Joyce Hanz stories, Page 28
Do not pass: Police crack down on school bus scofflaws in Freeport, Leechburg districts
Jennifer Pirhalla grinds her teeth with worry every time she accompanies her two children to their bus stop in rural Gilpin . Pirhalla is concerned about student safety after witnessing numerous motorists disregarding the lighted stop sign arm on the school bus that picks them up along Johnetta Road. “I...
Duplex fire displaces senior citizen in Allegheny TownshipVideo
A senior citizen is displaced after a Monday morning fire at a duplex in Allegheny Township. A fire broke out about 8:49 a.m. in the kitchen area of a patio home in the 600 block of Cedar Ridge Drive, Allegheny Township police Chief Duane Fisher said. Fisher said a neighbor...
Valley Dairy Restaurant’s opening date set in Allegheny Township
Calling all ice cream lovers. Promising the “best banana split of your life,” Valley Dairy Restaurant training manager Joe Wyant took a few minutes out of his increasingly busy schedule Thursday to provide details on the upcoming May 1 grand opening in Allegheny Township. “It’s original strawberry and vanilla hand-dipped...
Calling all volunteers: Leechburg Recycling Center needs help to meet demand
A dedicated group of senior citizens is doing more with less in Leechburg. The volunteers at the Leechburg Recycling Center have experienced a 20% increase in recyclables compared with last year — and fewer helpers to collect, sort and process the trash. “I was the only one here the other...
Faces of the Valley: Emergency disaster volunteer from Parks Township logs more than 30 Salvation Army deployments
The long, faded scar across Joel Brown’s forehead and scalp is a reminder of one of the most harrowing volunteer days of his life. Brown, 57, of Parks Township was driving home from a fire call with the Parks Township Volunteer Fire Department in 2020 when he swerved while driving...
Leechburg church kicks off fundraiser in hopes of reviving silent bell tower
The Rev. James Arter climbed a narrow ladder several stories Wednesday to reach the bell tower at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Leechburg. As he manually rang one of the 28 bells, the melodic tone produced by the nearly 3,500-pound bell brought a smile to his face — and sent...
Brush fire snarls morning commute on Route 28 near RIDC Park
Southbound Route 28 traffic was slowed to a crawl Friday morning when a brush fire broke out on the wooded hillside near the RIDC Park exit in O’Hara. Haze from the fire covered the highway and traffic was reduced to a single lane headed toward Pittsburgh during the morning rush...
Former Pittsburgh City Council candidate charged with rape
A man who previously ran for Pittsburgh City Council is charged with sexually assaulting a woman, according to Pittsburgh police. According to court documents, Kierran Cole Young, 30, is facing multiple felony charges including rape, harassment, unlawful restraint and indecent assault stemming from an alleged sexual assault on a female...
Morning Roundup: Elevated risk of wildfire spread Friday as cold front moves into Pittsburgh region
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, April 21, 2023: Dry conditions create elevated fire risk as cold front moves in Friday The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh issued a special weather statement Friday for an elevated risk of wildfire for the western Pennsylvania and...
Morning Roundup: Sunshine and temps into the 80s expected today
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, April 20, 2023: Sunshine and warm temps return Sunny conditions will dominate Thursday, with temperatures soaring into the 80s. National Weather Service meteorologist Lee Hendricks said the heat wave will remain through Friday, with overnight temps in the...
River recreation opportunities expand along the Kiski River in Leechburg
It just got a lot easier to float your boat in Leechburg. A public recreational project several years in the making was completed Saturday. The Leechburg primitive gravel boat launch in Riverfront Park is a packed-gravel road with an adjacent parking lot designed for nonmotorized boats, specifically kayaks and canoes....
Allegheny Township partners with Kiski Area School District for summer festival
A community event idled for decades is returning bigger and better with a new venue in Allegheny Township. Allegheny Township Community Days is planned for Saturday, June 24, on the grounds of Kiski Area High School. Despite the “Days” in the name, it’s a one-day event. Township Supervisor James Morabito...
