In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made in Tom’s name to The Penn State Thon a celebration of life will be announced and held at a later date Professional arrangements are entrusted to Devlin Funeral Home of Cranberry Township Tom and I started in the Railroad industry around the same time 40 plus years ago He was a true gentleman to me from the beginning encouraging a woman in the industry to succeed respected by his peers and well liked in our industry His love of family was always reflected in his smile and stories My sincerest condolences to your family as you share and reflect on his beautiful life He always stopped when he heard a train whistle I had the pleasure of knowing Tom for many years in the Railroad industry Finding out of his passing while at the NRC conference this week while surrounded by many colleagues was a shock to all of us Keep telling us jokes and stories from Heaven Tom I worked with Tom for many years at Birmingham Rail I worked as President at Bham Rail with Tom Brent and I had dinner together at a very nice restaurant about 6 years ago and we laughed about having the same name My sincere condolences to all members of Tom’s family at this most difficult time I graduated from Central Catholic in ’75 with Tom and we played softball against each other in the early 80’s He was a good friend and I have many great memories thru the years Going to miss you Pal and our trips with you and Joni to Riviera Maya fun and some serious discussions as well thrown in over the years George and I are sending our deepest sympathies to you at this time We always had so much fun with him when we were together Watching the sun sets while we were with him in Aruba was always fun May God give all of you strength as you face this difficult time You have my deepest sympathy for your family Tom was a good friend and business associate Tom was a good friend with a great sense of humor from the first time we met at Central’s Freshmen Orientation in ’71 I knew we were gonna be fast friends…..we both had/have a warped sense of humor……through all the years no matter where our travels took us it always seemed that our paths were bound to cross time & time again……I will miss our occasional beers & ball games at the “Taffel” my friend……rest easy Many memories over the years during my employment at LB Foster and years after LEAVE A REVIEW TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Former Vandergrift police Sgt. Anthony “Tony” Depanicis, who is accused of having sex with a minor about 100 times in the early to mid-1990s, waived his charges to court Monday. A criminal complaint filed by state police alleges he invited a 14-year-old girl to his Oklahoma Borough home for sex in 1991. For the next three years, police say, he’d repeat the ritual with the same girl on an almost-weekly basis. Depanicis was 25 during the first alleged encounter, which took place just months after he was hired by Vandergrift. He is now 59. He is charged with corruption of minors, a first-degree misdemeanor. It’s unclear why the charges were filed more than three decades after the alleged relationship ended. Corruption of minors charges can be filed before the victim turns 50. Depanicis joined Vandergrift police on a part-time basis prior to summer 1991, according to Chief Joe Caporali, who was not in charge of the department at the time. Depanicis went full time in 1995 and retired as a sergeant in September, three years after he was assaulted during an arrest he described in a sentencing hearing for his assailant as career-ruining. After leaving the department, he took a job as a security officer at Homer-Center School District in Indiana County but was fired once charges were filed. Monday’s hearing was the “beginning of a long process,” said Depanicis’ attorney, Duke George. He did not address the charges. A formal arraignment by Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio is scheduled for May 28, according to court records. Jack Troy is a TribLive reporter covering the Freeport Area and Kiski Area school districts and their communities. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in January 2024 after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. He can be reached at jtroy@triblive.com Stay up-to-date on important news from TribLIVE TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need 1-800-909-8742 © 2025 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved About Us Advertise Career Opportunities Contact Advertising Contact Circulation Contact Newsroom Contact Us Feedback Request Correction Resource Center Scholarship Opportunities Send Letter to the Editor Send News Tip Subscribe Subscriber Services Blog eFeatures Email Newsletters eTrib Facebook Home Delivery Instagram LinkedIn Marketing Minute Store Locations TribLIVE App - App Store TribLIVE App - Google Play X (formerly Twitter) Arts & Entertainment Best of the Best Business Directory Circulars Contests Coronavirus Lifestyles Local News YaJagOff Obituaries Opinion Our Publications Photos Real Estate Sports Video Weather Cookie Settings Privacy Policy Terms of Service Gregory Vandergrift is a Chemist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory photo Working as a researcher in VIU’s Applied Environmental Research Laboratories (AERL) was the “most pivotal experience” of Gregory Vandergrift’s undergraduate experience Vandergrift said the mentorship he received from professors set the stage for success in the rest of his career double major in Chemistry and Mathematics in 2016 and continued as a PhD student researcher at AERL while studying at the University of Victoria He’s now a Chemist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) which is a United States Department of Energy user facility “Researchers from around the world submit proposals to work with EMSL and I’m one of the scientists (amongst many) that collects and interprets data to help answer our users’ diverse scientific questions,” said Vandergrift that usually involves using mass spectrometers to answer questions about environmental research a type of technology that I first got experience with while at VIU.” We caught up with Vandergrift to talk about his time at VIU so there was an element of familiarity with VIU that first led me to choose it I stayed with VIU because of the excellent prof-student interactions that I had across all my classes my first-year chem professor who got me an opportunity to work in the Chemistry department over the summer That experience gave me my first exposure to scientific research since the Applied Environmental Research Labs (AERL) was right next door I was participating in fundamental research as an undergraduate And while I may have picked chemistry for my career my experiences in the Math department also were invaluable in teaching me how to think and not just recall information Dave Bigelow and Cobus Swartz were especially impactful Working in the AERL as an undergraduate was likely the most pivotal experience of my undergrad The mentorship I received from both Chris and Erik really set the stage for the rest of my career as it was an incredibly practical way of translating what I was learning in the classroom to the real world I also greatly benefitted from working with Dr I was able to co-author academic papers as an undergraduate which has boosted my career in ways that I think I am still benefitting from My greatest pride will always be with my family – being a dad to two boys will always be mentioned first I’m most proud of some of the high-impact publications I’ve been a part of while at EMSL including having recently led an article published in my favourite journal (Environmental Science & Technology) I’d recommend prioritizing a path where mentorship and learning are emphasized which is something that I’m grateful to have found with my current position A common theme of my best experiences at VIU is that they all involved dedicated mentorship I wouldn’t be half the scientist that I am today if it wasn’t for people like Chris The VIU community acknowledges and thanks the Snuneymuxw Snaw-naw-as and Qualicum First Nation on whose traditional lands we teach The National Weather Service has issued flash flood warnings for the region Crooked Creek Lake Park and North Washington If you live in the green polygons below, be careful driving at night given those are flash flood warnings. Never drive across a flooded roadway. pic.twitter.com/YltxGDWACV — NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) May 5, 