Morning Roundup: Driver trapped in Robinson crash; man stabbed in Beaver County
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Jan. 27: Driver trapped under dash in Robinson wreck Emergency crews in Robinson found a driver pinned under the dash following a crash Tuesday morning. The incident took place around 3:30 a.m. along the 5500 block of Steubenville...
Plum says it’s short on salt, tells residents to avoid unnecessary travel
Like many areas of the Alle-Kiski Valley, Plum says it’s experiencing a “significant salt shortage” ahead of what’s expected to be an intense winter storm this weekend. That leaves the borough’s plow and salt crews to prioritize hills, intersections and “other critical locations” for maintenance, according to a statement from...
Springdale asks residents to stay home, keep cars off street during expected storm
Springdale says its public works crews will be out for the duration of an expected snowstorm this weekend, but it’s asking residents to stay home and keep their cars out of the way. In a statement, the borough said Springdale Police would only respond to emergencies. For those seeking to...
Joe Kern reappointed to vacant seat on Springdale Council
Joe Kern is back on Springdale Council. The general contractor had previously served two years on council before losing the seat in last year’s election. The election saw four, four-year seats and one, two-year seat on the ballot. Michael Ziencik, who claimed victory in both races, opted to take the...
Plum High School honored by Special Olympics for unified sports teams
Matt Aaron, president of Special Olympics Pennsylvania, said walking through the doors of Plum High School felt different. He was there Wednesday to present the students and staff with a banner recognizing the school’s unified sports teams, which is a joint program with the Special Olympics that integrates students with...
Freeport Council president resigns to take tax collector role
Former Freeport Council President Rick Fennell stepped down last week to take up a new role. He’ll serve as the borough’s tax collector after an unsuccessful search for an alternative candidate. No one ran for the post in last year’s general election, and no candidate emerged with more than five...
Pa. attorney general accuses former Pine-Richland School Board candidate of forging signatures
An investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s public corruption section has resulted in charges against a Pine woman who the AG says forged at least four signatures on her election paperwork last year. Kathleen Ravotti, 61, is charged with several misdemeanors, including forgery, perjury and unsworn falsification to authorities. She...
Construction of 1st of 2 new Harmar hotels set to start this year
The first of two hotels slated to go up at the site of the former Days Inn in Harmar will enter its construction phase this spring. That’s according to Naren Patel, co-owner of KN Hospitality, the firm developing the hotels. He said he’s still working through the permitting process and...
Police say Harmar man shot and burned down his own home, fired guns at nearby houses
A Harmar man fired gunshots at his and neighbor’s homes before torching his residence early Friday morning, according to police. David John Benec, 65, of Harmar is charged with arson, discharging a firearm into a structure and recklessly endangering another person. Around 4 a.m. Friday, police arrived at the scene...
Police investigation into fatal Lower Burrell crash could last months; details remain hazy
It could be some time before police will know whether to file charges against the driver of a pickup that struck and killed a pedestrian Wednesday morning on Greensburg Road in Lower Burrell. A police reconstruction of the scene could take months to offer any conclusions, according to Lower Burrell...
Plum man identified as pedestrian killed by vehicle in Lower Burrell
Police are investigating the death of a pedestrian who was struck and killed by a vehicle on Greensburg Road in Lower Burrell. Harry J. Thomas, 62, of Plum was walking west on Greensburg Road when he was hit by a vehicle, according to Westmoreland County Coroner John Ackerman. The incident...
Plum begins vast addition, renovation project at O’Block Elementary
A few months from now, Plum’s O’Block Elementary is set to look much different. The building, which houses kindergarten through fourth grade, will receive a large addition and major renovations throughout its interior and exterior. District officials, together with a half dozen O’Block students, held a groundbreaking ceremony at the...
Allegheny Township man accused of trying to purchase 6-year-old girl
Allegheny Township police have accused a township resident of offering to purchase a 6-year-old girl from her mother. Theodore Magee, 43, offered to purchase the girl who, authorities say, he had sexually assaulted, according to a criminal complaint filed against him. Magee is charged with a half-dozen felonies, including aggravated...
