Mary Ann Thomas stories, Page 21

Mary Ann Thomas
Mary Ann Thomas 724-226-4691
Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Nesting success at U.S. Steel Irvin plant: 2 juvenile bald eagles take playful flights 
Two juvenile bald eagles raised at a nest on the property of the U.S. Steel Irvin plant in West Mifflin have been putting on impressive aerial displays around the plant. “Our employees have enjoyed watching from a distance as these eagles, ‘Irvin and Claire,’ as our team named them, continue...
Verona man’s furry green motorcycle helmet attracting attention on A-K Valley roads
Jeff Barnes wants you to notice him. That’s why the Verona man who works in New Kensington dons a furry, green motorcycle helmet cover with a Muppet-like face when he rides around the Alle-Kiski Valley and beyond. Yes, he enjoys seeing people smile when they get a glimpse of his...
Couple ties knot in first-of-a-kind ceremony along Kiski Township’s Roaring Run stream
With uncommon grace and ease, a woman in a long, flowing, white satin gown made her way to a rock the size of a pickup truck in the middle of Roaring Run stream. Surrounded by rocks covered in moss, she lifted the hem of the gown to prevent it from...
Food truck rally in Lower Burrell will benefit fire company
Lower Burrell’s Fire Company No. 3 will have its third food truck rally from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday. The events have turned into successful fundraisers that were much needed after the covid-19 pandemic shut down traditional events to draw the public and funds. Each of the previous rallies has...
Harrison man accused of stealing cars faces added charges in connection with burglary
A Harrison man previously accused of stealing two vehicles from two township businesses earlier this month now faces charges in connection with a burglary the same day at a third township business. Harrison police on Wednesday charged Mark A. Bauer, 60, with burglary, trespassing, receiving stolen property and mischief in...
New Kensington Camera Club’s ‘Americana’ at Pittsburgh Mills mall is rural, patriotic, nostalgic
“Americana” is more than a genre for the New Kensington Camera Club — it’s everyday life for area photographers. The works of 17 local photographers are showcased in the new exhibit, “Americana,” at the Pittsburgh Mills mall until Sept. 4. “We decided to do Americana history — rural, patriotic and...
DEP suspects pesticide or herbicide caused massive fish kill on Chartiers Creek
The state Department of Environmental Protection suspects that a pesticide or herbicide caused a killed thousands of fish in Chartiers Creek in Washington County. Chartiers Creek, a tributary of the Ohio River, runs from the center of Washington County to Allegheny County, emptying into the Ohio at McKees Rocks. The...
Boaters beware: High waters on Allegheny River from Kinzua to Pittsburgh for 5-7 days
Torrential storms over the weekend caused water levels to rise significantly on the Allegheny River from the Kinzua Dam in Warren to Pittsburgh, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. Water levels are decreasing but will stay elevated for the next five to seven days, according to Megan Gottlieb, water...
Lower Burrell mulling over where backyard chickens can live
Lower Burrell Council did not dispute or appeal the city zoning hearing board’s ruling allowing a family to have chickens that serve as pets and satisfy the medical needs of a family member. But council tabled further discussion last week on whether to change the city’s ordinance governing where chickens...
State Rep. Abby Major: ‘People should know there are good-paying jobs out there.’
State Rep. Abby Major, R-Ford City, hosted the state House Majority Policy Committee to showcase local businesses and the issues they face. Major’s district includes part of Armstrong, Butler and Indiana counties. Local business leaders testified about business conditions for economic recovery and job growth before the committee Thursday at...
Firefighter disputes Kiski Township police charges stemming from plans to burn building debris
Kiski Township police arrested an Apollo firefighter and charged him with disorderly conduct after they say he refused to abandon plans to burn rubbish with prohibited items. Police charged Lyle Rusz, 60, of Kiski Township with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and tampering with fire apparatus. Rusz’s attorney, Gregory Swank, disputed...
Lower Burrell Council bestows honors for covid-19 response and city beautification 
Call it pent-up gratefulness. Lower Burrell Council awarded a whopping four proclamations this week thanking residents and others. After covid-19 pandemic restrictions shut down public meetings for more than a year, Lower Burrell Council is in its second month of in-person public meetings. Council delayed publicly honoring residents and groups...