2025 don’t drown when encountering flooded roads Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.” Coming upWhat: Vandergrift Council meetingWhen: 7 p.m May 5Where: 109 Grant Ave.Details: Vandergrift Council is expected to vote on an ordinance requiring annual inspections of rental properties and a $50 licensing fee Vandergrift backed off a fourfold increase to its rental licensing fee on Monday but pushed ahead with the rest of a proposal to rein in unscrupulous landlords The draft ordinance calls for annual inspections on rental properties and a $50-per-unit fee for their owners Only after a code enforcement officer finds a property is compliant Vandergrift put these rules on the books more than a decade ago but failed to meaningfully enforce them Most officials weren’t even aware of the existing ordinance until this renewed effort to address run-down rentals Council President Tom Holmes attributed the lack of knowledge to high turnover The ordinance being advertised is similar in substance to the existing one Council’s decision to not increase the fee came after resistance from landlords and their representatives who claimed a $200 annual registration would force up rents, harm tenants and expose the borough to legal action. Sylvia Maxwell, president of the Greater Allegheny-Kiski Area Board of Realtors, reiterated many of the concerns she raised at the March meeting. “Our association took action on this proposal to protect taxpayers, landlords and tenants from the unintended consequences of a legal challenge that could deplete borough funds,” Maxwell said. “We are also concerned about the potential for displacement of seniors, struggling families and those on fixed incomes.” State law says fees must be based on the cost of administering the associated service. That is, rental licensing fees can’t be a money maker for Vandergrift. At $200 a unit, with roughly 1,200 units in town, Vandergrift would have collected about $240,000 in annual revenue — likely far beyond the price of running the program. The courts have been willing to enforce this concept, most notably in 2021, when an Allegheny County Common Pleas judge struck down Pittsburgh’s $45 to $65 rental registration fee as “excessive” and an “impermissible tax.” Holmes estimated it will take between $10,000 and $20,000 to get enforcement going. The day-to-day costs are unknown at this point, he said, and could drive future changes to the fee. “If we collect more money than we need, we’re going to have to, by resolution, reduce the amount of money that we collect,” Holmes said. “We’re not using this for some kind of backdoor tax, but we have to get control of these properties in this town.” He added: “We have to have some kind of leverage.” Council is expected to vote on the ordinance in May. Several other area communities charge landlords on an annual basis to register their properties, including Manor Township at $10 per unit, Apollo at $50 and Kittanning at $75 for the first unit and $10 for each additional. Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli has found police were justified in fatally shooting a suspect during a February raid in East Vandergrift Ziccarelli announced her ruling Tuesday, marking the first official public account of why authorities opened fire on Lyle Cessna, 52. TribLive previously obtained court documents detailing the incident “The District Attorney’s Office completed a thorough review and analysis of the evidence and DA Ziccarelli determined the use of force was reasonable due to the immediate threat of serious bodily injury and/or death to the officers if deadly force was not used,” the office said in a statement Pennsylvania code permits law enforcement to use deadly force if they believe “that such force is necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury” to themselves or others Deadly force also is justified to stop a person carrying a lethal weapon or otherwise presenting an immediate and serious risk to the public Cessna died March 3 at UPMC Presbyterian hospital after more than two weeks in critical condition. He was awaiting a preliminary hearing in Armstrong County Court on a second-degree felony incest charge. Members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task force, a mix of federal agents and state police, surrounded Cessna’s second-floor apartment about 7 a.m. Feb. 14 to take him into custody on the charge. The district attorney’s account has Cessna leaving his apartment at 7:27 a.m. and walking to McKinley Avenue, the main drag in tiny East Vandergrift. Task force members ordered him to the ground, the statement continued. As officers and agents approached Cessna, he pulled a handgun out of his jacket and put it to his head, authorities said. Task force members struck Cessna in the abdomen with “less-than-lethal” projectiles in a failed bid to subdue him, according to the district attorney’s office. Cessna then pulled the trigger while still holding the gun to his head, but it malfunctioned, authorities said. He turned it on law enforcement afterward and was shot three times in response, according to the statement. Court documents obtained this week by TribLive shed light on details of a police-involved shooting in East Vandergrift that state troopers have thus far declined to reveal. Lyle Cessna, 52, of East Vandergrift was shot by law enforcement on Feb. 14 outside his McKinley Avenue residence. Cessna remains hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said. About 7 a.m. that morning, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force surrounded Cessna’s second-floor apartment, above the town’s post office, to take him into custody on an incest charge. Upon seeing the officers, Cessna left his apartment and went to his truck parked along McKinley Avenue, according to a search warrant issued after the raid. When police ordered him to stop, he pulled out a gun, pointed it at his head and pulled the trigger, but the gun malfunctioned, according to the warrant. Cessna then pointed the gun at authorities and was shot in response, the warrant states. For almost two weeks, state police have refused to release details of the shooting or whom they shot, citing “regulations” about suspects. Though the task force comprises U.S. Marshals and state police, the latter is leading the investigation. Law enforcement has the right to not name suspects and often invokes it for the sake of public order, said John Rago, an associate professor of law at Duquesne University. “They don’t want to cause needless fear, and they may have incomplete information,” Rago said. In this case, Rago said he believes police might be attempting to protect the integrity of a wider investigation. Exceptions to not naming suspects are often made, state police spokesperson Clifford Greenfield said, when the person is believed to be an imminent threat to public safety. “In this situation, he’s in the hospital, he’s not a threat, and the investigation is still ongoing,” Greenfield said of the East Vandergrift shooting, still declining to identify Cessna. Whether withholding an identity is fair to the public is debatable. “The police have a longstanding and well-recognized responsibility to be transparent, especially with the use of deadly force,” said Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. Rago said authorities can’t leave the victim of an officer-involved shooting anonymous forever. “Whether it’s good guy, bad buy, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “There has to be accountability for that.” Tips from social media platforms last year were the catalyst that ultimately led to the shooting. In January 2024, instant messaging app Discord reported to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone uploaded what appeared to be child pornography to its site, according to court documents. Facebook made a similar report in April. In May, X (formerly Twitter) flagged a post alluding to child pornography, a criminal complaint states. That X account contained multiple messages making it clear the user had child pornography to trade. Through image tracing and cooperation from social media platforms, internet providers and other tech companies, police determined that Ty Cessna, 25, of Rayburn Township was behind the activity. He is Lyle Cessna’s son. During a search of Ty Cessna’s home and electronic devices in December, hundreds of photos and videos depicting child sex acts or child nudity were found, police said. Ty Cessna was charged with more than 600 counts related to child pornography. He also faces a second-degree felony charge of incest, the same charge as his father. The incest charges stem from a video discovered by police during their investigation of Ty Cessna that they say shows him and his father engaging in a sex act with each other. Ty Cessna waived all charges to court at a preliminary hearing Tuesday and is free on $50,000 bond. Lyle Cessna was arraigned Thursday morning from his hospital bed. