Jack Troy stories, Page 21
Johnetta Campground in Gilpin part of $2 million, 400-acre sale
The popular Johnetta Campground along the Allegheny River in Gilpin now belongs to two local officials. Southern Armstrong Holdings LLC purchased 400 acres that formerly was owned by Reynoldsville-based timber company, Forestland Investments LLC. Southern Armstrong Holdings represents Gilpin Supervisor Jeremy Smail and his wife, Leechburg Area School Board President...
Low cash not stopping Allegheny Township festival from going ahead
The Allegheny Township Community Day Festival will return Sunday with a new location and diminished budget as sponsors shy away from an event that has been marred by claims of fiscal impropriety. After raising more than $17,000 last year, festival organizer and township Supervisor Jamie Morabito said the nonprofit that...
Faces of the Valley: Anne Lindsay frequents farmers markets with a business baked from scratch
Like many people, Anne Lindsay took up a new hobby in the early days of the covid pandemic, looking to kill time after a day of virtual classes as a Freeport Area High School student. The difference is, she stuck with it, turning a hankering for sourdough bread into a...
Kiski Township erred in withholding details of police chief’s severance, legal expert says
The Kiski Township Board of Supervisors accepted Lee Bartolicius’ resignation as police chief Wednesday night, but residents — and even some officials — still are in the dark about the circumstances of his departure, including severance pay. That made informed public comment at the meeting difficult, possibly spelling legal trouble...
Oakmont’s vegetation-control goats back to work after escape
Phyllis Anderson has jokingly referred to herself as “the GOAT,” (Greatest of All Time) since Oakmont brought in working goats two years ago to clear brush along the Allegheny River. But the assistant borough manager wants residents to know that the goats’ escape from their enclosure this week was no...
Hard lemonade the latest collaboration from Turner Dairy and Pittsburgh Brewing
A year after launching IC’d Tea, Turner Dairy Farms and Pittsburgh Brewing Co. are back with another twist on a Pittsburgh favorite. Turner’s Hard Lemonade will hit shelves Monday, July 8 as a limited-edition offering from the iconic local brands. A release from Turner’s describes the beverage as a balance...
Anti-discrimination Penn Hills Advisory Council commended for ‘energy and drive’
When Ronald Saunders saw an FBI report that named Western Pennsylvania as a hub for hate activity, the longtime civil rights activist knew he had to step in. After consulting with Richard Stewart, former president of the NAACP Pittsburgh Branch, he got in touch with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission...
Canceled vote shows engineering services remain a sore spot for Penn Hills Council
Penn Hills Council has once again put off a vote to hire Gibson-Thomas Engineering. Hours before it was set to begin, Mayor Pauline Calabrese called off a June 24 special meeting to consider appointing the firm as engineer for Community Development Block Grant projects over the next three fiscal years....
Neighbors look for closure after body discovered in river near Springdale
Closure is about the best neighbors of Bunnie Lee can hope for now that it appears his body has been found, 11 years after he disappeared. “Now, we have closure, but it brings a lot of questions,” said longtime East Liberty neighbor Dorret Payton. “He was missed. He still is.”...
Sunken cars common in the Allegheny River, authorities say after Springdale discovery
Most underwater discoveries in Pittsburgh’s rivers are accidents, said Eureka Fire-Rescue Chief Brad James, whether it’s by recreational boaters or, as was the case Sunday in Springdale, divers conducting training exercises. James doesn’t dive, but he has been with the Tarentum-based company for more than 40 years and wasn’t shocked...
Cool Water Saloon hosts fundraiser for Mackenzie Mitchell, who lost everything in fire
Molly Uskuraitis knows what it’s like to lose it all. Her Vandergrift home all but burned down nine years ago, torching its contents and killing her pet dogs. Slowly and with support from the community, she was able to rebuild her home and her life. Now, her friend and coworker...
Human remains found in vehicle discovered in Allegheny River near Springdale
Human remains were discovered in a vehicle recovered Sunday from the Allegheny River near Butler Street in Springdale. Allegheny County Police said the Murrysville Medic One dive team was training in the river in the area of Butler Street when the vehicle was found. The divers notified emergency dispatch that...
