Jack Troy stories, Page 20
First-ever communitywide cleanup in Penn Hills yields nearly 400 bags of trash
The first-ever communitywide cleanup in Penn Hills on July 27 was a success by any metric, sponsors say, attracting 172 volunteers who filled nearly 399 trash bags. Volunteers covered 6.5 miles of road between 12 neighborhoods at the event, which was organized by the Penn Hills Rotary and Penn Hills...
Kiski Township police seek help to find missing teen
Kiski Township police are searching for a teenager who has been missing since Monday. Alexander Orr is a 17-year-old white boy with brown hair and brown eyes and is approximately 5 feet, 5 inches tall and between 150 and 160 pounds, according to a description provided by police. He is...
Ex-administrator in Penn Hills School District says he’s struggling to find work after ‘frivolous’ harassment charge dropped
Robert Kollar is rebuilding his career after a now-dismissed harassment charge tarnished his reputation and led him to resign as director of human resources for the Penn Hills School District. In May, a judge threw out the case, which alleged that Kollar placed his midsection on an individual’s back, but...
Penn Hills Center sold to out-of-state investment firm for $20.5 million
The Penn Hills Center and several outparcels near the shopping plaza on Rodi Road have been purchased by a New York-based firm for $20.5 million. Under an LLC created early this year, Asher Group reached a deal with First National Realty Partners in May to add the popular retail destination...
U.S. Steel marketing blitz puts pressure on government to OK sale to Nippon Steel
U.S. Steel is banking on public pressure to push through a $14.9 billion acquisition by Nippon Steel as lawmakers and regulators balk at putting the domestic icon in foreign hands. An advertising campaign launched this year touts promises by Japan’s largest steelmaker to preserve jobs, upgrade plants and sustain American...
High school connected to Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship to open in Wilkins
The Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship is getting an affiliate high school. Charter school officials got the go-ahead last month from Wilkins commissioners to transform the office building at 703 Rodi Road, near the Penn Hills-Wilkins border, into Dominus High School. The target opening date is fall 2025, with...
South Buffalo police stronger than ever, officials say as they eye new station
About five years ago, the South Buffalo Township Police Department comprised two officers and a lone civilian SUV that was converted for police use. On July 15, the township hired its fourth full-time police officer, at $23 an hour, who, unlike some of his predecessors, will patrol in a purpose-built...
Oklahoma Borough looking for new mayor, council member
Elected officials come and go in small towns, where most serve in an unpaid and part-time capacity, but it’s not often that a mayor steps down and leaves council to appoint a replacement. Oklahoma Borough Council will be doing just that following the departure of two-and-a-half-term Mayor Don Emerick. His...
No more booths: Turnpike set to expand Open Road Tolling in coming years
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission gave more details this week about its timeline for ditching toll booths in favor of Open Road Tolling (ORT). All toll roads east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension will be converted to ORT, a system that electronically charges motorists at highway speeds, in January...
Texas sculptor honors Corey Comperatore with statue at Buffalo Township fire hall
When retired Texas firefighter Nyal Stromberg made his latest sculpture, a process that took a month of molding and melting, he didn’t know Corey Comperatore’s name. Few people did outside of the Alle-Kiski Valley before July 13, when Comperatore was gunned down at a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald...
Penn-Plum VFW out $12,000 following burglary
Penn Hills police are investigating a break-in at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post that caused an estimated $12,000 in losses and damages. Detective Teresa Gongaware said police learned July 15 that multiple poker machines were smashed and two safes were taken from Penn-Plum VFW Post 6836. The post is...
Languishing lot owned by Walmart attracts illegal dumping, Penn Hills officials say
An empty lot owned by Walmart and once slated for a Supercenter has become a headache for Penn Hills officials as they try to clamp down on illegal dumping. Code enforcement officer Jason Griffiths said piles of tires, trash bags and debris from home renovations recently have appeared in the...
