Jack Troy stories, Page 27
Frankstown Road construction set to begin Feb. 26, run through March
Frankstown Road will be single-lane in each direction starting Monday, Feb. 26, while crews complete drainage improvements, PennDOT announced. Crews will work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays through March on the stretch of Frankstown Road between Rodi and Lime Hollow roads. During these times, westbound traffic will be...
Automated trash, recycling carts generating mixed reviews in Penn Hills
“Atrocious,” “an eyesore” and “an insult to the community.” Resident Jim Getsy is talking about the free trash and recycling carts distributed throughout Penn Hills in December. Not everyone feels so strongly, but the new receptacles have generated dozens of phone calls to the municipality and hundreds of online comments,...
Human resources director for Penn Hills School District accused of harassment
A Penn Hills School District administrator is accused of physically harassing an adult at Linton Middle School. Robert Kollar, the district’s director of human resources, placed his midsection on the alleged victim’s back and neck on Dec. 12, according to a summary citation filed in the case. The citation did...
Accessible bathrooms at McKinley Center, street paving part of Penn Hills’ plans for block grant
It’s Community Development Block Grant season in Penn Hills, with project bids out for street reconstruction and accessibility improvements at the William McKinley Center. Each year, Penn Hills receives funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for projects that help low- and moderate-income residents or meet urgent community...
‘Skipped all their own rules’: Buffalo Township resident sues municipality to block cell tower
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Monday, Feb. 12, to include a statement from Buffalo Township’s solicitor. Lynn Shearer’s opposition wasn’t enough to stop Buffalo Township from approving a Verizon cell tower on his neighbor’s property in December. Now he’s taking the township to court for an alleged failure...
State Rep. Joe McAndrew made chair of Public Transportation subcommittee
State Rep. Joe McAndrew was appointed chair of the House subcommittee on Public Transportation, his office announced Feb. 9. The appointment coincides with the release of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2024-25 budget, which calls for $283 million in new state funding for public transportation and nearly $1.5 billion over five...
Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority pauses collection enforcement after uncovering billing error
Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority customers who spotted bad math on recent bills aren’t alone. A notice went out to customers Feb. 8, warning a “small number” of them may have received incorrect information on their monthly bills. Customers have not been charged incorrectly, according to Doug Komandt, WPJWA executive director,...
Penn Hills likely to replace municipal engineer, despite delays
Growing pains for the new Penn Hills Council have delayed a breakup between the municipality and its engineering firm of almost 20 years. Gibson-Thomas Engineering is poised to replace The Gateway Engineers, with a council vote likely coming in February. Council has twice tabled a resolution to make Gibson-Thomas municipal...
Vandergrift officials, businesses ironing out event policy
Vandergrift officials and business leaders say they’ve cooled tensions over a new public property use policy that some feared would quash the local festival scene. Passed in December, the policy created a formal application process for individuals or organizations who wish to hold events in the borough. Previously, event coordinators...
Pitt graduate workers request union recognition
Graduate workers at Pitt are asking for voluntary recognition of their union, claiming majority support for collective bargaining. Hundreds of graduate workers, United Steelworkers organizers and unaffiliated supporters gathered on the first floor of the Cathedral of Learning Tuesday to deliver a letter to Chancellor Joan Gabel with a request....
Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship to plant food forest with help of state grant
It’s not easy to convince a room full of first graders to try broccoli sprouts, but Matt Zuk did just that on a recent Friday morning. As founding CEO of Terroir Designs, Zuk has partnered with Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship since 2018, giving monthly lessons to students in...
Penn Hills to help short-handed Verona police
Penn Hills and Verona have reached an agreement for mutual police aid, putting a longtime understanding between the two municipalities into writing. The memorandum of understanding comes at a critical time for a depleted Verona Police Department. Chief Ron McLemore continues to recover from an assualt during a domestic violence...
Penn Hills mayor seeks Democratic nomination for DeLuca’s former house seat
Penn Hills Mayor Pauline Calabrese is seeking the Democratic nomination for the Pennsylvania House seat previously held by the late Tony DeLuca, her campaign announced Wednesday, Jan. 24. The April 23 primary will be Democratic voters’ first chance to weigh in on the nominee to succeed DeLuca, who served for...
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...
