James Engel stories, Page 16
Etna’s Bread of Life Food Pantry seeking donations after number of shoppers ‘skyrockets’
During the Lenten season, the Bread of Life Food Pantry in Etna is seeking donations to provide Easter hams to local families and bear the weight of a “dramatic increase” of people seeking its services. Alexis Weber, manager of the pantry located in Calvert Memorial Presbyterian Church at 94 Locust...
Shaler seeks residents’ thoughts on master plan for parks
After years of discussions about park improvements and the potential addition of a recreation center, Shaler is seeking resident input about the future of its dozen parks in a survey. The extensive questionnaire comes as a result of recommendations made by the Kiwanis Park Focus Group in May 2024, Shaler...
Ross honors 9 police officers in inaugural awards ceremony
Ross recognized several police officers with awards and commendations March 3 in what Deputy Chief Brian Kohlhepp said he hopes is the first of many years of annual awards for its 46-officer staff. Though nine officers were recognized at a meeting of a township commissioners, two took home special honors....
After initial hesitation, Ross votes to approve former Steeler’s medical marijuana dispensary
While the Ross commissioners voted to table the approval of a medical marijuana dispensary on McKnight Road at its last meeting, the nine member board voted unanimously Monday to allow the facility to operate. The dispensary will sit at 7725 McKnight Road, where G&G Fitness Equipment currently resides. That will...
Shaler Area student to be charged for allegedly assaulting basketball referee
Shaler police are in the process of charging a juvenile after they allegedly punched a referee on March 1 during a fourth grade basketball game at Shaler Area Elementary School. According to Lt. Josh Watkins, police likely will charge the suspect, a Shaler Area High School student, in juvenile court...
10 Japanese exchange students to attend Shaler Area High School classes in March
Hailing from Niigata High School on Japan’s western coast, 10 Japanese students attended three days of classes at Shaler Area High School. 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....
North Allegheny middle schoolers advance to international Lego competition
After finding success at a statewide competition Feb. 15, six North Allegheny middle schoolers will head to an international Lego competition in June with their team Bands of Steel. The competition, organized by the international youth organization First Lego League, tasks participants with constructing and coding a Lego robot in...
Pine-Richland students win 1st place at Shakespeare competition; teacher honored
“Yet not so deeply as to thee belongs, myself am moved to woo thee for my wife.” With those words, amid a flurry of puns and Shakespearean sparring, two Pine-Richland seniors took first place on Feb. 24 in the upper-level scene category of Pittsburgh Public Theater’s Shakespeare Monologue & Scene...
New Hampton-based theater company to offer 4 showings of ‘Be More Chill’ musical
Beginning Feb. 27, Hampton-based theater company Soulshine Performing Arts Collective Experience will stage four showings of the “Be More Chill” musical at Sunken Bus Studios in Ross. Lacey Overholt, the company’s creator and show director, said the performances will be the first for SPACE, which she opened in January. A...
Etna Slice House closed indefinitely after chef departs
Etna Slice House, open for less than a year, is closed indefinitely after the departure of its manager and some staff. Though he said there is no hard feelings, the Slice House’s former manager and head chef, Massimo Vozza, said he decided to leave the business last week. That is...
Heated debate surrounds Pine-Richland School Board’s library policy; final vote next
A final vote on Pine-Richland’s controversial library policy is in sight after another contentious meeting Feb. 24 set the stage for a third and final read of the proposed rule changes. The three-hour meeting was the latest in a series of often embittered discussions during which community members have lashed...
Author of book rejected by Pine-Richland School Board draws large crowds during local visit
During two afternoon talks on Saturday, Alabama-based author Randi Pink spoke to large and inquisitive crowds at Northern Tier Library in Richland. Her visit was arranged after the Pine-Richland School Board last month voted not to include her novel, “Angel of Greenwood,” in its ninth grade language arts classes. The...
Etna swears in new member of borough council after brief vacancy
Etna Mayor Robert Tuñón swore in the newest member of borough council Feb. 18 after a monthlong vacancy in the First Ward. Brice Lynn, who has resided in Etna since 2019, was appointed to fill the seat left by Megan Tuñón after she resigned because of her “increasing duties” as...
