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Mary Ann Thomas stories, Page 16

Mary Ann Thomas
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Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
No lull in hiring this holiday season as unfilled jobs persist in Alle-Kiski Valley
Job postings at the state Department of Labor’s CareerLink Alle-Kiski remain high, with continued hiring expected through the holidays. As of Thursday, the Alle-­ Kiski job center, which covers 28 ZIP codes in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties, had 480 job openings posted and active, according to Phil Grove, an account representative...
First live webcam installed at steel mill eagle nest at U.S. Steel Irvin Plant in West Mifflin 
Anyone with internet access soon can watch the formerly endangered bald eagles that reside on the grounds of the U.S. Steel Irvin Plant in West Mifflin. In December, a webcam trained on the bald eagles nest will go live. It will be the third such webcam in the state. The...
A destination for popular Pop It toys and more, Fidget Tree to open in Lower Burrell
As many brick-and-mortar stores give way to online retailing, not everyone is going along with the trend. Kylee Hornack-­Kohler and her mother, Denise Hornack, are popping the scenario with their new store, Fidget Tree, opening Wednesday in Lower Burrell. They specialize in “fidgets” and Pop It devices — sensory and...
Burrell School District ends up with surplus; not as hard hit as expected by pandemic economics
Burrell School District’s finance manager was bracing for declining tax revenues and higher expenses in the 2020-21 school year from the economic distress of the pandemic. But, it turns out, Burrell did better than anticipated, according to the district’s financial statements for 2020-21. Burrell ended the school year with about...
Faces of the Valley: Burrell School Board welcomes 4 student members
Burrell School Board added four students as nonvoting members last month to its nine-member board. A school board director, LeAnn Guido, brought up the idea last year, and high school Principal John Boylan opened up the opportunity to juniors and seniors this school year. The four students, in teams of...
Burrell theater students collaborated with Seattle playwright to hone 'Artist Retreat'
The Burrell High School Theatre Company this week will premiere “Artist Retreat,” a comedy by a Seattle playwright who collaborated with Burrell students on revisions over two years. Matt Smith, an old friend of Burrell music director Martin Connolly, penned the wild comedy following the travails of a retired dancer,...
Sept. 11 Memorial Trail to Shanksville gets boost from land purchase in New Jersey
The 9/11 National Memorial Trail, which will link to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, has advanced with action in New Jersey. N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy announced plans to spend $65 million to buy a 9-mile greenway, which will be a segment of the 9/11 Trail. The trail is...
Fisher Hall renovation at Burrell Lake Park ready for the public
The newly renovated Fisher Hall in Burrell Lake Park sports clean, modern industrial chic decor while keeping its rustic vibe. After a closure of more than a year for the work amid operating complications during the pandemic, the longtime social hall in Lower Burrell is now available for rent. City...
Tattoo tolerance bringing in more Marine recruits
A recent decision by the U.S. Marine Corps to loosen its policy on tattoos brought a new wave of recruits to the Alle-Kiski Valley Marine recruiting offices. The Marine Corps changed its policy Oct. 29, allowing soldiers to sport an unlimited number of tattoos except on the face, neck and...
Spotted lanternfly numbers skyrocket in Allegheny, Westmoreland counties
The spotted lanternfly — a beautiful but invasive plant hopper from Asia — continues its invasion of the region with a 1,722% increase in reports in Allegheny County, a 351% increase in Westmoreland County and a 177% increase in Butler in the past year. The insect doesn’t harm people, but...
Tips for getting rid of the invasive lanternfly
To slow the scourge of the invasive lanternfly, state experts weigh in on the many ways to kill the nectar-loving, honeydew-dropping pests. “The only good spotted lanternfly is a dead one,” said Amy K. Korman, an entomologist for 40 years and a horticulture extension educator with the Penn State Extension...
Plum Snow Angels looking for volunteers and those in need of help
A Plum man has formed a network of volunteers, Plum Snow Angels, to shovel the sidewalks and driveways of elderly and disabled residents in the borough. When floodwaters ripped through Plum in 2019, Ric Vigno and friends traveled through the borough and helped elderly and disabled residents throw away “half...
It's high season for deer-car collisions on Pennsylvania roads
Pennsylvania drivers beware: This is the season when the chances of hitting a deer increase, experts say, especially with the end of daylight saving time this weekend. The state ranks first in the nation for the highest number of animal-vehicle collisions that mostly involve deer, according to insurance company State...
