Latest news with #WesternPA
CBS News
20-05-2025
- CBS News
Thieves targeting vehicle owners in Etna, police say
Authorities have issued a warning to car owners after a wave of vehicle break-ins hit another western Pennsylvania neighborhood. Police said the thieves in Etna are not only acting by themselves, but now with a crew of people. Several incidents were reported over the past week. Thieves were able to enter unlocked vehicles, grab valuables, and flee the scene within moments. According to police, a group of masked and gloved juveniles had been involved in recent incidents. "They stopped right at my car, and they were close enough that the driver reached out and tugged on my door," said Carrie Napiecek. Police confirmed that one man had been arrested the previous week, connected to a series of thefts. However, a separate incident occurred early Friday morning when seven suspects in a stolen vehicle targeted cars across Etna and surrounding communities, either breaking in or attempting to gain entry. "We had more sophisticated groups traveling in fours, fives, even sixes, with a driver. They were running down streets, testing door handles on parked cars," said Mayor Robert Tunon. The stolen vehicle used in the Friday morning incident was recovered miles away from Etna. Authorities said eight official reports had been filed as of that evening, but no significant valuables appeared to have been taken. "They trashed what was in the glove box and the console, and they maybe got $10 in quarters," said resident Kim Titus. "It's a little, I don't want to say scary, but it's concerning because this was the second time it happened." For many Etna residents, the crimes are becoming an unfortunate pattern. "It's such a nice neighborhood, too, and I know police are doing the best they can, but it's a bad situation," said resident Fred Ehrhart. When asked how borough officials were responding, Mayor Tunon pointed to community and police efforts. "There were two main efforts. First, residents were banding together and providing timely reports," said Mayor Robert Tunon. "Second, our police department had launched an active investigation into the initial incident, which resulted in an arrest. We kept residents informed, shared what information we had, and ensured the police department was actively investigating each report." Authorities urge anyone who witnesses suspicious activity to report it immediately so that investigations can continue.
CBS News
17-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Penn Hills woman still cleaning up after last month's severe storms
A woman in Penn Hills is still cleaning up after severe storms ripped through western Pennsylvania in late April. Cynthia Ames can't seem to catch a break. "This is overwhelming," she said. More than two weeks after April 29's intense storms, she is still left with a big mess to clean up at her home. Piles of branches and logs are littered across her yard "I don't have tools," Ames said. "I have clippers. That's it. And so I come and cut what I can with the clippers." Her and her son's cars were totaled during the storm. She said they didn't have comprehensive car insurance. Their fence, roof, and heating and cooling system were also damaged. She added that she has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, saying it's not safe for her not to have air conditioning. "I'm exhausted and I can't sleep at night because I have sleep apnea and COPD," she said. "I just cough all night." "There's dust and debris," she added. "So we all got sick from that, whatever debris came through the HVAC system into this house." She can't even begin to think about making repairs. She is also paying $800 a week for a car to get to work. "We can't even pay the bills right now," Ames said. "We're paying to get to work. We're paying for a car to get to and from work so we can maintain our jobs." Ames told us she's still waiting to hear back on her homeowner's insurance, but she's confident she won't have to pay for everything
CBS News
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Pierogis, live entertainment, dogs, and safety
The weekend is here, and it is a jam-packed one in western Pennsylvania with plenty to do, so let's help you plan a fun one! Millvale Music Festival The ever-popular Millvale Music Festival is back, and more than 300 acts will be performing this year across 28 stages. It includes comedians, bands, and visual artists. The festival runs on Friday evening and Saturday. It's free to attend, and a schedule of events is available on the festival's website at this link. Pittsburgh Pierogi Festival For all of you pierogi lovers, this one is for you - after a two-year hiatus, the Pittsburgh Pierogi Festival is back! More than two dozen vendors will serve up more than 100 pierogi-inspired dishes. It goes from noon until 5 p.m. at Southside Works. Check out the details right here. HARP's Barks & Brews Celebration The Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh is holding its annual "Barks and Brews" celebration this weekend. On Saturday afternoon from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m., there will be about a dozen breweries, food trucks, and live entertainment at HARP's East Side location on Hamilton Avenue. It costs $40 to attend, and you can get tickets, which HARP says are going fast, on their website. Sarver Health and Safety Fair Happening in Sarver on Saturday is a health and safety fair. It runs from noon until 4 p.m. at Lernerville Speedway. You'll be able to try some tasty food and interact with a number of cool and unique vehicles like a monster truck and a cement mixer. It's free to attend. Blairsville Food Truck Festival Finally, you can head to Indiana County for the Blairsville Food Truck Festival. It's happening on Saturday from noon until 8 p.m. on Market Street. There will be more than 30 food trucks, craft and business vendors, raffles, and activities for kids. Get the details on the Visit Indiana County Website at this link.
