Mary Ann Thomas stories

The Cooper River in South Carolina is not for the faint-hearted scuba diver. Prehistoric treasures stud the riverbeds below alligators and other wild creatures in this ecologically rich area where the river meets ocean water and the tannins from decaying vegetation turn the water black. But it is a favorite...

An additional fundraising concert to benefit local police departments is taking place this weekend to raise extra money for the Brackenridge Police Department. This concert was added in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire in January, said David “Mogie” Magill, co-founder of AK Valley...

The Lower Burrell Municipal Authority and the city’s leadership are gearing up for a $9.2 million sewage project, likely the most expensive project for the city in the next decade. The municipal authority will replace and upgrade the Big Braeburn pump station at the bottom of Edgecliff Road plus repair...

The female Pittsburgh bald eagle laid her first egg of the season Friday just before 5:30 p.m., according to the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. The Hays couple, in their 11th breeding season nesting a steep hillside high above the Monongahela River near the Glenwood Bridge, have successfully raised 18...

The efforts of some Millvale-based businesses and nonprofits were not doused in the aftermath of a basement fire at the Millvale Food + Energy building along East Sherman Street on Jan. 30. A New Orleans-inspired fundraiser featuring food, live music, visual arts and more will be held from 7 to...

Although they already are represented by the United Steelworkers, Braeburn Alloy Steel employees in Lower Burrell are taking the unusual step of voting Feb. 23 for a labor union to represent them for contract negotiations. A new owner, G.O. Carlson Inc. of Oil City, took over Braeburn last year. The...

It’s the same mantra from many local employers looking for workers in the Alle-Kiski Valley: Where are they? However, some businesses, such as Filterbuy in New Kensington, have upped wages to attract new employees and make it easier for them to try different jobs and earn promotions. Filterbuy will be...

While Lower Burrell boasts five parks with facilities, organized outdoor activities are lacking, Councilwoman Rosina Albanese said. The city is revamping its Parks & Recreation Commission, armed with a new parks study and a desire to regroup after a long pandemic hiatus. The commission will hold a meeting for residents...

North Apollo’s electric bill for a storage building never arrived. The borough’s council president and vice president didn’t receive bank statements for their taxes, and the owner of a local diner had to use her personal post office box for business mail. That’s just a sampling of complaints from public...

New Kensington’s municipal authority crews were repairing two waterline breaks Thursday — a main line in Lower Burrell under Violet Drive and another waterline under Kennedy Avenue in New Kensington. Fluctuating temperatures and ground movement caused the two breaks, said Ron Balla, assistant superintendent of distribution for the Municipal Authority...

No one was injured, but firefighters were checked for potential lithium exposure after fighting a fire in the basement of a Millvale commercial building Monday. One of the tenants of the building along East Sherman Street is the Sprezzatura Café. Firefighters were called at about 10 a.m. for a potential...

Serving an estimated 1,100 visiting police officers for funeral events for fallen Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire was just another facet of The River Community Church in New Kensington and its pastor, Dean Ward. Ward, 56, of New Kensington isn’t your typical pastor. He built a business diving for golf...

A couple of mannequins and a drop ceiling were among the last vestiges inside the old JCPenney building in Lower Burrell, now gutted to make way for an open-air, 90,000-square-foot electrical supply warehouse and store. The former department store’s brick shell still stands, but most of the interior is gone....

The former First National Bank in Burrell Plaza in Lower Burrell is getting a much-needed facelift with a colorful Dunkin’ façade previewing the opening of the popular coffee, doughnut and snack shop. The Lower Burrell Dunkin’ likely will open in March, said Chelsea Halker, marketing manager of Heartland Restaurant Group,...

An East Vandergrift man has been accused of harassing Allegheny Township District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec with late-night phone calls. Tyler Drew Zidek, 25, of East Vandergrift faces several misdemeanor charges of harassment by a communication device. Zidek has a criminal record, including a guilty plea for body-slamming a teenage...

While volunteer bird enthusiasts counted cardinals and robins for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count from Pittsburgh to Harmar, the most common bird found was the American crow — 20,000 strong, accounting for about half of the birds seen. The Christmas Bird Count was held in some areas in the region...

The fifth annual Fallen Officers Food Drive will collect nonperishable food Jan. 28 at Mogie’s Irish Pub to benefit the Westmoreland County Food Bank and the St. Margaret Mary Food Bank in Lower Burrell. The food drive is operated by volunteers, including many active and retired police officers, to help...

As effervescent as her adult beverages, Nikki Wright of Buffalo Township is adding spirits to Freeport with her new Bubbly Bar and bartending business at 506 High St. A longtime mixologist and bartender for restaurants and caterers in the region, Wright struck out on her own in February 2021. She...

Freeport is starting 2023 with a 15% hike in real estate taxes. The owner of a home assessed at $40,000 will pay $80 more in borough real estate taxes, from $520 in 2022 to $600 in 2023, borough officials said. “Council agreed to raise taxes because revenue has been flat...

State Rep. Abby Major, R-Leechburg, started her term this month in the newly constituted 60th District — which now includes a large section of the Alle-Kiski Valley — and is working on landing grant money for improved roads, new waterlines and more. Major, 38, of Leechburg and formerly of Ford...

After a two-year hiatus during the height of the covid-19 pandemic, the Tri-County Trout Club is back for its 17th Sport Show & Flea Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The club moved the show from Arnold Volunteer Engine Company No. 2’s social center to Patterson Hall at...

David “Mogie” Magill plans to add fallen Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire to his Back the Blue T-shirt, which he will sell for a fundraiser concert to help local police departments in June. McIntire’s name and badge number, 1501, will join other local police officers who were shot to death...

Businesses, volunteers, students and others stepped up in unexpected ways to help give Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire the funeral he deserves. From a free burial plot and vault to a horse-drawn funeral caisson, donations of goods and services for McIntire’s funeral stretch beyond the Alle-Kiski Valley. “The family is...

The process has begun to add Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire’s name and badge number to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. McIntire was killed Jan. 2 while on duty in Brackenridge pursuing a Duquesne man wanted for weapons-related parole violations and eluding police. The national memorial...