James Engel stories, Page 2

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced charges against a Pine woman on Thursday for allegedly forging at least four signatures on primary nomination paperwork for a Pine-Richland School Board candidate. Kayla Van Blargan, 36, is charged with forgery, perjury and several other related offenses. According to the Attorney General’s Office,...

Another piece of the decades-long repair efforts at Vandergrift’s Casino Theater is set to wrap up by the end of the year, borough engineer Lucien Bove said. He said crews will complete the second phase of a restoration project that will see sections of the building’s masonry repointed, windows replaced...

When Jamin and Bethany Gardner parked a box truck in the driveway of their new Plum home, the couple never imagined they would lose nearly all their possessions before they could even move in. The Gardners, who were preparing to settle into a modest brick house on Garlow Boulevard on...

Derrian Alcorn, the Buffalo Township man accused of raping an intoxicated 15-year-old girl last year, turned himself in Wednesday for his preliminary arraignment. Alcorn’s defense attorney, Duke George Jr., said his client is in the process of posting the $100,000 bond set by District Judge Jack D. Ripper. Alcorn is...

A Buffalo Township man is facing charges, accused of raping an intoxicated 15-year-old girl more than a year ago after supplying her with alcohol. Derrian Alcorn, 27, is charged with seven felony sex crimes, including rape by forcible compulsion, rape of an unconscious victim and corruption of a minor. Police...

Since developers revealed the initial details of a proposed data center at the former site of the Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale in August, the community has come armed with questions about the project. Here’s everything we know so far: The basics Data centers are used to store digital information...

Filming has been set back a day in Vandergrift for a new Apple TV+ series, tentatively titled “Parallax.” Crews were originally set to film throughout the borough’s downtown Thursday, but series publicist Shelly Williams said cameras will likely now roll Friday. Williams did not give a reason for the delay,...

Many Springdale residents aren’t sold on a massive proposed data center in their borough. Dozens showed up for a standing-room-only planning commission meeting Wednesday to probe developers and express concerns about the project. By the end of the night, the commission decided to delay its decision on whether Springdale Council...

Amid a packed room of residents, Springdale’s Planning Commission postponed a vote to recommend borough council approve or deny a developer’s application to build a massive data center. The commission will reconvene on Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. to make its final decision. The decision to hold off came after...

After its acquisition by Japanese giant Nippon Steel earlier this year, U.S. Steel says it will invest $100 million in a new slag recycler at its Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock. The company said in a release it has submitted an “air construction permit” to the Allegheny County Health Department,...

An acoustic concert scheduled at the Plum Municipal Center’s amphitheater could be just the first of several shows at the venue. The concert, set for Oct. 2, will feature local quartet Acoustic Union. In addition to serving as a social event for the community, the show also will be a...

Springdale Manager Terry Carcella said he doubts football will ever be played at Veterans Memorial Field again. But borough officials plan to collect community feedback on what residents would like to see at the site ahead of potential changes next year. About two dozen residents came together last week for...

Springdale’s Planning Commission will likely offer its recommendation to borough council to approve or deny an application to build a massive data center this week. Residents and commissioners will again hear from developers seeking to construct the center at the former site of the Cheswick Generating Station at 6:30 p.m....

Major changes are on the horizon at Cheswick’s Rachel Carson Riverfront Park as the borough prepares to present its new master plan to community members. Developed using community input over the course of more than a year, the plan seeks to completely redesign the green space with numerous improvements and...

South Buffalo and East Franklin officials are seeking advice from community members through a survey. The questionnaire is part of a joint comprehensive plan in the works for the two Armstrong County townships. Comprehensive plans, which municipalities typically revisit each decade, serve as a general roadmap for the goals and...

Film crews will be active in and around Vandergrift on Thursday for the production of an upcoming AppleTV+ series, tentatively titled “Parallax.” In a letter addressed to residents, the crew said the filming would result in temporary no-parking zones 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. throughout chunks of downtown, mostly around...

Jessica Mauthe spent nearly her whole life living in a rented home on Oak Avenue in Cadogan, where her father also previously lived. Though she mostly kept to herself, neighbors said nothing seemed abnormal about the goings-on at the white two-story home — until Sept. 13. That’s when the owner...

Freeport Fire-EMS will soon have a new EMS chief — the first in the department’s history. Jamison Hughes is set to take on the role in October. Currently a paramedic in Monroeville, Hughes, 48, said he’s worked in emergency services for 30 years. The Indiana County resident is hoping to...

Motorists using Route 28 will face several traffic restrictions next week. Beginning Monday PennDOT will have overnight ramp closures on northbound Route 28 in Etna and Pittsburgh, weather permitting. To allow guide rail, pavement marking, and sign installation work ramps will close overnight according to the following schedule: • Northbound...

Investigators say they’ve found a fourth dead infant in the Cadogan house Jessica Mauthe had been renting after police searched it last week. Police initially reported three dead infants in the residence, but new charges filed against Mauthe accuse her of concealing an additional corpse. Mauthe’s former landlord located the...

After passing a new ordinance Tuesday, Springdale may soon begin fining owners of vacant or abandoned properties in the borough. Springdale Borough Manager Terry Carcella said it’s part of an “aggressive” new plan to combat neglected properties in the area. “By doing nothing, that won’t work for the borough,” he...

Allegheny Valley School District says it’s in the initial stages of building an ADA-compliant parking area near its new artificial turf field across Butler Road from Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School. Superintendent Patrick Graczyk said the district is in discussions with FieldTurf USA, the contractor that recently installed the turf, to...

Butler County authorities have refiled charges against a Winfield man, accused of raping a young girl, after a previous case was dismissed before trial. Penn Township Police say Michael Garrett Saunders, 49, repeatedly sexually assaulted the girl when she was 11 and 12 years old. Saunders was initially arrested in...

After years of planning, the Plum School District has begun seeking bids for its large-scale addition and renovations to O’Block Elementary School. The district released the project for bidding with a deadline for contractors to submit proposals set for Oct. 7. The school board will award contracts Oct. 28. The...

Starting later this month, Plum residents may see discoloration in their water. That’s because the borough’s municipal authority will begin its hydrant flushing program on Sept. 29 to ensure all fire hydrant systems are clean and operational. The program will extend until Nov. 26. No work will occur on the...