James Engel stories, Page 3
Landslide knocks part of Logans Ferry Road in Plum down to 1 lane until summer
A section of Logans Ferry Road in Plum will have a single-lane restriction until summer after a landslide on a short portion of the roadway. The stretch sits between Browntown and Webster roads. New stop signs have been installed at each end as well as signage before the section that...
Police say New Kensington man already jailed for SWAT incident assaulted, fathered child with 8th grader
Westmoreland County detectives accuse a New Kensington man who has been in jail since 2024 of fathering a child with an Arnold teenager after repeatedly sexually assaulting her. Burnell Johnson, 27, is facing charges of statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors and indecent assault of a person younger than 16....
Cheswick plans to redo sidewalks, add lights along Pittsburgh Street
Cheswick’s main business district could see significant updates soon. The borough plans to repave its sidewalks and curbs and add light poles along Pittsburgh Street with a $1.1 million state grant, according to Council President Brad Yaksich. Yaksich said the effort is part of an effort to revitalize the corridor....
Scott Township man detained by ICE in Plum being held in West Virginia jail
Vishavdeep Singh, the Scott Township man detained by ICE agents in Plum on Wednesday, is being held in Northern Regional Correctional Facility and Jail near Moundsville, W.Va., according to ICE records. Singh, 22, was detained at the office of District Judge Mike Doyle after, police say, he attempted to flee...
Mysterious metal shards causing flat tires around Harrison
Low tire pressure lights are coming on throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley — and it’s not because of the cold. Dozens of drivers are reporting flat tires caused by small metal fragments of unknown origin, mostly around the Harrison area. Beverly Lydic of Springdale Township heard a hissing noise coming from...
Fire guts Springdale Township home
A Springdale Township home is likely a total loss after a fire early Tuesday morning, according to Allegheny Valley VFC Chief Jay Zangrille. Crews were dispatched to the scene along the 700 block of Maple Street just after 2 a.m. When they arrived, firefighters discovered a fully involved house fire...
Plum Council expected to vote on new Taco Bell
Plum’s new Taco Bell is on the horizon. Borough council is expected to vote to approve the project along Golden Mile Highway at its meeting Monday, Feb. 9. So far, developers have progressed through Plum’s planning commission and zoning hearing board, which granted them minor changes to the drive-thru and...
Fundraiser for family of Oakmont man detained by ICE raises more than $75K
An online fundraiser to aid the family of a man taken into ICE custody in Oakmont on Thursday had collected more than $75,000 as of Tuesday evening. Jose Flores, 47, was handcuffed and placed in an unmarked SUV by ICE agents Thursday morning in front of his 8-year-old daughter, Lily....
Springdale’s agreement with ICE brings fear closer to home for some local immigrants
When Judah Marroquin learned police in Springdale Borough signed an agreement to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in November, she was sick to her stomach. “It’s finally at our doorsteps,” she thought. Born and raised in Shaler, she has lived in neighboring Springdale Township with her husband, Carlos,...
How cold is it? Pittsburgh is breaking records
It was as cold as it’s ever been on this date in Pittsburgh Friday morning. Temperatures sank to minus 6 degrees around 7:50 a.m. at the National Weather Service’s offices in Moon, according to meteorologist Jason Frazier. That slightly edges out today’s previous record low of minus 5, set in...
Faces of the Valley: PR director leaves Allegheny Valley School District after 3 decades
To Jan Zastawniak, it’s a great thing to be a Dynamo. The Springdale alumna and longtime borough resident retired in December from Allegheny Valley School District, where she worked as public relations director for more than 30 years. But Zastawniak was never lacking for other responsibilities at Allegheny Valley. She...
Man who led police on hours-long chase up frozen Allegheny River remains jailed
Police say a Pittsburgh man who shouted to them that he wasn’t “going back to jail” as he led officers on a slow, 5-mile foot pursuit on the frozen Allegheny River on Wednesday is, in fact, back in jail. Gary Cawley, 47, is facing felony charges of burglary and criminal...
PRT says nearly all bus lines running normally again
After days of patchy service because of Sunday’s winter storm, Pittsburgh Regional Transit says bus and rail service throughout the region is almost fully restored. The announcement comes after snowplows and dump trucks cleared what PRT called “problem areas” throughout the system, the agency said in a social media post....
No thaw in sight: Temperatures could hit record lows later this week
The mercury is unlikely climb out of the teens for the next several days as the region continues to grapple with the remnants of Sunday’s winter storm. Temperatures in the region will mostly linger in the single digits and low teens until early next week, when the National Weather Service...
Most of PRT’s rail lines disabled by power line collapse
Pittsburgh Regional Transit said Wednesday morning almost all of its rail service has been halted by a power line collapse overnight. One train car is still operating between South Hills Junction and Allegheny Station, according to a social media post from PRT. Two shuttle buses each are operating between Library...
Trump endorses Stacy Garrity in race for Pa. governor
President Donald Trump threw his support behind Republican Stacy Garrity on Tuesday night as she aims to unseat Gov. Josh Shapiro as Pennsylvania governor. In an evening Truth Social post, Trump called Garrity — who serves as Pennsylvania treasurer — a “true America First Patriot.” “Stacy Garrity has my Complete...
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...
