Jack Troy stories, Page 21
Route 356 expansion in Buffalo Township business district delayed until 2027
Motorists who have been coping with years of construction work and closures along busy Route 356 in Allegheny and Buffalo townships won’t get long-term relief for a few more years. PennDOT now says one of the final steps in overhauling the corridor — widening the highway through Buffalo Township’s business...
National Night Out in Penn Hills links community with law enforcement, other agencies
Tyler Tomasino, president of the Penn Hills Rotary, doesn’t count the number of heads at the community’s celebration of National Night Out — he counts hot dogs eaten. That’s a pretty good proxy for attendance, he said, and Tuesday’s gathering appeared to be a down year — with just 130...
Gruesome stabbing rocks quiet Arnold neighborhood
The scene early Sunday evening in Arnold could have been from a movie. In fact, Diana Rebold was known by neighbors to rent out her property on Liberty Avenue to filmmakers. On one occasion, more than 100 people — including actors playing police — crowded around the Cape Cod home,...
Arnold resident accused of killing mother in stabbing attack
Neighbors on Liberty Avenue in Arnold told police they witnessed Brian Johnathan Rebold stab his mother to death early Sunday evening. Rebold, 38, of Arnold is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond on one count of criminal homicide and one count of first-degree murder. Police say he...
Rep. Mike Kelly, chair of Trump shooting task force, vows bipartisan inquiry will get answers
Most major congressional investigations come with a trail of doubters and parallel sleuths. Already, the task force investigating the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump has drawn criticism from U.S. Reps. Cory Mills, R-Fla., and Eli Crane, R-Ariz., ex-snipers who were left off the panel. Mills has pledged to...
Ranch homes development in Buffalo Township nearly ready for residents
A 32-home plan in Buffalo Township geared toward older buyers could be welcoming residents as soon as late September. About nine months after getting final site plan approval from township supervisors, builder Ryan Homes has started courting families looking to downsize for the development off Sunset Drive. Prices for the...
First-ever communitywide cleanup in Penn Hills yields nearly 400 bags of trash
The first-ever communitywide cleanup in Penn Hills on July 27 was a success by any metric, sponsors say, attracting 172 volunteers who filled nearly 399 trash bags. Volunteers covered 6.5 miles of road between 12 neighborhoods at the event, which was organized by the Penn Hills Rotary and Penn Hills...
Kiski Township police seek help to find missing teen
Kiski Township police are searching for a teenager who has been missing since Monday. Alexander Orr is a 17-year-old white boy with brown hair and brown eyes and is approximately 5 feet, 5 inches tall and between 150 and 160 pounds, according to a description provided by police. He is...
Ex-administrator in Penn Hills School District says he’s struggling to find work after ‘frivolous’ harassment charge dropped
Robert Kollar is rebuilding his career after a now-dismissed harassment charge tarnished his reputation and led him to resign as director of human resources for the Penn Hills School District. In May, a judge threw out the case, which alleged that Kollar placed his midsection on an individual’s back, but...
Penn Hills Center sold to out-of-state investment firm for $20.5 million
The Penn Hills Center and several outparcels near the shopping plaza on Rodi Road have been purchased by a New York-based firm for $20.5 million. Under an LLC created early this year, Asher Group reached a deal with First National Realty Partners in May to add the popular retail destination...
U.S. Steel marketing blitz puts pressure on government to OK sale to Nippon Steel
U.S. Steel is banking on public pressure to push through a $14.9 billion acquisition by Nippon Steel as lawmakers and regulators balk at putting the domestic icon in foreign hands. An advertising campaign launched this year touts promises by Japan’s largest steelmaker to preserve jobs, upgrade plants and sustain American...
High school connected to Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship to open in Wilkins
The Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship is getting an affiliate high school. Charter school officials got the go-ahead last month from Wilkins commissioners to transform the office building at 703 Rodi Road, near the Penn Hills-Wilkins border, into Dominus High School. The target opening date is fall 2025, with...