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 11. Three candidates are vying for a two-year term on Vandergrift Council. Democrats will choose among Nick Morgan, Nikol Reed and Michael Reilly in the May 20 primary. No Republicans are on the ballot. Morgan, 33, is an insurance salesman at Howard Hanna. He’s also on the Vandergrift Business Association Board of Directors and serves as one of the borough’s constables. Reed, 49, is a training program specialist at CVS Health. She is the president of the Vandergrift Business Association. Reilly, 68, is a retired security guard and private investigator. He is the president of the Vandergrift No. 1 Volunteer Fire Department and also serves as a borough constable. Whoever gets the Democratic nomination will likely run uncontested — barring a write-in campaign — and earn a seat on council. An additional four council seats with four-year terms are up for grabs in the primary. But only four Democrats and two Republicans have filed for those seats, meaning all will advance to the November general election, again, barring a successful write-in campaign. Council members typically serve four-year terms, but the departure of John Uskuraitis last year created the need for a two-year term. Bryan Young, who was appointed to replace Uskuraitis, is not seeking election. Communication between elected officials and the public is a top issue among candidates vying for Uskuraitis’ old seat. Council drew criticism in late 2023 and into 2024 for rolling out an event policy without extensively consulting local business owners and festival organizers. Similar critiques have emerged as the borough attempts to enforce an annual fee on landlords that some say hasn’t involved enough public input. “When council implemented the event policy, it was done in a way that wasn’t very collaborative,” Reed said. “I’ve been thinking, there’s got to be a better way to be collaborative with the community as a council.” Reed said she would always have a question in the back of her mind when voting: “Is this good for our businesses, or is this trying to make a couple hundred bucks for the town?” She also is proposing more frequent social media and website updates to keep residents informed of borough affairs. Morgan expressed similar sentiments, noting “there have been plenty of times where things have come up that no one knows about.” He called the ongoing process to pass a rental licensing ordinance a “debacle,” and questioned why officials haven’t been more active in gathering community input. “I think community involvement and just discussing things openly is a key thing,” he said. Less critical than his competitors, Reilly said council is doing a fine job, though “they need to be a little bit more accessible.” He feels his main contributions would lie in his skills as an organizer and networker as well the extensive list of contacts he’s built as a lifelong resident. “I’m more than happy to admit I don’t have the answer to everything,” Reilly said, “At the same time, I’m not afraid to ask somebody who does.” Reed’s other priorities include supporting small businesses — she would step down from her business association post, if elected — and cleaning up town, in her words, by combating drug use. “With VBA (the Vandergrift Business Association), I feel like it’s making a difference, but this is maybe sort of an expansion of that,” Reed said. Morgan is concerned with public safety and wants to raise police pay in a bid to reduce turnover. He also wants Vandergrift to run some festivals of its own or rent out recreational assets, like Kennedy Park, as a means of generating revenue. Individual businesses or community groups currently run Gathering on Grant, Artfest, Oktoberfest and other popular events. “That would bring people in who are interested in the town, help bring in revenue for the city to make these improvements and repairs they’re talking about … instead of delaying and delaying,” Morgan said. In addition, Morgan said he’d prioritize code enforcement and helping the owners of historic downtown buildings obtain restoration funds. A former Vandergrift police officer is accused of having sex with a minor about 100 times in the early to mid-1990s when he worked as a part-time patrolman for the borough A criminal complaint filed by state police alleges former Sgt Anthony “Tony” Depanicis invited a 14-year-old girl to his Oklahoma Borough home for sex in 1991 — a ritual he’d repeat with the same girl on a near-weekly basis until she was 17 Depanicis was 25 during that first alleged encounter he’s being charged with corruption of minors Why charges were filed more than three decades after the alleged relationship ended is unclear Pennsylvania law allows for criminal charges related to childhood sexual abuse to be filed until the victim turns 50 The criminal complaint brought by state police does not address the delay nor does it note when the alleged victim came forward — just that she did a public information officer for state police did not immediately return a request for further information State police said in the complaint that the alleged victim befriended Depanicis in the summer of 1991 Depanicis had started with the department a few months earlier Depanicis became a full-time officer for Vandergrift in 1995 Shortly after Depanicis met the alleged victim he invited her to his residence on Hancock Street in Oklahoma Borough saying he has yet to speak with his client or review the case said he had no information on the alleged incidents or investigation Depanicis worked as a Vandergrift police officer until September After leaving the Vandergrift Police Department, Depanicis took a job as a security officer at Homer-Center School District in Indiana County. Superintendent Ralph Cecere informed parents in a letter addressing the allegations that Depanicis has been fired and the district is cooperating with state police. Depanicis is free on a $10,000 unsecured bond. His preliminary hearing is set for April 1 before District Judge Cheryl Peck-Yakopec. A Vandergrift man is facing a slew of charges after being involved in a standoff with several police agencies Friday afternoon after he allegedly ran from police the day before Westmoreland County Chief Deputy Sheriff Jen Shipley said 44-year-old Luis Brackman refused to surrender to deputies Friday when authorities attempted to serve him with an arrest warrant regarding a felony drug charge Shipley said Brackman hid in a three-story building on Longfellow Street in Vandergrift after fleeing from Washington Township police following an incident Thursday night Shipley said Washington Township police chased Brackman on foot but he was able to elude them County deputies were called in Friday to help find him Washington Township police Chief Jason Montgomery did not immediately respond to a request for comment The sheriff’s department received a tip about Brackman’s location and got a search warrant to apprehend him Allegheny Township police and Washington Township police were called in to assist Shipley said Brackman refused to surrender and was found in an attic crawl space where he’d attempted to hide under insulation He was taken into custody without incident Shipley said police found an AR-15 rifle during the search for Brackman Washington Township police filed charges against Brackman of aggravated assault attempt to cause bodily injury with a deadly weapon felony firearms violations and other charges he also faces charges filed by the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office for Friday’s incident of attempting to flee and a felony firearm charge He also had two bench warrants against him for felony drug charges in the county Brackman was taken to the Westmoreland County jail Haley Daugherty is a TribLive reporter covering local politics, feature stories and Allegheny County news. A native of Pittsburgh, she lived in Alabama for six years. She joined the Trib in 2022 after graduating from Chatham University. She can be reached at hdaugherty@triblive.com Vandergrift police have charged two men in connection