James Engel stories, Page 4
La Vigneta Winery reopens in Winfield — this time as a restaurant
What started in 2011 as a small-scale winemaking operation in the basement of Francesca Howden’s home is now a 175-seat upscale restaurant in Winfield. La Vigneta Winery reopened in late October at the former site of the Cooper Station Restaurant on North Pike Road (Route 356). The winemaker previously operated...
Former Plum Burger King demolished; owner searching for tenant
A building once occupied by Burger King in Plum has been demolished as the property owners search for a new occupant for the lot. Located at the corner of Golden Mile Highway and New Texas Road, the building had been home to the Burger King for decades until the restaurant...
Route 28 to see rolling closures Wednesday
PennDOT says a section of Route 28 will see rolling closures in both directions of Route 28 on Nov. 12. The closures will halt traffic in all lanes for 15 minutes at a time, or less, between RIDC Park (Exit 10) and Harmar/I-76/Route 910 (Exit 11) interchanges between 10 a.m....
Namdar to repave 2 roads at Pittsburgh Mills later this month
Two roads at the Pittsburgh Mills mall will be repaved this month, starting a process Frazer officials hope to see continue. Crews will descend upon Village Center and Galleria drives starting Nov. 17. The outbound lane of Village Center will be closed Nov. 17-18, while the inbound lane will close...
Several new faces among victors in Allegheny Valley School Board race
Among the four newly elected members of Allegheny Valley School Board, only one is an incumbent. Current Board President Nino Pollino, who earned the second most votes, will retain a seat he’s held for most of the past three decades. He’ll be joined by Fred Derringer, Rebecca Mundok and Colleen...
Conflicting meetings center on Springdale data center proposal
Springdale residents interested in the proposed data center project might have to choose which meeting on the proposal to attend next week. After several official meetings before various Springdale bodies, community members are planning to take things into their own hands. Locals will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12...
As SNAP benefits remain in limbo, grocers brace for potential impact
Grocers who rely on sales from customers using federal food assistance are bracing for financial pain that could amount to millions of dollars in losses. Nationwide, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves an average of almost 42 million participants per month who spend almost $100 billion per year on...
Cheswick sees slate of incumbents hold council seats
Four incumbents on Cheswick Council seeking reelection held onto their seats in Tuesday’s election. The election saw two races — one with five candidates seeking four four-year terms and another with two candidates seeking two two-year terms. Nicholas Pollino earned the most votes in both races but said he’d likely...
Democrats win all 4 seats on Plum Council
Democrats carried the day in Plum, unseating incumbent Republicans to claim four seats on borough council. Unofficial results show Ryan Delaney as the top voter-getter with 14.5%, followed by James McBride with 13.9%, Raymond Rall with 13.2% and Phoebus Apollo with 12.8%. The Democratic sweep renders incumbents Paul Dern, Steve...
Unofficial results show incumbent Springdale mayor winning by 1 vote
Unofficial election results show incumbent Springdale Mayor Joel Anderson ahead of his Democratic challenger by just a single vote. Allegheny County tabulations from Tuesday night’s election have Anderson, a Republican, with 517 votes and John Murray with 516. Among the 13 write-in votes, none listed either candidate. Anderson won an...
Democratic slate sweeps Republican incumbents on Plum Council
Democrats carried the day in Plum, unseating incumbent Republicans to claim four seats on borough council. Unofficial results show Ryan Delaney as the top voter-getter with 14.5%, followed by James McBride with 13.9%, Raymond Rall with 13.2% and Phoebus Apollo with 12.8%. The Democratic sweep renders incumbents Paul Dern, Steve...
Democrats take all 4 Plum School Board seats, defeat incumbent candidates
A slate of Democrats swept aside a Republican majority on Plum School Board, taking all four of the open seats. Unofficial results show Jill Klipa as the top vote-getter with 14.9%, followed by Adam Hill with 14%, Tiffany Hyde with 13.6% and Geter Sloan with 13%. Among the four victors,...
