Rebecca Johnson stories, Page 2

During the covid-19 pandemic, Laura Bogacz, 50, was laid off from her job. Since she “didn’t have anything else to lose,” she decided to open Pittsburgh Artisanal Soap Co. and pursue her hobby of making handmade natural soap full-time. Last year, Bogacz started selling her wares at the Hampton Farmers...

St. Patrick’s Day is commonly celebrated with green clothing and green beer, meaning one of the biggest drinking holidays is also one with the most drunken drivers on the road. In Hampton, March 17 will be commemorated with additional police patrols to monitor for impaired drivers. Township council on Feb....

Following a rise in arrests for driving under the influence, Chief Thomas Vulakovich is asking that Hampton police join the North Hills DUI and Traffic Safety Enforcement Task Forces. “I’m not saying they’re in the hundreds, but there has been an uptick in DUI arrests. I’m watching these things on...

A new restroom will be installed in the Hampton Community Park as early as this spring. Hampton Township Council “sustained the purchase” of the new restroom at its Jan. 25 meeting. Christopher Lochner, municipal manager, said it cost about $260,000 when he bought the restroom last year, which saved $52,000...

In her time working as the social service coordinator at the Hampton Police Department, Angela Kenbok has learned a lot of safety tips she teaches her own children. But for parents who work in different professions, Kenbok believes it’s important that they learn how to navigate the Megan’s Law website...

The Rev. Ted Martin, a senior pastor at Hampton Presbyterian, called on Hampton Township Council during its Jan. 11 meeting to exempt churches from having to pay a stormwater management fee. Citing the right to the free exercise of religion in the First Amendment, Martin said the fee creates a...

Nestled on a shelf in Three Little Birds Cafe & Juice Bar on Middle Road are dozens of dangle earrings for sale of varying shapes and sizes: white flowers with silver sparkles, dark blue with large gold circles and, for the holidays, green and red charms. The only clue that...

Property owners in Hampton likely won’t have to pay more in property taxes or in stormwater management fees next year. But they can expect a $5 per month increase in sewer fees for the next two years. Hampton Township Council discussed the township’s proposed $15.5 million budget for 2023 at...

Throwing away less garbage might top Hampton Township residents’ New Year’s resolutions under a new contract that will significantly increase their bills for trash collection. Following a monthlong negotiation over price discrepancies, Hampton Township Council approved unanimously at its Nov. 16 meeting a refuse-collection contract with company Waste Management that...

Hampton Township Council members debated a proposed ordinance at their Nov. 2 meeting that would allow residents to rent out their homes on a short-term basis for 120 days per year. Short-term rentals have grown in popularity in the past 10 years due to online marketplaces such as Airbnb. However,...

At its Oct. 26 meeting, Hampton Township Council delayed a vote until next month on a trash collection contract that would increase residents’ bills by about 33% because of a discrepancy with the bidder, Waste Management, regarding prices. Christopher Lochner, municipal manager, said that while township officials knew Waste Management...

About 30 residents showed up to a Hampton Township Council meeting on Oct. 12 to express their disapproval for a proposal by the Hampton Youth Lacrosse Association to develop a multi-sport field facility on a parcel of land off Main Drive. The association has struggled for years to find field...

Before trick-or-treating, kids in Hampton can create model bones, build “blood slime” to learn about components of blood and examine teeth — all while wearing a costume — at a Little Medical School “Creepy Body Parts Pop-up” on Oct. 28. The pop-up is part of a series of events the...