with a December shooting at Anthony’s Bar on Longfellow Street, in which three people were shot. John Booker, 35, of Vandergrift and Brydon Williams-Chambers, 23, of Arnold face two counts each of aggravated assault as well as one count each of discharging a gun into an occupied structure and reckless endangerment. Williams-Chambers is also charged with the prohibited possession of a firearm. The third man who suffered gunshot wounds is not accused of any crime. The shooting was reported to police shortly after midnight on Dec. 15. Police said they later reviewed surveillance footage showing some or all of the lead-up to the triple shooting. According to a criminal complaint, the relevant footage begins with Booker approaching Williams-Chambers and the third man as they stood near the bar. Spotting Booker’s approach, Williams-Chambers took a semi-automatic handgun from his sweatshirt pocket and tucked it into the waistband of his pants, police said. Booker then punched the third man in the face before moving toward Williams-Chambers, who retreated, drew his gun and pointed it at Booker, the complaint states. Williams-Chambers then charged at Booker and pistol whipped him in the back of the head, police said. Police said a struggle ensued where the gun fired, sending a bullet through the left half of Booker’s chest and into Williams-Chambers’ left arm, causing him to drop the weapon. Booker grabbed the gun as bystanders tried to intervene, according to police, before shooting Williams-Chambers twice in the left buttocks. Police said Booker subsequently turned toward the third man and shot him in the upper left leg before fleeing the bar. Officers said they took over life-saving measures from bar patrons until medics arrived. Williams-Chambers and the third man were taken to Forbes Hospital in Monroeville. Booker went to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison in a personal vehicle and was later transported to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh’s North Side. Booker and Williams-Chambers are awaiting preliminary hearings. An attorney was not listed for either of man in court documents. Officials declined to identify the suspect shot by police during a raid at an apartment Friday morning in East Vandergrift. The man was shot during a police raid led by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force around 7 a.m. Friday, according to state police. Residents say the raid targeted an apartment above the post office on McKinley Avenue. Vandergrift police confirmed they played a support role in the operation but had no other information. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for treatment, according to Trooper Clifford Greenfield, state police spokesman. Greenfield declined to share the suspect’s identity and said he did not have any update on his condition Friday. No officers were injured, Greenfield said. Phil Cornelius, chief deputy U.S. Marshal for Western Pennsylvania, did not immediately return a request for comment. Authorities remained on scene much of the day. Anthony Buyny, who lives a few doors down, said he was stepping out of the shower Friday morning when he heard authorities order a suspect to “drop the gun” and “get on the ground.” Vandergrift resident Lisa Dormire recalled hearing commotion from her home on Franklin Avenue, overlooking East Vandergrift. Like Buyny, she told TribLive she could hear yelling, and then gunshots. “I was surprised it was in East Vandergrift, because it sounded closer,” Dormire said. State and local police had been ramping up activity in the area over the course of the week, according to Alex Rosa, whose home borders the half-block perimeter established by police. A suit-wearing, clipboard-carrying agent, who was present at the scene Friday, recently came by his house and interviewed his mother. The post office shutdown snarled life in tiny East Vandergrift more than it would have in most other towns. Jeff Crosbie was walking from his home on the other side of town — the Postal Service does not deliver mail directly to borough residents — when he noticed clusters of police vehicles blocking his destination. “That’s like the hub of this town,” Crosbie said. “That’s where people meet and talk.” Without that town square of sorts, a few East Vandergrift residents instead lingered by the crime scene in the bitter cold, trying to piece together the events of the morning. Not even post office worker Kirk Ebel had an inside track on what happened. “I showed up to work this morning, (and) the ambulance was pulling away,” he said. It’s not unheard of for commotion to erupt in and around Anthony’s bar in Vandergrift “There’s typically fights in the parking lot right here,” said Kristen Hawley Those who observed the aftermath from their homes described people fleeing the bar and a crush of emergency vehicles — though few claim to have heard the shots. The shooting was first reported to police shortly after midnight. Investigators were there for nearly three hours, according to residents who spoke to TribLive later Sunday. Vandergrift police Chief Joe Caporali said it was an altercation that spiraled out of control. His department, along with the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s office, is interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage to learn more. Any charges would be premature at this stage, Caporali said, and will be filed by county detectives when appropriate. The three victims, all males in their 20s or 30s, are recuperating in area hospitals, said Caporali. He had no further updates on their conditions. The incident also revealed a divide among residents, many of whom have lived on the street for decades, about whether the nearly 50-year-old business is a lingering nuisance or respectable establishment caught in the crossfire of personal grievances. “They’re a good family,” resident Karen Hoover said of owner Linda Massari and her son, John. “It’s so sad that it had to happen there. As far as bars goes, it’s a good bar.” Massari, who was at the bar Monday morning, declined to comment. Caporali’s assessment of the place aligns more with that of Hoover than Hawley. “It’s normally a quiet bar,” he said. “It’s not a problem bar by any means.” According to Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board records, the bar only has been fined once — a $650 penalty for allowing some form of gambling on the premises. State police did not immediately answer whether its Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement has any pending actions against the establishment. Anthony’s, also known as the Longfellow Hotel, was founded in 1976 by Anthony Massari. He died in 2007. Though not a hotel in the traditional sense, there are several apartment units above the bar that see high turnover, according to Caporali. a beloved member of the Southside Pittsburgh Community Audrey spent her life surrounded by family and friends who cherished her warmth and generosity Audrey was the devoted wife of the late Thomas Vandergrift and a loving mother to Deborah Witkowsky (George) and Thomas Vandergrift She was a proud grandmother to Angela Mathews Her legacy extended further as a great-grandmother to Michael and as a great-great-grandmother to Violet Audrey also leaves behind many nieces and nephews who held her dear She was preceded in death by her siblings Thaddeus Audrey's enduring spirit brought comfort to those around her Audrey was always ready to care for others in times of need She found joy in simple pleasures like playing bingo and traveling to Atlantic City with her sisters After many years of dedicated service at Magee Womens Hospital's gift shop she retired but continued to bring light into the lives of everyone she encountered Audrey's memory will be treasured by all who knew her May her kindness and love continue to inspire those she leaves behind Friends and family will be received on Monday from 10:00 AM until time of Blessing Service at 1:00 PM in Thomas J donations can be made to Dementia or Alzheimer's of Pittsburgh Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Vandergrift will hold off on quadrupling the borough’s rental licensing fee after landlords and real estate representatives warned doing so would harm renters and homeowners while potentially costing the borough in legal costs Council voted unanimously Monday night to table a proposed ordinance that would have increased the annual cost for landlords to register their units from $50 to $200 The $50 fee has been in place for