James Engel stories, Page 3
Some questions remain unanswered after ICE arrests 13 in Armstrong County
Details remain hazy after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation ended with 13 people arrested on Good Friday at a driver’s license center near Kittanning. Jason Koontz, a Department of Homeland Security spokesman, said ICE was called by East Franklin police after “concerned citizens reported an abnormally large amount of...
Scrap fire briefly sends smoke plume above Tarentum
A scrap fire in Tarentum briefly billowed plumes of black smoke above the Allegheny River on Tuesday afternoon near the Tarentum Bridge. The blaze, reported just before 3 p.m., appeared to be in a metal scrap yard owned by PJ Greco Sons Inc. Fire crews extinguished most of it within...
Immigrant rights marchers continue through Westmoreland County on journey to ICE facility
A small caravan of backpack-clad immigrant rights advocates pushed through Westmoreland County Monday on their way to an ICE detention facility in Clearfield County. Jaime Martinez, executive director of Pittsburgh-based Frontline Dignity, is making the 8-day, roughly 130-mile journey to Moshannon Valley Processing Center in an effort to draw attention...
Organizers search for host families for Freeport International Baseball Invitational
Youth baseball players from around the world will gather for a tournament in Freeport in July, but organizers say the visitors need a place to stay. The organizers of the annual Freeport International Baseball Invitational are searching for local families to host traveling players. The families will be responsible for...
Former Freeport Council president accused of assaulting man after traffic collision
Former Freeport Council President — and current tax collector — Richard Fennell is facing an assault charge after, police say, he punched a man during a traffic incident. Fennell, 57, had served on council since 2024 before resigning in January to take up the borough’s vacant tax collector position. On...
Plum High School prepares for spring musical ‘Seussical’
More than 100 Plum High School students are preparing for a spring musical that’s a remix of classic Dr. Seuss tales. Plum’s production of “Seussical” is set to hit the stage for three shows April 16 to 18. The show weaves together several familiar tales into a new story as...
State police accuse Massachusetts man of sexually assaulting 2 girls in Manor Township
A Massachusetts man is facing a dozen felony charges after being accused of repeatedly forcing two girls to perform sex acts in Manor Township. Kole Anthony Glaister, 23, of Blackstone, Mass., is charged by state police with indecent deviate sexual intercourse of a person less than 16 years old, sexual...
Immigrant rights group plans 8-day walk from Pittsburgh to ICE facility in Clearfield County
Jaime Martinez plans to walk from ICE’s field office in Pittsburgh’s South Side to the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County — an eight-day journey — to draw attention to the recent detention of immigrants in the region. The odyssey begins Easter Sunday morning. Martinez, founder of Pittsburgh-based immigrant...
Donut Connection in New Kensington to close
Donut Connection along Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington will close its doors Tuesday, according to the owner of the franchise. Rakesh Patel said he is looking for a location in the Alle-Kiski Valley to open a new franchise. He said he’s eyeing New Kensington or Lower Burrell. Patel purchased...
Pivik Elementary students — with help from donation — raise more than $27K for heart association
Plum’s Pivik Elementary School sat high on a leaderboard of state schools after students helped to raise more than $27,000 for an annual drive benefiting the American Heart Association. The school ranked fifth in Pennsylvania and the highest in the region by far for the association’s Kids Heart Challenge Fundraiser....
Fire in Bloomfield rowhouse spreads to 4 other buildings on block; no injuries reportedVideo
A three-alarm fire engulfed a Bloomfield row house Sunday afternoon and spread to four nearby homes, blanketing the densely populated neighborhood with smoke. Pittsburgh Assistant Fire Chief Brian Kokkila said no occupants or firefighters were injured in the blaze. Kokkila said firefighters were dispatched just before 3:30 p.m. to the...
With data center boom heading to Western Pa., Virginia offers roadmap — and warnings
This is the first in an ongoing series on data center development in Western Pennsylvania and the impact it has on surrounding businesses and residents. Western Pennsylvania appears poised for what could be its biggest infrastructure boom since the end of the steel era. A new industry, one forged in...