CBS News
13-05-2025
- CBS News
Illegal gaming network shut down after over 400 devices seized from western Pennsylvania establishments
Hundreds of gambling devices were seized from dozens of western Pennsylvania establishments, resulting in charges against two companies, prosecutors announced on Tuesday. The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General said over 400 illegal gambling devices were taken from bars, gas stations and convenience stores across the western part of the state, effectively shutting down a criminal gaming network. The state filed felony corrupt organizations charges against Buffalo Skill Games, Inc. and J.J. Amusement, Inc. Both companies are owned and operated by John F. Conley, who already has prior federal convictions for illegal gambling, prosecutors said. "These devices were essentially slot machines dressed up as skill games," Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a press release. "I commend our partners at the Pennsylvania State Police for helping disband a large-scale operation that netted a tremendous amount of illegal gambling profits." Pennsylvania State Police helped the Office of Attorney General Gaming Enforcement agents carry out a series of seizures in March, targeting establishments like bars and gas stations in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Crawford, Indiana, Somerset, Venango, Erie, Washington, Armstrong and Westmoreland counties. Prosecutors didn't disclose any other details about the case, including how much money the operation brought in. It's being prosecuted by the Office of Attorney General's Gaming Enforcement Section.
CBS News
07-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
After severe Pittsburgh storms, Duquesne Light sets up base camp for crews
It has been a week since severe storms swept through Western Pennsylvania, leaving more than half a million homes without power. More than 325,000 homes with Duquesne Light were without power, more than half of its customer base. Duquesne Light responded to what was referred to as an unprecedented event with the largest emergency response crew it has ever sent out. More than 600 contractors were called in from 19 different states, three times the total amount from the previous record. "A storm of this magnitude, we've never seen it before," said Joshua Copeland, Duquesne Light's general manager of troubleshooting and training. "Since I've been here, this was by far the largest storm we've had. It's almost double the size, so we were prepared for a large storm, but not quite one this magnitude. It was pretty surprising to us." But Josh Ewing, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers No. 29, says this kind of response is something its workers are trained for. "Each job is different," Ewing said. "Weather conditions change. Some guys are working in the rain, the extreme heat, the extreme cold. That's what these guys train for. That's why they go through a rigorous apprenticeship, and that's what gives them the pride in doing what they do." To accommodate the large workforce of line workers coming in, Duquesne Light has set up a base camp on its Woods Run campus on the North Side. Part of those arrangements are single-occupancy trailers with beds and storage for line workers to sleep and store equipment and belongings. There are also bathroom stalls and shower units for bathing. They are normally used for disaster relief, but they were used in this situation due to their availability in the area. "Due to the magnitude of this storm, there were hotels that were out of power," said Copeland. "We couldn't get individual hotels for the amount of people we had coming on, so we had this emergency preparedness that we were able to get this on-site and get these individuals a place to stay safely." "You've got to remember these guys are in a tough situation," Ewing said. "They're away from their families. Some of them drove hundreds of miles to be here to help this community. So the company does a great job of trying to give them proper lodging, proper places to bathe, food, drinks, whatever they need." Perhaps making things more complicated was the arrival of more storms in the following days, threatening Duquesne Light's self-imposed date of May 6 to restore power to those who lost it a week before. "We're trying to get all the customers restored by the end of today, but we're also running into the second event, and even the third event," Copeland said Tuesday. "We had another with a storm last night that took another couple thousand people out." Officials say, despite the complications, they are still committed to restoring power to all Duquesne Light customers, and helping take care of all the little things will make it easier for the line workers to stay focused on that goal. But they're also asking customers to be patient with the work that remains. "No one likes to be out of power," said Ewing. "That's a given. But most customers understand that these workers didn't ask for this. They didn't cause this. Our workers are just trying to get the lights on as quickly and safely as they can." "We understand the frustration," said Copeland. "We're not putting that aside. We're taking it very seriously. With a storm of this magnitude, we have all of our available resources on it. We have outside resources on it, and our goal is to not just restore power to you, but to restore power safely and get you back to the normal."