at least a decade but has never been collected on the borough’s 1,200 rental units Council President Tom Holmes said the ordinance would be reviewed by the council’s general government committee and asked that anyone with concerns and input send them in writing to the borough secretary for council to consider president of the Greater Allegheny-Kiski Area Board of Realtors as she said the proposal had been brought to the brink of approval without meaningful discussion from those most affected — landlords and tenants “This is not how good policy is made,” said Maxwell also representing the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors “Instead of rushing to approve a legally questionable and financially risky ordinance tenants and real estate professionals to this table to discuss solutions that are fair Holmes could not say when the issue might come back before council for a decision “We have some work to do on this,” he said who has about 20 rental properties in Vandergrift was among the landlords who raised concerns about the proposed increase to council Monday night “I take pride in providing a lot of quality affordable housing here in the community,” he said Iseman said his tenants include a retired woman on a fixed income and a schoolteacher who works with mentally handicapped children we operate on very thin margins,” he said Increasing the fee could leave them no choice but to raise rents different individuals who have disabilities families that are already struggling right now.” If landlords face a sudden and extreme increase in fees they’ll have no choice but to pass it on to their tenants past president of the Greater Allegheny-Kiski Area Board of Realtors “In a town where many of the renters are seniors on fixed incomes families living paycheck-to-paycheck and individuals receiving disability benefits although it might seem like a small rent increase it can mean the difference to them between staying housed and being displaced,” she said Vandergrift’s proposed increase would make the borough’s rental licensing fee the highest in the region which charges $75 for the first unit and then $10 for each additional; Manor Township this town should be working to attract responsible landlords and investors who will maintain and improve their properties this excessive fee can send the opposite message completely investors that I work with will be taking their business elsewhere leading to more vacant properties and neglected homes,” she said even the homeowners are going to be affected because their property values are going to go down,” she said “Instead of imposing unreasonable costs we could look at proven models that cities have implemented that incentivize compliance they promote long-term investment in our community “We have real-life examples we know about from across the entire country and within the state that we can look at and implement here.” Maxwell raised legal concerns the borough could be facing Holmes previously said funding code enforcement was one reason for the increase Maxwell said that would make it a “backdoor tax” and subject to challenge in court “Municipalities do not have the authority to impose new taxes without proper legislative approval,” she said “This exact issue has been challenged in court An attempt to impose a $65-per-unit rental registration fee in Pittsburgh was struck down in court Judges ruled the fee was too high for the services provided “If Pittsburgh’s fee was deemed excessive at $65 there is strong legal basis to challenge a $200-per-unit charge in Vandergrift Even the $50 current fee may be ruled too high,” she said Vandergrift is on track to face the same legal challenge and it is highly likely this proposal would not hold up under scrutiny.” Doerr and Iseman encouraged Vandergrift to look at enforcing the $50 fee it already has but has not collected “Before drastically increasing those costs why not just simply implement the policy that already exists?” Doerr said “This alone could generate significant revenue and address some of the problems that we’re having.” Not collecting the fee has cost the borough about $60,000 a year and $600,000 over the past 10 years — money Iseman said should have been in the community “We’re looking for working together and coming up with a fair solution that treats everyone equally throughout the municipality and not just the tenants and the landlords,” he said Brian C. Rittmeyer, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com A Vandergrift man led police on a high-speed chase in New Kensington on Sunday after having been told by police not to drive his vehicle and later hitting a police car with it according to arrest papers filed against him with offenses including a felony count of fleeing or attempting to elude police misdemeanor counts of prohibited weapons and DUI A New Kensington officer first encountered Brown during a traffic stop behind Giant Eagle around 12:45 a.m. A mostly full bottle of tequila was inside the SUV he was driving Police noted that Brown’s driver’s license is suspended He was told not to drive his vehicle and to call for a ride about to pull out of the alley behind the parking lot of the Elks Lodge bar onto Ninth Street Police noted it stayed in the alley an abnormally long time until the police cars were out of sight An officer circled around the block to 10th Street at Fourth Avenue where the SUV turned left onto 10th Street from Fourth Avenue — hitting the police vehicle He was stopped when officers boxed in his vehicle at Ninth Street and Third Avenue Brown was ordered at gunpoint to get out of the vehicle but refused to comply Officers removed him from the SUV to the ground Brown smelled of alcohol and was unable to stand on his own Officers said he was too intoxicated for field sobriety tests and did not answer when asked to submit to a breath test at the police station The tequila bottle that was seen nearly full earlier was found almost empty on the floor of the SUV Brown was found to be carrying brass knuckles Brown was arraigned Sunday and sent to the Westmore­land County jail on $25,000 bond His preliminary hearing before New Kensington District Judge Frank J After Lisa Schrader heard a pop and then saw smoke she grabbed her dog Chloe and cat Oreo and raced out of her Vandergrift home before it became consumed flames Schrader agonized over whether her second cat was still alive inside her burning home on Whittier Street Phillips joyfully broke the news to her sister — Lincoln was rescued from the basement by firefighters was given oxygen by ambulance personnel and reunited with its owner “We are just so thankful for all the firefighters and ambulance and police who helped her,” Phillips said Fire officials were unavailable at the scene to provide information The home appeared to be heavily damaged and the front porch area was charred Firefighters appeared to be dousing hot spots 90 minutes after flames broke out Chloe and Oreo were safe in an SUV parked nearby she was just so thankful that he was alive because she thought he wasn’t going to make it,” Phillips said She estimated her sister has lived in the home for about 20 years Schrader has a lot of family support to get her through the devastating situation “I know she’s going to say how wonderful the community is the support she’s received from everybody,” Phillips said Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com How to helpAnyone interested in assisting with Olmsted Commons whether by volunteering or contributing resources should contact Marilee Kessler at kesslermarilee@gmail.com or 724-454-1625 Grass is just starting to sprout in thin turfs across Olmsted Commons, a half-acre plot in the heart of Vandergrift with winding sidewalks and carefully contoured soil. Calling it a park at this stage would be an overstatement. North Huntingdon-based contractor 3DMurin Construction finished pouring concrete, paving an event area and landscaping last year, using all of $151,000 given to the borough by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The borough will put up a roughly equal match in land, cash, professional service donations and other contributions. All the other accoutrements of a park, like benches, sycamore trees and a mural wall meant to cover up a blighted row house next door, are expected to be funded by donations and installed by volunteers before the end of the year. “There’s a lot of needs yet to make this complete,” said Lucien Bove, the borough’s engineer. The punch list also includes trash cans, educational