First time filings for unemployment are rising across Pennsylvania. That's according to the U.S. Department of Labor, which says that for the week ending June 7th, there were over 14-thousand-500 initial unemployment filings in the state. That number is up by nearly four-thousand filings compared to the week prior. ...

President Trump will reportedly visit the Steel City next month to take part in the first Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit. The event is billed as a gathering of top leaders in energy and AI -- alongside the biggest global investors -- for the purposes of planning how to advance the president's energy agenda....

An arraignment hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday for a funeral home director accused of allegedly discarding animal remains in a landfill. The Trib reports that 70-year-old Patrick Vereb is the owner of funeral homes and pet crematoriums in Harrison and Pittsburgh. In April, he was officially accused of imprope...

Jeannette city officials say that if federal Community Development Block Grant funds are eliminated by President Donald Trump's spending plan before the U.S. Senate, the city's revitalization projects could be adversely affected. The Trib reports that over the last three years, the city received a combined $928,000. ...

Irwin borough council has awarded around $1.1 million in contracts for the remodeling of a 114-year-old building on Main Street. The Trib reports that on Wednesday, five construction contracts and an asbestos abatement contract to convert the former Rosendahl's Appliance Center storefront into a government office that...

Independence Health System's Chief Medical Officer has decided to retire. The Trib reports that today is the final day for CMO Dr. Carol Fox. She steps down after a 38-year medical career. Fox became a leading voice in Westmoreland County in 2020 when local officials and medical professionals were confronted with th...

The work is underway to build an anti-climb fence around the Pennsylvania Governor's Residence after the arson attack in April. WHP-TV reports crews were seen putting up the fence yesterday near Front and Geiger Streets. The fence is one of several ways Pennsylvania State Police are increasing security after a man cl...

A code Orange air quality alert is in effect for today for Westmoreland and Allegheny counties until 4:30 this afternoon. The National Weather Service says air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups. Sensitive groups include children, the elderly, and people suffering from...

Saturday, protests against President Trump's policies are scheduled nationwide, and Pittsburgh and Greensburg are among the cities where demonstrations are planned. Organized by a coalition called No Kings, the protests are on the same day as the U.S. Army's 250th birthday and Trump's birthday, alongside a military pa...

Latrobe city government and public works and clerical employees have agreed to a new two-and-a-half year collective bargaining agreement. The Trib reports that the new contract includes annual pay increases, including a 4% raise when the contract starts on July 1st. The pay hikes will go to 3.5% and 3% on the same da...

A McKeesport man pleaded guilty in court this week to charges related to a gun theft in North Huntingdon in 2021. The Trib reports that 49-year-old John Steven Hudak was charged in connection with the theft and illegal sale of 13 guns from a home safe while its owner was out of town. Hudak pleaded guilty to one count...

A new mother is facing charges. The Westmoreland County Children's Bureau received a report earlier this year that Arnold resident Ariana Carter was exposing her infant to illegal drugs. In an April test, the baby came back positive for having methamphetamines in its system. In a May test, the baby came back positiv...

Authorities in Westmoreland County are warning folks about a telephone scam that has cost a local woman a sizable amount of money. The victim received a text this week that appeared to be from the Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts. When she called the number in response to the message, the victim was told by the sc...

Two men from New York pleaded guilty in court for trying to swindle an elderly Unity woman while posing as delivery men who offered a $5 million lottery award. The Trib reports that 26-year-old Floyd Forrest and 22-year-old Reheem Anderson each entered a plea to one count of felony theft and a count related to a high-...

Authorities are working to identify a person who was found dead in 1986 and has remained unidentified for 39 years. The woman's body was found after a crash on Route 119 in Springhill Township. The body of the Jane Doe was exhumed Monday from a grave at Fayette County's Oak Lawn Cemetery. Hopes are that advancements...

State Police are reporting results of a search last week of a home in Loyalhanna Township. Officers served a warrant this past Friday on the Aspen Drive residence of David Ackerman. Officers report finding cocaine, methamphetamine, digital scales, AR-style rifles and additional weapons. Ackerman is in custody and fa...

The Greensburg Catholic Diocese will hold several services next week to celebrate former bishop Lawrence Brandt, who died on Sunday at the age of 86. The Trib reports that viewings will be held on June 18th from 4-6 PM with mass at 7, from 10-6 on the 19th with a vigil service at 6 and mass at 7, and from 10-1 on the ...

