Jack Troy stories, Page 26
Citizen Science Lab receives Champions in Action award from Citizens Bank, Trib Total Media
The Citizen Science Lab in Bethel Park has been busy turning what started as a jar of mud into microbial fuel cell technology — all with the help of teenagers. Andre Samuel, president and CEO of The Citizen Science Lab, said the end goal of the Integrating Computational and Experimental...
Penn Hills secures funding for long-awaited road upgrades
Upgrades to a subsiding road in Penn Hills and another with spotty sidewalks moved closer to reality Jan. 22 after council accepted $1.6 million in federal funds. Penn Hills received two $800,000 grants: one to shore up Old William Penn Highway and another to better connect the Penn Hills Senior...
New Kensington cat rescue investigates after 70-plus rabbits disappear from home
Frankie’s Friends Cat Rescue spent days preparing to take in more than 70 rabbits trapped in squalid conditions outside a Butler County home. Workers gathered supplies and arranged for adoptions and transfers, with plans to execute a search warrant Saturday. But, when the New Kensington rescue’s humane agent visited the...
Salvation Army expands healthy options as food assistance need grows
Capt. David Bender compares it to Black Friday when about 50 local residents line up outside the Salvation Army of Allegheny Valley for its Thursday food pantry and community luncheon. Doors are open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., but most of the take-home food is gone by 11:30 a.m....
Valley High School principal uses TikTok to share new student arrival procedure
Valley High School Principal Jon Banko is a TikTok influencer — at least in the New Kensington-Arnold School District. Many educators have made quite the name for themselves on the social media platform, racking up millions of “likes,” but Banko isn’t after fame. He’s simply looking for another way to...
Drew’s Family Restaurant in Forest Hills to close
Update: Drew’s Family Restaurant was closed Saturday morning. Most of its signage is gone, and empty parking lots on either side of the restaurant are taped off. Chatter on social media indicates the owners decided to close Friday night instead of Sunday. Nobody answered the phone at the restaurant Saturday...
‘Here to help people’: Eagles Ladies Auxiliary reinvigorates charitable mission
Until recently, the Fraternal Order of Eagles Ladies Auxiliary in Verona didn’t do much besides support the mostly-male Aerie, according to its president, Lee Ann Testa. There was the occasional luncheon and members put on a children’s Christmas party each year, but that was about it. Annual fundraising totals were...
Food ‘rescuing’ teams up nonprofits and businesses to reduce waste, hunger
When The Grill at River Forest caters a banquet, sometimes there are leftovers destined for the landfill. But the River Forest Country Club’s restaurant in Allegheny Township has turned to donating the food to those in need. Since October, the restaurant has donated more than 300 pounds of prepared meals...
Blasting began Thursday in West Deer
Some residents in West Deer heard a siren and a blast Thursday around 1 p.m. They’ll have to get used to the commotion — at least until Weaver Homes finishes excavating part of the Ridgewood Heights housing plan. For an estimated three weeks, contractors will set off a charge every...
Arnold food pantry warned about leaving food outdoors; service will continue
A few boxes of bananas earned an Arnold food pantry a code violation warning last Saturday. But the warning won’t stop food from being available to those who need it. City code enforcement left a warning notice at The Speed Family Blessing Box and Pantry for leaving four boxes of...
Zoning hearing board denies Dollar General’s request to build 5th store in Penn Hills
Dollar General won’t be adding a fifth location in Penn Hills — yet. On Wednesday, the municipality’s zoning hearing board denied a bid by MSP Properties of Pennsylvania to build a Dollar General at 509 Rodi Road. The developer requested three variances: 21 parking spaces instead of the standard 46,...
Penn Hills holds line on taxes for 2024, but sewage rates to increase 7%
Penn Hills residents won’t see any tax increases or service cuts in 2024, but they will pay slightly higher sewage bills. With the final budget approved Monday, residential rates climbed by 7%, to $24.63 per 1,000 gallons. The increase tracks with Alcosan’s planned 7% annual rate hike through 2026, which...
Churchill OKs electronic billboard along Rodi Road
Churchill’s zoning hearing board green-lighted a double-sided electronic billboard along Rodi Road on Monday, despite opposition from Penn Hills residents. The decision concludes a three-hearing saga that saw tense debates over legal standing and lengthy cross examination. Ultimately, the board granted Rodi Maple Devco LLC a special exception to raise...
