Mary Ann Thomas stories, Page 24
3 candidates vie for state Rep. Jeff Pyle’s seat in special election
Three candidates will vie for the seat of former state Rep. Jeff Pyle, R-Ford City, in a special election being held in the 2021 municipal primary election on Tuesday, May 18. Pyle, in his ninth term, stepped down in March for health reasons. The winner of the special election will...
Pittsburgh man charged in overdose death of Lower Burrell woman
After about a year of waiting for lab results, police charged a Pittsburgh man this week with drug delivery resulting in death in connection with the fatal overdose of a Lower Burrell woman. Otis L. Henley, 44, was in the Westmoreland County Prison on charges related to the death of...
CNX grant to reclaim unsightly ‘burgundy discharge’ and boney pile along Roaring Run Trail
CNX has awarded a $5,000 grant to reclaim the “burgundy discharge” and boney pile along the Roaring Run Trail in Kiski Township. There is a hint of purple around the boney pile, a major eyesore and a source of pollution for years midway on the 5-mile Roaring Run trail. The...
Ownership of Pucketa Creek bridge split between 2 counties; repair plans underway
It’s not usual for residents to complain about potholes. But when Upper Burrell residents recently complained about huge potholes on the Lincoln Beach bridge off of Greensburg Road (Route 366) at Lincoln Boulevard, township officials had to check who exactly owned the span over Pucketa Creek. They knew it wasn’t...
Three incumbents and the mayor vie for 3 seats on Apollo Council
Three incumbents and the current mayor are vying for the Democratic nomination for three seats on Apollo Council. The Democrats will have a contest in the May 18 primary for those seats, which are four-year terms. Yet there are three other open seats for two-year terms — and there’s only...
Tunnel Jam pig roast set for Brady Tunnel fundraiser July 31
Armstrong Trails is presenting Tunnel Jam at the Brady Tunnel in Clarion County on July 31 to raise money for the continuing construction work on the tunnel. The Brady Tunnel is part of the 36-mile long Armstrong Trails system. The recreational trails, for hiking and cycling, traverses the former Allegheny...
Apollo May Daze raised over $1,000 for new police car radios, computers
Given Apollo’s tight budget, borough officials and the Apollo Events Committee are raising money to buy new police radios and computers for several borough police cars. The committee fronted about $850 from fees collected from Wheel Good Wednesday food truck events in the borough to buy T-shirts to kick off...
Erie bait shop owner reels in record-breaking yellow perch
An Erie angler caught the heaviest yellow perch on record in the state, according to an announcement Friday by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Kirk Rudzinski, 63, of Erie, landed the record-breaking perch on April 9 in Lake Erie, Harborcreek Township, Erie County, near the Brevillier Village high-rise. The...
Saxonburg tech firm II-VI lands $410M investment from Apple
Apple awarded $410 million to II-VI Inc., a Saxonburg-based high-tech company, so it can create 700 jobs and extra capacity to produce iPhone components. A news release from Apple said the new jobs will be at II-VI facilities in Easton, Pa.; Sherman, Texas; Warren, N.J.; and Champaign, Ill. II-VI Inc....
Harmar eagles are busy: Battling a red-tailed hawk, an intruding eagle and a gull; and raising 2 chicks
The Harmar bald eagles apparently have their hands — er, claws — full: They’re raising two chicks while warding off a red-tailed hawk and a visiting juvenile eagle. One of the Harmar eagles recently rebuffed a gull trying to steal its fish while in flight. The Harmar birds are in...
Free recommendations to improve properties in the Buffalo Creek watershed
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering free technical help to improve farms and forested land for property owners in the Buffalo Creek watershed, which covers 21 communities from Freeport to Butler. The department will assess residents’ properties — a farm or forested land at least as large as one...
Ribbon cut on new 1.5-mile section of 9/11 National Memorial Trail in SomersetVideo
Somerset County and other officials cut the ribbon Friday in Garrett for the first 1.5 miles of the newly developed off-road section of the 1,300-mile-long 9/11 National Memorial Trail. Currently, the recreational trail is a patchwork of about 55% off-road trails and 45% roads connecting the three 9/11 memorial sites...