South Buffalo police stronger than ever, officials say as they eye new station
About five years ago, the South Buffalo Township Police Department comprised two officers and a lone civilian SUV that was converted for police use. On July 15, the township hired its fourth full-time police officer, at $23 an hour, who, unlike some of his predecessors, will patrol in a purpose-built...
Oklahoma Borough looking for new mayor, council member
Elected officials come and go in small towns, where most serve in an unpaid and part-time capacity, but it’s not often that a mayor steps down and leaves council to appoint a replacement. Oklahoma Borough Council will be doing just that following the departure of two-and-a-half-term Mayor Don Emerick. His...
No more booths: Turnpike set to expand Open Road Tolling in coming years
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission gave more details this week about its timeline for ditching toll booths in favor of Open Road Tolling (ORT). All toll roads east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension will be converted to ORT, a system that electronically charges motorists at highway speeds, in January...
Texas sculptor honors Corey Comperatore with statue at Buffalo Township fire hall
When retired Texas firefighter Nyal Stromberg made his latest sculpture, a process that took a month of molding and melting, he didn’t know Corey Comperatore’s name. Few people did outside of the Alle-Kiski Valley before July 13, when Comperatore was gunned down at a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald...
Penn-Plum VFW out $12,000 following burglary
Penn Hills police are investigating a break-in at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post that caused an estimated $12,000 in losses and damages. Detective Teresa Gongaware said police learned July 15 that multiple poker machines were smashed and two safes were taken from Penn-Plum VFW Post 6836. The post is...
Languishing lot owned by Walmart attracts illegal dumping, Penn Hills officials say
An empty lot owned by Walmart and once slated for a Supercenter has become a headache for Penn Hills officials as they try to clamp down on illegal dumping. Code enforcement officer Jason Griffiths said piles of tires, trash bags and debris from home renovations recently have appeared in the...
Building the Valley: The Shop on Grant weaves its way into the fabric of Vandergrift
Worn down by the isolation of the pandemic, Debora Greene opened The Shop on Grant last year as a way to connect with friends and neighbors in Vandergrift over her love of needlework. “I was retired and I was just looking for something to do, mostly to get myself out...
Butler legislator’s bill to shape House probe into security lapses at Trump rally shooting
The U.S. House plans to create a bipartisan task force to investigate security lapses that led to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, and it will be based on a resolution introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democrat House Minority Leader...
Volunteers tinkering away ahead of Peter Pan-themed Vandergrift Artfest
Vandergrift will be made of art, food trucks and pixie dust Sunday for the 17th annual Vandergrift Artfest. This year’s theme, “Forever Neverland,” will be unmistakable for the thousands of people expected to attend from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday along Grant and Columbia avenues in the borough’s downtown area....
Remains found in Allegheny River identified by family as missing Shaler woman
A vehicle containing the remains of Janet Walsh was pulled from the Allegheny River in Oakmont on Sunday, ending a 4½-year search for the missing Shaler woman that had rattled the community and intrigued cold case specialists. While the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to make an identification,...
Penn Hills weighing hookah bar regulations after deadly shooting
Penn Hills may crack down on hookah bars after a June shooting at Ballers Hookah Lounge & Cigar Bar, a spot known to police for trouble, left two dead and seven wounded. A zoning code amendment slated for consideration by the Planning Commission on July 25 would for the first...
Traffic restrictions in place ahead of visitation for Corey Comperatore
Road restrictions have begun ahead of public visitation for Corey Comperatore, the Buffalo Township man fatally shot at a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump on Saturday. The visitation is set for 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Laube Hall in Freeport. Southern Armstrong Regional...
Buffalo Township firefighters seeking donations for luncheon after Corey Comperatore’s funeral Friday
The Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company is seeking donations of food and money for a luncheon after funeral services for Corey Comperatore on Friday, with plans to feed around 500 people. Comperatore, who was killed Saturday while attending Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s rally in Butler County, served as the...