New tattoo shop, Wexford Tattoo Company, to offer ink to North Hills communities
Some new ink will soon be available on Perry Highway in McCandless. The Wexford Tattoo Company plans to open its doors March 15 at 10431 Perry Highway in the Phoenix Centre office building near North Allegheny Senior High School. The shop may be new, but it is not the first...
Pine-Richland High School will return to the classics with ’42nd Street’ musical
Students at Pine-Richland High School will offer “big number” performances and plenty of tap routines during five showings of “42nd Street” next month. The 1980 musical, based on a 1930s novel and film adaptation, is a meta-musical romance that follows an often troubled Broadway production during the Great Depression. The...
Shaler’s public works crew applauded for keeping roads safe during winter months
During the winter months, it is easy to spot where the work of Shaler’s public works crew begins and ends. That has produced hundreds of compliments on social media during January’s winter weather, with many of those messages citing the crew’s consistency and the difference in road quality compared to...
Hampton’s indoor percussion ensemble heading to Indianapolis for regional competition
Hampton High School’s indoor percussion ensemble will head to Indianapolis later this month to compete in a regional percussion competition. The competition, hosted by World Guard International, will take place between Feb. 28 and March 2. Hampton will be the sole group from Pennsylvania to compete. Charlie Houck, director of...
Ross commissioners announce new plans for Short Line Hollow as resident urges spring reopening
Amid ongoing disputes about the closed park, Ross Commissioner Dan DeMarco announced Feb. 18 that the township would engage a consultant and release a survey for community members about reopening Short Line Hollow park. The park, which consists of miles of hiking trails in a steep valley, was created in...
Ross debates placing former Steelers player’s medical marijuana dispensary next to laser tag facility
Ross commissioners tabled a motion to approve a former Steeler’s medical marijuana dispensary after concerns were raised about its proximity to a popular laser tag facility during their Feb. 18 meeting. The proposed dispensary would be at 7725 McKnight Road, where G&G Fitness Equipment currently sits. That would place it...
Burghers Brewing to open new flagship location in Millvale
After more than a year of work, Burghers Brewing Co. is poised to open next week what co-owner Neil Glausier calls a “stainless steel cathedral” as its flagship location in Millvale. The brewery, located at 400 Grant Ave., will take over as the primary brewing location for the local beer...
9 Yards Golf to open 2nd location at The Block Northway in Ross
The Block Northway soon will host the second location of 9 Yards Golf. The indoor golf experience and cocktail bar, which will feature South Korean Golfzon simulators, will sit on the second floor of the mall next to Dave & Buster’s. Four public bays and two rooms reserved for private...
McCandless Police Department gets new K-9, a Belgian Malinois named Leroy
The McCandless Police Department recently added a youthful member to its ranks — and he’s not quite 2 years old. Leroy, a Pennsylvania-born Belgian Malinois, is the newest K-9 member of the township’s police. He turns 2 in May. According to his partner, Officer Shawn Davis, the dog soon will...
Diesel from Route 28 tanker accident leaves sheen throughout Allegheny and Ohio rivers
Groups are monitoring the region’s waterways and wildlife after a tanker accident on Route 28 spilled 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel. While authorities are working to mitigate the impact of Tuesday’s accident, which sent large amounts of fuel into Pine Creek and later the Allegheny River, sheens of diesel can...
Shaler Area parents, administration talk increased security at school board meeting
At the first meeting of the Shaler Area School Board following an incident on Jan. 30 where a student brought a handgun on a school bus, tempers were mild as parents and administration discussed safety measures. The meeting took place in the Shaler Area Middle School library, a bigger venue...
Stolen car in Shaler used in attempted gun shop burglary in Mercer County
One of the cars stolen in Shaler on the night of Feb. 8 or morning of Feb. 9 was used in the attempted burglary of a gun shop in Stoneboro, Mercer County, according to Shaler police Chief Sean Frank. On Feb. 9, Shaler police reported that two cars were stolen...
