Mary Ann Thomas stories, Page 44
Armstrong Trails among elite group to land grants from national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Armstrong Trails was among a handful of winners from 170 applicants nationally for a Rails-to-Trails Conservancy grant of $35,000. The grant will go toward the reconstruction of the southern sluice on the Brady Tunnel in Clarion County. Work in the tunnel needs to be completed to link a disjointed 4.5-mile...
Tredway Trail placards to chronicle lives of Native Americans, pioneers such as Massey Harbison
It’s a tough balancing act to celebrate the Alle-Kiski Valley’s rich Native American history while also paying homage to a local pioneer woman who was violently abducted by a group of Delaware and other American Indians. Ren Steele said he feels uniquely qualified to contribute to efforts to do both...
Out-of-sight: Pa. anglers don’t have to wear fishing licenses
Fishing licenses no longer need to be visible on anglers’ clothing as the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is soon ending the longtime regulation. “With this change, we’re making things more convenient for our anglers,” Tim Schaeffer, commission executive director, said in a press release. Apparently, there have been some...
Lower Burrell councilman peeved over door-to-door solicitors on Sundays
Given the increase of food trucks and people soliciting in the city, Lower Burrell council is in the process of updating its solicitation permit ordinance. The permits will be used for food trucks and people soliciting door-to-door. But a sticky question with city council is when door-to-door solicitations are allowed....
Why this weekend’s Snow Moon could be a dud in Pittsburgh
February’s full moon, known as the Snow Moon, will appear this weekend, but be warned: a cloudy forecast in Pittsburgh offers no guarantees that we could get a clear look, the weatherman says. The Snow Moon will peak at 2:33 a.m. Sunday, according to timeanddate.com. You can see a full...
Lower Burrell considers $13k in additional charges for city hall renovation
Lower Burrell Council is considering about $13,600 in additional charges for city hall’s $3.2 million renovation. The renovation project started last May. It includes a new public works building, more space for police and moving the tax office back to city hall. Council will vote on the additional charges at...
Annual Hard-to-Recycle event planned at Pittsburgh Mills
The Pennsylvania Resources Council is offering four Hard-to-Recycle events this year, including one on May 9 at the Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer, for residents to get rid of items not typically collected by trash haulers. Residents can bring their e-waste, cellphones, alkaline batteries, Freon-containing appliances, tires and more to the...
Not in my nest: Pittsburgh bald eagle dad pummels intruding eagleVideo
Don’t mess with dad. Footage captured by a webcam in Pittsburgh’s Hays neighborhood on Tuesday morning showed a male bald eagle pummeling a young eagle that had entered and stomped around the elder eagle’s nest. “Adult eagles are very territorial at their nest, which is to only be used for...
Peebles in Allegheny Township to take on sister store name Gordmans
Gordmans, a discount department store, will soon replace its sister brand, Peebles, in Hyde Park Plaza, Allegheny Township. Both stores’ owner, Stage Stores, headquartered in Houston, Texas, announced the grand opening for Gordmans for 9 a.m. Feb. 18 at with gifts and other giveaways. Given the demise of big box...
Déjà vu, again: Bill Murray is back for ‘Groundhog Day’ Jeep commercialVideo
Just like the premise of the movie “Groundhog Day,” its star Bill Murray, and others are back again — but this time riding in the new Jeep Gladiator as the getaway vehicle. The 60-second commercial debuted on television Sunday during Super Bowl LIV. For some, the biggest football game of...
Lower Burrell celebrates wrestling team’s 14th straight WPIAL titleVideo
It’s become an annual mid-winter rite in Lower Burrell. Fire trucks with blaring sirens escort the Burrell wrestling team on Leechburg Road to the high school, marking the latest Bucs WPIAL team wrestling title. That was the scene late Saturday afternoon at the corner of Wildlife Lodge and Leechburg roads....
State police: Drunken Leechburg woman hit man with car in Vandergrift
State police say an intoxicated Leechburg woman hit a man with her car in Vandergrift last Monday. State police responded to a call at a Leechburg address where it was reported that a man was hit by a car, reportedly driven by a woman who was threatening to “slit her...
