The park unveiled details on its mysterious “Project 412” Thursday and we learned that Steelers Country is coming to Kennywood! It will be a new roller coaster called “The Steel Curtain.”

The coaster will have a record-breaking 9 inversions, a 197-foot tall loop and a 220-foot maximum height. It will reach speeds of 75 mph and last 2 minutes.
The Steel Curtain will break the Pennsylvania record for tallest roller coaster, the North American record for most inversions and the world record for tallest inversion and is expected to open in 2019.
Kennywood says they are the first amusement park in the country to collaborate with a professional sports franchise as they will be opening a new section of the park called “Steelers Country” a themed area dedicated to the team, to the NFL experience and the fans of the team

GUILTY PLEA TO TERRORISTIC THREATS

Yuttana Choochongkol, otherwise known as Jason Manotham, was arrested Jan. 12 after making multiple terroristic threats against players and fans at Heinz Fieldand has entered a guilty plea in federal court to a charge of threatening interstate communications.

“This Sunday’s playoff game in Pittsburgh is going to be like no other… The Steelers game will be packed and that’s when I plan on killing Steelers football players and fans before taking my own pitiful life,” he allegedly wrote in one of the threats.

The FBI traced the internet IP address to a San Antonio company. U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said. “We commend the FBI and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for their exceptional work in the arrest of Choochongkol, which averted a potential disaster. The safety and protection of the citizens of Western Pennsylvania remains our highest priority.”

WEATHER for FRIDAY JULY 20, 2018

TODAY: Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. High 86F.

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low 67F.

SATURDAY: Cloudy in the morning with scattered thunderstorms developing later in the day. High near 80F. Chance of rain 40%.

SUNDAY: Scattered thunderstorms in the morning becoming more widespread in the afternoon. High around 80F. Chance of rain 80%.

The identity of a homicide victim from early Wednesday morning in Aliquippa has been identified! Beaver County Radio’s Sandy Giordano has this report:

 

The bathtub completely full. An open window. Soaked Diapers, no additional clothing. No clean diapers to be found. That describes the conditions when 2 children under the age of 5 were found all alone in the Beaver Falls apartment by Salvation Army employees doing a welfare check. Police were notified. The mother, 27 yr old Kevonna Thomas came back after more than 1/2 hour. She has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child and her trial is scheduled in October.

Police continue to search for 36 yr old Dana Penny who’s accused of participating in the home invasion that turned into a fatal shooting incident in Aliquippa. He is considered to be armed and dangerous.

During the early morning incident a neighbor Anthony Farley heard a woman crying for help as 2 men dressed in DEA shirts forced their way in. Farley approached & was shot. He returned fire and one of the intruders was shot & killed.

There’s an outstanding arrest warrant for Penny stemming from charges filed last month regarding possession of drugs & paraphernalia with intent to sell.

The investigation was turned over to State Police and they are asking that anyone with information regarding Penny or the shooting to call them at 724-773-7400.

WEATHER for THURSDAY JULY 19, 2018

TODAY: A good deal of sunshine. High near 85F. Winds light and variable.

TONIGHT: Mainly clear. Low 66F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.

FRIDAY: Some sun in the morning with increasing clouds during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 85F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

SATURDAY: Scattered thunderstorms in the morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High 79F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.

SUNDAY: Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. High 79F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

A 15-year-old girl jumped on the hood of a moving vehicle driven by her sister Wednesday night in Pittsburgh’s Fineview neighborhood, authorities said. She fell off and was hit  shortly after 10 p.m. on Belleau Drive, according to investigators.

According to Police, the teenager was taken to a hospital in critical condition and was later upgraded to serious condition.

The 15-year-old’s sister was arrested after an altercation with police and faces charges of aggravated assault against police officers.

The conviction of then 11-year old Lawrence County boy Jordan Brown, in the shotgun killing of his father’s pregnant fiancee has been overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The court ruled unanimously, 5-0, that there was not enough evidence to support the conviction. Brown is now 20 and has been free since turning 18.

Brown’s lead defense attorney, Dennis Elisco, said

“He’s exonerated from any responsibility for these two horrific crimes and he will have his record expunged and the charges dismissed,”
Brown was charged with the shotgun murder of his father’s fiance, inside the Brown family’s Lawrence County home. Kenzie Houk was more than eight months pregnant and asleep when she was shot in the back of her head with a shotgun.

The family of Kenzie Houk has so far declined to comment on the court’s decision.

Four young women were swimming and sitting on the rocks at the Buttermilk Falls. They observed a man watching them from the bushes, performing a lewd act on himself and making motions for them to come over to his location. The victims told him they were calling the cops and he took off on a bicycle. Steven Bitcko, 27, of Beaver Falls was located by police on State Route 18 and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and narcotics. The accused was subsequently arrested and transported to Heritage Valley Hospital for testing. Charges will follow results.