James Engel stories, Page 15
Rachel Carson Trail sees temporary detour in Springdale Township amid land dispute
A section of the 45-mile Rachel Carson Trail is closed near Agan Park in Springdale Township because of a dispute with a landowner, according to the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy. The conservancy has set up a detour for hikers while the matter continues, conservancy Vice President Steve Mentzer said. Trail...
Holiday Park students raise trout for release in May
Fifth graders at Holiday Park Intermediate School have been raising dozens of newborn trout after placing 150 fish eggs in a classroom tank in January. After receiving the eggs from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, students designed and maintained the tank for several months as the fish grew and...
Knoch teacher accused of striking autistic student
A former Knoch Primary School teacher has been accused of slapping an 8-year-old autistic student in the face. State police charged Carly Miller, 35, of Hampton with simple assault and harassment in relation to a Nov. 26, 2024 incident. According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, the student...
Delay in ‘silica rule’ leaves some miners’ advocates worried
After the announcement by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration of a four-month delay in enforcement of the “silica rule,” some in the region are worried about what that delay signals for miners’ safety. The rule, issued last April, gave mine operators a year to upgrade respiratory protection programs...
PennDOT hopes to have new Salina Bridge ready for use by winter
Drivers could be crossing the Kiski River on the new Salina Bridge as soon as the winter. PennDOT assistant construction engineer Mark Kmetz said crews are finishing an abutment on the Kiski Township side of the river before the rest of the bridge can take shape. The span carries Bridge...
Plum to host 8th annual borough cleanup day
Around 250 Plum residents will scour the borough’s roadways April 19 for the eighth annual borough cleanup day. That is the highest number of volunteers the borough has seen for the event, according to Plum Manager David Soboslay. Volunteers will search mainly “high-traffic areas,” including state roads, for around an...
Arnold’s Fazio’s Italian Foods gets shoutout at Pat McAfee’s ‘Big Night Aht’
Closing out his celebrity-packed variety show at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday, ex-NFL player and sports commentator Pat McAfee picked up a bright orange sweatshirt that had been thrown onstage, to shout out an Arnold institution. Sweatshirt in hand, McAfee, a Plum native, sang some free advertising for Fazio’s Pizza...
Western Pennsylvanians prepare to capture April showers in rain barrels
As spring and gardening season begin, some Western Pennsylvanians are setting up a tool to harness the results of April showers: rain barrels. Generally placed below a downspout with a small spigot at the bottom, the barrels collect rainwater, keeping it from becoming runoff and storing it for practical use...
Plum departments begin volunteer firefighter stipend program
Five days into a new program that offers stipends for volunteer firefighters in Plum, Holiday Park VFD Chief Jim Sims said things have gone “very well.” The stipends — $15 per hour — were approved by the borough in January after the Plum Fire Chiefs Association initially presented the program...
Demolition crews level former Colfax Upper Elementary School in Springdale
By March 26, the remnants of the former Colfax Upper Elementary School in Springdale were razed after extensive demolition work throughout the month. The Allegheny Valley School Board shuttered the school in 2018 after years of declining enrollment and voted to demolish the building four years later, according to the...
Despite market volatility, local retirement experts urge restraint
Ride it out. That’s the general advice local financial advisers are giving those nearing retirement age who are watching stock markets around the world tumble after President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs. With at least 60% of Americans, by some estimates, tied to the stock market through 401(k)s, IRAs or...
Leechburg baseball association’s stolen wood replaced, police investigating theft
The Leechburg Youth Baseball Association has its wood back. After about $1,400 worth of lumber was stolen from the group recently, a local hardware store donated exact replacements on Wednesday as the association prepares to begin its season. Covered with a tarp behind an equipment shed at Gilpin-Leechburg Park, the...
Springdale Council sifts through 15 applications for borough manager position
Springdale Council is considering applications from 15 candidates to fill the borough manager’s post. After the window to submit applications closed Monday, interim Manager Jason Dailey said council’s personnel committee will rank the applicants before conducting interviews. Of the 15 applicants, Dailey said four have previous municipal experience. Though the...
