James Engel stories, Page 12
Oakmont caddies look to fill roles during U.S. Open, on and off the bag
Aaron Williams is among a select few when it comes to Oakmont Country Club caddies: He has found himself on a bag this week for the U.S. Open. After narrowly missing an opportunity to caddie at the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont, Williams was committed to working the tournament this...
Car collides with e-biker at Pittsburgh Mills
A car collided with a man on an e-bike Thursday near Dick’s Sporting Goods at the Pittsburgh Mills complex. The crash occurred just before 4 p.m., according to Frazer police Chief Aaron Scott. He said the cyclist was conscious but had some shoulder injuries. The driver stayed on the scene,...
Fate of Springdale’s Veterans Memorial Field remains unclear
Springdale is discussing “all available options” for the future of Veterans Memorial Field, former home of the Springdale Dynamos, according to Councilman Dan Copeland. The discussions come after unsuccessful lease negotiations between the borough and Allegheny Valley School District, which played football at the site for more than 80 years,...
Plum Middle School improvements could begin as soon as this week
Several summer improvement projects at Plum Middle School are set to begin as soon as this week, according to district CFO Ryan Manzer. The school will see its HVAC controls replaced in addition to the replacement and relocation of its dust collector and some mechanical equipment. On the outside, the...
USGA to open U.S. Open merchandise tent early for fans without tickets
Golf fans without tickets to attend the U.S. Open next week still will have the opportunity to purchase tournament merchandise, according to the USGA. The merchandise pavilion at Oakmont Country Club will be open to the public from Thursday to Sunday, prior to the tournament, the organization said. Featuring a...
Springdale residents charged with child endangerment for ‘deplorable’ home conditions, drug use
A call to Springdale police to conduct a welfare check led to drug and child endangerment charges against two people. Autumn Marie Jones, 42, and James Lewis Henderson, 30, are charged with two felony counts of endangering the welfare of children, recklessly endangering another person and drug possession. Police said...
Police search for Cheswick man charged with sexual abuse of minor
Police are searching for Jeremiah Segan, 42, who is charged with statutory sexual assault and numerous other sex crimes related to the alleged yearslong sexual abuse of a minor. Allegheny County Police began an investigation after a teenager disclosed the alleged abuse to their mother’s “paramour,” according to an affidavit...
Officials hope to reopen Agan Park soon after monthlong closure
Springdale and Cheswick officials say they’re hoping to reopen Agan Park in the coming weeks after a severe storm last month rendered it unsafe because of downed and hanging trees. The park is an extensive green space along Riddle Run Road in Springdale Township but is jointly managed by Springdale...
Frazer issues dozens more citations against Pittsburgh Mills owners for mall’s condition
It seems the only thing growing faster than the potholes at Pittsburgh Mills mall is the list of citations issued against the shopping center’s owners. Numerous potholes, knee-high grass and inoperable doors are among issues behind a new wave of citations issued by Frazer’s building inspector, Bill Payne. At the...
Construction of Springdale turf field to begin this week
Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School’s new multipurpose turf field will enter the first stages of its construction this week, according to Allegheny Valley Public Relations Director Jan Zastawniak. Located along Butler Road, across from the school, the field will host the district’s football, soccer and track and field teams starting in...
Plum School Board passes final budget with 2.26% tax increase
The Plum School Board finalized a 2.26% tax increase on Tuesday in a unanimous vote to approve its final budget. The budget increases the tax rate from the current 23.3896 mills to 23.9159 mills. That’s partially the result of board discussions in favor of smaller incremental tax hikes rather than...
Feud among fire departments flares during Memorial Day blaze in Springdale Township
Seven fire departments and about 50 firefighters responded to a blaze that destroyed a home in Springdale Township on Memorial Day, but Springdale Volunteer Fire Department members, who were close enough to watch smoke rise from the fire, were not among them. According to Dan Copeland, a borough council member...
