Jack Troy stories, Page 17
Kiski Township man acquitted of sexually assaulting child
Wayne Lawrence Birch Jr., a Kiski Township man accused of sexually assaulting a minor, has been acquitted. A jury rendered the not guilty verdict Oct. 9, ending nearly two years of proceedings for Birch, 55. In December 2022, he was charged with one felony count each of aggravated indecent assault...
Pennsylvania hit hardest by nationwide whooping cough outbreak
A nationwide whooping cough surge has infected nearly 2,200 Pennsylvanians, outpacing every other state and putting local medical experts on high alert. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified more than 16,000 cases of whooping cough this year, more than four times as many as the same...
‘Operation Ghoul Busters’ aims to crack down on Halloween DUI incidents
New Year’s Eve and Thanksgiving historically are known as big drinking holidays, with police stepping up DUI enforcement in an effort to curb drunken driving. PennDOT doesn’t consider Halloween a “holiday season,” so it doesn’t specifically track crashes and DUI incidents as it does for Christmas, the Fourth of July...
Supply issues slow down Freeport’s $18.6M sewage plant, but it still could meet schedule
Work on Freeport’s new $18.6 million sewage treatment facility is going slower than expected, with possible change orders looming. Robert Horvat, the project’s engineer from KLH Engineers, estimated that if “everything goes perfect and we get a little lucky,” the plant will be ready during the third quarter of next...
Gia Visto reopens after Health Department hang-up
Gia Visto, the Italian restaurant in Penn Hills that closed under Allegheny County Health Department orders in August, has reopened after getting a permit and upgrading its kitchen. Owner Jill Varmecky characterized the permit situation as a mix-up. “I’ve always had a pleasant relationship with the Health Department all these...
Feeling marginalized, Freeport mayor to call it quits
Freeport Mayor Zack Gent is planning to step down at the end of the year due to his new, on-the-road job and what he called clashes with council over fiscal responsibility. The five members in attendance at this week’s council meeting barely reacted when Gent informed them of his surprise...
Valley soccer player known for never-quit attitude recovering after on-field collapse
In some ways, Tuesday night was a high-water mark for the Valley High School boys soccer team’s return to WPIAL competition. With only a minute left, a Valley player scored the go-ahead goal against Leechburg and put his team in the driver’s seat for its first victory of a season...
Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company declines to return contested toy drive money to Allegheny Township
The Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company won’t return $10,000 in Christmas toy drive donations once held in an Allegheny Township escrow account. Instead, it will run Toys for Alle-Kiski Kids on its own for the second straight year. A resolution passed by the fire company’s membership Tuesday also calls for a...
UPMC Presbyterian hospital tower project on schedule as $1.5B expansion continues
UPMC’s multibillion-dollar hospital expansion and renovation project appears to be on schedule, with the opening of its centerpiece Presbyterian hospital tower expected in 2027. Work on the $1.5 billion, 17-story tower near the existing Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood began in June 2022. Construction is expected to wrap up...
Charges over Allegheny Township toy drive money dropped, but supervisors remain divided over what happened
Summary charges were dropped against an Allegheny Township supervisor, a former supervisor and the former manager of the township stemming from a $10,000 check they signed last year for a Christmas toy drive. The charges, filed in August against Supervisor Michael Korns, former Supervisor John Rennick Steele and former township...
Inflation explained: Cheaper consumer electronics an outlier among industries
Editor’s note: This is the fifth story in an occasional series on the causes and impact of inflation. It has been a while since televisions were a real money maker, at least for small businesses. Just ask Henry Yasczak, a semi-retired appliance seller and repairman. He still operates Henry’s, formerly...
Penn Hills Passport aims to be 1-stop guide to local events, business and more
Penn Hills Councilman Alan Waldron, with support from the local community development corporation, has taken another crack at building a one-stop app for residents to find news, events and businesses in the community. Dubbed Penn Hills Passport, the free app aggregates information from the web and packages it into various...