signs, “living” walls and lighting. A stainless steel “V” monument built by Eugene Hepler of EHI-FireFab in Washington Township will be added, too. While there’s much work ahead, the site at 144 Washington Ave. has come a long way since a fire there destroyed multiple mixed-use buildings in 2015. That started a chain of events that led the borough to buy the land off the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank. After demolition, the parcel became nothing more than an unsightly patch of weeds, so the borough started plotting the future of this land with the county’s assistance about five years ago. It dubbed the project Olmsted Commons, a tribute to Frederick Law Olmsted, the architect of New York City’s Central Park, the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and other famous sites. Around town, he’s best known for designing Vandergrift from what was just several hundreds acres of farmland. Hallie Chatfield, senior project manager with the county redevelopment authority and land bank, previously told TribLive the curved walkways play off Olmsted’s use of curves in designing Vandergrift’s distinctive streets. Work on the honorary park was interrupted by the covid-19 pandemic. Crews finally broke ground in October. In the view of Councilwoman Marilee Kessler, Olmsted Commons will serve as a connector between the Grant Avenue business corridor and other parts of the borough’s core, such as the McMurtry Towers senior high-rises. To travel between the business district and the park, pedestrians can take McKinley Avenue, which will also see some improvements in the coming months. The nonprofit Vandergrift Improvement Program recently received a $30,000 grant through the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County to spruce up the alley with lighting and art installations. “It’s kind of all interconnected,” Kessler said. Coming upWho: Vandergrift CouncilWhat: Discussion of an increased rental licensing feeWhen: 7 p.m. March 3Where: Vandergrift government center Vandergrift officials are in near-unanimous agreement that it’s time for a fourfold increase in the local rental licensing fee Council voted Monday to advertise an ordinance raising the fee unchanged since its introduction at least a decade ago Landlords are charged for each unit they own would owe the borough $400 a year if the ordinance passes Given there’s somewhere around 1,200 rental units in Vandergrift the hike would add roughly $180,000 to borough coffers over what the current fee brings in Rae Ann Bruner was the only council member to vote against the measure after a brief “That’s an awful big jump,” she said “It’s not that much when you’re getting $700 $800 a month for a rental,” countered Councilman Bryan Young most council members view the higher financial burden on landlords — who would certainly shift some or all of the cost to tenants — as an acceptable trade-off for additional revenue While the proceeds would go to the borough’s general fund the idea is to use the extra money to pay for the code enforcement officer’s salary and related expenses The increase might also make unscrupulous landlords think twice about operating in Vandergrift in the view of Council President Tom Holmes “We know that the rent has doubled or tripled in the rent in some of these places but to give us a tool to enforce what needs to be taken care of in these properties,” Holmes said assistant deputy director of the Westmoreland County Planning Division and a collaborator with Vandergrift on a regional blight study “the biggest tool to address blight is code enforcement.” put less than 1% of their budget toward code enforcement Vandergrift has plenty of rental rules on the books to enforce beyond the licensing fee Rental properties are subject to inspection and reinspection by a borough code enforcement officer before a new tenant can move in landlords who do not live within 15 miles of Vandergrift must designate a manager who meets that qualification or establish a full-time office in the area Other towns in the Alle-Kiski Valley recently updated their housing rules though mostly to get ahead of possible issues with short-term rentals through platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo In December, Cheswick implemented a rental property licensing system as well as a mandatory local point of contact for landlords Freeport passed a similar ordinance in September, requiring annual registration and inspection of any housing units available to rent for less than 30 consecutive days. Officials in both cases said there were few, if any short-term rentals in town when the ordinances passed. Vandergrift’s rental licensing ordinance is available for review at the borough building, 109 Grant Ave. Council could vote on the fee change as early as its March 3 meeting. Coming upWhat: Vandergrift Council meetingWhere: 109 Grant Ave.When: 7 p.m March 3Details: Council will vote on whether to implement a $150 increase to the borough's rental licensing fee Vandergrift won’t be able to hike its rental licensing fee without a fight Some local landlords say increasing the annual cost to register their units from $50 to $200 will eat into their already slim margins and inflate rents ultimately harming their most vulnerable tenants “I am all for the borough doing whatever they need to do to raise funds so they can make the community a better place and be able to balance their budget,” said Robert Iseman a landlord with about 20 properties in town “Putting it on the shoulders of just the tenants and landlords I don’t feel is fair.” The ordinance, proposed in early February, could also face legal challenges. Justin Capouellez, a political field representative for the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors, said his organization “is investigating what the law says” on both the higher licensing fee and an existing ordinance that forces landlords based outside a 15-mile radius to designate a local property manager. Similar ordinances have fared poorly in Pennsylvania courts, with Pittsburgh’s 17-year quest to tighten its grip on landlords as the most high-profile example. Organizations representing landlords — the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors not among them — have successfully taken the city to court time and again for its efforts to establish a rental registry, charge per-unit fees and implement a local agent requirement similar to Vandergrift’s. The city’s latest attempt at regulating rental properties, passed in 2023, was implemented in December, but remains the target of a lawsuit in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Vandergrift solicitor Larry Loperfito did not return a request for comment. Council President Tom Holmes said he was not aware of any potential legal snags with the proposed ordinance, which is slated for final adoption Monday. For at least a decade, the town has had a $50 licensing fee on the books, though it was hardly ever enforced. Holmes conceded officials weren’t even aware of the existing fee until they started crafting this latest proposal as, in his words, “an attention-getter” for problem property owners. The $50 charge is roughly in line with those levied by neighboring municipalities. Apollo charges the same amount, for example, while Kittanning levies a $75 fee for the first unit, and $10 for any others. Holmes argued the hike is necessary for a couple of reasons: One, to better fund code enforcement, and two, scare off unscrupulous landlords. All of his conversations about the proposal with “good landlords,” he said, have gone well. Iseman, though, feels blindsided by the lack of outreach from borough officials. And the increase, he said, could be a business-killer for some in his line of work. In his case, he would be out an additional $4,000 a year, when most of his properties only gross about $50 a month. “A lot of years we barely break even,” he said. So does the borough, which hasn’t raised taxes in almost 15 years. Its latest budget took about $30,000 in reserves to balance — and the cost of services is only set to rise. At $200 per unit, with about 1,200 rentals in town, the annual windfall from the ordinance would come in around $240,000. Holmes said at least part of this money would likely go toward bolstering code enforcement. At the moment, Vandergrift police Chief Joseph Caporali doubles as the borough’s lone code enforcement officer, spending about 12 hours a week inspecting properties, writing citations and, occasionally, taking recalcitrant