Keeping the Kiski River clean: Volunteers sample abandoned mine drainage
Volunteers are conducting water quality sampling in the Kiski River and its tributaries, paying special attention to the passive water treatment systems that clean up polluted coal mine water. The Kiski Watershed Association monitors two passive abandoned mine drainage systems along the lower Kiski River: The Booker site in Kiskimere,...
250 million birds will pass through Western Pa. this spring — starting now
An estimated 250 million birds are expected to pass through Southwestern Pennsylvania this spring, according to Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Powdermill Nature Reserve in Cook Township, Westmoreland County. The bird feeders and hummingbird feeders are hung. Binoculars are at the ready. The onslaught has begun: Wednesday morning, researchers at...
On tap for Apollo May Daze: Yard sale crawl, historical sites, flea market, food trucks
After ballooning costs and lack of attendance killed Apollo’s Moon Landing festival some years ago, residents have rallied to present the first Apollo May Daze featuring a yard sale crawl, self-guided history tours, kids activities, food trucks, flea market and more this weekend. Events and sights will be spread out...
New Kensington water authority among those statewide getting money to replace lead pipes
The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority has awarded a $1.7 million grant to the New Kensington water authority to replace lead lines in the city and Arnold. The award is among $117 million in funding — grants and low-interest loans — for water projects recently announced by Gov. Tom Wolf. Many...
Spreading the word: Lower Burrell officials pleased with what the public can do on new website
Making a reservation on Lower Burrell’s new website to see the Easter Bunny this year was so easy that officials hope more residents will visit for a host of other reasons. The city launched its new website early this year to offer online, for the first time, services such as...
Lower Burrell and Upper Burrell considering collecting per capita tax quicker
Lower Burrell and Upper Burrell aren’t considering raising the $15 annual per capita tax on residents but collecting it in a shorter time frame from 11 months to six months within the same year. Most residents in both municipalities older than 18 years of age have been paying the $15...
New Kiski Township Sewage Authority holds first meeting to oversee $16 million sewerage project
The newly established Kiski Township Sewage Authority will hold its first meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday to organize and chart plans for a townshipwide $16 million sewerage project. With only about 10% of township homes and businesses connected to public sewer lines, supervisors in the past several years have been...
Animal Protectors to offer rabies clinic but major fundraisers later in year still in limbo
Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley is offering its first public event at its new facility in New Kensington — a drive-through rabies clinic on May 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The shelter’s new Church Street facility has been closed to public events during the pandemic, but a rabies...
Lower Burrell’s garden club holds May Market to pay for public plantings
The Burrellton Garden Club of Lower Burrell will present its annual May Market to pay for the club’s beautification of six public gardens, which the club designs, plants and maintains. The market will offer up annual and perennial flowers, hanging baskets, herbs and other items. It will be held at...
Study: Fungal disease killing over 90% of 3 bat species in Pa., elsewhere
Southwestern Pennsylvania bats were part of a new large national study that flagged a die-off nationally of more than 90% of certain bats in less than 10 years. The bats in question are the northern long-eared, little brown and tri-colored bats. Researchers also found declines in Indiana bat and big...
Wildlife webcam viewership more than doubles; 2 screech owls nuzzle and more surprises
Two screech owls in Murrysville were caught on video nuzzling or rather grooming each other, a clutch of bluebird eggs have hatched and tired migrating birds are stopping at a drip bird bath in Key Largo, Fla. All are sights anyone can access in seconds and on demand. Apparently more...
Pittsburgh nonprofit needs new van to transport homeless veterans
Veterans Place, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit, needs to raise $35,000 to add to a matching grant to buy a new bus to transport homeless veterans to its Washington Boulevard site in East Liberty for food, counseling, job training and other services. The nonprofit just launched a crowd-funding campaign to raise money...
During drug bust, suspect rams into task force car in Lower Burrell, police say
A Pittsburgh man is facing drug delivery and aggravated assault charges after almost backing his car into a police officer during a drug bust Tuesday in Lower Burrell. Corey Steven Prunty, 31, of Pittsburgh, is charged with aggravated assault, criminal use of a communication facility (a cell phone), and a...
