James Engel stories, Page 7
Freeport Fire-EMS hires 1st EMS chief in its history
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...
Road work to limit local sections of Route 28 to single-lane traffic
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...
Ford City woman charged again after 4th dead infant found in home she rented
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...
Springdale to impose fines for vacant, abandoned properties
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 to construct handicapped parking lot at new turf field
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 man accused of raping young girl recharged after previous case dismissed
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...
Plum seeks bids for O’Block Elementary addition, renovations; rough price tag: $28 million
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...
As Plum flushes fire hydrants, borough warns residents may experience discolored water
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...
Plum to replace middle school water pump as building remains on ‘fire watch’
The Plum School District is working to replace a water pump that controls emergency sprinklers in its middle school after its pressure proved to be too low during routine testing. District Superintendent Rick Walsh said the pump, which had passed last year’s inspection, was old and had failed to fall...
Springdale seeking public input on future of Veterans Memorial Field
Springdale is looking for suggestions from residents about the fate of Veterans Memorial Field. A previously formed five-member committee, appointed by Springdale Council to study potential options at the field, will host a public hearing at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Springdale Borough Building. The field has been unused since...
Charlie Kirk’s slaying has left universities reviewing safety measures for campus events
Last September, Charlie Kirk fielded questions with Vivek Ramaswamy under a pop-up canopy in the Schenley Quadrangle as University of Pittsburgh students settled into their fall semester. Almost a year later, the right-wing influencer was shot dead in a nearly identical setup on the campus of Utah Valley University. As...
Plum hires new buildings and grounds supervisor
Alexa Verrico has been tapped as Plum’s new buildings and grounds supervisor. A Plum resident, she’ll be responsible for managing the borough’s public works crews; taking care of area parks; and upkeeping borough-owned facilities, such as the Plum Community Library and Plum Community Center. She’ll report to the borough’s director...
Allegheny Valley looks to replace old faucets after tests show unacceptable lead levels
After water from more than a dozen fixtures was found to have unacceptably high lead levels in Allegheny Valley schools, the district says it’s looking to replace parts to avoid future contamination. District Superintendent Patrick Graczyk said 15 sinks and older drinking fountains in Acmetonia Elementary School and one faucet...
Friendly pizza wager feeds Plum football after victory over Gateway
Plum earned more than just a win against longtime football rival Gateway last Friday night. The Mustangs ended a streak of 13 consecutive losses at the hands of the Gators. With the win, the team also secured a free batch of pizza courtesy of a friendly wager between local pizza...
Noise, traffic top of mind for Cheswick residents as data center project looms next door
In the end, Cheswick officials won’t have any say over the data center proposed next door in Springdale. But that didn’t stop more than two dozen borough residents from quizzing developers about the potential effects the project could have on their community. Concerns about noise pollution and traffic congestion took...
Tarentum animal rescue installs 24/7 microchip reader for lost pets
The public now can identify microchipped pets any time of the day with a new device installed by Tarentum-based animal rescue Paws Across Pittsburgh. The microchip scanner, located in front of the nonprofit’s rescue house at 413 E. Sixth Ave., allows users to inspect lost animals with on-site instructions. The...
Plum seeking resident input in survey on borough’s future
Plum officials want to hear from residents as they consider the long-term future of the borough. A recent survey made available to residents and taxpayers online at growingplumforward.com asks 23 questions about the most important issues and potential changes in Plum over the next decade. It’s part of the first...
Home may be total loss in Lower Burrell fire
There were no injuries reported in a two-alarm fire Monday afternoon in Lower Burrell. All occupants were already out of the home on Dakota Drive when firefighters arrived, according to Lower Burrell VFC #3 Fire Chief Brennan Sites. The fire, reported just before 1 p.m., was first thought to be...
Cheswick to host informational meeting on proposed data center
Cheswick residents will have a chance Wednesday to see the preliminary plans for a proposed data center just over the municipal boundary in Springdale. The borough will host an informational meeting at 6 p.m. at its municipal building with Brian Regli, a consultant working with Allegheny DC Property Co., the...
Gran Fondo cycling marathon brings international ‘big ride’ to Western Pa.
About 300 green-clad cyclists are set to make their way through Allegheny and Westmoreland counties as part of a bike marathon planned this month. The race, called Gran Fondo New York Pittsburgh, will begin and end in Monroeville after taking riders through a large loop of the Alle-Kiski Valley and...
Fire tears through upper floors of Brackenridge house
A late-night fire gutted the upper floors of a Brackenridge home on Saturday night. Fire crews responded to the blaze at the corner of McIntire Way and Hall Lane near ATI’s Brackenridge Works around 11:30 p.m., according to a volunteer at Pioneer Hose Company. Residents escaped the home, and no...
Brookville woman killed in Armstrong County ATV crash
State police say a woman died from injuries she suffered in an ATV crash in Armstrong County on Sunday. The crash occurred on private property just after 2 a.m. in Madison Township, according to police. Police identified the victim as Samantha Hetrick, 21, of Brookville. The cause of the crash...
Multi-vehicle crash briefly shuts down Tarentum Bridge
A crash involving three vehicles on Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington briefly shuttered the Tarentum Bridge in the early afternoon on Sunday. According to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher, the crash took place around 11:20 in front of the New Kensington Shopping Center. Minor entrapment was reported in at...
Greene County’s oldest Catholic church catches fire
A fire broke out at St. Ann Church — the oldest Catholic Church in Greene County — Saturday night, halting Masses and leaving the building damaged. In a release, the Diocese of Pittsburgh said the main body of the church appears to be intact, but certain adjoining areas suffered extensive...
Kennywood halts 21+ nights after repeated altercations at park
Kennywood is canceling its 21+ nights after altercations at the park, according to a statement from General Manager Ricky Spicuzza. The amusement park, purchased earlier this year by Atlanta-based Herschend, previously hosted late-night 21+ events on Aug. 22 and Friday night, Aug. 29. But physical altercations apparently broke out both...
