Jack Troy stories, Page 24
No quick fix in sight for 114-year-old bridge in South Buffalo
Every other month for the past 10 years or so, Phillip Tompkins has complained to the South Buffalo supervisors about what he says is a rickety bridge on Clinton Road. He worries that emergency vehicles could miss the posted 10-ton weight limit and cause the span to buckle, or that...
Penn Hills graduate identified as man killed in Youngstown explosion
Authorities have identified the man who died Tuesday in a natural gas explosion in Youngstown, Ohio, as Akil Drake, a former Penn Hills resident. The blast shattered the facade of Realty Tower, which houses a Chase Bank where Drake worked, killing him and injuring seven others. One person remains in...
Penn Hills schools show disparities in state safety and mental health awards
Should Pennsylvania schools have to compete to afford keeping students safe? Officials in the Penn Hills School District, which missed out on a piece of $32.2 million in competitive school safety and security grants, say no. “The fact that we’re constantly having to fight for money to keep our schools...
Fitting tribute-ary: Stream named after Turner’s Dairy Farms in Penn Hills
Turner’s Run isn’t a river of iced tea or chocolate milk, like the name might imply, but it does flow with crystal-clear water across the Turner Dairy Farms campus in Penn Hills. It only recently got its name, despite existing alongside Turner’s since the beverage company’s founding in 1930. Penn...
Wildlife, plants, paddlers find a haven on Sycamore Island
From a passing watercraft or the banks of the Allegheny River, Sycamore Island appears untouched by humans. A wall of invasive Japanese knotweed anchors the 14-acre island’s northern end, giving way to silver maple, cottonwood and, of course, sycamore trees, each grasping the silt against the river’s current. From off...
Bicycle group helps seniors cruise through their golden years
Mike Louder doesn’t let much stand between himself and his bikes. Less than a month after a recent triple bypass surgery, Louder, 78, of Plum was back on the trail with the Easy Riders, a senior bicycle group in Western Pennsylvania. “Everything that was ever wrong with me, I’ve been...
Stay cool: Find your pool’s opening day and hours
Swimming pools across the region are set to open soon. Here’s when pools near you will open for the summer season: Allegheny County • Boyce Park Wave Pool, Monroeville: Opens June 1, 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily, weather permitting. For more information, visit alleghenycounty.us or call 724-325-4667. • Deer...
Faces of the Valley: Teenage trio starts faith-based charitable endeavor in Freeport
Who says social media is all bad for young people? A YouTube video gave 16-year-old Dawson Gaillot the idea to start The Hope Project, a Catholic charitable venture whose first undertaking is a hygiene pantry along High and Fifth streets in Freeport. After watching the video in January, the Freeport...
Frazer police arrest California man linked to gift card scams in 6 states
A Walmart at the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer proved to be the last stop in an alleged scammer’s nationwide crime spree. Frazer police arrested Zhixiang Chen, 19, of San Gabriel, Calif., on Wednesday after their license plate readers alerted them to a silver Toyota sedan linked to 16 other...
It’s all love for Kiski Area High School’s new tennis courts
After dealing with a web of cracks and faded lines for years, Kiski Area High School tennis players have a home court they can be proud of. The Kiski Area School District unveiled five restored tennis courts May 8 with a U.S. Open-style blue and green color palette. The courts...
Police investigating shots fired at Penn Hills apartment complex
Police responded to a shots fired call Wednesday at an apartment complex in Penn Hills, TribLive news partner WTAE reported. The six to eight shots fired at Park Manor Place did not cause any injuries, WTAE reported. Linton Middle School and Penn Hills High School went into brief lockdowns as...
Season’s 1st farmers market arrives Sunday in Allegheny Township
Come Sunday, Allegheny Township residents won’t have to leave town to have their pick of fresh produce, flowers, breads and more with the arrival of the season’s first Allegheny Township Farmers Market. Sunday’s market — from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — will be the first of five throughout the...