Cheswick Council names member to vacant seat as incumbents start new terms
A slate of mostly incumbent council members filled out their ranks by appointing a familiar face as they began their new terms on Cheswick Council after victory in November’s general election. Adis Halimic, who previously was appointed to council and came in fifth place in the November
election, will take...
Familiar faces take seats on Springdale Council
November’s election victors — three of them incumbents — took their seats on Springdale Council this month. This year’s council will only differ slightly from last year’s in both its members and leadership. Deborah Piontek, the top vote-getter in November, was the sole non-incumbent council member to be sworn in....
Freeport appoints 2 new council members
Two residents became the newest Freeport Council members on Monday night, but not three, as there could have been. Carrie Irvine and Pete Wesolosky were both unanimously appointed to their seats by the rest of council. One of the two seats was left open because of a discrepancy on Freeport...
Woman accused of abandoning 12 cats in Allegheny Township faces cruelty charges
Allegheny Township police have accused a woman of abandoning a dozen cats in her apartment without food after she was evicted in October, leaving some severely emaciated. Laura Zboravan, 56, who now lives in Gilpin, is charged with two felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and several misdemeanor animal...
New members join Plum Council, leaders named
November’s four election victors officially joined Plum Council on Monday, Jan. 5. Ryan Delaney, James McBride, Raymond Rall and Phoebus Apollo were sworn-in to their posts by District Judge Mike Doyle at the borough’s reorganization meeting. The four were part of a Democratic slate that swept aside Republican incumbents Paul...
Rising utility costs cause record demand for assistance
A record number of requests has been made this winter to a Pittsburgh nonprofit that doles out funds to help people pay their rising utility bills. As of late December, Dollar Energy Fund had processed $2.5 million to 6,100 Pennsylvania households since October — a 131% increase over the same...
Here’s how to shop for lower utility costs
For Western Pennsylvania consumers worried about the costs of heating their homes this winter, there are options. Customers could find some relief on the marketplace, but it’s not entirely without risk. Pennsylvania Consumer Advocate Darryl Lawrence said shopping for better rates on the Pennsylvania Utility Commission’s PaGasSwitch and PaPowerSwitch web...
Building the Valley: Secondhand shop for kids ‘fills need’ in Vandergrift
Dylann Sowers says she opened her new storefront in Vandergrift with the community in mind. Kiski Kids Closet, located downtown on Grant Avenue, is a secondhand shop focused on affordable children’s clothing. It opened in mid-December. Sowers, 28, of Parks Township has three young boys of her own, which offered...
Allegheny County DA drops charges against Cheswick man previously accused of raping child
Allegheny County prosecutors dropped more than a dozen charges — many of them felony sex crimes — against a Cheswick man previously accused of raping a child. Jeremiah Segan, 42, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor simple assault in December as part of a negotiated plea. He was sentenced to 30 months...
Harmar opts for minor bump in taxes in new budget
Harmar property owners will see a slight increase to their tax bills this year under the township’s 2026 budget. The budget includes a 0.25 mill — or 8% — increase. That means property owners with a home at Harmar’s median assessed value of $91,400 would see their yearly bill go...
Charges withdrawn against Butler County man previously accused of raping child
Nearly a dozen charges against Michael Garrett Saunders, including rape of a child, have been withdrawn by the Butler County District Attorney’s Office. Saunders, 49, of Winfield was arrested in October 2024 before his case was dismissed without prejudice in July by Judge Joseph Kubit. Butler County authorities refiled identical...
Buffalo Township approves tax hike to rebuild reserves
Buffalo Township residents will see another bump in their property taxes next year after township supervisors opted to raise the township’s millage rate in their recently passed budget. It raises real estate taxes about 22%, from 13.5 mills to 16.5 mills. That means the owner of a property at the...