Armstrong Trails explores converting 14-mile Kiski Junction Railroad into a recreational trail
With the demise of the Kiski Junction Railroad in Gilpin and surrounding communities, Armstrong Trails wants to convert the corridor into a 14-mile recreational trail. The Kiski Junction Railroad was a 165-year-old short line used for commercial hauling and autumn leaf tours for tourists. The railroad’s owner, Rosebud Mining, ceased...
Regulations lifted: Anglers can catch fish of all sizes at Raccoon Creek State Park
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is lifting fishing restrictions beginning Saturday at the Upper Pond in Raccoon Creek State Park in Beaver County to clear out as many fish before draining it. Anglers can take fish, starting Saturday, of all seasons, sizes, and creel limits in the Upper Pond...
Kiski Township police charge Apollo man for drugs, fleeing
Police say a traffic stop Monday along River Road in Kiski Township turned up drugs and other items in an Apollo man’s car. Kiski Township Police say they found a switchblade, methamphetamine, crack cocaine and assorted drug paraphernalia in a vehicle driven by Korry Reese, 35, of Apollo. He is...
Kiski Junction Railroad finally closes; corridor explored for recreational trail
While the owner of the Kiski Junction Railroad is finalizing its closure, a Gilpin supervisor is proposing converting the railroad corridor into a recreational trail. Rosebud Mining, which owns the 165-year-old short line, is closing the railroad for good, according to the company’s president, Jim Barker. The railroad has been...
National expert visits Kiski River, other waterways to install, study baby mussels 
Only a half-grain of rice in size, baby freshwater mussels were deposited in the Kiski River and elsewhere by researchers to better understand and boost the bivalve mollusk’s recovery. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service installed homemade concrete silos with chambers for the young mussels to live...
Newly created Kiski Township Sewage Authority requests $50K from township
The fledgling Kiski Township Sewage Authority is seeking $50,000 from the township to help cover start-up costs. The authority formed earlier this year to spearhead a $16 million townshipwide sewerage project. Township officials hope the infrastructure upgrade will spur development and economic growth, especially along the Route 56 corridor. The...
Lower Burrell family wins ruling to have chickens at their home as pets 
When Donny Henderson calls the girls, it’s usually not for his two daughters but the family’s six hens, which he defended as pets in a recent Lower Burrell Zoning Hearing Board action. Henderson and his wife, Erika, won a decision recently by the city’s zoning hearing board that now classifies...
Harmar eaglets take first flights; young Crescent Township eagle collides with car
A Fox Chapel photographer documented the first flights of the two young bald eagles from a nest above Route 28 in Harmar this week. The bald eagle couple, which is in its eighth year of nesting on the same hillside, has produced 13 young birds in total that have successfully...
Mysterious bird illness prompts Game Commission, Audubon to recommend taking down bird feeders
A mysterious illness causing bird deaths has prompted the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the local Audubon Society to ask the public to take down their bird feeders. “Out of an abundance of caution and in agreement with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, we advise people to remove their bird feeders (including...
Career and technical schools cope with pandemic, share optimism about future
Like other high school seniors forced into some remote learning this school year, Logan Rybarick wasn’t happy learning online. However, he had a special, urgent need to be in a classroom. For Rybarick, 18, of Templeton, who recently graduated from Armstrong School District and Lenape Technical School in Manor Township,...
Lower Burrell man accused of twice stealing guns from home as well as items from Woodpeckers bar
Police have charged a Lower Burrell man and accused him of breaking into a Lower Burrell home twice to steal guns, blank checks and a credit card. Jordan Bradley Keibler, 27, also is accused of stealing items from cars and the employee lockers at Woodpeckers Pub & Grub in Upper...
Temporary parking acceptable use of former Apollo nuke site, DEP says
The state Department of Environmental Protection said a company that temporarily stored RVs on a former nuclear fuels plant site in Apollo didn’t violate terms of a covenant for the property. “The temporary use of this site for the parking of vehicles will not present any radiological concerns, though substantial...
Apollo’s Owens Grove turns 100: Cleanup and party set for July 24 
Turning a century old can come with considerable wear and tear. Apollo borough will celebrate Owens Grove’s centennial with a work party followed by cake and ice cream on July 24. The Apollo Events Committee is billing the birthday celebration as “100 years of giving: Apollo pays it forward.” The...


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