Morning Roundup: Firefighters battle blaze at West Mifflin Buffalo Wild Wings
TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, April 24, 2023:
Firefighters battle blaze at West Mifflin Buffalo Wild Wings
Firefighters early Monday worked to extinguish a fire at the Buffalo Wild Wings on Mountain View Drive in West Mifflin.
The blaze was reported around 1 a.m., according to an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher. The fire was reported about an hour after the restaurant’s listed closing time.
No injuries were reported, according to the dispatcher, and crews were still on the scene around 5 a.m. The dispatcher said he could not provide additional details about the extent or cause of the blaze.
Tribune-Review news partner WPXI reported that the building was badly damaged.
Mount Pleasant schools on 2-hour delay after bomb threat
The Mount Pleasant Area School District will operate on a two-hour delay schedule Monday after a bomb threat, according to Superintendent Timothy Gabauer.
The district received a message late Sunday evening through Safe2Say, a program that allows students and others to provide anonymous tips about potential violence. The message said a bomb was placed in the high school over the weekend, Gabauer said in a statement.
Pennsylvania State Police “were quick to respond and led a search and clear process of the building,” he said.
The district was given an “all clear,” allowing students and staff to report to school after the delay Monday, Gabauer said.
Penn Hills firefighters assist in baby great horned owl rescue
Penn Hills firefighters this weekend helped a baby great horned owl back to its nest, according to a Facebook post from the volunteer fire company.
Residents of the Hathaway Court plan found a baby great horned owl early Saturday morning that had fallen from its nest, a drop that firefighters estimated at between 40 and 50 feet.
They notified the Pennsylvania Game Commission and took the bird to the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania, according to the fire department.
Veterinarians gave the owl a clean bill of health and requested firefighters help the bird return to its nest.
Penn Hills firefighters spotted another baby great horned own in the nest and reunited the birds.
Low temperatures bring freeze watch Monday night
The National Weather Service has issued a freeze watch for the region from midnight Monday through 8 a.m. Tuesday.
The low temperature overnight in the Pittsburgh region will be around 32 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, with temperatures dipping as low as 27 degrees in Butler County.
The NWS has advised people to protect tender plants and drain or wrap outdoor pipes. Frost and freezing conditions can kill crops and other sensitive vegetation.
Widespread low temperatures near or below freezing are expected tonight. A Freeze Watch has been issued from midnight tonight through 8 AM Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/KlQKKBT4DD — NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) April 24, 2023
Pittsburgh Regional Transit to start $13.5M escalator project
Pittsburgh Regional Transit is launching a $13.5 million project to replace nine escalators in three Downtown rail stations Monday.
The project aims to improve reliability, performance and safety of escalators at Wood Street, Steel Plaza and First Avenue stations, according to the transit authority.
Starting Monday, escalators will be closed at Steel Plaza Station, the first of the stations to see upgrades. Three escalators in the main part of that station will be removed, followed by all four escalators at Wood Street.
The last phase will include the escalator at first Avenue on the outbound platform side and an escalator at Steel Plaza going to Sixth Avenue within the BNY Mellon Customer Service Center.
Crews expect the first phase at Steel Plaza to continue through September, PRT said in a press release.
Escalators will be out of service during that time, but elevators and stairs will remain open throughout the project.
The project should be completed by late summer 2024, according to PRT.
Local foundation donates portable breath test to Lower Burrell Police
The Trooper Kenton Iwaniec Memorial Foundation this weekend donated a portable breath test to a Lower Burrell police officer, the police department said in a Facebook post Sunday.
Iwaniec, a Pennsylvania state trooper and Westmoreland County native, was killed at age 24 when an impaired driver hit his vehicle head-on as he was driving home from the Avondale Barracks in Chester County in March 2008. The foundation bearing his name works to honor DUI victims and reduce impaired driving.
Iwaniec’s father presented the police department with the portable test, which was sponsored by Robindale Energy in Latrobe.
The foundation provides breath test devices to law enforcement agencies throughout Pennsylvania.
“The devices provide an estimate of blood alcohol concentration and are an essential tool used in the detection and removal of impaired drivers,” Lower Burrell police wrote in a social media post. “The Lower Burrell Police are committed to keeping our community safe from impaired drivers and will be able to use this donation to continue to uphold this commitment.”
Source: TribLIVE