Squirrel keeps outfoxing Pittsburgh bald eagles
When it comes to a sly fox, the Pittsburgh Hays bald eagles don’t give it more than a passing glance. But a rascally squirrel? That’s another story. According to antics captured on a live webcam provided by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania and CSE Corp., the eagles have been...
Springdale Township, pool, veterans try to resolve drainage issues
Bouquet Park Pool is appealing a decision by Springdale Township to revoke its occupancy permit amid allegations that pool water drained onto a neighboring property. Township Commissioners President Anthony Rozzano said the pool water entered the neighboring property of the Springdale Veterans Association. “You are not allowed to discharge water...
Agreement nearly complete on Agan Park joint recreation board
Springdale and Cheswick boroughs are forming a joint recreational board to oversee Agan Park, an underused park in need of some care and direction. The park, located along Riddle Run Road in Springdale Township, was bequeathed to Springdale and Cheswick boroughs, which took over ownership in the 1950s. The park...
Burrell superintendent concerned about police coverage in schools
Burrell School District Superintendent Shannon Wagner said she has grown concerned about the quality of police coverage in the district since School Resource Officer John Marhefka was appointed Lower Burrell’s acting police chief earlier this month. The city’s department has been filling in for Marhefka in the school district with...
Artist unveils new Mac Miller mural on Pittsburgh’s North SideVideo
The peeling russet paint in the neck tattoo of the late rapper Mac Miller is the perfect piece of reality in a new mural honoring him at the intersection of James and East Ohio streets on Pittsburgh’s North Side. A flurry of events around the recent release of Miller’s posthumous...
Propane tanks explode during fire at Upper Burrell home
A house along Lincoln Boulevard in Upper Burrell was heavily damaged by fire late Friday morning. The fire at 123 Lincoln Blvd., which runs parallel to Route 366, was reported at 11:21 a.m., according to a Westmoreland County emergency dispatcher. Upper Burrell fire Chief Bryan Fitch said flames and smoke...
Awarding of Burrell stadium contracts delayed by a month
Burrell School Board has delayed awarding contracts for the planned renovation of Buccaneer Stadium by a month because additional architectural design work is being done, officials said. The delay won’t put the project behind schedule, according to Burrell Superintendent Shannon Wagner. Work had not been expected to start until March...
Woman captures footage of swimming bear in Beaver CountyVideo
Lori Pepka had just finished pulling ticks off her mother’s dog following a walk in Raccoon Creek State Park early Monday evening when she saw something she had never seen before in the Beaver County park: a black bear. Not only that, it was swimming in Raccoon Lake. “My heart...
Lower Burrell planning $170K drainage project on Craigdell Road
Lower Burrell is applying for a state grant to help pay for repairs to drainage pipes along and under Craigdell Road in the Kay Street area. Matt Pitsch of Senate Engineering, the city’s engineer, said the aging pipes need to be repaired before their condition worsens. The city is seeking...
Mother of Sandy Hook victim reschedules presentation at Burrell High School
Scarlett Lewis, whose son Jesse was one of 26 people killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, has rescheduled a free presentation at Burrell High School on her “Choose Love” educational program for April 1. She canceled a presentation scheduled for last month because she was ill....
What does soil health mean to me? A lot. Learn more at Kittanning workshop
Penn State Extension will host the workshop, “Making Cover Crops Pay,” Jan. 21 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Armstrong County Extension Office, 120 S. Grant Ave., Suite 1, in Kittanning. The workshop is free to the public, but registration is required. A free breakfast will be offered....
Mountains of tires, appliances, electronics collected in 2019 by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful affiliates — including Westmoreland Cleanways and other area environmental groups — announced Friday that it had collected more than 2 million pounds of electronics and other waste. That includes more than 21,000 tires; 6,000 appliances, and 61,000 pounds of household hazardous waste from local residents in 2019....
The work of artists inspired by Pittsburgh at South Side’s Brew House AssociationVideo
Local artists inspired by Pittsburgh sights and everyday life is the theme for the Austral exhibition that opened Thursday at the Brew House Association in Pittsburgh’s South Side. The exhibition is free and open to the public; donations accepted. It runs through Feb. 8. The juried exhibition highlights the broad...
