Mary Ann Thomas stories, Page 34
Wendy’s in Lower Burrell to close
The Wendy’s restaurant on Leechburg Road in Lower Burrell will close Oct. 4. A Wendy’s manager, Brandan Davis, confirmed the closure. Davis said 20 employees will be affected, about half of them full-time workers. “The Lower Burrell location is a lower-volume store and the cost to remodel it didn’t make...
CNX applies for new Utica gas wells in Washington Township
CNX Resources is applying for permits to develop and operate a Utica shale gas well pad along Evans Road in Washington Township near property owned by the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County. CNX, which has other gas wells on authority property, plans to develop up to seven Utica wells at...
Lower Burrell fire department unveils refurbished truck
Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3 saved more than $300,000 by refurbishing its primary fire engine instead of buying a new one, according to a fire department official and city councilman. The 2001 Pierce fire engine was refurbished for $257,000 and the department expects the work will allow the...
Fishing license sales jump 20% with covid-19 outdoor recreation boom
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has already sold about 150,000 more fishing licenses this year than it did all of last year. “We certainly think that the pandemic situation has had an impact, as more people sought outdoor recreational activities, and either discovered or rediscovered a passion for fishing,”...
Sportsmen’s group names Sen. Jim Brewster Legislator of the Year
State Sen. Jim Brewster, D-McKeesport, has been named Legislator of the Year by the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen & Conservationists, Inc. The award was presented Sept. 10 at the Pitcairn-Monroeville Sportsmen’s Club of the Allegheny County Sportsmen’s League. The sportsmen group picked Brewster for the award because of his work...
North Apollo goes for grant money to fix washouts of Hickory Nut Road
This week, Armstrong County officials went door to door to gather demographic information from residents on several streets in North Apollo to apply for a grant of nearly $6,000 to replace a catch basin on Hickory Nut Road. The faulty storm sewer catch basin has caused stormwater to wash out...
Allegheny CleanWays Plastic Magnet 1 barge scoops up riverfront litter and tires
A new barge to collect trash on Pittsburgh rivers, Plastic Magnet 1, removed 82 tires and more than 4,800 pounds of plastic and other trash from the the Monongahela River during a recent river cleanup. Allegheny CleanWays is midway through a two-week sweep of the Allegheny County portion of the...
New artificial turf field at Burrell’s Buccaneer Stadium nearly ready for actionVideo
The new artificial turf field at Burrell School District’s Buccaneer Stadium is expected to be ready for game action next week, and sports could return to the stadium with a soccer tripleheader on Oct. 1. “The field is beautiful and a great surface for all sports,” said Burrell Athletic Director...
Burrell spectator policy keeps out visiting fans for football, indoor events
Burrell School District’s spectator policy for football and indoor sporting events, adopted this week, allots two tickets to every senior participant and one ticket for each underclassman. There isn’t enough room to accommodate everyone who wants to attend games given guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and...
Lower Burrell police nab 5 boys trying to break into cars, say one had stolen gun
Five boys were scoping out cars to break into in Lower Burrell over the weekend, and one of them was carrying a stolen handgun, according to city police. Another one of the boys had a key fob matching a vehicle that was stolen out of New Kensington, police said. Police...
Peregrine falcon nesting on the Graff Bridge near Kittanning and elsewhere subject of free discussion
While the handsome and formerly federally endangered peregrine falcon is known for nesting on Pittsburgh skyscrapers, the Cathedral of Learning and the Tarentum Bridge, a pair has been quietly nesting above the Allegheny River spanning Manor and North Buffalo townships. Kate St. John of Pittsburgh, the region’s expert on the...
Massive bird migration over Pittsburgh was spectacular — if you had binoculars
Waves of tens of thousands of birds passed through the region Monday night, as they do each fall on big migration days, delivering a variety of species that are heading south after summering in the northern United States and Canada. But the trees weren’t dripping with birds as they would...
Yakopec is back as Lower Burrell solicitor
Lower Burrell is bringing back longtime Solicitor Stephen Yakopec Jr., more than a year after he was let go by the previous administration. City council unanimously approved contracting with Yakopec as solicitor Monday night. “I am grateful and thankful to be back and to continue to help the community in...