Kiski Area School Board approves $25M middle school renovation project
One of four contractors chosen for Kiski Area School District’s $25 million middle school renovation project has drawn opposition from two school board members. School board members Amy Halter and Dawn Mellinger voted against paying $14.6 million to general contractor Liokareas Construction. The company served in the same role for...
Freeport Area School District in a familiar place as it faces deficit
The Freeport Area School District is looking to close a shortfall of about $880,000 in its proposed budget. Barring cuts or unexpected changes, the district will dip into its fund balance to bridge the gap for the sixth time in seven years. Just how much it’ll deplete its $2.8 million...
As low attendance persists, school districts weigh the role of the magistrate
Students who habitually log unexcused absences could be in for more than a trip to the district judge. Instead, they might get a teacher-mentor, access to a licensed therapist or a home visit from a social worker — all steps that school leaders are taking in hopes of reversing a...
Foot chase in Verona leaves police searching for West Deer man suspected of retail theft
Verona police have issued an arrest warrant for a shoplifting suspect they say was last seen trying to board a boat along the Allegheny River. Keith Hohman, 33, of West Deer is charged with retail theft, evading arrest, escape, trespassing, receiving stolen property and disorderly conduct. At approximately 3 p.m....
Freeport Borough fills vacant council seat
Kimberly Barr has been a reliable sight at Freeport Council meetings since moving to the borough in 2021. Now, she’ll help call the shots. On Monday, council appointed Barr as its seventh member, rounding out the ranks of a group that’s seen remarkable turnover since last year. All but one...
Kiski Area School District administrative reorganization taking shape
Several key hires are in place for the Kiski Area School District administrative reorganization set to take effect July 1. Four administrators were appointed to new or modified roles by the school board on Wednesday: • Chad Roland to assistant to the superintendent for K-12 education and safety at $158,190...
Shortage of local police, 2 violent crimes have Verona residents on edge
Diana Danko always thought her neighborhood along Second Street in Verona was safe. That was before two violent crimes happened within hours of each other on April 14 — a Sunday when no borough police officers were on duty. “It’s very concerning,” said Danko, 55, who lives just blocks from...
Freeport auditors call it quits after missing state deadline
Freeport has another overdue audit and, right now, no one willing to complete it. Council this week accepted the resignations of the borough’s three auditors, who bristled at a push to give the books greater scrutiny. Audits were due to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development on April...
Longtime Alle-Kiski Valley pediatrician remembered as devoted ‘country doctor’
Dr. Charles Ashe is a familiar name for many Alle-Kiski Valley natives — he may even have been one of the first people they ever met. For about 40 years, Ashe worked as a private practice doctor and, later, as an Allegheny Valley Hospital pediatrician. He was willing to drop...
Verona woman killed in Allegheny River Boulevard crash
A 70-year-old Verona woman was killed Tuesday morning when her vehicle veered into opposing traffic on Allegheny River Boulevard, according to Allegheny County Police. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Dorothy (Jill) Demko of Verona. Police said Demko’s Ford EcoSport crossed the center line and struck...
Preservation group and lawmakers could return Allegheny River Boulevard to its scenic roots
Rick Duncan wants to restore Allegheny River Boulevard to its former glory. As chair of the Allegheny River Boulevard Preservation Association, he has pushed for people to recognize the route as more than just a connector between Pittsburgh and the region’s eastern suburbs. “It was designed and built as a...
Building the Valley: Simply Sisters Bakery making Vandergrift a little sweeter
When they were growing up, sisters Karen Johnston and Paula Cunningham would bake cookies in their Easy Bake Oven. In November, after getting family members hooked on their cookie trays, they bought a shoebox space in Vandergrift and went after their dream. Simply Sisters Bakery opened on April 3. Each...
Going out green: Natural burials offer a time-tested alternative to the modern funeral
Steve Ball’s grave was marked not by a granite headstone or marble mausoleum upon the burial of his cremated remains last year, but a flat rock chipped into the shape of a heart. It came from his backyard in Pleasant Hills, where he kept bees and grew tobacco in the...