Residents of the Penn-Trafford School District will see an increase in taxes after the board approved the 2025-26 budget on Monday. The Trib reports that the $70 million budget includes a three-mill hike, meaning an average increase of $84. The board is also using some of the district's savings to cover the rest of t...

The Westmoreland County Airport Authority is getting ready for the 100th anniversary of the Shop n Save International Airshow at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. The Trib reports that the feature attraction this year will be the Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds jet team. This came after authority officials initially...

State police are looking to identify a woman allegedly involved in a bank fraud scheme. The Trib reports that the suspect took $5400 from three First National Banks in the Greensburg area on April 7th. At all three locations, she deposited a $16 money order into accounts that did not belong to her, and withdrew thous...

A tractor-trailer truck collided with a coal truck Monday afternoon on Route 22 in Burrell Township. Black Lick and Blairsville fire departments were initially called at 2:13 PM to Route 22 near Tri-Star Motors. Black Lick Fire Chief Josh Hutcheson said that the tractor-trailer was headed East when it crossed into th...

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and other Democratic governors are calling President Trump's activation of the National Guard in Los Angeles to deal with anti-ICE protests an "alarming abuse of power." In a statement, members of the Democratic Governors Association say they are effectively the Commanders ...

Pittsburgh-area residents are speaking out over immigration raids that are happening around the country. A group gathered outside the federal courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh yesterday to rally against arrests and deportation actions. Mayor Ed Gainey was among the officials joining the group, saying he was standing ...

A Mt. Pleasant man entered guilty pleas connected with the torture of his girlfriend's dog. The Trib reports that 30-year-old Zachary Robert Hinson pleaded guilty yesterday to two felony counts including aggravated cruelty to animals, neglect of an animal and animal cruelty in connection with allegations he violently ...

A Mt. Pleasant woman pleaded guilty to a count of disorderly conduct while four felony and one misdemeanor counts related to allegations of Child Pornography were dismissed as part of a plea deal. The Trib reports that 23-year-old Jennie Dulaney was ordered to pay a $25 fine. She offered testimony in the trial of her ...

A woman is in stable condition after a crash off Penn Township Road Monday morning. The Trib reports that the vehicle went over an embankment along Paintertown Road, rear end first, just after 10:45 AM. The victim, identified only as a woman, was conscious, alert and talking when paramedics got there. She was taken ...

The measles outbreak in Pennsylvania is officially over. The CDC says the outbreak has ended after six weeks of no new cases in the commonwealth. The agency said Pennsylvania reported between 10-and-49 of the over eleven-hundred confirmed measles cases across the U.S. in the current outbreak. Two elementary school-a...

The Arnold City Council is hosting a public hearing this week to discuss some federal grant funding. The session is planned for 7:00 p.m. tomorrow at the public safety building on Drey Street. Residents will be able to share suggestions for projects that could be done with 300 thousand dollars provided through the Co...

The Greensburg Business and Professional Association is looking to put the community in the record books this weekend using a whole lot of bubble gum. The organization is looking for at least 12-hundred volunteers to attempt to break the record for most people blowing bubble gum bubbles simultaneously. The current reco...

A former bishop in the Greensburg Catholic Diocese has died. The Trib reports that Bishop Emeritus Lawrence Eugene Brandt was the leader of the diocese from 2004 to 2015. He lead the diocese through several changes, including helping finances improve, and addressing the declining number of Catholics. Current Bishop ...

A jury found a man guilty of shooting a Monroeville police officer in 2023. KDKA-TV reports that 40-year-old Bruce Alvarado of Clairton was convicted on attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, assaulting an officer and other crimes on Friday. He led police on a 30-mile chase that started in Allegheny County an...

A portion of Route 217 will be closed starting today for a bridge project over McGee Run. PennDOT says that the closure will be between Ankney Road and Hillside Road/Old Route 217. The posted detour will use parts of 217, 22 and 982 along with Chestnut Street. The work is part of a regional $3.13 million effort to p...

Cleanup continues from the flooding on Friday. The Trib reports that damage was reported to homes, businesses and vehicles along the Westmoreland Heritage Trail. Authorities have also been assessing the damage from the storm, which will ultimately factor into what assistance will be available. To help them out, residen...