Digital gold rush: With data center boom heading to Western Pa., Virginia offers roadmap — and warnings
This is the first in an ongoing series on data center development in Western Pennsylvania and the impact it has on surrounding businesses and residents. Western Pennsylvania appears poised for what could be its biggest infrastructure boom since the end of the steel era. A new industry, one forged in...
Allegheny Valley superintendent proposes administration realignments, more student programs
Allegheny Valley Superintendent Patrick Graczyk is proposing the district add two new administrative roles and expand programs in an effort to bolster support for students. Graczyk presented the plan to the Allegheny Valley School Board this month, though any official changes are likely months away, board President Paula Moretti said....
Pittsburgh region saw slight decline in population last year, new census data shows
Newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the Pittsburgh region’s population shrank slightly recently. The data includes population estimates for American counties from July 2024 to 2025. All but three counties in the eight-county Pittsburgh metropolitan statistical area saw a decline in population, according to a dataset compiled...
Owner of Plum’s Lelulo’s Pizza wins $25K grant for contributions to community
For many Plum residents, Lelulo’s Pizzeria is known for its community engagement and active social media presence. During the covid-19 pandemic, owner Patyn McCune provided free lunches for several local children. Since then, she has also helped with clothing and Easter basket drives, opened a food pantry during last year’s...
Man’s body discovered near Mon a month after he went missing
A month after Shelby Rhodes went missing, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed his body had been recovered near the Monongahela River. The body of Rhodes, 26, was discovered Saturday near the 200 block of Bunola River Road in Forward Township. According to TribLive news partner WTAE, he was...
Indiana Police say Clairton man fired gunshots in air during ‘IUPatty’s’ weekend
Police in Indiana, Pa., say a Clairton man fired five shots from a stolen handgun into the air before leaving the borough Saturday evening. In a release, Indiana Borough police say Tymere Johnson, 22, let the bullets fly near the intersection of School Street and West Avenue in the borough’s...
2 years after Jeannette fire claimed 5, family works to give back with nonprofit
The 5 Angels Memorial Fund serves several purposes. At its core, the nonprofit is a vehicle to remember the five lives lost March 20, 2024, in a Jeannette house fire. Tyler J. King, 27, and four of his children — Kyson, 7; Kinzleigh, 6; Keagan, 3; and Korbyn, 1 month...
4 dead after fiery crash in Sewickley Township; coroner says victims’ identities being determined
The Westmoreland County Coroner on Sunday released the names of four teens killed in a fiery car crash in Sewickley Township early Saturday morning. The coroner identified them as Brady D. Hunker, 15, of Herminie; Rocco A. Zugai, 18, of West Newton; Felicity M. Martini, 15, of Yukon; and Kylee...
Man, 19, charged in fatal McKees Rocks shooting
A McKees Rocks resident shot and killed a 20-year-old in the borough Friday night, borough police said. Jayden Knight, 19, is facing a criminal homicide charge after police say he shot Maya Parker once in the head. Details in the criminal complaint against Knight were scant. The complaint said police...
A month after Springdale police helped ICE detain resident, anxiety remains for local immigrants
Soon after Springdale police signed a 287(g) agreement to cooperate with federal immigration and customs officials last year, Carlos and Judah Marroquin told TribLive they worried about what it could mean for the community. On Feb. 10, they got their answer when Randy Cordova-Flores, a Peru-born resident who had lived...
World War II veteran and longtime Alle-Kiski Valley resident had zest for life
Paul Shadle Sr.’s time on Earth wasn’t without hardship, but the longtime Plum resident “truly enjoyed” his life, according to family. Shadle died March 15 in Lower Burrell, barely a month after celebrating his 100th birthday. He served during World War II in the 69th Infantry Division at the Battle...
Springdale Police plan youth movie night
Springdale Police will host its first youth movie night at the borough building Friday. The “Badges and Bites” event is the first of several planned movie nights organized by the police department and Councilman Joe Kern. Kern said the department is still determining what film to screen. The free show...
Springdale borough manager resigns after stormy 9-month tenure
Springdale is searching for a new borough manager after Terry Carcella, who had served as manager since last May, resigned ahead of council’s meeting Tuesday night. Carcella said he submitted his resignation last week but declined to offer a reason for his departure. He said he did not plan to...