Upper Burrell releases details of proposed 2022 budget with 20% tax increase
Upper Burrell released its 2022 preliminary $1.2 million budget with a 20% real estate tax increase to the Tribune-Review on Friday. Supervisors passed the preliminary budget on Wednesday evening but declined to release the budget to a reporter at that time. Local governments and school districts are required by the...
Upper Burrell supervisors call for 20% real estate tax hike for 2022
After more than 16 years without a real estate tax increase, Upper Burrell supervisors have tentatively agreed to raise taxes by 20% next year. If the tax increase is finalized in December, the average homeowner with a property assessed at $22,000 will pay $44 more in township real estate taxes...
3 newcomers elected to Burrell School Board, along with 2 incumbents
Tuesday’s election brought change to the Burrell School Board, with three newcomers joining the two incumbents who were reelected. Four at-large seats were open this year. Timothy Vinkovich, a former Tarentum councilman, received 22.6% of votes, the highest share. Newcomer Nikki Watson brought in 21.5%, incumbent Rick Kaczor attracted 20.6%...
No city real estate tax increase planned for Lower Burrell next year
Lower Burrell Council voted unanimously Monday on a $10.77 million preliminary budget that holds the line on real estate taxes for next year . The city’s proposed 2022 budget will keep real estate taxes at 24.75 mills. That means a property assessed at $20,000 would be subject to a real...
Leftover fishing line endangers birds at Western Pa. lakes
Fishing line left by anglers in the region continues to entangle animals, particularly birds. Lower Burrell’s public works department and volunteers from the nonprofit Wildbird Recovery recently rescued a duck with a fishing lure in its neck at Burrell Lake Park. Fishing line recycling tubes have been installed at many...
Drive-thru recycling set for household hazardous waste in Lower Burrell
Lower Burrell will hold a drive-thru recycling collection for household hazardous waste next Saturday, Nov. 6. The event is open only to city residents. Residents must pre-register by visiting Noble Environmental Specialty Recycling’s website or by calling 412-567-6566. The recycling firm charges fees for all items. Items accepted include household...
North Park eagles could rebuild after nest tree collapses, game commission says
When an old dead oak holding a bald eagle nest crashed to the ground in North Park last week, a legion of photographers and watchers collectively gasped. The tree supported not just the park’s only eagles’ nest, but the only such nest in any Allegheny County park. The two bald...
Newcomer challenges longtime Brackenridge mayor
A Brackenridge resident with a master’s degree in public health is challenging the borough’s longtime mayor in Tuesday’s election. Lindsay Fraser, 37, is challenging Mayor Thomas Kish, who is seeking his fourth term. Both candidates have ideas on what is needed in the borough and how, as mayor, they can...
Tour the haunted Cooper Station caboose on the Butler-Freeport Trail in Winfield
The public can tour the caboose once part of Cooper Station Restaurant, bedecked in creepy decorations, along the Butler-Freeport Trail in Cabot, Winfield Township on Saturday. Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the tour of the 1940s caboose includes samples of Eat‘n Park smiley cookies, Soergel’s apple cider, hot...
5 candidates vie for 4 seats on the Burrell School Board
Five candidates, mostly newcomers, are vying for four seats on the Burrell School Board in Tuesday’s election. Three incumbents on the nine-member board opted not to seek reelection: Genia Koziarski, Rachel Linderman and Chris Wojcik. Incumbents running for another term are LeeAnn Guido, the sole candidate for a two-year term...
Crossing history: First covered bridge on a public walking trail in region built in Kiski Township
It looks like something out of a fairy tale: A new rustic covered bridge nestled in the woods of Kiski Township on a walking trail. It crosses the rollicking Roaring Run stream near its confluence with the Kiski River. It’s about 1.5 miles up the Roaring Run Trail from Canal...
Building the Valley: Air filtration products flourish at Filterbuy facility in New Kensington 
Manufacturing has returned to a former Alcoa building in the once-beleaguered business district in New Kensington: Filterbuy is producing residential and commercial air filters for heating and cooling. Supply-chain issues aren’t slowing this family business, which is headquartered in Talladega, Ala. “The supply-chain problems nationally do not impact us because...


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