property owners to court. “To be honest, 12 hours a week is nowhere near enough to deal with the number of issues that are in town,” he said. Upon his retirement from the force in May, his main job will be code enforcement. He supports raising fees in hopes that he and another part-time employee could eventually work 20 hours a week. If rental licensing revenues went elsewhere, things could get dicey. Capouellez asserted “a rental registration fee cannot be raised to pay for police, trash, or provide the matching amount for state grants,” marking another legal concern for the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors. Addressing possible lawsuits in general, Holmes stood his ground, pointing to blight and bad apples in the landlord bunch as reasons to up the licensing fee fourfold. “My question to the judge would be, judge, are you going to let this town rot into a hole?” he said. At least three people were injured in a shooting early Sunday at a Vandergrift bar according to a Westmoreland County Emergency Management dispatcher Officers were called to the scene at Anthony’s Bar Vandergrift Patrolman Joe Gray confirmed that borough Police Chief Joe Caporali was at the scene overnight Gray said the chief was unavailable for comment until Monday morning and declined early Sunday to provide details about the incident “It’s an ongoing and very fluid investigation,” Gray said Vandergrift resident Mathew Sylves lives two doors down from Anthony’s and said he was roused out of bed around midnight Saturday by the sound of three “pops.” so I knew right away that those were gunshots,” Sylves said Sunday Sylves said he peered from his window and witnessed people running out of the bar hopping into cars and “peeling” out Sylves said he ventured to his front door where he heard two more shots and saw an ambulance at the scene and heard a man report that he had been shot at until the scene was cleared,” Sylves said “I’m not really surprised — it was bound to happen — a lot of the younger generation has been getting in fights.” who lives in an apartment at the rear of the bar told TribLive he was sleeping at the time and wasn’t wakened by the incident “I can’t believe it,” he said when he saw police caution tape and learned of the shooting Sunday morning noting he’d been in the establishment Saturday night “It’s a really nice bar,” he said There’s been some disputes and arguments of course; that’s going to happen anywhere But I never would have imagined something like this.” A Vandergrift man was sentenced Friday to 12 to 24 years in a state prison for firing more than a dozen shots into three occupied homes in 2021 entered a general plea Friday to 17 charges against him discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure reckless endangerment and weapons violations He was given credit for time served in jail since April 2021 Lambert was ordered to undergo mental health and drug and alcohol evaluations while incarcerated Court papers filed in the case indicate that homes along Jefferson Avenue in Vandergrift were hit by gunfire around 2 a.m A search of the area turned up 16 shell casings authorities received a report from a resident in the area that Lambert made death threats against members of their family and similar statements the day leading up to the incident The case tentatively had been scheduled for trial in December This website is unavailable in your location It appears you are attempting to access this website from a country outside of the United States therefore access cannot be granted at this time The man shot and critically wounded by police last month during a raid on his East Vandergrift apartment has died. Lyle Cessna, 52, died Monday afternoon at UPMC Presbyterian hospital, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. The medical examiner’s report is the first time authorities have publicly identified Cessna as the target of the Feb. 14 raid by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. However, court records obtained by TribLive detailed the incident beyond what Pennsylvania State Police, who are leading the investigation, had announced. About 7 a.m. that morning, the task force, composed of federal marshals and state troopers, surrounded Cessna’s second-floor apartment above the post office on McKinley Avenue. Police said Cessna then left his apartment and went to his truck. When police ordered him to stop, he pulled a gun, pointed it at his head and pulled the trigger, but the gun malfunctioned, according to a search warrant issued after the raid says. Vandergrift has no plans to raise real estate taxes next year, according to its preliminary spending plan. The proposed budget would keep the property tax rate at 28 mills. Expenditures are projected to hit about $2.5 million, roughly $30,000 more than expected income. That gap would be covered by leftover money from this year. It has been at least 10 to 15 years since the last tax increase, according to borough Manager Steve DelleDonne. Much of the proposed budget mirrors the current one, but a few changes stick out. For one, the borough is setting aside only $850,000 for police, which is a $134,000 decrease driven by personnel changes. Vandergrift no longer has a sergeant and his $76,000 salary on the books. Pension contributions also are down $68,000. Refuse and recycling collection is another significant spending category, holding steady at about $422,000. The borough was able to slash recycling worker wages and recycling truck expenses to zero after ending curbside collection in September. But those savings were mostly erased by higher pay for trash collection workers, anticipated truck maintenance and rising landfill fees. Insurance eats up another major chunk of the preliminary spending plan at $656,728, which is a $44,000 increase from this year. Administrative spending is expected to come in at $132,000, which is just barely above current costs. Other notable categories, each with little change from this year, include: • $169,000 for street repairs, associated salaries, snow plowing and other road-related expenses; • $38,000 for parks maintenance, repairs and similar costs; • $35,000 for sanitary sewer worker salaries; • $29,000 for fire and emergency management. Council is expected to finalize the budget at its Dec. 2 meeting. The proposed budget is available for viewing at the borough building, 109 Grant Ave. Charges have been filed against an Allegheny Township man who police said crashed into a gas pump at Vandergrift’s Kochka and Son Towing on Sept. 10, starting a fire that burned a customer and caused significant damage to the family-owned business. Cole Briscoe, 33, fled the scene on Sherman Avenue after the crash, hobbling down nearby Farragut Avenue before being apprehended, according to the criminal complaint filed against him. A man pumping gas was hurt, police said, but Briscoe did not attempt to render aid or address the situation. Meanwhile, Kochka and Son employees scrambled to put out the fire as it spread to a second gas pump, manager Lyndsey Bigley said. Some workers grabbed fire extinguishers, while one pressed the emergency shut-off inside the building. “They had it out before the fire companies were here,” Bigley said. It took Kochka and Son about two weeks to make more than $100,000 in repairs, Bigley said. Briscoe, who police said exhibited slurred speech and trouble staying awake, faces a felony count of causing a catastrophe and misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence and reckless endangerment. The complaint stated that Briscoe could not recall any events leading up to the collision. Surveillance footage shared by Kochka and Son show Briscoe crossing the Rudy Minarcin Memorial Bridge at a relatively high speed, running a stop sign and smashing into the gas pump, police said. Briscoe requested medical care for a head injury suffered during the crash, according to the complaint. After being placed in an ambulance, he quit breathing and had to be revived using Naloxone, leading emergency responders to request a helicopter transport to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to police. At the hospital, medical staff were told by Briscoe he had taken two Percocet pills, which he believed to have been laced with fentanyl, the complaint said. Court records show Briscoe has had multiple drug-related encounters with the law, including DUI and possession convictions. Vandergrift police Chief Joseph Caporali did not immediately return a call for comment. Briscoe did not have an attorney listed in court documents. His preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 3. 