway. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:03:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014580-58.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Christmas came early this year for 13 girls who live in the South Hills. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:02:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014472-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml George Branick, 80, and Cliff Flegal, 89, are lifelong McKeesport residents who have heard it all when it comes to ideas for revitalizing the Mon Valley. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014577-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml At Bob's Bar in Glassport, helping children is seasonal -- all four seasons. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:58:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014467-58.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The number of Americans having trouble putting food on the table continues to rise, and the South Hills is no exception to the trend. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:56:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014558-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Everyone loves a good story, and on Saturday, members of StoryWorks Storytelling Guild in Murrysville will be telling some of their best in "Ten Years of Tales" at Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:53:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014541-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Incorporated: As a borough May 2, 1946 Location: Eastern Allegheny County, 8.5 miles east of Downtown Pittsburgh; Braddock Hills covers 1 square mile and is accessed primarily by Route 30. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:51:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014539-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml When the Rev. John Lolla began writing the history of his congregation at Plum Creek Presbyterian Church in 2003, he knew it would be a big project. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:49:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014392-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml St. Joseph Catholic School in Coraopolis had library books, but no real library. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:27:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014638-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Legislation quietly introduced Tuesday in Pittsburgh City Council gives the city's nine lawmakers veto power over almost all new construction by big tax-exempt institutions -- effective immediately. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:18:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014769-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A student representative last night asked the Shaler Area school board to address shrinking class funds. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:06:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014768-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml While Franklin Park's preliminary 2010 budget includes no property tax increase, it does include, for the first time, a $52 local services tax. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:56:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014726-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A woman's body was found in a wooded area of East Hills yesterday afternoon, police said. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:50:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014560-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml News briefs from around the South Hills and Washington County: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:34:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014574-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Carol Anthony grew up in Carrick and remembers walking past the mansion overlooking Brownsville Road and wondering who lived in the big house and what their lives must be like. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:27:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014581-58.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Graduating and working in the Peters Township School District got a little harder this week. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:25:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014570-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Justine Ray considers herself a Gwen's Girls success story. The non-profit agency helps girls, age 8-18, build self-esteem and healthy relationships. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:24:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014578-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Speaking to some 5 million students during the past 30 years has given Bill Sanders the chance to perfect his delivery. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:21:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014587-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The West Mifflin Area school board will vote tomorrow night on the appointment of Assistant Superintendent Janet Sardon to superintendent. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:20:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014568-58.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml To accommodate publication of our large holiday edition on Thanksgiving Day, next week's South edition will be published a day early. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:16:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014546-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Sheryl Brown will have three minutes to nourish the lives of others. Ms. Brown, of Hempfield, was the winner of a United Way Shop 'n Save shopping spree. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:14:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014557-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Jean Barnett isn't surprised when she finds a soda can tab or two sitting in her mailbox or outside her front door. "It's amusing," she said. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:13:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014554-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A crowd of 70 residents Monday night failed to convince the Penn Township commissioners not to appeal two decisions regarding a police pension issue involving two former officers. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:12:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014553-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Norwin School District is looking at a Walmart Superstore in the proposed Mills Pointe complex as a source of recouping some of the property tax revenue it could lose in the next six years. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:11:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014555-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The deputy sheriff says he wants the job, the sheriff says the deputy is the best person for the job but the governor -- who has the final say about the job -- is not saying. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:10:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014538-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml As Monroeville officials work to iron out details regarding the 2010 budget, a woman elected to council 16 days ago says council members-elect should be included in the entire process. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:08:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014540-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml In a report distributed at the Nov. 9 school board meeting, the Penn Hills School District provided details about a 9 percent decrease in student population this school year. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:07:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014547-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml As lowering property values, rising crime rates and stagnant development become increasing problems in some suburban communities, Penn Hills residents are considering options. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:05:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014552-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml As residents and officials discuss the idea of creating a Community Development Corporation, several major projects proposed in Penn Hills are progressing. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:04:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014544-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Although UPMC insists that the deal has been sealed on the Jan. 31 closure of UPMC Braddock, residents, activists and public officials are still trying to sway the medical giant. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:03:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014470-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The announcement that DISH Network would close its 600-person call center in McKeesport in March was a devastating blow to a city already saddled with a 10.3 percent unemployment rate. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:02:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014398-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Baierl Automotive Group, of McCandless, was the recipient of the American Cancer Society's Corporate Partnership Award at a volunteer recognition dinner held last month. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:58:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014463-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Pine-Richland High School students hope to spread the magic of the season -- and raise some money -- by writing personalized letters from Santa to children. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:57:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014475-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The high school marching band, performing its 2009 program "One Way Out," placed second in Class A at the Woodland Hills Band Competition. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:57:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014408-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Shaler Police Department was among 22 departments statewide to receive a Platinum Award from the Automobile Association of America, according to officials at AAA East Central. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:55:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014528-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Ross Commissioners say they will look long and hard at all possible spending cuts before they consider any increase in the property tax rate. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:55:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014456-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The new Butler County Prison soared through its first state inspection. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:54:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014526-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Butler County Commissioners voted unanimously yesterday to set aside a corner of Diamond Park for a second World War II monument, all in the interests of peace. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:53:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014678-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Barring a successful appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, the decades-long legal wrangling over what has come to be known as the Seven Fields development scam is over. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:53:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014473-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Winning an 11-year court battle is bittersweet for those involved in a zoning violation case that pitted a small neighborhood in Franklin Park against a business and even the borough, at one point. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:52:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014455-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Boots rather than sneakers are the recommended footwear for a post-Thanksgiving hike that will trace part of George Washington's journey through Butler County. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:51:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014410-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 1965 Ferguson Road in Hampton, will host its first Mission Mall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the church's Fellowship Hall. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:49:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014401-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml If you will look back some 40 years or more you will find that Ross commissioners then, as now, were unable and unwilling to stand up for this library. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:47:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014515-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Carlynton High School juniors Chelsea Lanish, Lauren McCarl, Shelby Pelesky and Jacob Steiner represented the district at the Allegheny County 4-H program, "The Power of Youth in Government." Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:40:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014514-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The high school performing arts program will host a day-long drama festival starting at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:39:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014479-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml To accommodate publication of our large Thanksgiving edition that will be stuffed with stories and Black Friday ads, next week's West will be published Wednesday. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:38:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014489-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The first bake sale that Rennerdale United Presbyterian Church held to raise money for its building project was so popular, it raised $900 and the homemade goods sold out within hours. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:37:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014512-147.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml When the state Department of Transportation replaces the 104-year-old McLaughlin Run Road bridge at Maple Street, about 7,000 motorists a day will have to deal with a 5.5-mile detour. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:36:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014490-147.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml West motorists should be alert for detours and lane restrictions during these highway improvement projects: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:35:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014484-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Central Valley school directors last week approved a job description for their first high school athletic director, and the job was posted Friday. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:34:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014491-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml South Fayette Commissioners say that when it comes to the abandoned Mayview State Hospital site, their interests are the same as everyone else's. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:32:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014492-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Groundskeepers at the former Mayview State Hospital on Mayview Road in South Fayette reported Nov. 6 that about 50 windows worth about $5,000 had been shattered on the vacant building. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:31:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014486-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml I have been a fan of musical theater ever since my mother took me to see a high school theater production of "Brigadoon." Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:30:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014653-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Retired Navy Capt. William B. Ecker, who led low-level sorties over Cuba in October 1962 and provided photographic evidence of Russian missile installations that almost led to a nuclear confrontation between the Soviets and the United States, died Nov. 5 at a hospital near his home in Punta Gorda, Fla. He was 85 and had coronary artery disease. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:38:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014655-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Paul Wendkos, a movie and television director who was best known for the frothy surfer film "Gidget," but whose other productions ranged from the dark and edgy to historical dramas, died Nov. 12 at his home in Malibu, Calif. He was 84. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:37:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014654-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Pierre Harmel, a Belgian statesman who advocated European disarmament in the late 1960s and was the leading proponent of a forward-looking NATO policy toward the former Soviet bloc that hastened East-West detente, died in Brussels on Sunday. He was 98. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:36:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014651-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A memorial service today will honor E.J. Josey, the first black president of the American Library Association and professor emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:35:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014649-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Bruce A. Bartolotta, who served the Monongahela Valley community with an unusual blended career as attorney and grocer, died Monday at the age of 55, ending a four-year battle with lymphoma. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:34:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014376-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Ohio Township -- The 20th annual Avonworth Band Craft Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 5 at Avonworth High School, 258 Josephs Lane. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014377-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Moon Township Public Library, Suite 100, 1700 Beaver Grade Road, will hold a screening of "For My Father" at 10 a.m. Saturday as part of its Film Movement series. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014378-59.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Monroeville -- The Holy Name Society at North American Martyrs Catholic Church, 2526 Haymaker Road, will sponsor a parish breakfast from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014379-58.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Waynesburg -- Waynesburg University's Fall Semester Student Art Exhibition is being held through Dec. 4 in the Benedum Fine Arts Gallery. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014391-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The new owners of Carnegie Towers are keeping tight reins on the 10-story, federally subsidized high-rise on Capitol Drive -- and it shows. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014394-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Carnegie: A neighborhood clean-up of litter and debris is planned for 9:30 a.m. Sunday on West Main Street. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014450-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml For 10 years, the parish of St. Athanasius Church in West View has opened its doors on Thanksgiving Day to serve a meal to those who otherwise would eat alone. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014451-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml With just a few flicks of the switch and other energy-saving measures, the Seneca Valley School District was able to trim $307,000 off its utility costs during the past 18 months. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014452-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Police news from the West suburban area: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014458-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Major appliances, electronics, tires, batteries and cell phones will be among the items that will be accepted during a Hard-to-Recycle collection program from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014468-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A troubling survey released last week found many Pennsylvanians wincing as they admit the unrelenting recession has hit where it hurts: Smack in the middle of their thinning household budget. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014471-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Tomorrow night the West Mifflin Area school board will hold a special meeting to vote on the appointment of a new superintendent. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014495-59.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Members of the Franklin Regional High School marching band were notified in April 2008 that they would be performing in this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The long wait is almost over. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014610-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Winners on the ice, the Penguins now will try their luck on land. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014616-294.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml I was taking my dogs for their nightly walk when the rain storm that had been brewing all day decided to arrive. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014630-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The University of Pittsburgh was one of 100 campuses nationwide where students received free copies of "The Origin of Species" yesterday, though the commemoration of the book's 150th anniversary wasn't quite as author Charles Darwin would have intended. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014631-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Even though one member of the Green Tree Civil Service Commission believes the punishment is unfair, and another believes it should never have gotten to the point that it has, the board unanimously voted last night to uphold a two-day suspension for a borough police officer. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014667-44.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The board of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh said yesterday that it would be willing to place a moratorium on the planned closure of several library branches, contingent on getting short-term and long-term funding commitments in place before its next board meeting on Dec. 14. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014677-147.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Port Authority employee has been charged with stealing from the treasury room where fare money is counted. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014679-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Police and federal agents in Berks County on Monday night arrested two people wanted on attempted homicide charges out of Westmoreland County, where state police said they robbed and stabbed a man over the weekend and stole his pickup. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014681-55.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml An arrest warrant has been issued for a Hazelwood man who police say shot another man in West Mifflin during an argument over racial slurs late Tuesday. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014682-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml An armed robber took an undisclosed amount of money from an attendant at the Alco parking lot outside on Sandusky Street on the North Side yesterday, police said. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014683-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Classes were to resume today for nearly 500 students at Wilkins Elementary School in Churchill, which was closed yesterday because of a broken water line. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014699-28.