Building the Valley: The Shop on Grant weaves its way into the fabric of Vandergrift
Worn down by the isolation of the pandemic, Debora Greene opened The Shop on Grant last year as a way to connect with friends and neighbors in Vandergrift over her love of needlework. “I was retired and I was just looking for something to do, mostly to get myself out...
Butler legislator’s bill to shape House probe into security lapses at Trump rally shooting
The U.S. House plans to create a bipartisan task force to investigate security lapses that led to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, and it will be based on a resolution introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democrat House Minority Leader...
Volunteers tinkering away ahead of Peter Pan-themed Vandergrift Artfest
Vandergrift will be made of art, food trucks and pixie dust Sunday for the 17th annual Vandergrift Artfest. This year’s theme, “Forever Neverland,” will be unmistakable for the thousands of people expected to attend from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday along Grant and Columbia avenues in the borough’s downtown area....
Remains found in Allegheny River identified by family as missing Shaler woman
A vehicle containing the remains of Janet Walsh was pulled from the Allegheny River in Oakmont on Sunday, ending a 4½-year search for the missing Shaler woman that had rattled the community and intrigued cold case specialists. While the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to make an identification,...
Penn Hills weighing hookah bar regulations after deadly shooting
Penn Hills may crack down on hookah bars after a June shooting at Ballers Hookah Lounge & Cigar Bar, a spot known to police for trouble, left two dead and seven wounded. A zoning code amendment slated for consideration by the Planning Commission on July 25 would for the first...
Traffic restrictions in place ahead of visitation for Corey Comperatore
Road restrictions have begun ahead of public visitation for Corey Comperatore, the Buffalo Township man fatally shot at a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump on Saturday. The visitation is set for 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Laube Hall in Freeport. Southern Armstrong Regional...
Buffalo Township firefighters seeking donations for luncheon after Corey Comperatore’s funeral Friday
The Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company is seeking donations of food and money for a luncheon after funeral services for Corey Comperatore on Friday, with plans to feed around 500 people. Comperatore, who was killed Saturday while attending Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s rally in Butler County, served as the...
Trump now not likely to attend funeral Friday for Corey Comperatore
It appears former President Donald Trump will not attend Friday’s funeral for Corey Comperatore, the Buffalo Township man killed at Trump’s rally Saturday in Butler County. Earlier Wednesday, sources told TribLive — and multiple news outlets reported — Trump planned to attend Friday’s private funeral service for Comperatore. Late Wednesday...
Police announce traffic, parking restrictions this week during services for Corey Comperatore
Police have announced times and roads that will be affected over the next several days by the viewing and funeral services for Corey Comperatore, who was killed Saturday while attending Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler County. Traffic restrictions begin Wednesday in Freeport, according to Chris Fabec,...
Memorial services set for Buffalo Township man killed at Trump rally
A candlelight vigil for Corey Comperatore planned for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Lernerville Speedway is meant to honor his memory, not advance political agendas, according to organizers. It’s one of several ways people will be able commemorate the Buffalo Township man killed by a gunman at Donald Trump’s rally Saturday...
Parks Township nuclear waste cleanup faces awareness gap
How well informed community members are about the impending Parks Township nuclear waste dump cleanup depends on who you ask. Preliminary results from a survey sent out by University of Pittsburgh master’s degree candidate Ariana Scott suggest a startling lack of awareness, with a majority of respondents indicating they aren’t...
Frustration mounts over lack of information on Kiski Township police chief departure
Anyone who hoped to hear Kiski Township supervisors speak on the departure of former Chief Lee Bartolicius on Wednesday night left the township’s regular meeting sorely disappointed. Township Solicitor Ryan Fritz ruled out the prospect at the start of the meeting. “For anyone who is here simply for that purpose,...
Penn Hills man leads Verona police on foot chase through traffic while carrying baby, police say
Verona police say a Penn Hills man wanted for retail theft led officers on a foot chase, weaving between passing vehicles with his infant daughter in his arms. It was only after his arrest that it became clear why the suspect made such a desperate attempt to flee from petty...

