Friday, May 24, 2013
Do you know the seat belt laws in Pennsylvania? It changes for children under four, four through eight and eight through 18.
PennDOT will partner with more than 600 law enforcement agencies and the Pennsylvania State Police to participate in a national “Click It or Ticket” seat-belt enforcement effort through June 9. The effort will focus largely on nighttime enforcement, using traffic safety checkpoints and roving patrols. Police will also use Traffic Enforcement Zones, which combine roving patrol and checkpoint tactics on roadways with high numbers of unbuckled crashes. “As the start of the summer travel season approaches, I strongly encourage everyone to buckle up every time, no matter how far you’re traveling,” PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch said. “The majority of crashes happen within 25 miles from home, and you are 60 percent more likely to survive a …
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Their 2-year-old boy, Maddox Derkosh, fell into a wild African painted dogs exhibit last year and was killed.
The parents of the 2-year-old boy named Maddox, who was killed after falling into a wild African painted dogs exhibit last fall, have filed a lawsuit against the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium for unspecified damages, according to WPXI. The lawsuit filed on behalf of Jason and Elizabeth Derkosh of Whitehall Borough claims that zoo officials had ample warning that parents routinely lift their children onto a rail overlooking the exhibit so that the children can see the dogs better, according to the report. The lawsuit states that zoos across the country have more and better safeguards in place to keep children safe. Thoughts on the lawsuit? Share in the comments below. Join Patch for more community news or join us on Facebook and Twitter.
Paul Pozonsky was charged with myriad crimes Thursday morning, including theft and obstructing the administration of the law.
A former Washngton County Judge has been accused of misappropriating cocaine that was submitted as evidence in drug cases he presided over. Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane announced Thursady that criminal charges against retired Washington County Common Pleas Judge Paul Pozonsky had been filed. She said the case was presented to a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the charges against Pozonsky, who retired suddenly last June. Kane released the following statement: "In May 2011, Judge Pozonsky began to request that police bring to his courtroom the controlled substances—usually cocaine-- that had been confiscated in drug cases, according to investigators. The controlled substances would be entered into evidence and …
The suspect will reportedly plead guilty next week.
A Venetia man who faces drug charges is now charged with illegally possessing 16 firearms and is scheduled to plead guilty on May 31, according to the Post-Gazette. Francis Mario Tinsley, 36, was reportedly convicted of possession with intent to deliver drugs in 1997. That felony means he's not allowed to have any guns. Tinsley also pleaded not guilty to 2012 charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack, according to the newspaper. Tinsley reportedly runs Tinsley Transport, which carries vehicles for car dealers.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Frank Zahler is accused of telling a man in Barnes & Noble that he had bomb materials in his briefcase similar to the bombs used in the Boston Marathon.
The elderly man accused of causing the evacuation of South Hills Village mall last month was in tears apologizing to the judge and thanking the Bethel Park police for treating him well at the end of his preliminary hearing on Monday. District Judge Robert Wyda continued the hearing for Frank Zahler until July 1 so that behavioral health specialists could help Zahler discover the underlying cause of why he made the "callous and stupid" remarks on April 21, just days after the Boston Marathon tragedy. "What you said was clearly wrong," Wyda told Zahler. "We need to get things mentally and emotionally under control. "You need to continue to work with these people (health specialists) to help you help yourself." Zahler was handcuffed in the …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Here is a security update from the district.
In the wake of a bomb threat found at the Peters Township High School on Wednesday, students belongings were searched as they entered the building Thursday morning. "As you know, late Wednesday afternoon, a bomb threat was found inside the high school. Police and fire departments were on site through the evening conducting a thorough search of the facility, finding nothing to substantiate the threat," a district spokeswoman said. "We appreciate the patience of our students and parents as we went through this process. The cooperation of everyone involved made the search this morning quick and efficient, and we were able to begin a normal school day." District officials indicated that while they do not believe the threat to be credible, "…
The crash happened Tuesday afternoon.
A five-year-old girl suffered a minor injury after a vehicle crash just after 3 p.m. Tuesday. Peters Township police said Ashley Bodner, 27, of Washington, was travelling on East McMurray Road near Holly Drive when the vehicle in front of hers suddenly stopped. She told officers that she swerved to avoid a collision, which is when her vehicle struck a pole. Her daughter, Ivy Bodner, 5, suffered what police called a minor head laceration. As a precaution, Bodner, her daughter Ivy, and two other children in the vehicle were taken to The Washington Hospital. No other injuries were reported, according to police. The crash tied up traffic in the area, and prompted the Peters Township School District to issue an alert to parents indicating that …
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The biology Keystone exams have been postponed and will now take place on Friday, May 17.
Peters Township School District officials are postponing Thursday's biology Keystone exams after a bomb threat was found in a Peters Township High School bathroom late Wednesday afternoon. Peters Township police officers and firefighters searched the building and found nothing to substantiate the threat. "While we do not believe this threat to be credicble, extra security precautions will be in place throughout the day on Thursday," according to a statement from the school district. Students are asked to leave backpacks at home and keep personal items in a clear plastic bag. There will be extra police presence in the building Thursday. The Keystone exam will be made up on Friday, May 17. Wednesday's threat will also affect Peters Township …
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Officials from Peters Township School District sent out a notice Tuesday afternoon.
Peters Township School District officials are warning parents that a traffic accident could cause a bus delay for some students. A district spokeswoman said an accident is blocking traffic on East McMurray Road. As a result, buses coming from McMurray Elementary, Pleasant Valley and Bower Hill may experience delays arriving home. A Washington County 911 supervisor said there were unknown injuries in the two-vehicle crash, which happened at East McMurray and Holly Road around 3:15 p.m. No further information was immediately available Tuesday afternoon. Join Patch for more community news or join us on Facebook and Twitter.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
The charges are the result of a traffic stop early Tuesday morning.
Peters Township police are charging a Finleyville man with possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. Police said the charges, which will proceed by summons, are the result of a traffic stop around 1:30 a.m. in the area of Turkeyfoot Road and Iron Horse Drive. Police said the officer detected the odor of marijuana when he approached the vehicle, and that both the driver, Dylan Christopher Janda, 20, and a passenger were both cooperative. According to police, an officer seized a small amount of marijuana and paraphernalia from Janda.
Rachel M.
9:58 pm on Thursday, May 23, 2013
I don't think that this case will go anywhere as, if I'm remembering correctly from an article written in November, the Pittsburgh Zoo exceeded the safety requirements during it's review a few months before the incident. It's an unfortunate accident. Hopefully parents will be smart enough to either not have their small child stand on a handrail overlooking a pen of wild animals or at least keep a… more ›