James Engel stories, Page 6
Section of Pillow Avenue in Springdale Township to remain closed through October
A small stretch of Pillow Avenue in Springdale Township will remain closed through late October for drainage improvements, according to PennDOT. Traffic will be detoured between Hite and Low Grade roads. Motorists will have to divert their routes through Harmar via Route 28. Crews from A. Liberoni, Inc. will conduct...
For local governments, winter road maintenance is summertime concern
Long before he jumps in his salt truck, Unity Supervisor Mike O’Barto says, the township has to consider winter road maintenance and road salt acquisition. O’Barto is among 21 plowmen, including two other township supervisors, who work to clear the 165 miles of roads in Unity, which is one of...
Springdale Planning Commission to reconvene to continue data center review
After a standing-room-only meeting late last month, Springdale’s Planning Commission will come together again Wednesday to consider a massive proposed data center in the borough. The commission postponed a vote on whether to recommend borough council approve or deny a developer’s application at the previous meeting, opting to further analyze...
Allegheny Valley Regional Police make arrest in international fraudulent banking scam
Police in Springdale Township arrested on Friday a Chinese national believed to be connected with a large-scale scam ring that took one local resident for more than $100,000. Zhudi Chen, 40, of New York is charged with felony theft and financial exploitation. Allegheny Valley Regional Police Chief Michael Naviglia said...
Harmar House to stay in the family, become a boat dealership
After a fire in 2023 gutted much of Futules’ Harmar House, a longtime banquet and events hall, members of the Futules’ clan are working to repurpose the shuttered site — this time as a boat dealership. Tony Futules, 51, said he and his father, William, 76, are working to determine...
Western Pa. hunters face new rules as state tries to manage chronic wasting disease in deer
Chronic wasting disease used to be something that was far away for most Western Pennsylvania deer hunters, centered in the south-central region of the state. No longer. In 2024, parts of southern Armstrong County and eastern Westmoreland County became part of a management area after wild deer in each area...
ESL program offers skills, ‘family’ to English language learners at Allegheny Valley
Though Maria Cosme’s Allegheny Valley students speak more than half a dozen languages from four continents, one tongue unites them: English. Cosme is one of the most recent additions to the district, where she teaches ESL — or English as a Second Language — courses to elementary students through high...
Plum fire chiefs, borough expect stipend program to continue
Plum officials say they’ll likely carry on next year with a program that offers stipends for volunteer firefighters in the borough. The stipends — $15 per hour — were approved by the borough in January and were first distributed in March. Holiday Park VFD Chief Jim Sims said the stipends...
Pa. attorney general charges Pine woman for alleged forged signatures for school board election
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,...
Repairs at Vandergrift’s Casino Theater set for completion by end of year
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...
Community rallies to support Plum family after move-in fire
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...
Buffalo Township man accused of sexually assaulting girl turns himself in
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...
Buffalo Township man accused of sexually assaulting drunk 15-year-old girl
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...
Everything we know about the proposed Springdale data center
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. Now, it seems like a vote on the project is finally set to take place in...
TV shoot delayed to Friday in Vandergrift
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,...
Springdale residents remain skeptical of data center plan
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...
Springdale Planning Commission holds off on data center decision
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...
U.S. Steel says it will invest $100 million in Braddock works
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,...
Concert at Plum amphitheater could be the 1st of many
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 plans to issue survey on future of Vets Field; potential changes to come next year
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 to resume data center conversation this week
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....
Plans to revamp Cheswick’s Rachel Carson Riverfront Park could ‘rejuvenate’ community
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, East Franklin want local input in community survey
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...
Apple TV+ series to film in downtown Vandergrift this week
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...
Neighbors ‘sick’ after Cadogan woman charged in the deaths of 4 infants
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...
