OFF DUTY POLICEMAN

An off-duty police officer who was in the right place at the right time helped put two armed robbery suspects in jail.

Willie Rae Smith Jr. and Taymar Fields are accused of robbing a man at gunpoint Thursday afternoon on Elise Street in Arlington.

A few blocks away, an off-duty Pittsburgh police detective was visiting the gravesite of a family member when he saw the two men run through St. Peter Cemetery and hide on a nearby porch.

When he heard sirens he called dispatch.

Police chased the two men into Mount Oliver before catching and arresting them for robbery, threatening a victim and fleeing police..

Marijuana for presents

Deputies received a stunning answer during a traffic stop on a Nebraska interstate Tuesday. An elderly couple claimed that the nearly 60 pounds of marijuana found inside their vehicle, worth more than $300,000, had been earmarked as gifts.

Patrick Jiron, 80, and Barbara Jiron, 83,“said the marijuana was for Christmas presents,” POLICE REPORTED

The couple, stopped after deputies saw the vehicle cross the center line and fail to signal,
told deputies they were from Clearlake Oaks, Calif., and were heading for Vermont. Deputies allegedly detected a “strong odor” of marijuana and conducted a probable cause search. The marijuana was found in boxes stored inside the pickup topper and has an estimate value of
$336,000,

 

Police were called on Dec 17 to Grand Ave in Aliquippa for a report of a man who was attacked. He told the officers that he could not see. According to a police report, Mycale Mills, 20 is accused of assaulting a 35 year old man during a domestic dispute. She stabbed him in the back then poured bleach on his face. Mills is charged with aggravated and simple assault.

QUIP-BOTS

It’s good to know there are passionate residents meeting with public officials proposing ideas to improve Aliquippa’s water system. These residents are still in Elementary school! They’re part of the Aliquippa Quip-Bots, a robotics team creating code and programming robots to do various tasks and learning about local infrastructure.

This is alot different than the fighting robots designed by the high-school aged teams in & around the Pittsburgh area. Sixth grade teacher Robert Signorelli says,
“They’re solving missions rather than doing battles.”

State Police urge safety

The Pennsylvania State Police urge motorists to drive carefully and be courteous to all drivers and pedestrians when traveling during the holidays.

Traffic will be greater than usual and weather can create difficult driving conditions. Be calm and use common sense on the roads. By speeding, driving while impaired, or engaging in other reckless driving behavior, you put yourself and others at great risk.

Troopers patrolling the highways will be enforcing the Commonwealth’s traffic laws including speeding, aggressive driving, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

NEW BLACKHAWK COACH

The Blackhawk School Board has hired a replacement for football coach Joe Lamenza, who went 8-19 in three seasons at the helm of the Cougars’ program. The new Head Football coach is Zack Hayward, a 2009 Blackhawk High School graduate. He plans to bring back the passion and excitement he remembers from the days he was a Cougar.

Blackhawk athletic director Rick Ford, says that Hayward’s familiarity with the program and his ties to its glory days were key factors in his hiring.

After graduating from Geneva, Hayward served as wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator on head coach Geno DeMarco’s staff. Next he was co-offensive coordinator under head coach Mark Washington at Moon Area High School and, for the past two seasons, Hopewell High School.

Aliquippa receives funding

The state announced that Aliquippa’s plan to reduce blight was among 125 projects selected to receive support under the state Neighborhood Assistance Program.

Aliquippa Economic Development Corp. was awarded $400,000 in tax credits that will be used to acquire and demolish 18 houses in the city to remove blight and make room for future development, among other community initiatives.

“It’s going to be a multiyear project,” City Manager Sam Gill said, and will involve other nonprofits and public service agencies in Aliquippa during the next six years.

The $400,000 in tax credits is for the first year of the program, state Department of Community and Economic Development spokesman David Smith said.

Fire officials say Christmas lights are to blame for starting a fire early this morning in Lawrence County. Fire investigators say the fire broke out shortly after 1:00 this morning at a home on Matthews Road in Mahoning Township. Officials say a couple was home when the woman heard crackling and discovered the fire. Officials say everyone was able to get out of the home but the flames destroyed a portion of the home. Mahoning Township Fire Chief Francis Exposito said the fire started on the porch and believes it was an electrical fire started by Christmas lights strung on the porch. It took fire crews more than two hours to fight the flames.

THE GRINCH WHO STOLE THE COLOR FASHION SHOW DEBUTED AT HOPEWELL HIGH SCHOOL LAST NIGHT. BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO WAS THERE. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…