The Waterworks Fine Wine and Good Spirits store on the move
The Fine Wine and Good Spirits Premium Collection in The Waterworks near Aspinwall is moving a few doors down. A sign posted on a store window informs customers that the current location in the strip shopping center along Freeport Road will close July 14. A new location will open the...
‘It just keeps expanding’: Oakmont Greek Food Festival celebrates 50th anniversary
Frank and Karen Sansosti have been married for 50 years, as long as the Oakmont Greek Food Festival has been around, and almost as many as they’ve attended it. The allure is simple for the North Huntingdon couple. “The food,” Frank Sansosti said. “You don’t get lamb every day.” Whether...
National Weather Service ends tornado watch for Western Pa.
The National Weather Service ended a tornado watch for Southwestern Pennsylvania shortly after 7 p.m. No tornadoes were reported. At times, the affected counties included Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Beaver, Fayette, Indiana, Washington, Westmoreland and nearly all of Western Pennsylvania. A small portion of northern West Virginia remains under an alert....
WWII veteran and longtime Lower Burrell police officer leaves behind stories of airborne exploits
Albert Chamrad, a resident and retired police officer from Lower Burrell, died earlier this month, taking his firsthand account of performing one of the most dangerous duties in World War II with him. The 99-year-old died in his sleep June 13 at Southwestern Veterans’ Center in Pittsburgh. He lived a...
Allegheny Township mechanic retools after shop fire sends life savings up in smokeVideo
Chunks of Jamie Napoletano’s life now fit into a wheelbarrow, not even half filled with wrenches, bolts and clamps. On an afternoon in June, he sifted through his diminished collection, clutching a greasy towel and rattling off lost equipment. By his estimate, only about 1% of his tool collection survived...
Eaglet takes 1st flight from nest at U.S. Steel’s Irvin Plant
A bald eagle was fortunate enough Sunday morning to take flight for the first time from the nest at U.S. Steel’s Irvin Plant in West Mifflin. It happened at 7:24 a.m., to be exact. The No. 7 has followed the eaglet, fittingly dubbed Lucky, through its young life, according to...
Building the Valley: Sia Center fills need for indoor children’s entertainment in Vandergrift
Intricate stained glass and jungle gyms don’t usually go side by side. Sia Fouse is working on removing the stained glass, but she keeps filling the Sia Center, an indoor playground and event space in Vandergrift, with even more toys and equipment. She bought the former St. Paul Lutheran Church...
Kiski Area continues personnel shuffle
Kiski Area School District continues to push forward with a remake of its administrative team. School board members approved a streamlined organization chart in April after Superintendent Jason Lohr introduced it and made the case for cutting two roles. That includes director of safety and security, and Lohr’s former post...
W.L. Roenigk co-owner remembered as humble driver and loving family man
Most people dread it, but Dave Roenigk died doing what he loved: cutting grass. On Wednesday morning, he was mowing and waving to passing cars near the Buffalo Township headquarters of his family’s school bus company, W.L. Roenigk. He was trimming along a pond, with plans to teach his grandchildren...
Chalfant Run remediation set as transformation of former Churchill Country Club continues
Acid mine drainage has long saturated Chalfant Run with chemicals, harming wildlife and not being particularly good for humans either. Newly flush with funding, the Allegheny Land Trust aims to turn this frothy stream into clear waters by installing a high calcite limestone filter at the Churchill Valley Greenway. “The...
New Allegheny Township manager to start in July
Allegheny Township is getting a full-time manager for the first time in nearly a year. Supervisors voted this month to appoint Daniel Miller to the post at a salary of $102,000, with a starting date of July 8. Miller resigned last week as North Huntingdon’s parks and recreation director. His...
Freeport post office adds garden to support native pollinators
Snail mail may drop off in the summer months, but the post office in Freeport soon will be buzzing with native pollinators. The Postal Service recently hired Grace Clark, owner of Lestari Natives in Harrison, to plant two beds of native plants in an effort to support the town’s birds...
Drive-thru coming to Buffalo Township Sheetz
Sheetz in Buffalo Township is getting a makeover. The gas station and convenience store, located at Route 356 and Monroe Road, soon will feature a drive-thru and updated store after township supervisors approved the project this week. Supervisors gave approval for the existing store in 2007. Sheetz will remove and...