Man arrested after bringing gun to Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoint; 7th gun confiscated this year
A traveler from Arkansas was arrested Tuesday after TSA officers stopped him with a handgun at the security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport. The man was caught transporting a 9 mm unloaded firearm and two gun magazines packed with 16 bullets in them in carry-on baggage, according to TSA spokesperson...
Assault at Monroeville hotel over extramarital affair leaves victim with severe facial injuries
A New Jersey man remains jailed after police say he attacked his wife’s former paramour at a Monroeville hotel last week. Vincent Serzan, 46, is charged with felony aggravated assault and related charges after police say he attacked the man and knocked him unconscious — causing severe facial injuries —...
Morning Roundup: Allegheny County ranked among most polluted places to live
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, April 19, 2023: Pittsburgh ranked among worst in nation for air quality The Pittsburgh region and Allegheny County were again ranked among one of the worst in the nation for air quality by the American Lung Association. The...
O’Hara officials offer safety tips in wake of recent coyote sightings in township
Reports of recent coyote sightings in O’Hara Township have prompted the police department to issue online safety tips. O’Hara Township Manager Julie Jakubec confirmed Tuesday April 18 that officials, including the O’Hara Police Department, received about six calls from area residents reporting coyote sightings. She did not disclose where the...
Driver charged with DUI in wrong-way crash on I-279
A Canonsburg man has been charged with driving under the influence after a wrong way crash in March. According to a Pennsylvania State Police report, Jacob Alauzen, 27, was driving north in the southbound lanes near the Camp Horne Road Exit in Ohio Township around 2:30 a.m. March 24. According...
28-year-old man, a registered sex offender, had sex with teen he met on Snapchat, police say
A registered sex offender is behind bars after Allegheny County Police said he used a popular social media app to interact with a 13-year-old girl, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. A criminal complaint filed in the case said Jerrell Carson, 28, posed as a 15-year-old on Snapchat and began...
Valley High School Drama Club to present ‘The SpongeBob Musical’
Get ready to embrace the power of positivity and explore the underwater world of America’s favorite sea sponge, SpongeBob SquarePants, as the Valley High School Drama Club presents “The SpongeBob Musical” this week. More than 50 Valley students will hit the stage Thursday through Sunday at the high school auditorium...
Rolling closures set for New Kensington bridge
Motorists crossing the New Kensington Bridge this week can expect rolling closures in East Deer and New Kensington. PennDOT District 11 announced Monday there will be intermittent traffic stoppages of 10 minutes or less from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, weather permitting. The stoppages are necessary to...
PNC Park workers authorize strike
The Pittsburgh Pirates organization expressed disappointment Monday in response to park workers at PNC Park rejecting a proposed agreement Sunday. The stadium workers — part of the Pittsburgh Stadium Independent Employees Union — voted Sunday night to hit the picket lines and strike after rejecting the latest contract offering from...
Morning Roudup: Pitt student governments to host town hall on safety
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, April 17, 2023: Pitt student governments to host town hall on safety University of Pittsburgh’s student governments are hosting an in-person student town hall on campus safety from 6-8 p.m. Monday in the WPU Assembly Room. About 100...
Buffalo Township woman crowned queen of weight loss
Michele Malkowiak loves being called a loser. The Buffalo Township grandmother and homemaker shed more than 100 pounds over a two-year period during the pandemic. As a result, she is Pennsylvania’s reigning 2021-22 Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) queen. “I was blindsided,” said Malkowiak, 56. “I found out the day...
Incumbent Leechburg mayor to face primary challenge from councilwoman
A Leechburg councilwoman is running against the incumbent mayor in the Democratic Party primary May 16. Leechburg Mayor Tony Roppolo is seeking election to the position he was appointed to last March, while Councilwoman Doreen Smeal is trying again to become mayor. After the death of Mayor Wayne Dobos last...
Longtime incumbent supervisor faces Republican challenger in Allegheny Township
A political newcomer is on the May 16 primary ballot and challenging longtime Republican incumbent Supervisor John Rennick “Ren” Steele in Allegheny Township. Republican challenger and Allegheny Township businessman Jeff Pollick said he decided to throw his hat into the political arena to support residents, promote proactive measures and strengthen...