Stew Wood Fire Fusion opens in former Fuel and Fuddle space in Oakland
Stew Wood Fire Fusion is set to open Monday, bringing an eclectic mix of meats, sandwiches — and yes, stews — to Oakland. It’s not the first restaurant venture for owners Karen Perdomo and John Ortiz. The couple opened The Colombian Spot in Pittsburgh’s South Side in 2017 and added...
LifeVenture Buy Choice Homes real estate firm, homeowner advocacy organization opens in Penn Hills
Real estate firm LifeVenture Buy Choice Homes held its grand opening on Dec. 2, continuing a legacy at 9817 Frankstown Road of fostering homeownership for minority and lower-income families. The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured remarks from founding partners Sheldon Oliver, Charlise Smith and Mary Hester, as well as John Bettis of...
Penn Hills residents receiving new trash, recycling carts
Penn Hills residents will receive new trash and recycling carts beginning Dec. 11 to allow for automated pickup. Each single-family home and duplex will get a wheeled 95-gallon garbage cart and 65-gallon recycling cart free of charge, with additional receptacles available from Republic Services for $85. Council re-contracted with the...
Residents weigh in on proposed Penn Hills budget
Rising sewage rates dominated the conversation at a Penn Hills public budget hearing on Nov. 20. Of the roughly 30 people in attendance, six offered input on the municipality’s proposed spending plan for 2024, which does not include any tax increases or service cuts. Resident Colleen Conley suggested that the...
Seneca Hills Village Singers honor veteransVideo
From “You’re a Grand Old Flag” to “The White Cliffs of Dover,” songs of patriotism and hope for peace rang throughout an independent living facility in Penn Hills on Veterans Day. The Seneca Hills Village Singers put on the performance each year to honor those who’ve served, including 16 residents...
Calabrese reelected as Penn Hills mayor
Democrat incumbent Pauline Calabrese will serve another four years as mayor of Penn Hills after a landslide victory in the Nov. 7 general election against Republican candidate and deputy mayor Frank Pecora. According to unofficial vote tallies, Calabrese received 73% of the vote, or 7,836 votes, compared to 27%, or...
2 Democrat newcomers elected to Penn Hills council
Penn Hills council will remain all-Democrat after Alan Waldron and Shawn Kerestus (a Democrat who was cross-filed on the ballot) outpaced Republican Clayton Walker in the Nov. 7 general election. According to unofficial election tallies, Waldron received 44% of the vote (6,850), followed by Kerestus with 37% (5,703) and Walker...
Penn Hills releases 2024 draft budget
Penn Hills has released its 2024 draft operating budget, with public hearings coming later this month. The spending plan does not call for any tax increases or service cuts, but does reflect a return to normal revenue levels as pandemic-era stimulus funds dwindle. The municipality projects to spend more than...
Penn Hills Shade Tree Commission coordinates planting of more trees on Rodi Road
With fall in full swing, the Rodi Road corridor didn’t exactly get greener on Oct. 28, but it did get 18 new trees through a volunteer effort coordinated by the Penn Hills Shade Tree Commission. Since October of last year, the commission has planted 31 trees along Rodi Road with...
Churchill council to decide fate of billboard in December
After completing a two-part hearing on Oct. 23, the Churchill Zoning Hearing Board must now decide whether to permit an electronic billboard that some Penn Hills residents say will negatively impact the appearance of the Rodi Road corridor. Despite being located in Churchill, the proposed billboard would target motorists exiting...
Penn Hills moving to automated trash collection
Automated trash collection is coming to Penn Hills as part of a deal with Republic Services that municipal officials say will cut down on litter and keep garbage trucks on time. Council unanimously approved the five-year, roughly $26.5 million contract at a special session on Oct. 9. Republic Services holds...
3 candidates running for 2 Penn Hills council seats
Three candidates are running for two seats on Penn Hills council this November, according to the Allegheny County Office of Elections unofficial candidate list. Democrats Shawn Kerestus and Alan Waldron defeated incumbent Mark Brodnicki in the May primary. Republican Clayton Walker ran unopposed. Deputy Mayor Frank Pecora did not seek...