Judge clears Region 2 candidate to run for Pine-Richland School Board after objections
Judge John McVay ordered objections to Pine-Richland School Board candidate Robert Stein’s election petitions be denied on March 31, leaving Stein clear to run in the May primaries. The objections, filed by Pine-Richland attorney Chris Cafardi, alleged that Stein, who is running in Region 2 of the district, did not...
Decision on 2nd injection well in Plum to come in June, zoning board says
Plum’s zoning hearing board says it will have a final decision on the development of a second injection well along Old Leechburg Road by June. The board heard testimony from three people Monday night during the third in a series of hearings. Local environmental advocacy group Protect PT (Penn-Trafford) and...
‘Absolutely a miracle’ — Driver recounts harrowing Buffalo Township crash, help of good Samaritans
Christy Dray-Blackham says she must have had divine help when the minivan she was driving plunged 50 feet into a ravine and then a creek Thursday afternoon in Buffalo Township. That intervention came in the form of two nurse “angels” who happened by in separate cars and a slew of...
Judge likely to strike objections to Pine-Richland School Board candidate’s election petitions
After a brief hearing March 27, Judge John McVay indicated he likely will strike two objections filed against Pine-Richland School Board candidate Robert Stein. The objections, filed by Pine-Richland attorney Chris Cafardi, alleged that Stein, who is running in Region 2 of the district, did not have enough Democratic signatures...
Plum School Board member resigns, district seeks replacement
Devin Adams, nearing the end of his first term on Plum School Board, resigned from his position this month after he and his family moved out of the district. Headed to the Norwin School District, Adams, who previously served as the Plum board’s vice president, said his time on the...
More than 200 students gather for anti-hate summit at Acrisure Stadium
In anticipation of September’s Eradicate Hate Global Summit in Pittsburgh, students from 25 school districts throughout Allegheny County convened March 26 at Acrisure Stadium to discuss their efforts to promote acceptance and counter hate in their communities. The conference, which marked a halfway point between last October’s Eradicate Hate summit...
Muslims at Islamic center in Marshall celebrate Ramadan as holy month nears end
Three times a week, hundreds have gathered around sundown at the Islamic Center of Western Pennsylvania in Marshall to celebrate and break their fasts during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Fasting during Ramadan, which happens to align with the month of March this year, is one of the five...
Ross takes first steps in what could be big changes to township’s fire services
After an extensive study recommended changes last year, Ross is taking the first steps in what likely will result in a yearslong revamp of the township’s fire services. During a meeting earlier this year, the township commissioners tasked Robb Consulting, a Central Pennsylvania public safety consulting firm, with finding a...
Walgreens in McCandless set to close May 1
A Walgreens pharmacy location is set to close its doors in McCandless come May. The location at 30 Pine Creek Road will shutter May 1 after 18 years at the site. The closure comes after the pharmacy chain announced last year it would shut down 1,200 of its locations over...
10 Japanese students ‘broaden horizons’ in visit to Shaler Area
Hailing from Niigata High School on Japan’s western coast, 10 Japanese students attended three days of classes at Shaler Area. The students, mostly third-year high schoolers, sat in on science, technology, engineering and math classes from March 10-12 in an effort to learn more about American STEM education. Michael Burke,...
Ross resident scammed for more than $8,000 by caller claiming to be from Sheriff’s Office
Ross police are investigating a scam that snatched more than $8,000 from a township resident who thought they were sending the money to the county sheriff. The victim received a call with a caller ID reading “Allegheny Cnty Sheriffs Dept,” during which they were told that an arrest warrant had...
Walnut Grill at Waterworks shutters doors, reason for closing remains unclear
Walnut Grill at Waterworks near Aspinwall closed its doors on March 16 after 16 years in business. Though it is unclear if the closure is related, it comes about a month after the Allegheny County Health Department issued a consumer alert regarding rodent droppings and 11 dead mice, along with...