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml More than a year after a deal to bring a grocery to the Hill District was thought to be sealed, the search for a company to serve the neighborhood continues, and residents who endure long drives Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014701-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Allegheny County Controller Mark Patrick Flaherty yesterday issued a report showing that the Community Empowerment Association, an agency contracted to operate a truancy-prevention program, misused more than $300,000 of a $1.5 million contract with the county Department of Human Services. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014703-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- Two bills to prevent state officials from getting automatic cost-of-living increases in December or January won't be needed, thanks to a sour economy. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014705-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Pittsburgh school board last night voted to accept a $40 million teacher-effectiveness grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, clearing the way for a new chapter in the district's four-year-old improvement campaign. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014707-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- Allegheny County school districts have entered nearly $1 billion worth of interest-rate swaps during the past 12 months. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014715-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- Dante Santoni, chairman of the House Gaming Oversight Committee, wants to know who is on the board of the Pennsylvania Casino Association and what its mission is. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014717-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml In the wake of Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett's string of grand jury charges of election abuses, Democrats are lining up to portray themselves as champions of reform in Harrisburg. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014720-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- Gov. Ed Rendell says he's confident that a grand jury will find nothing inappropriate in the way the Gaming Control Board awarded slots licenses in 2006. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014721-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml On Monday, FBI officials will gather with the family of slain Special Agent Samuel Hicks in renaming the Baltimore field office in his honor. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014611-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Pittsburgh school board tonight voted 8-0 to accept a $40 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014532-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml State Auditor General Jack Wagner today criticized school districts for entering billions of dollars worth of interest-rate swaps. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:52:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014469-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Police investigated threatening graffiti written on the wall of a boys' bathroom at Mt. Lebanon High School and determined no credible threat exists, according to the school district. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:06:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014423-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- State Gaming Control Board officials say they are providing information requested by a state grand jury that is believed to be looking into how the Pittsburgh casino license was awarded by the board in late 2006. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014447-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml As clouds of scandal waft over the Susquehanna, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato today offered an ambitious package of reform proposals in the first policy statement of his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:47:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014428-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Officials broke ground this morning on a 142-room Cambria Suites Hotel next to the Consol Energy Center, the first step in the effort to bring new development to Uptown and the lower Hill District. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:09:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014418-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Moon Area School District will have 600 injectable doses of H1N1 flu vaccine available at a free clinic from 6 to 8 p.m. tomorrow in the Moon Area Middle School cafeteria. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:07:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014425-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Tuition tax battle lines began to emerge on Pittsburgh City Council today, as Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's Philadelphia legal gun laid out the case for the levy and encountered a conflicted council. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:37:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014424-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- Top Pennsylvania state officials won't be getting the automatic cost-of-living salary increases this year that they usually enjoy. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:55:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014346-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A 40-year-old man was killed last night in Mercer County after he drove his tractor-trailer off Interstate 80 and the truck flipped onto a median, trapping him inside. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:29:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014347-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Suspended West Jefferson Hills School District Superintendent Terry Kinavey will face charges of incompetency, immorality, intemperance, and neglect of duty at a termination hearing next month. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:30:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014397-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml JOHNSTOWN -- A Western Pennsylvania school district will pay 22 female teachers a total of $460,000 to settle their claims that they started at a lower pay scale than male teachers. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:19:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014258-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml State and federal agencies are checking southwestern Pennsylvania streams for the non-native, golden algae that had a role in killing aquatic life in 30 miles of Dunkard Creek in September. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:59:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014321-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Some spending cuts, some quick fixes, and a not-yet-dead tuition tax are likely components of an emerging city of Pittsburgh budget in the wake of yesterday's rejection of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's 2010 fiscal plan by state overseers. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:51:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014375-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A consultant for the South Fayette School District last night presented the school board with financing options for two proposals to expand elementary school space. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:04:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014374-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml John Pietrusinski, who had been acting as an interim co-principal for much of the school year, has been named principal at Pine-Richland High School. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:57:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014368-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Over the last three years, high schools that received the lowest marks from the city have been the ones with the highest percentages of poor, black and Hispanic students, despite an evaluation system that was meant to equalize differences among student bodies, according to an analysis by The New York Times of school grades released this week. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014314-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml In what officials said would be the largest grant ever made directly to the Pittsburgh Public Schools, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has offered the district $40 million for sweeping initiatives to maximize teacher effectiveness. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:29:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014223-34.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Natural foods retailer Whole Foods Market has settled on a location to build a second store in the Pittsburgh region, this time at the Wexford Plaza shopping center on Route 19 in McCandless. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:30:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014260-407.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Aiming to stop Pittsburgh government from subsidizing "poverty-level jobs," a coalition of labor, environmental, religious and community organizations joined City Council members yesterday to propose wage floors for certain workers on city-backed development projects and contracts. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014263-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Ten volunteer fire companies battled for nearly five hours yesterday to quench a brush fire that burned dozens of acres in Potter, Beaver County. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014264-488.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml VA Butler Healthcare will hold a flu vaccine clinic and outreach program for veterans in the Cranberry area from 2 to 6 p.m. today. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014265-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Butler County man yesterday waived his right to a preliminary hearing on nearly 100 counts of sexual abuse of children, state police said. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014266-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml If an $80,000 line item survives the city's budget process, South Side dogs may have a fenced play space by next spring. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014267-178.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Promising smaller government and the elimination of school property taxes, state Rep. Sam Rohrer last night made a three-way fight of the race for the Republican nomination for governor. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014293-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml If you stand in the right spot of the Feast Hall at Old Economy Village and sing a note into its vaulted emptiness, the sound takes on a silvery, other-worldly echo that seems to emanate from the 19th century. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014301-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Ed Czekaj, Penn State University's former athletic director and a native of Mount Pleasant, has died, the university announced. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014303-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml NEW YORK -- Sy Syms, founder and chairman of the SYMS Corp. discount clothing chain, died of heart failure yesterday in New York, according to a statement issued by the company. He was 83. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014304-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Wallace "Bucky" Williams, one of the oldest people to play for both of Pittsburgh's legendary Negro League teams, died Monday at age 102 at his home in Penn Hills. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014308-294.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml It is said that bricks make a good foundation for a home. I believe that the family is the key ingredient within those brick walls. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014311-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml To Taunya Tinsley, the problem is clear: black communities are deeply vulnerable to depression, anxiety and grief, but the place where so many African-Americans seek refuge -- their house of Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014315-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A jury yesterday convicted an East Hills man in a 2004 double homicide and kidnapping in Lincoln-Lemington in which police didn't locate a teenage victim's body for five days. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014320-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- When House Democratic lawmakers and aides were arrested in a corruption scandal two years ago, Republican Leader Sam Smith said he found it hard to believe his Democratic counterpart didn't know what was going on under his nose. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09322/1014325-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Allegheny County Council yesterday approved the much-debated sale of the county Health Department building in Oakland and did not contest County Executive Dan Onorato's veto of a proposal to impose county fees on nonprofit organizations. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014044-113.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- Historical sites will be shuttered, the wait for government services will be longer, swimming and camping seasons at state parks will be shorter, and hundreds of state employees will be looking for new jobs. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:54:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014207-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A jury convicted an East Hills man in a 2004 double homicide and kidnapping in Lincoln-Lemington in which police didn't locate a teenage victim's body for days. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:21:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014208-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- Five days after members of his caucus were arrested on allegations they campaigned on state time and with state-funded computer equipment, House Republican Leader Sam Smith today announced a plan to prevent similar abuses in the future. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:10:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014199-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Police in Berks County today arrested two people wanted on attempted homicide charges out of Westmoreland County, where state police said they robbed and stabbed a man over the weekend and stole his pickup. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:30:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014203-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Two weeks after Election Day, Jean O. Davin has won re-election as Edgewood mayor. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:25:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014201-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml About 650 school employees, policymakers, researchers, community leaders and parents are in town for the International Bullying Prevention Association at the Omni William Penn Hotel this week. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:04:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014150-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Ten volunteer fire companies battled for nearly five hours to quench a brush fire that burned dozens of acres in Potter, Beaver County. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:15:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014133-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Peters Township High School freshmen will be required to complete a mandatory project before they can graduate, according to the terms of a new policy approved by the school board last night. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:56:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014053-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml State overseers ready to reject budget plan today; they suggest cuts, shared services Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:37:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014151-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The state-picked Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority today unanimously rejected Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's budget, saying that the inclusion of $16.2 million he hopes to get from a tuition tax doesn't comply with state law. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:37:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014155-147.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml PennDOT has announced that northbound on- and off-ramps at Route 366 (Exit 14) of Route 28 will reopen at 2 p.m. today after completion of concrete repair. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:28:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014171-147.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Construction on the Interstate 79 Neville Island Bridge that has caused lane restrictions and some traffic backups since Aug. 18 has been completed for the season, PennDOT announced. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:18:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014148-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Randy Good, of Armstrong County, has a contract with the state Department of Transportation to remove the animal carcasses from the roadways in five counties. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:23:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014149-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Pittsburgh Council President Doug Shields is expected to introduce today a sweeping proposal to require prevailing wage rates for many employees working on city contracts or in city-subsidized developments. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:23:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014153-147.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The McKees Rocks Bridge will be closed in both directions from midnight Friday through 6 a.m. Monday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:59:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014051-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Keystone Oaks school board last night unanimously approved a contract with the Keystone Oaks Education Association, ending 22 months of negotiations. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:50:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014134-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The Wexford Volunteer Fire Co. has received a $407,000-a-year funding commitment from Pine. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:02:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014132-100.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml With the state Department of General Services promising a lawsuit if they moved ahead, the South Fayette commissioners tabled a rezoning plan that would affect part of the Mayview State Hospital property. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:48:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014024-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Ask for a Ben Roethlisberger jersey, get 7 grams of cocaine. Ask for Michael Jordan's "second jersey," get 4 1/2 grams. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:43:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014100-59.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Beer cans litter the grave of Gen. Arthur St. Clair in St. Clair Park in Greensburg yesterday. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:41:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014043-53.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml The $3 million penthouse condominium atop Three PNC Plaza is gone, but it was no Gotham City superhero, "just a regular Pittsburgher," who swooped in to buy it. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:15:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014046-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Old Economy Village, a 19th century settlement in Beaver County that has educated generations about a lost era of utopian communes, faces permanent closure. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:11:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014020-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- When is an increase in salary not a pay raise? When it's a cost-of-living adjustment. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014026-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Bobby Frankel possessed a gift for coaxing top performances out of ornery, high-strung thoroughbreds, a gruff Hall of Fame trainer who was hard in his dealings with humans but gentle with the animals in his barn. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014027-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Being the son of the state's winningest high school basketball coach made Michael Graham a competitive person, whether on the basketball court, the golf course or in battling the cancer that plagued him for three years. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014030-258.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Yes, it's warm. Yes, it's been warm. Yes, it's expected to stay warm. But no, it's not really all that close to setting any warmth records. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014033-56.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato he will hold a public hearing tomorrow in Braddock regarding UPMC's decision to close its hospital there. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014034-59.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml State police are searching for a couple they said robbed and stabbed a Westmoreland County man and stole his pickup truck over the weekend. The victim, Robert Biondo, 53, survived the attack. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014035-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml South Butler County teachers and the school board remain divided on the size of wage increases, contributions toward health insurance, early retirement incentives and the length of the school day. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014037-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A restaurant fire is being investigated after the building burned Sunday night in New Castle. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014038-54.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Police still are searching for a bank robber who used a bomb ploy to steal money in Armstrong County Friday. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014039-57.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml A Beaver County woman's luck ran out Friday the 13th, the day she was charged with stealing more than $40,000 from her convenience store employer. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014040-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Repeating his call for a statewide solution to property reassessment issues, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato said the county will appeal a Common Pleas Court order to complete a reassessment of all properties over the next four years. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014047-298.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Pittsburgh NAACP leaders and other residents last night urged the city school board to proceed cautiously with a school-closing plan to avoid hurting black students and derailing successful programs. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014049-455.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml Pittsburgh's newest stretch of reclaimed riverfront is still a bit dusty and its freshly planted landscaping has yet to flourish. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09321/1014055-454.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml HARRISBURG -- State Sen. Stewart Greenleaf is trying to take on the unpopular issue of reducing the state prison population by increasing the use of rehabilitation programs and parole for non-violent offenders. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500