2 firefighters almost always arrive at an emergency scene in short order the dwindling department could have trouble getting its sole engine out the door That’s part of why it’s exploring a merger with its downtown counterpart “Neither one of us has people knocking on the doors to get in,” Wells said Vandergrift Council signed off on a merger study request last week inviting in technical assistance from the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development to examine the feasibility of combining the departments The organizations already have a sense of what working together might entail His department is the more active of the two in part because it lacks all but the most basic rescue gear the departments are even at about 30 members each with roughly half suiting up on a regular basis “It’s tough,” Dunmire said “Calls happen all hours of the day and night and people have children and stuff.” can be the most challenging in terms of manpower Funding woes are also driving merger interest as the cost of gear and apparatus soar have gone from about $500,000 to $1 million in the past 15 years Both departments operate on less than $100,000 a year to cover utilities, equipment maintenance, insurance, training, fuel and more. Those figures do not account for grants, like the $10,000 award Vandergrift No 1 recently received to buy new rescue jumpsuits especially in a town of 5,000 or so people it doesn’t make any sense to be “competing for people’s donations,” Dunmire said Volunteer fire departments across Western Pennsylvania are facing rising costs and declining membership, steering some toward collaborative solutions. More than 50 fire departments across the state are working with the Department of Community and Economic Development on consolidation studies, according to spokesperson Justin Backover, a slight increase from past counts provided by the agency. Backover touted mergers and consolidations as “creating stronger, more efficient and sustainable emergency response organizations” by combining resources and expertise. Neither Vandergrift fire chief had many details about what formally joining forces might look like — the point of the study is to figure them out. Wells did note, however, his department owns a parcel near the intersection of Longfellow Street and Route 56 that could house a newly built, combined fire station. By and large, though, “we have no idea how we’re merging or what we need to,” Wells said. If it doesn’t work out, he added, “we’ll still serve the community the way we are right now.” Simply Sisters Bakery is on the move to a bigger and more convenient location in downtown Vandergrift. Five months ago, sisters Karen Johnston and Paula Cunningham started serving doughnuts, cookies, soups and more out of an old beauty shop on Emerson Street. As soon as Oct 1., the sisters will leave this tiny space for one in downtown Vandergrift that’s about three times larger. The existing location will stay open in the meantime. “(We) just need more space,” Johnston said. “We outgrew this place faster than we thought we would have.” Their future home at 175 Columbia Ave. will have three rooms: a showcase area, a workspace and a kitchen. The sisters said this will allow them to offer catering and more grab-and-go meals. Right now, there is barely enough space for a single display case in the front room, and the back is just as packed with ingredients and appliances. “We won’t be bumping elbows anymore,” Johnston said. Parking — or a lack thereof — is another motivator for their move. Emerson Street is largely residential, limiting the number of on-street spots available to customers, while Columbia Avenue is in the business district, where parking turns over more frequently. Bobbie Morda, owner of Bobbie’s Jewelers at 173 Columbia Ave., recently called the sisters to recruit them as neighbors. The space next door last served as rental housing. “I never met them, but I sort of watched them through Facebook, and they seemed like hardworking business owners,” Morda said. She said she even had customers come in asking for directions to Simply Sisters. Two doors down from 175 Columbia Ave., Kelly Adamik spoke favorably of Simply Sisters while cutting hair Friday afternoon. Adamik owns Kelly’s Salon and Gathering Room, a joint salon-gift shop. “It’s good to see young blood coming in,” Adamik said. Another salon, Studio 56, opened Tuesday near the intersection of Columbia and Washington avenues after extensive restoration to the historic Anchor Building by New Kensington-based Olde Towne Overhaul. And Lydia Leighs, yet another beauty shop on Columbia Avenue, recently marked its three-year anniversary. Robert Buchanan, president of the Vandergrift Business Association, attributed the growth in this part of town to a few factors. One, there is a shortage of vacant storefronts in good condition on Grant Avenue. At the same time, businesses can reap the benefits of downtown events, such as Gathering on Grant, by moving onto nearby Columbia Avenue. “(Businesses) want to be part of all the events we’re doing,” Buchanan said. “It’s much harder to direct somebody up to a business that’s several blocks away.” Cunningham is excited to get closer to the action, though she will miss the nook where the bakery got its start. “I’ll be sad moving from here,” she said. “We just don’t have any room.” A Vandergrift woman who had been missing since Saturday was found safe She had been reported missing by family members after last being seen on security camera video footage around 5 p.m Quincey Reese is a TribLive reporter covering the Greensburg and Hempfield areas. She also does reporting for the Penn-Trafford Star. A Penn Township native, she joined the Trib in 2023 after working as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the company for two summers. She can be reached at qreese@triblive.com Budget restrictions forced Vandergrift to end curbside recycling pick up earlier this month. Instead, residents will have to take their glass and metals — plastics remain a no-go — to the borough garage at 600 Oak St. and deposit them in the appropriate bin. These containers will be ready by Sept. 20 and open around the clock. The recycling truck, according to borough officials, has accumulated enough wear and tear in its 20-plus years of service that it’ll no longer pass inspection without costly repairs. “The truck we bought for $1,000 … we used it for 23 years, so we got our money’s worth out of it,” said Councilwoman Christine Wilson, who chairs the streets and sanitation committee. Officials estimated that repairs would cost between $15,000 and $20,000. A new truck would have put Vandergrift out around $100,000. Wilson added that, between maintenance, wages and other expenses, individual service was a major drain on finances. Payments from facilities that process these materials weren’t even enough to cover $3,000 in annual fuel costs. The borough worker assigned to recycling has been moved to other tasks, like street repairs and grass cutting, Wilson said. Until this month, Vandergrift was an outlier in the Alle-Kiski Valley when it came to recycling. Few communities offer door-to-door pickup, and the ones that do, such as New Kensington and Lower Burrell, charge residents. Vandergrift residents enjoyed free service for years. “I would have loved to kept it going if we could — and we could — but we would have to assess and charge the residents,” Wilson said. After some discussion among council, members decided to avoid giving people another bill. Some residents, like Rose Goins, are none too pleased with the change. “I’m not hauling all that dirty stuff in my car,” she said. Idan Novik, another resident, called the end of curbside collection a “big inconvenience.” “I don’t think a lot of people will do it,” he said. Pennsylvania requires municipalities to collect recyclables, and, under borough code, residents can face fines for mixing glass, tin and aluminum with trash. In reality, about 80% of the town doesn’t recycle properly, per Wilson, and there’s no feasible way to enforce regulations on what waste goes where. The borough garage is, however, monitored by security cameras. Council President Tom Holmes stressed that this is simply a trial period and other options may be considered in the future. “We had to do what was best for the borough so we’re trying this,” Holmes said. “It may not be the ‘end all’ thing.”