Prospect of Springdale data center meets mixed reactions among neighbors
Dale Remai likes the idea of a data center in Springdale where a power plant used to stand. A resident of Shady Avenue, adjacent to the former power plant site, Remai, 69, thinks it could be a boon to the borough in terms of attracting other employers. At least, it’s...
Geo-Solutions plans to move to Plum by end of year
By December, New Kensington-based construction services company Geo-Solutions will conduct its business in Plum, according to marketing and sales specialist Reed Rayburg. The company plans to move into a multistory office building behind Plum School District’s bus garage while it develops a storage and maintenance facility on adjacent land at...
Allegheny Valley School Board primary election advances 5 candidates
Tuesday’s primary races for Allegheny Valley School Board pushed forward five candidates, including the sole incumbent, to November’s general election, where four seats will be up for grabs. Each of the seven primary candidates had cross-filed to run in both Democratic and Republican elections. In the end, voters selected three...
As tournament nears, USGA says U.S. Open construction ‘progressing positively’
With about a month left until the world’s top golfers hit the greens for the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, USGA officials said construction work across the club’s grounds is right on track. On-site work for the four-day tournament began in February. Despite a “difficult spring” filled with turbulent...
Plum School Board primary narrows large candidate pool by 3
Among 11 candidates who were seeking four open seats on Plum School Board, eight emerged from Tuesday’s primary elections. Though nearly every candidate was cross-filed to run in both races, Plum Democrats and Republicans did not elect a single common candidate. Included in the eight victors are several board incumbents...
Springdale residents, borough mull proposed parking restrictions near high school
A proposed ordinance in Springdale would restrict parking on certain roads near Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School and make several other streets “permit parking only.” The ordinance — which could go into effect this summer — would not allow any parking on the cemetery side of School Street, the south side...
Man arrested for allegedly assaulting police in Frazer hotel
Police say a man assaulted several state police troopers when they responded to a call Sunday about a possible stabbing in Frazer. Around 6 a.m., police spoke with Arnol Yobany Maldonado-Martinez, who told them an unknown man threatened him with a knife in his room at the SpringHill Suites on...
Allegheny Valley School Board candidate charged in connection with altercation at chorus concert
Allegheny Valley School Board candidate James Schiemer was charged with assault and several other misdemeanors related to a verbal altercation he is accused of starting at an elementary school chorus concert. Before the concert Wednesday, Schiemer confronted Springdale resident and borough council candidate Josh Thompson, according to a criminal complaint....
Pa. lawmakers take aim at ‘big gap’ in laws regulating pet cremation
State lawmakers want to prevent a repeat of the recent scandal that saw a funeral director accused of charging for pet cremations but dumping the animals in landfills instead. A bipartisan caucus is pushing a bill that would ramp up industry standards for animal cremation and lay down stiffer penalties...
Plum Class of ’75 to return for graduation 50 years later
Plum’s Class of 2025 will be joined this year by some peers who have a little more experience at graduation. More than 100 members of the Class of 1975 will return to the district to be honored at this year’s commencement, 50 years after their own graduation ceremony, according to...
Morning Roundup: Crash on George Westinghouse Bridge injures 3; truck crashes into home in Baldwin
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, May 16: Westinghouse Bridge crash leaves 3 injured Three people were hospitalized after a Thursday evening crash on the George Westinghouse Bridge in East Pittsburgh, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. The crash involved three separate cars and...
Allegheny Valley School Board OKs preliminary budget with 1.48% tax increase
The Allegheny Valley School Board has approved a preliminary budget with a tax hike of 1.48%. The revenue generated from the millage increase would go toward a projected $3.2 million budget deficit, though the majority of that deficit would be made up using the district’s fund balance. The board opted...
Dick’s Sporting Goods to buy Foot Locker for $2.4 billion
Dick’s Sporting Goods announced early Thursday that it will acquire Foot Locker in a $2.4 billion deal. The Findlay-based company said it plans to operate Foot Locker as a standalone business and maintain its brands. The acquisition will place Dick’s, already one of the largest domestic sporting goods company, into...