June is National Hernia Awareness Month and Independence Health System is part of an awareness campaign focused on educating the public about abdominal hernias and how to manage them. Listen Sunday to Westmoreland Community Connections on WHJB with host Jennifer Miele to learn more about two Hernia screenings happenin...

No one is hurt after a wild visitor busted into a retirement home in Indiana County this week. Operators of Saint Andrew's Village say an adolescent black bear came into the building through a window around eleven o'clock Tuesday night. Nurse Charlene Elliot tells KDKA-TV she and other staffers were hitting the animal ...

The Trump Administration is being ordered to restore AmeriCorps funding in Pennsylvania. A federal judge in Maryland issued a temporary court order blocking the termination of AmeriCorps grants yesterday in a lawsuit filed by Governor Josh Shapiro and 25 other states. The governor's office said the federal government...

The New Kensington-Arnold school board formally approved the budget for next school year last night. The Trib reports that the budget contains a 3% tax increase, taking the tax rate to 102.14 mills, but there are no additions or reductions to the programs offered. The spending plan comes to about $50.2 million.

Write-in candidates will play a part in the 2025 general election for borough council races in Murrysville and Delmont. The Trib reports that in Murrysville, Jamie Lingg did not get enough votes on the GOP Ballot, but according to unofficial election results, she received 54 write-in votes, putting her on the ballot w...

The ex-girlfriend of a man charged with leading police on a chase through Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties took the stand yesterday. The Trib reports that Tiffany Haten of Monroeville told jurors yesterday that she tried calling and texting 40-year-old Bruce Alvarado to get her jeep and handgun back. Prosecutors s...

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office has confirmed the Murrysville attorney taken into custody on Saturday has died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound suffered during the standoff with police. WTAE-TV reports that Robert Klingensmith was accused of bilking a client of his and the victim's estate o...

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture over what he calls the "unlawful termination" of millions in federal funding. The governor is seeking the restoration of over 13-million-dollars from the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which assists ...

Officials with PennDOT are urging drivers to look out for motorcycles this time of year. The department says the warmer weather has more bikers out on the road, as always. Transportation leaders say there were over 200 motorcycle-related fatalities across the commonwealth just last year. PennDOT is also encouraging ...

New playground equipment is coming to a park in Lower Burrell's Braeburn Neighborhood. The Trib reports that city officials recently signed a contract with Sports and Recreation Associates for $56,700 to install new playground equipment at Braeview park. The equipment that was there was removed last fall as it was de...

The Steelers have received their dates for training camp. The Steelers will gather at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe on July 23rd and are slated to hit the practice field the day after. Pittsburgh scheduled its first padded practice for July 29th. In addition, the team announced a joint practice with the Buccaneer...

A man charged with killing a woman in Rostraver Township appeared for a court hearing on Wednesday on unrelated burglary charges. WTAE-TV reports that Dorian Jeri-Greene appeared remotely for the hearing as he remains in jail in Washington County. He faces charges in connection with a burglary in Donora in February, ...

A Youngwood wildlife rehab organization is treating six Canadian geese, including two that lived at Twin Lakes Park, after they were injured in an incident involving discarded fishing line. The Trib reports that The severe injuries are typically the result of fishing line being wrapped tightly around their legs, accor...

A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit from a former Norwin School Board director and his wife who claimed they were victims in a political dispute with another ex-school board member. The Trib reports that U.S. District Judge Scott Hardy said Brian and Margaret Carlton of North Huntingdon did not state a claim agai...

All Commonwealth flags are flying at half-staff this week to honor a DCNR official and fire chief from Dauphin County. Governor Josh Shapiro issued the order yesterday in memory of David Warfel, who died of natural causes last week at a wildland fire training academy in Cumberland County. Warfel served as Forest Supe...

A handful of Keystone State Big Lots stores are set to reopen their doors this week. Variety Wholesalers purchased 219 of the chain's stores earlier this year as Big Lots continued through the bankruptcy process. While some stores reopened last month, another 78 across nine states will reopen on Thursday. Those loca...

A family with roots in Export has created a trust to help fund a new borough building. The Trib reports that Brian Orlic and his uncle formed the trust fund for a new municipal center that could house some of the borough's offices for the tax collector, mayor and others along with being the site of future council meet...