Incumbents hold onto Springdale Council seats as data center debate continues
Springdale voters elected a slate of four mostly incumbent Democrats to council as hearings for the massive proposed data center in the borough carry on. Among the four victors, three are incumbents. But Deborah Piontek — who rallied the most support — will be a new face on council. According...
Victims in fatal Buffalo Township crash identified
Local authorities have identified the two people who died in a Buffalo Township crash on Saturday. Bonnie Grove, 78, died at the scene of the accident at the intersection of South Pike (Route 356) and Younkins roads. Douglas Frosch, 72, died several hours later after being airlifted to UPMC Presbyterian...
Plum students plan to thank vets, educate community with Veterans Day events
At Plum School District’s upcoming Veterans Day celebrations, Kailey Burton hopes not only to thank current and former service members but impart some history to her peers. Burton is the group commander of Plum High School’s Air Force JROTC program. She and dozens of her fellow cadets have been planning...
Plum-based Knights of Columbus offers dozens of winter coats to local students
Plum’s local council of the Knights of Columbus has kept up its annual tradition of donating dozens of winter coats to local schools. This year, local K of C Treasurer Len Manganello said the organization offered 48 coats to Plum and Riverview schools as well as Holy Family Catholic School,...
Morning Roundup: Ross firefighters help free motorists; crash briefly slows Route 28 traffic
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Oct. 31: Ross firefighters free 2 after crash on McKnight Road Crews from Seville VFC in Ross had to remove the passenger-side door of a highly damaged car Thursday evening to free two occupants following a single-vehicle crash...
Somerset County sheriff charged for alleged inappropriate incident with teen
The Pennsylvania Attorney General says Somerset County Sheriff Dustin Weir made inappropriate sexual remarks to a 15-year-old girl during a “Shop With a Cop” event last December. The allegations led Pennsylvania State Police to charge Weir, 46, on Thursday with a single misdemeanor count of corruption of minors. According to...
Harrison man arrested in FBI raid accused of threatening judge, others through voicemails
A man arrested Tuesday in a raid on a Harrison home by federal authorities is charged with two counts of making interstate threats and accused of leaving multiple menacing voicemails. Federal prosecutors say Thomas Dorn called an unidentified victim earlier this month, threatening to kill them and others — including...
Teen critically wounded after being shot in Stanton Heights
A 15-year-old boy was shot several times in Pittsburgh’s Stanton Heights neighborhood Thursday, according to authorities. Police received reports of a shooting around 7:20 a.m. at the intersection of Stanton Avenue and Woodbine Street. Officers rendered first aid and applied tourniquets to the boy, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds to...
Morning Roundup: Masked men jack car in Oakland; man hospitalized after fall in Uniontown parade
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Oct. 30: Masked suspects steal car in Oakland University of Pittsburgh Police say two men in black masks and hoodies stole a delivery driver’s car in Oakland. Just before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the driver exited his vehicle to...
3 Pittsburgh area Oak Street Health locations to close in coming months
Three Pittsburgh-area Oak Street Health facilities will close their doors by February, according to the company. Among 16 total closures nationwide, locations in Homestead, Wilkinsburg and Ingram are each set to shutter. Owned by CVS Health, Oak Street Health operates more than 200 primary care centers throughout the country, specializing...
Giant Eagle needs pennies, offers double their value in gift cards
Giant Eagle says it needs customers’ pennies, and it’s prepared to make a deal. The Cranberry-based retailer said it will exchange pennies for double their value in Giant Eagle gift cards between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday. Customers must provide a minimum of 50 cents in pennies, which would...
Charges held for court against Armstrong County woman accused of concealing 4 dead infants
Jessica Mauthe, the Armstrong County woman accused of concealing four dead infants in a Cadogan home she rented, is headed to court. District Judge J. Gary DeComo held her bevy of charges for trial after Mauthe appeared for her preliminary hearing in Ford City on Tuesday. Mauthe faces single counts...
Candidates say infrastructure, new families key issues in Cheswick Council election
There are six open seats on Cheswick Council, but only four of them will be contested Tuesday. But there’s a twist that could lead to the next council’s roster still up in the air after election night. Incumbents Frank Stanish and Nicholas Pollino are running for two, two-year terms, leaving...