Annual powwow in Indiana Township sparks cultural exchange
It took Miguel Sague Jr. and Silantoi Nkoyo only a few minutes of chatting in a mucky field at a powwow Sunday afternoon to start trading gifts. Sague, a retired art teacher and member of the United Confederation of Taino People, offered a print of one of his drawings. In...
JD Vance initially turned away from Primanti Bros. in North Versailles
Sen. JD Vance, the Republican pick for vice president, may have missed out on a Pittsburgh staple Saturday after he was initially turned away from the Primanti Bros. in North Versailles, but it seems there’s no hard feelings. Photos and videos posted to social media, including by a reporter from...
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance speaks at Christian, revival-style event in Monroeville
Bookended in the schedule by pastors, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance played the hits at a tightly regulated town hall Saturday afternoon in Monroeville, addressing inflation, the opioid epidemic and what he called socialism in public schools. Hundreds of rally goers, some clad in gear with variations of the...
Trump visit, interactions, security put Kittanning market in limelight
For about a week, Ryan Sprankle knew someone with former President Donald Trump’s campaign would be stopping by his supermarket in Kittanning — a state or local surrogate, he figured. Details were sparse after an initial text from a member of the local Republican committee. Trump staffers called Sprankle on...
Alcohol permit costs overshadow canned cocktail bonanza for small businesses
With two containers of sushi tucked under her arm, Mia DiCristofaro turned a corner at the Giant Eagle in Irwin and, to her surprise, found her favorite canned mixed drink on the shelf: vodka and cranberry juice. That meant the Madison resident could save herself a trip to the state...
Morning Roundup: 2 vehicles hit Beechview building; zoo regains ‘gold standard’ certification
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Sept. 20: Crash causes chain reaction in Beechview Two vehicles hit a building in Pittsburgh’s Beechview neighborhood Thursday evening. University of Pittsburgh men’s basketball great Carl Krauser had finished a training session with a client and was on...
1 man dead after shooting at Ellwood City business
A man is dead and a suspect in custody after a shooting Thursday night in Ellwood City. The incident took place at Ellwood City Forge, though Timothy Woods, 31, who lives in the borough, was arrested on Belton Road in North Sewickley, according to police. He’s facing a homicide charge...
Freeport Area middle and high schools locked down after unknown man spotted on track
Freeport Area School District’s secondary campus went into lockdown Thursday after a gym class found an unknown man using the track in violation of district policy. The call came in about 11:40 a.m., according to Buffalo Township police Chief Tim Derringer. He said there was “no immediate threat” to the...
U.S. Steel, Nippon get extension from national security panel on deal decision
The U.S. national security panel reviewing a $14.9 billion sale of U.S. Steel to a Japanese firm has extended its decision deadline, likely ensuring the proposal will live past the Nov. 5 election. Several outlets have reported the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, comprising numerous federal department...
Morning Roundup: Woman robbed Downtown; shots fired at Aliquippa police; 2 hurt in police-involved crash
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Sept. 19: Police seek suspects in Downtown assault and theft A woman told police she was a victim of a violent theft Tuesday evening near Market Square. Just before 11 p.m., officers responded to a report that a...
Gobbleritos are back on the menu at Mad Mex
Thanksgiving dinner — or lunch — always comes a few months early at Mad Mex. The popular gobblerito is back and decadent as ever at the Big Burrito Restaurant Group-owned franchise, which has nine locations in Western Pennsylvania. Filled with house-roasted turkey, black bean mashed potatoes, stuffing and corn, then...
Russell Wilson and Ciara visit UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
One of the city’s most famous couples made a stop Tuesday at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson and his pop star wife, Ciara, were decked out head to toe in black and gold as they played music with patients and their families. Thank you @ChildrensPgh!...
Morning Roundup: Oakland sports bar raided; guns, drugs found in Squirrel Hill apartment
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Sept. 18: Oakland bar raided Liquor control agents seized hundreds of gallons of alcohol Tuesday morning from the Panther Pit, an Oakland sports bar that has kept authorities busy in its short time open. The Pennsylvania State Police...