They know how to have fun: Cadre of senior citizens tailgating at Lower Burrell McDonald’s
They didn’t quite solve all the world’s problems by 10 a.m. Friday, but they did ponder them. Wisely, they steered clear of religion. For about 28 years, a dozen to 30 seniors from the Arnold-New Kensington area have been convening this way six mornings a week, several hours at a...
Third year a charm for North Park Bald Eagle chicks?Video
The bald eagle pair known as Ms. Rachel and Mr. Carson have returned to North Park, presumably for a third attempt at nesting with courtship expected to ramp up later in the fall. The pair have created buzz in the only Allegheny County park with an eagle’s nest. Although the...
Lower Burrell firefighters could soon be eligible for $300 tax credit
Lower Burrell is getting closer to establishing an earned income tax credit of up to $300 for volunteer firefighters that officials hope will help the city’s two fire companies retain volunteers and attract new ones. City Council is working to finalize legal paperwork related to the proposed tax credit, which...
Meet Robert Acquaviva, Burrell’s new school resource officer
Robert Acquaviva donned the requisite face mask, held up a “first day of school 2020” sign and took a selfie in front of a Burrell Bucs logo. Then the Lower Burrell patrolman began his tenure as the district’s new school resource officer. “To everyone in the schools, I’m Officer Rob...
‘Fat’ hummingbird migration in full force, keep those feeders up
Their bags are packed for a 1,000-plus-mile flight to Mexico and Central America. The essential luggage for a ruby-throated hummingbird? Up to an extra gram of fat. Yes, fat on the smallest breeding bird in the eastern United States is discernible, desirable for migration and definitely measured at the banding...
Apollo-Ridge teacher wins state award for teaching real-world applications of geography
A Vandergrift woman who teaches at Apollo-Ridge High School won a state award for teaching how knowledge of geography could be applied to real jobs. Jessica Johns, a social studies teacher, received the 2020 Pennsylvania Geographical Society John J. Katana K-12 Distinguished Teaching Award. “I am very humbled and very...
Dalai Lama’s doctor to offer free public webinar for Fallingwater
Fallingwater will present later this month a free online lecture by the Dalai Lama’s personal physician, Dr. Barry Kerzin, on “creating balance in our lives.” The Zoom event was arranged after covid-19 restrictions postponed Kerzin’s scholar-in-residence visit this summer at the historic Frank Lloyd Wright house in Fayette County. On...
Covid-19 doesn’t stop picture day at Burrell School District
Covid-19 just can’t stop some traditions: The annual “picture day” at Burrell School District is set for Sept. 28 and 29. The students will be smiling without masks for their class photos, with additional arrangements in the works for class pictures from home, said Gregory Egnor, director of student services...
VALarena in North Apollo plans to reopen, but owners want to sell and keep it a roller rinkVideo
Although the doors are closed, the disco ball still shimmers on the sky-blue cement floor of the VALarena roller rink in North Apollo. A recent Facebook post by the owners announcing their imminent retirement put the public in a tailspin. The post reached more than 17,000 people. Generations of roller...
Lower Burrell councilman tapped for homeless veterans’ nonprofit with $4 million in grantsVideo
Lower Burrell Councilman Robert Hamilton has been named executive director of the Veterans Place of Washington Boulevard in East Liberty, an organization that helps homeless veterans. Hamilton, 32, said he has had a deep passion for helping at-risk veterans. Hamilton served in the National Guard as a military police officer....
Flash sale: Pa. offers $1 fishing licenses for Labor Day only
Knowing that good weather is in store for the holiday weekend, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission at the last minute is offering $1 fishing licenses for Labor Day, Sept. 7, only. However, there is one caveat: the Fish and Boat Commission are reminding anglers and boaters to practice safe...
Lower Burrell considers hiring mowing contractor for city parks
Lower Burrell Council is considering hiring a private contractor to mow grass at the city’s two largest parks. Council members are expected to discuss the proposal when they meet virtually Tuesday. The council canceled both of its August meetings because it lacked adequate meeting space during the renovation of City...
